User Manual

QC-GED overview

QC-GED is QualiChart's electronic document management system. It stores and organizes the documents of the laboratory's quality system — manuals, policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, forms and records — and controls the life cycle of each one: preparation, review, approval, distribution of the controlled copy, periodic review and withdrawal from circulation.

The path of a document

1. Prepare (administrator): create the groups, review the approval workflow, set up the document types and organize the folders with their permissions.
2. Upload: in the folder, click Upload document, choose the type and enter the code. With a workflow, the document starts in the initial status, such as Draft.
3. Review and approve: members of the groups assigned to each stage click the document status and perform the transition, with an optional comment. Everything is recorded in the history.
4. Distribute: when it reaches the distributed status, the version becomes the controlled copy, gets a distribution date and a next review date, and can be found by search and by the AI assistant. Assign required reading to the people who need to know it.
5. Review periodically: upload a new version when the document changes or expires. It restarts the workflow, and the previous distributed version remains valid until the new one is distributed.
6. Withdraw from circulation: moving the document to a non-distributed status, such as Obsolete, takes the version out of use and removes it from search and the assistant.

This manual follows the same order: access and navigation, daily work with folders and documents, approval and distribution, search and the AI assistant, GED setup (groups, workflows, document types, permissions and users), reports and your account. Use the table of contents to go straight to any topic.

Accessing GED

GED uses the same account as QualiChart. Open docs.qualichart.com in your browser, enter your QualiChart Email and Password and click Sign in. The address can set the screen language: /br (Portuguese), /en (English) and /es (Spanish). After you sign in, you can change the language in the header.

If your account has two-factor authentication (MFA), GED then asks for the 6-digit code from your authenticator app. See how to enable it in My account.

First sign-in and access approval

On your first sign-in, GED loads your details and your laboratory from QualiChart. Anyone who is a laboratory administrator in QualiChart signs in as a GED Administrator, with all permissions. Everyone else sees the Waiting for access to be granted screen until a GED administrator grants access and sets their permissions and groups (see Users). Once access is granted, click Check access.

GED-only accounts

People who are not registered in QualiChart can receive a GED-only account, created by an administrator in Users. At first sign-in, enter your email and the temporary password you received: GED asks for a New Password, which must meet the requirements shown, and then signs you in. If the account was created without a temporary password, set your password with Forgot your password?.

I forgot my password

1. On the sign-in screen, click Forgot your password?.
2. Enter your email and click Send Instructions. For security reasons, the confirmation message is the same whether or not the email exists.
3. Open the link you receive by email — valid for 1 hour and for a single use — and set a new password that meets the requirements shown.

If you sign in with your QualiChart account, the password is the same in both systems: when you change it in one, it also changes in the other. For security, your session ends after 8 hours; just sign in again. To log out earlier, use the menu under your initials › Log out.

Navigation: header, folders and shortcuts

The header is always visible at the top of the screen:

On the left is the folder tree, with the folders you can access. Click a name to open the folder, and the arrow to expand or collapse it. Hovering over a folder shows shortcuts to favorite, edit, delete and create a subfolder; GED only completes the actions your permissions allow.

In the bottom-right corner there are two fixed buttons: the ?, which opens this manual at the section for the current screen, and the round AI assistant button.

Guided first steps

GED offers a first-steps guide for all users. On your first sign-in, a welcome window presents the steps: click Start guided tour to follow the guide, or Explore on my own to use it later.

The guide has two tracks, set by your permissions:

Each step is checked against what actually exists in GED: an active workflow, a type with a workflow, a folder created, a distributed version, another active user, a search performed and so on. Reading an explanation does not complete a step. Each step's button takes you to the right screen and shows step-by-step guidance, with the relevant area of the screen highlighted.

While the guide is active, a banner at the top shows the next step and your progress. From it you can choose Explain this screen, pause the guide or open the manual for the screen. The Get to know the screens section gathers the explanations recommended for your track, and Other features has the rest; groups and users appear for those who can manage them.

Home

The Home screen has three panels:

At the bottom of each panel, Load more shows older items.

When you have pending required readings, the Pending readings panel appears at the top of the screen (see Required reading).

Folders

Folders organize documents in a tree that starts at the root folder /. Open a folder from the tree on the left or from the subfolder cards. The path at the top of the screen takes you back to the parent folders.

Create a folder or subfolder

1. Open the folder where the new folder should go and click Create Subfolder — or use the + next to the folder in the tree.
2. Enter the Folder name and, optionally, a Description.
3. Set the Access Permissions: keep Access for everyone or turn it off to choose the groups (see Folder permissions).
4. Click Create.

Creating folders requires the Manage folders permission and the Create right in the folder where the new folder will go.

Edit, favorite and delete

In the tree, hover over the folder: the star adds it to your favorites, the pencil opens Edit folder (name, description and permissions) and the trash can deletes it. The header of the open folder also has the favorite star. Editing requires the Edit right in the folder.

Folder documents

When you open a folder you see its name, its description, the subfolder cards — with the number of documents and subfolders in each — and the documents table.

Click a column title to sort, and use Search documents... to filter the folder by name. Documents with more than one version have an arrow on the left: click it to see the previous versions and download any of them.

Latest version or distributed version

The selector next to the search box switches between Latest version — the most recent version of each document, in any status — and Distributed Version, which shows only the current controlled copy. In the distributed version view, the actions that change documents are hidden.

Users who only belong to groups set to Distributed versions only always see the controlled copy, without the selector, and do not see documents that have not been distributed yet.

Actions and permissions

Uploading documents

1. Open the destination folder and click Upload document.
2. Drag the file into the window or click Select File. The Document Name is filled in with the file name and can be changed.
3. Choose the Document Type. The type defines the approval workflow and the validity period; without a type, the document has no status and no approval.
4. Enter the Code, for example POP-BIO-001, and, optionally, a Description.
5. Click Upload.

With a workflow, the document starts in the initial status, such as Draft, and moves on to review and approval (see Approval and distribution).

Warning about groups without access

When you choose the type, GED checks whether the groups that perform the workflow transitions can edit the folder. If any of them cannot, the Workflow Groups Without Access warning appears, listing each group and the affected transition. Cancel to adjust the folder permissions, or click Proceed Anyway; in that case, those people will only be able to perform the transition after they are given the Edit right in the folder.

Formats, size and search

Versions, editing and history

Upload a new version

1. In the document row, click New Version.
2. Select the file. The window shows the current version number and the new one.
3. Describe the changes — they appear in the history and on the cover page — and click Upload.

For documents with a workflow, the new version goes back to the initial status and must go through the workflow again; the history records "New version uploaded". The previous distributed version remains the controlled copy — and the one found by search — until the new one is distributed.

Edit document details

Edit changes the document name, description and type. The type can only be changed while the document has a single version.

Version history

Version History lists, from newest to oldest, each version upload — with the description of changes — and each status transition, with who performed it, the date and time, and the comment.

Delete a document

Delete removes the document and all its versions after a confirmation, and the action cannot be undone. You need the Delete documents permission and the Delete right in the folder.

Cover page and controlled copy

Download with cover page generates a PDF with an identification page before the content. PDF and Word (DOCX) files get the cover page; other formats are downloaded as they are.

The cover page is generated in the language selected in GED, and dates follow the laboratory's time zone. Because it is generated on every download, it always shows the current status of the version.

Approval and distribution

Documents whose type has an approval workflow show their status in the Status column. Changing status means performing a transition. In the default ISO 9001 / ISO 15189 workflow, the path is:

Perform a transition

1. In the folder, click the document status. The transitions you can perform from it are listed.
2. Choose the transition. The confirmation shows the source and target statuses.
3. Write a comment if you like, and click Confirm Transition.

Only the transitions allowed for your groups appear; administrators see all of them. You also need the Edit right in the folder. Each transition is recorded in the version history with name, date, time and comment.

Distribution and validity

When the document reaches a status marked as distributed — Approved, in the default workflow — the version becomes the controlled copy: GED records the distribution date, calculates the next review by adding the type's validity period and indexes the content for search and the AI assistant.

If the previous version had required reading, the same people must now read the new version, and confirmation starts over (see Required reading).

When it leaves the distributed status — for example, to Obsolete — the version is no longer valid: the distribution date and the next review are cleared, and the content is removed from search and the assistant.

Pending approvals

The bell in the header shows how many documents are waiting for your action, that is, documents on which you can perform at least one transition. Click it to see the list, and click View all to open the full screen.

