Document Usage Metrics

The Document Usage object captures more comprehensive metrics than Vault’s standard document auditing allows, providing a more accurate view of document usage over time. Each time that a user performs specific actions on documents in their Steady state, such as views, downloads, copies, and rendition downloads, Vault automatically creates a new (non-editable) Document Usage object record. Fields on each Document Usage record track key usage metrics for documents in your Vault.

Once the Document Usage object contains data, Admins can create reports to see aggregated metrics, with the ability to drill into record-level details to better understand channel distribution performance. For example, Gladys, a brand manager, can use these metrics to see which documents have the most views or downloads, and to understand which documents are most utilized when determining future resource allocations.

Captured Events

The Document Usage object captures the following events for Steady state documents:

Basic Events

  • View Document
  • Download Source File
  • Download Rendition
  • Download from Distribution
  • Copy

Brand Portal Events

  • View Document (via Brand Portal or Medical Portal)
  • Download Source File (via Brand Portal or Medical Portal)
  • Download Rendition (via Brand Portal or Medical Portal)
  • View Document (via Send as Link)
  • Download Document (via Send as Link)
  • Download Video (via Send as Link)

Integration Events

  • View Document (Embedded Viewer)
  • Download Document Rendition (Embedded Viewer)
  • Download Source File (Embedded Viewer)
  • View Document (Standalone Viewer)
  • Download Document Rendition (Standalone Viewer)
  • Download Source File (Standalone Viewer)

Metric Descriptions

Object Field Description Example Data
Name System Managed: DU-{##########} DU-0000000001
Document ID Document ID and Version of viewed document (Cholecap Works (v1.0))
Document Type Document Type Detail of viewed document Patient Education
User Username of user who performed the action John Doe
Activity Type

The performed action:

  • View
  • Copy
  • Source Download
  • Rendition Download
 View
Activity Date Date and time the event occurred 9/22/2017 9:12 AM PDT
Channel

Application in which the action occurred:

  • Vault, if the event was triggered from Vault
  • Brand Portal, if the event was triggered from Brand Portal or Medical Portal
  • External, if the event was triggered from an external site
 Vault
Context

Additional metadata to provide more context:

  • Vault, if the channel was Vault
  • External, if the channel was External
  • Portal Name, if the channel was Brand Portal or Medical Portal
 Vault

Object Visibility

The Document Usage object is a raw object that is automatically enabled in all Vaults and tracks usage from the time of enablement forward. Before you can access Document Usage data, you must configure a report type on the Document Usage object, or an Admin must set up a custom tab. From a report or custom tab, you can edit columns and export data, making it easy to see the most relevant metrics in your preferred format.

Document Usage Record Retention

The Document Usage Cleanup job deletes Document Usage records older than 36 months. This job also deletes records that reference deleted documents, even if they are newer than 36 months. Deleted Document Usage records cannot be recovered.

When the job runs, Vault creates a System Audit History record that indicates the number of deleted records.

You must have a security profile that grants the Document Usage: Read object permission to view the Document Usage object in a custom tab.