Documents

What are document templates?

Document templates are ideal for policies, general guidance where a specific order of consumption isn’t critical, do’s and don’ts lists, and other reference materials. They are like pre-made layouts for business documents you use often, having standard text and formatting that stays the same, but also including editable fields (blanks) that people can fill in with specific details.

Unlike procedure templates, which are designed for step-by-step workflows (e.g., employee onboarding), document templates are better suited for information that doesn’t require a strict sequence of tasks.

Key benefits of Document templates

• Consistency: Ensures the main parts of your documents always look the same.
• Efficiency: Saves time because users only need to fill in the blanks.
• Quality control: Prevents accidental changes to standard information.
• Easy updates: Change the template once, and all future documents created from it are updated.
• Works anywhere: View and complete documents on any device (phone, tablet, computer) without downloading files.

Document structure

Document templates have two main parts:

1. Fixed content: Text, formatting, and structure that cannot be changed by users.
2. Editable fields: Areas where users can add specific information.

Working with Documents

Creating Document templates

You can create standard templates for documents like:

• Policies (e.g., social media usage policy)
• General guidance (e.g., do’s and don’ts for client calls)
• Reference materials (e.g., latest WiFi passwords, current client list)
• Contracts
• Sales proposals
• Legal forms
• Client information forms
• Standard instructions or information sheets

Using Document templates

When you use (launch) a document template:

1. Tallyfy creates a new instance of it as a process.
2. Users can only edit the specific fields you set up.
3. The final document looks consistent and matches the original template.

Digital documents vs. traditional documents

Using Tallyfy’s online documents avoids common problems with downloaded files (like Word docs):

• No need to manually format the document.
• It’s clear which parts can be edited and which parts cannot.
• Avoids confusion from having multiple different versions of a file.
• You can reuse common blocks of text (snippets).
• Automatic language translation is available if needed.
• Works well on any device.

Tallyfy Documents vs. Microsoft Word

Here’s how Tallyfy documents compare to programs like Microsoft Word:

Feature	Tallyfy Documents	Microsoft Word
Main Use	Reading and working together online	Mostly for printing, but can be used online
Formatting	Consistent style set for the whole company; text is cleaned up	Manual formatting for each document
Navigation (TOC)	Table of contents made automatically from headings	Table of contents needs to be created and updated manually
Version Control	One main version; changes are tracked	Often results in many different file versions
Working Together	Real-time access based on roles; connects to workflows	Sharing files; fewer options for working together live
Images	Optimized for web viewing; sizing options	More formatting options for print and screen

Moving from Word to Tallyfy

When copying text from Word into Tallyfy, focus on bringing over the words first. Then, use Tallyfy’s headings (H1, H2, H3) to structure the content. Tallyfy removes Word’s formatting when you paste, ensuring your documents look clean and consistent with your company’s style.

• Add fields to document templates
• Digital signatures using middleware
• Create a table of contents
• Launch and use document templates
• Send data to document creation systems

Related articles

Pro > Essentials

Tallyfy streamlines process documentation through three template types: Procedures for step-by-step workflows Documents for standardized forms and Forms for simple data collection enabling consistent execution across organizations.

Documenting > Templates

Templates serve as reusable blueprints that standardize business processes by defining consistent steps structures and rules which can be launched repeatedly to ensure work quality and maintain organizational knowledge.

Features > Fill in the blanks

Document templates with fillable fields reusable text snippets and automatic data variables eliminate manual copying while ensuring consistency and accuracy across business documents.

Introduction

Workflow automation platform Tallyfy helps organizations streamline operations by documenting processes tracking tasks in real-time and enabling continuous improvement through AI-powered automation and standardized templates.