The Documents Pending Transition screen shows the document, code, version, current status, available transitions and folder. Click the folder to open the document and perform the transition.

Required reading

Required reading records who must read the controlled copy of a document and who has already confirmed reading it — for example, the technical staff after an SOP is distributed.

Assign the reading

1. In the folder, click Required reading (clipboard icon) on the document row. The action appears for people with the Edit right in the folder.
2. Check the distributed version and who has already confirmed.
3. Choose People, Groups or both and click Assign reading. When you choose a group, all its members receive the reading.

Only active people who can open the folder are included; people without access are listed as not included. The reading applies to the distributed version: a document that has not been distributed yet shows a notice to distribute it first.

Confirm the reading

People with pending readings see the Pending readings panel on the Home screen, with the code, folder, version and who assigned it. Click Open controlled copy to download the document with its cover page and, after reading it, Confirm reading. The confirmation is recorded with date and time.

New versions

When a new version is distributed, the people who had to read the previous one automatically receive the reading of the new one, which shows as pending again. While the new version is under review, the confirmation of the version in force remains valid.

Search

The search bar in the header looks inside the content of documents. Type at least two letters and press Enter. GED compares the meaning of the text, not just the exact words: a search such as "how to store opened reagents" finds the part of the procedure that covers it, even if it is written in other words.

Each result shows the document name, its type, the excerpt most related to the search, with the terms highlighted, the folder — click it to open the folder — and the Content indicator. On the right are the document actions: favorite, download, download with cover page, history and, depending on your permissions, new version, edit and delete.

What is included in search

AI assistant

The round button in the bottom-right corner opens the QC-GED Assistant, a chat that answers questions about the laboratory's documents. It shows Online when it is ready.

1. Click the assistant button.
2. Type your question — for example, "What is the storage temperature for the clinical chemistry reagents?" — and press Enter.
3. The assistant searches the indexed documents in the folders you can access and answers only based on the excerpts it finds.

Settings

The gear in the header and the Settings screen give access to Document Types, Document Workflows, User Groups, Users and Reports. People with the View audit log permission also see Audit log (see Audit log).

Recommended order for setting up GED

1. Groups: create the groups that will review, approve and access documents — for example, Quality Assurance, Technical Reviewers and Approvers.
2. Workflow: review the default workflow or create one from the template, choosing the groups for each transition.
3. Document types: link the workflow and the validity period.
4. Folders: create the structure and the permissions by group.
5. Users: grant your team access and add each person to the groups.

User groups

Groups bring together people with the same role. They are used in two places: in folder permissions (who reads, creates, edits and deletes) and in workflow transitions (who reviews and approves).

1. In User Groups, click Create Group.
2. Enter the name and a description.
3. Click Create.
4. Add people to the group by editing each user, in the Groups field (see Users).

The table shows the number of members, who created the group and when. View members opens the user list filtered by the group. Use the pencil to edit and the trash can to delete. Creating, editing and deleting groups requires the Manage groups and permissions permission.

Document workflows

A workflow defines the statuses a document goes through and the transitions between them, with the groups that can perform each one. The laboratory starts with the ISO 9001 Default Workflow, created on the first sign-in.

Create from the template

Click Templates and choose ISO 9001 / ISO 15189: the form comes filled in with six statuses — Draft, In Review, Reviewed, In Approval, Approved and Obsolete — and seven transitions, with "Reviewed by" and "Approved by" on the cover page. All that is left is to choose the groups for each transition. To start from scratch, use Create Workflow.

Build the workflow

The workflow needs at least one status and one transition; status names must be unique; a transition cannot connect a status to itself; and each transition needs at least one group.

Workflow in use

When the workflow is linked to a document type, the screen shows a warning and protects existing documents: the initial status and the transition structure — which status leads to which — cannot change, and a status used by documents cannot be removed. You can still rename statuses and change their colors (GED asks for confirmation and updates the documents that use that status), change transition names and groups, and adjust the cover page settings.

Creating, editing and deleting workflows requires the Manage folders permission.

Document types

The type classifies the document — SOP, Work Instruction, Manual, Form… — and defines two rules: the approval workflow and the validity period.

1. Click Create Type.
2. Enter the name and a description.
3. Choose the Workflow. Without a workflow, documents of this type have no status or approval.
4. In Validity Period, enter the value and the unit: days, months or years.
5. Click Create.

