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External Distribution

Distribute your documents externally.

Create an external distribution​

External distribution allows you to share documents with recipients outside your organization (suppliers, customers, partners, etc.).

Principle​

The document is made accessible via a secure link or sent by email to external recipients who do not have an account in Quality Manager.

Procedure​

External Distribution

  1. Access the document to distribute
  2. Click on [External Distribution]
  3. Fill in the external recipients:
    • Email addresses
    • Names and organizations
  4. Configure the options:
    • Link validity duration
    • Download authorized or view only
    • Read receipt if desired
  5. Add an accompanying message
  6. Validate the distribution

Distribution options​

Temporary link:

  • Generation of a unique secure link
  • Configurable validity duration (7, 15, 30 days, etc.)
  • Automatic expiration after duration
  • Ability to revoke the link

Email sending:

  • Document sent as PDF attachment
  • "External Distribution" watermark applied automatically
  • Sending traceability

Security and confidentiality​

Access controls​

Authentication:

  • Unique non-indexable link
  • Access by secure token
  • Possibility to protect with password

Automatic watermark​

Documents distributed externally automatically include a watermark:

  • "External Distribution"
  • "Confidential Document"
  • Recipient's name
  • Distribution date

Traceability​

All external distributions are tracked:

  • Distribution date and time
  • Sender
  • Recipients
  • Views performed (date, time, IP)
  • Downloads

Confidentiality​

Confidentiality level assessment:

Before any external distribution, verify:

  • The document's classification level
  • Applicable confidentiality clauses
  • NDA agreement if necessary
  • Authorization from your hierarchy if required

Documents prohibited from external distribution:

  • Documents classified "Internal Confidential"
  • Documents containing sensitive information
  • According to your organization's policy

Monitoring​

The manager accesses a table:

Distribution list:

External Distribution Table

Best practices​

Before distribution​

  • Verify external distribution authorization
  • Ensure the document does not contain sensitive information
  • Validate with your hierarchy if necessary
  • Check confidentiality agreements

Configuration​

  • Define a reasonable validity duration
  • Do not distribute more than necessary
  • Prefer online viewing to download if possible
  • Password protect sensitive documents

Monitoring​

  • Regularly monitor access
  • Revoke links as soon as the objective is achieved
  • Archive distribution evidence
  • Document associated communications

Compliance​

  • Respect GDPR for personal data
  • Keep evidence for audits
  • Apply organization security policies
  • Train external recipients if necessary

See also: