Project 816: Moving From Perceptive Content to Softdocs

Why is the University moving from Perceptive Content to Softdocs?

Perceptive Content was built for an earlier generation of document management and no longer meets current technical, functional, or accessibility requirements. Softdocs offers a modern, integrated, higher‑education‑focused platform with simpler workflows, drag‑and‑drop form building, and improved support.

Why now?

Several factors make the transition timely:

• Sustainability: Continuing on Perceptive Content increases long‑term operational risk.
• Title II accessibility compliance (effective April 2026): All digital forms must meet new federal accessibility standards, which Softdocs supports.
• Rising maintenance and cost: Perceptive Content has become more expensive and less actively enhanced since Hyland’s acquisition.

We will be adding docs to Perceptive Content right up until it’s turned off. Is there a process in place to ensure those get migrated also?

The migration includes a pre-freeze period for older records followed by a freeze period to ensure all active, daily documents are captured and moved to Softdocs. OneIT and Softdocs will partner with each unit during discovery to identify these files, ensuring nothing is missed before the system is turned off.

When will this change happen?

There will be a pre-freeze period when archived content will be migrated. The specific cut-off date will be added to the timeline section above. The affected documents will be in view-only status in Perceptive Content.

There will be a final freeze period from May 11, 2026 – May 15, 2026.

Our goal is to reduce scheduled activities during peak periods as much as possible.

Why is the timeline tight?

This is a fast‑tracked “lift and shift” migration to minimize disruption. Softdocs has extensive experience with higher‑ed migrations and recommended this approach.

Will departments be allowed to move earlier or later?

No, the migration happens at one time. However, during the pre-freeze period, static documents that are not active can be moved earlier.

How far back does the migration go?

Document retention policies will be reviewed. We will migrate all documents stored in Perceptive currently that do not exceed their legal/stated retention requirements. 

How will freeze periods work?

There will be:

• A pre‑freeze period where archived content will be migrated.
  • The specific cut-off date will be added to the above timeline section. The affected documents will be in view-only status in Perceptive Content.
• A final freeze from May 11, 2026, to May 15, 2026, that requires a 5‑day outage to migrate active documents.
  • A continuous and bulk‑move process will capture new documents added until freeze.

Can the migration be done differently, especially for the Registrar’s Office?

In accordance with Softdocs best practices, a five-day outage is required to ensure a successful document migration from Perceptive Content. While a freeze of this duration may cause temporary disruptions, it is essential for maintaining data integrity; the alternative would be significantly more disruptive and create long-term complications for end users. To minimize the impact, it is critical that UNC Charlotte focuses on identifying and leveraging the pre-freeze period to migrate as much content as possible, thereby limiting the volume of documents requiring conversion during the final freeze. By maximizing this early migration, the team can streamline the final transition, potentially reducing the need for the full five-day freeze period.

How will mid-workflow documents be handled in the freeze?

During the freeze for documents mid-workflow, Softdocs will export the current status of each record from Perceptive. A corresponding key field will be configured in Etrieve to store this metadata, effectively mapping the document to its equivalent stage in the new workflow. This ensures that records resume at the same point in the process following migration to the new system.

Will there be any indicator when a file has been “moved” to Softdocs during the pre-freeze period?

OneIT is currently working on a solution to apply a “Softdocs” hold to documents moved during the pre-freeze. This hold will serve as a clear indicator within Perceptive Content, helping users easily identify which records have been converted and streamlining the transition process.

How will this affect day‑to‑day work?

Users should expect cleaner forms, clearer workflows, and fewer manual steps. Most processes will remain similar but with a modern interface.

Will users lose access to existing documents?

No, all existing documents will be migrated and remain accessible.

Will Softdocs replace Kronos?

No, Kronos remains unchanged. Examples referencing time‑off forms are hypothetical only. 

Is there an ImageNow Printer equivalent?

Yes, Softdocs includes a Virtual Printer feature.

Will forms be editable while in workflow?

Yes, as long as the workflow has not reached its end state.

Can declined steps require comments?

Yes, comments can be required.

Will dropdown lists be dynamic?

Yes, dropdowns can pull data dynamically.

Can attachments be required?

Yes, attachments can be configured as required fields.

Will departments be allowed to build/edit their own forms?

Not during this project. Future consideration may be given after go‑live.

Will forms from Perceptive (i.e., grant fund creation, FTR submissions) migrate?

Yes, all existing Perceptive forms and related business processes will be transitioned to Softdocs. 

Can forms be exported as PDFs?

Yes, exported forms will appear similar to what is displayed, with page breaks added.

Can an approved workflow (end step completed), be sent back to the submitter for a change?

We often get requests to change the previous decision as new information has come to light. This is preferred to keep the history together vs. restarting a new request.

Once a form completes its workflow, it is finalized and can no longer be altered. Softdocs recommends discussing this requirement during the discovery phase; if this is a concern, we can explore workflow configurations designed to prevent premature finalization.

Will this allow mass journal entries where you can upload an excel file for the entry?

OneIT is currently evaluating this specific use case. During the upcoming discovery phase, the team will collaborate with Softdocs to determine the best technical solution for bulk uploads.

Can you upload documents directly from Google Drive?

No, direct drag-and-drop from Google Drive into Etrieve (Softdocs) capture applications is currently unavailable.

Will SoftDocs operate in the same way on a Mac as a PC?

For Mac users, Softdocs will operate the same way as a PC Users. The vendor noted that their customers reported the Chrome browser works better than Safari, but both are functional.

We use YAMM as part of the process, will this be accounted for during the project?

Yes, Softdocs provides mail merge capabilities similar to those currently offered by Perceptive Content.

Will Softdocs support Level 3 data?

Yes, like Perceptive Content, Softdocs will serve as the Level 3 enterprise solution.

Will historical timestamps and key metadata remain searchable?

Yes, timestamps and keyfields can be mapped and retained during migration.

Will retention‑expired documents be removed before migration?

Yes, documents beyond legal/stated retention requirements will not be migrated. 

Is there a legal hold capability?

Yes, Softdocs supports legal holds through configurable key fields. 

Will Softdocs store HIPAA‑protected documents?

Current Perceptive HIPAA content will migrate. Future expanded HIPAA use will be evaluated after project completion.

Does Softdocs allow annotations on PDF docs? Will Softdocs accept various file types (tiff, jpg, pdf, etc.)? Can we print without annotations?

Etrieve (Softdocs) supports annotations across all image formats. The system can accept a wide range of file types — including standard images and Microsoft Office documents. Users will have the flexibility to print their files with or without these annotations included.

We are required to keep some documents forever and they are not consistently identified (DPRs). How will those be identified?

During the discovery phase, any documents identified as obsolete or no longer required will be excluded from the migration. All other documents will be converted to Softdocs as planned.

Will the OneIT Unit specific teams be able to see what documents will not be migrated because of data retention guidelines

During discovery, Enterprise Applications will collaborate with OneIT support staff to identify documents that are no longer required. These records will be excluded from the conversion process in accordance with established document retention guidelines.

What are we gonna do to make sure that we’re moving over all of the documents (i.e., student academic records)?

All documents will be migrated to Softdocs unless they are identified during discovery as obsolete or fall outside of established retention guidelines. Upon completion, the vendor will provide data integrity reports to the project team to verify that all records have been successfully transferred.

How does Softdocs verify document integrity once migrated? How do we know all pages of documents got migrated successfully?

To ensure data integrity, Softdocs performs a comprehensive validation against the Perceptive database upon completion of the migration. This process allows the vendor to account for every document and confirm that all pages were successfully transitioned. Softdocs provides a detailed validation report including an aggregate summary (document counts by type and identification of blank or missing images) and a complete manifest of all migrated records, each paired with its corresponding Etrieve URL for verification.

Will Softdocs integrate with Banner, Slate, Salesforce, etc.?

Yes, Softdocs supports modern APIs and connectors for these systems.

Will users be able to pull Banner data (payee, invoice #, PO#, etc.)?

Yes, Softdocs supports Banner lookups to reduce manual data entry.

Will existing integrations from Perceptive to Banner continue?

Yes, all existing data feeds will be transitioned.

Will we be able to set a default view using the filters when on the Submissions tab? If each time we log in, we only want to see forms that meet specific criteria, do we have to filter each time?

Softdocs has confirmed that default view settings are not currently available. OneIT plans to submit a product enhancement request to Softdocs to ensure this feature is considered for future platform updates. We plan to collaborate with the vendor during the discovery phase to address this specific use case and ensure a streamlined transition for our customers.

Will current access transfer automatically?

Yes, permissions and security configurations from Perceptive will be migrated to Softdocs. 

Can users view other departments’ documents (when allowed today)?

Yes, access based on business needs will remain unchanged.

Will all Perceptive search fields carry over?

Yes, all searchable index fields will migrate.

Will users be able to see who has a form locked?

Yes, Softdocs displays the user who has the workflow locked.

Will Softdocs support searching/filtering by stamps and annotations?

Neither Perceptive nor Softdocs supports native searching on stamps or annotations. The current method in Perceptive is to search for this data using Cognos reports. To replicate this functionality, Softdocs recommends building custom forms that will allow departments to perform these same searches directly within the new system.

Will the filters being built during the transition include filters built by individual users or only the department-specific filters?

Currently, Softdocs limits saved searches to individual users. The vendor has encouraged UNC Charlotte to submit a request for shared or public search functionality as a future product enhancement. OneIT is moving forward with this submission and will provide updates to our end users as they become available.

Will training be provided?

Yes, documentation, end‑user training, and about 2.5 days of power‑user training will be offered before go‑live.

Will there be testing opportunities?

Yes, units will participate in validation testing of both migrated content and workflows.

Will there be an environment for hands-on experience?

Yes, testing environments and recurring open swim sessions will be available after migration.

The timeline looks quite ambitious; how much time will be available for user testing?

We are working closely with Softdocs to ensure ample time is allotted for units to test both the content migration and any forms or workflows that impact their area. This coordination ensures all departmental processes are fully validated and functioning correctly before launch.

When will users have access to Softdocs?

Users will be able to access Softdocs once the migration freeze is officially lifted, which is currently scheduled to conclude on Friday, May 15, 2026.

Will users have to Duo each time?

Softdocs uses SSO through Microsoft Entra ID, similar to other enterprise systems.

Will desktop scanning still be possible?

Yes, existing desktop scanners will continue to work with Softdocs.

Is Softdocs replacing any other platforms like Curriculog or DocuSign?

No, only Perceptive Content (ImageNow) is being migrated. Curriculog and DocuSign remain in place.

Will there be easier document numbers (unique document ID)?

Document numbers originating in Banner will remain the same. A unique ID (similar to Perceptive) is generated—use cases may be submitted for review.

Will new employees’ DocuSign hiring packets still upload into the system?

Yes, DocuSign processes that currently upload into Perceptive will continue unchanged.