The next review of each document is calculated when the version is distributed: distribution date + validity period. Changing a type's validity period applies to future distributions. Deleting a type does not affect existing documents, and type names must be unique.

Creating, editing and deleting types requires the Manage folders permission.

Folder permissions

Each folder defines who can access it. The options are under Access Permissions when you create or edit the folder.

People who belong to more than one group get the combined rights; if at least one of their groups sees all versions, they see all versions. Administrators have all rights in all folders. Folders that none of your groups can access are hidden from you.

Examples

Users

The Users screen lists the laboratory staff who have access to GED, with their role, groups and status. Filter by name or email, Status (Active, Inactive or Awaiting access), Role and Group. Viewing and changing users requires the Manage users permission.

Grant access to people who are waiting

Laboratory staff who sign in to GED for the first time appear as Awaiting access. Open the edit form, set the role, permissions and groups, and click Grant access to GED.

Give access to someone from QualiChart

1. Click Create User and enter the email.
2. GED looks up the account in QualiChart. If the person is active in the laboratory, the window shows their name and explains that only GED access and permissions will be granted — they keep using the same password.
3. Set the role, groups and permissions, and click Grant access to GED.

If the email is already registered in GED, edit the person from the list. If the activation warning appears, they need to sign in to QualiChart once before access can be granted.

Create a GED-only account

If the email is not in QualiChart, the window warns that a GED-only account will be created. Enter the Full Name, role, groups and permissions and, if you wish, a Temporary Password that meets the requirements shown. Give the temporary password to the person: at first sign-in, they set a permanent password. Without a temporary password, the person sets the password with Forgot your password? on the sign-in screen. In the list, these accounts show the GED only badge.

Role and permissions

Turning off Active User blocks access without erasing the history. Delete removes the person's access to GED; their QualiChart account still exists.

Permissions overview

A summary of what each action requires. The folder right comes from the folder permissions; administrators meet all requirements.

Compliance reports

Settings › Reports contains four reports. Each person sees the documents in the folders they can access.

Traceability and control

GED automatically records the information that demonstrates document control in internal and external audits:

Audit log

The Audit log screen, in Settings, shows the record of everything done in GED: who did it, when, what, on which item and from which IP address. Entries are recorded automatically, cannot be changed from the screen and are kept for 5 years. It appears for administrators and people with the View audit log permission.

Filter

Combine the period (Start date and End date), Person, Action, Item type and Item, which accepts the item name or identifier. The list shows entries from the newest to the oldest; Clear filters returns to the full list.

Click the arrow on the row to see the recorded data: what changed (previous value → new value), details such as version and file, the item identifier and the browser used.

Export

Export CSV downloads the entries of the current filters, in the language chosen in GED, with date and time in the laboratory time zone. The file opens in spreadsheets such as Excel. Each export accepts up to 50,000 entries; above that, narrow the period or the filters. The export itself is recorded in the audit log.

My account

Open it from the menu under your initials › My Account.

Help and FAQ

The Help menu in the header opens this User Manual and First steps. The ? button in the bottom-right corner opens the manual at the section for the current screen.

I cannot see a folder or a document

You are not in any group with access to the folder, or your groups only see distributed versions and the document has not been distributed yet. Ask an administrator to review the folder permissions.

The status shows no transitions

Only the transitions allowed for your groups from the current status appear, and you need the Edit right in the folder. Documents without a type, or whose type has no workflow, have no transitions; in the Distributed Version view, the status cannot be clicked.

I uploaded a new version and the status went back to Draft

This is expected: each new version restarts the workflow. The previous distributed version remains valid until the new one is distributed.

The document does not appear in search or in the assistant

Documents with a workflow become searchable when they are distributed; scanned files without text and unsupported formats are not read. See What is included in search.

The download came without a cover page

Only PDF and Word (DOCX) files get a cover page; other formats are downloaded as they are.

I see "Waiting for access to be granted"

A GED administrator needs to grant you access in Users. Then click Check access.

I forgot my password or was logged out

Use Forgot your password? on the sign-in screen. Your session ends after 8 hours; just sign in again.

I received a temporary password

Sign in with your email and the temporary password: GED asks for a permanent password that meets the requirements shown.

I cannot register users

Registering users requires the Manage users permission and a QualiChart account; GED-only accounts cannot register other people.