In regulated manufacturing, document control details matter because they affect how quickly your team can find the correct version of a controlled document and prove it during an audit. In Cetec ERP, document management is built into the platform, so the rules around visibility and validity are part of the normal workflow, not a separate system to maintain.

A common support question is what the Globalize button does and why a document shows as Alive. Those two fields are small, but they change how documents behave across customers and over time.

Why Document Control Details Matter

If your team is using customer records, orders, and controlled document processes as the home for quality documentation, you need predictable rules. You want a consistent way to (1) make the right documents available where people work and (2) make it clear whether the document is currently valid.

When a user shares a direct link to a specific page in their Cetec ERP site, support can review the same record view in the cloud. That makes it easier to align on what the user is seeing and resolve the question without translating screenshots back and forth.

What the Globalize Button Does

Globalize is primarily used on customer documents and order documents. If you upload a document to a specific customer record (for example, ABC Widgets) and then globalize it, that document becomes available across all customer records.

Operationally, this is useful when the document is not customer-specific. Common examples are onboarding packets, standard terms, or a workmanship or craftsmanship guarantee you want accessible regardless of which customer record you are working from.

How to Decide Whether to Globalize

If the document should apply to every customer or every order, globalize it so your team can pull it from any record without re-uploading duplicates. If the document is specific to a single customer (custom terms, customer-controlled drawings, customer-specific certifications), keep it tied to that customer record so it stays scoped correctly.

What Alive Means on a Document

In Cetec ERP, document control is often organized into defined processes (for example, general documents, HR policies, ISO documents, safety documents, and vendor documents). Within a process, your team can manage revisions, workflow status, and approvals, and keep the controlled record tied to a consistent process location.

Alive is tied to the document’s valid date range. A document is marked Alive when the date you are viewing it falls within the valid range that has been set for that document.

Managing Valid Date Ranges

Valid date ranges are a practical control when documents have an effective period, planned review cycle, or an expected retirement date. Setting a range helps reduce accidental use of an expired instruction or policy, especially when documents are accessed from multiple places in the system.

Key Takeaways

• Globalize makes a customer or order document available across all customer records.
• Only globalize documents that should apply broadly, keep customer-specific documents scoped to the correct record.
• Alive indicates the document is being viewed within its configured valid date range.
• Valid date ranges help prevent accidental use of expired instructions, policies, or controlled documents.

Conclusion

Globalize and Alive are simple fields, but they control practical behavior in a document control workflow. When your team understands when to globalize a document and how valid date ranges drive Alive status, it is easier to keep controlled documentation accessible, current, and defensible during reviews and audits.