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Question

The best way to tackle a logistical and indexing issue

May 18, 2017 8:00AM PDT

So, this is a fairly simple problem, I'm just trying to figure out the best way to tackle this. At work, we run a non-profit. When gifts are processed incorrectly we run an adjustment. When the adjustment is done, we pull digital files of the backup, then we write up a new form. What I want to do is have a way of batching multiple files together in one file with the option of outputting to PDF.

An example of how this works in other programs is like Photoshop with multiple layers: you can save a photoshop file that contains all of your layers intact, but you export to a file type officially, while retaining this raw file for backup. Currently, I'm not seeing anything that will retain the information in that unbound format.

A few thoughts I had all have issues.

For example, I could use a word doc and have people paste in, but this of course would leave too many things to go wrong at the hands of the user: I need something locked so that an image is attached or a pdf. I can't have a bunch of editable stuff, because what can go wrong will.

I've also thought of google forms, but this is outside of our network and would go against our compliance.

I've thought of pdf portfolios, but these are, frustratingly unbending since you can't rearrange the order of the pdfs.

The issue is the file goes through multiple review processes, which then means that the file is added to as it moves along, this is why I need a loosely bound file, something like in photoshop with layers that can be moved around, but more simple for regular office people to not get hung up on.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Add one thing.
May 18, 2017 8:06AM PDT

A programmer. You have your specification almost complete but you need a programmer to generate an app or web app to fill in the needed items than the backend to autogenerate your documents. I'm not writing how your programmer can do this but they can make this happen.

Answer? Add a programmer to your team.

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We are a super low budget operation.
May 18, 2017 8:33AM PDT

I make like $10 an hour and its a great job, but essentially its all within what I can do with my current skills, and at this point, programming is not necessarily my skill. If you have some sort of application builder for starters you know of, then I can take a look at that. Essentially, if I had a programmer, I wouldn't be asking.

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I see this pop up now and then.
May 18, 2017 9:17AM PDT

Folk are now asking for app builders for non-programmers. But this is more than an app. It's a system where you make either an app that collects the details or a web app that collects the details then a backend system creates the documents as required.

It's all doable but today I'm getting folk that want this in an app builder.

Not yet but maybe in a few years?

For now, maybe the fix is to keep backups of the files you can't lose and document how a run of the mill person is to make these documents.