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Version: 4.0 (2026 H1)

Implementation Approaches for Documents

primedocs is not just a software product, but part of a template and document management system. Its strength lies in its flexibility: there are several ways to offer a document in primedocs — and these can be combined to a certain extent. They are therefore not "either/or" options. For each template, you can choose the approach that works best for the end users.

Terminology

A template serves as the basis for document creation — it is usually unfinished, but a clean starting point. A document, by contrast, is usually finished or nearly finished and needs only a few (or no) further data (e.g. manuals, checklists, brochures).

The Four Implementation Approaches​

1. Template Building (Automation)​

In classic template building, you collect data from the user via the Forms dialogue and fill it into the document automatically. In addition, data can be taken from the user profile or from configured data sources (interfaces). This allows a template to be largely automated.

  • Advantages: interchangeable profiles, data import from third-party systems, transfer of Forms data, high degree of automation.
  • Disadvantage: creation can be time-consuming, particularly with complex automations. As long as the templates stay simple, however, you are up and running quickly.

2. Empty Document with Manual Snippets (Document Construction Kit)​

Here an empty base document is provided, and the content is then assembled manually using shared snippets. Two variants are common:

  • Complete content as a snippet — for example with forms (tax offices, security authorities, HR): an empty "form base" document into which the complete form content is inserted via a snippet. The snippets can be clearly grouped by form type.

  • Text construction kit — instead of the entire content, text modules are offered for selection, with which the document is "clicked together". Contract example: cover sheet, parties (depending on the number), preamble variants, contract content, and signature block — each as a selectable snippet.

  • Advantages: very agile, very easy to handle, and maintenance of the building blocks can be delegated to the specialist department (via the snippets' permission concept).

  • Disadvantage: more limited automation.

3. Importing External Documents​

A file can be imported into primedocs 1:1 — in any file format, including PDF. The file is opened exactly as it was imported; data fields cannot be embedded, and no automatic population takes place.

  • Suitable for: documents that are used or printed exactly as they are opened — checklists, directives, instructions, manuals, brochures, flyers, emergency plans.
  • Advantages: very fast and simple (a few mouse clicks); visibility can be controlled normally via primedocs; a new file version can be swapped in easily.
  • Disadvantage: no automation, no primedocs functionality within the document.

4. Word Content Controls​

Templates can contain data entry fields directly within the Word document (content controls). These can be guided by colour: the placeholder text appears in colour, the entered content as normal (black) text. This creates intuitive user guidance directly within the document.

  • Suitable for: technical or complex documents where filling in within the context is easier than in the Forms dialogue.
  • Note: content controls are a Word feature, but combine very well with the rest of the primedocs functionality.

Combining Approaches​

The great strength lies in combining them. Examples:

  • Snippets that contain profile fields and are populated automatically when inserted.
  • Collecting some details in the Forms dialogue and having other fields filled in within the document via content controls.
  • Embedding an external document with content controls that are completed live.

Hybrid Data Transfer: Forms or Content Controls?​

For the mixed form of Forms dialogue and content controls, the following rule of thumb helps you decide where a field is captured:

  • Forms dialogue — for fields that appear multiple times in the document (e.g. the name of the opposing party in a contract, or product names). They are captured once and populated in all places simultaneously.
  • Content controls — for all other fields. They are captured directly in the document and explained with meaningful placeholder text.

One advantage of this hybrid approach is the ease of maintaining the templates, which can be carried out directly by the customer without much effort.

Content Controls in Snippets

Content controls can also be embedded in snippets — but not as a drop-down menu or as a building-block content control. These are bound to the respective template: if such a snippet is inserted into a document based on a different template, the drop-down remains empty.