New project change request form [in-depth guide]
Guide contents: Security settings | Transaction preferences | Define a new project change request form | Additional change request setup
Before your users can use, fill out, and submit a project change request form, you must first define the setup.
NOTE: There is no project requests setup by default.
These guides will show you how to create project request forms, How a user can interact & submit them, and how one can then create projects from approved requests.
Security settings
The ability to view, edit, and use the project change request forms is controlled via Menu>Admin/manager>System setup>Account information>System options: Security settings.
System administration
>System administration section.
Edit project change request: Allows the user to create/edit/delete project request forms via Menu>Admin/manager>System setup>Tracking>Define project change request forms.
Staff settings
>Change requests section.
View project change request forms: This allows the user to view project change requests via Menu>Project>Project Change requests listing screen.
Add new project change request forms to the system: This allows the user to create new project change requests.
Edit project change request forms: Allows the user to make & save changes to existing project change requests. This includes the ability to change the approval/notification process
Delete project change request forms: This allows the user to delete requests from the system. It doesn't matter if the request has been approved or not.
Client/vendor settings
>Client/vendor login options>All options section.
NOTE: Clients are only able to add & view project change request forms for their company. They are unable to edit the approval process.
Client can view project change request forms: Allows users to view project change requests submitted by themselves or associated with a project where they are on the project team.
Add new project change request forms: Allows users to create a new project change request for their project.
Edit project change request forms for their company: Allows users to edit change requests prior to approval.
Can delete project change request forms for their company: Allows users to delete change requests prior to approval.
Transaction preferences
The ability to require & track spec sheet versions are controlled via Menu>Admin/manager>System setup>Account information>System options: Transaction preferences>Projects.
>Project changes section
Require a change request to make spec sheet changes: when checked the system require that a project change request form is added to approve the change
Create a new version for every spec sheet change: when checked the system will save changes to the spec sheet fields as a new version. Though a change request form is not required for the functionality, it is suggested that this be used together with the above setting.
Define a new project change request form
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From Menu > Admin > System setup > Tracking > Define project change requests.
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Click on 'define project change requests'
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Click the 'new' button to add a new project request form.
Add change request
Define request
Name: Required. Enter a descriptive name for this project change request form.
Description: Optional - Enter a descriptive paragraph about this project change request form, and what it is used for. This is visible to client/staff from the project change request selection screen.
Email subjects: The system allows you to set up custom email subjects 'send for approval', 'step completed', 'request completed' or 'request rejected'.
Show specs: Display & allow edits of current spec sheets & allow additional spec sheets to change requests.
Show project custom fields: Display & allow edits of current project custom fields.
Approval options
Send confirmation email to requester: Send a "Your Project Change Request Has Been Received" email to the requester. The subject line can be customized
NOTE: When will a notification email be sent?
If the change request is rejected or canceled, no email is sent. Otherwise, it will be sent based on the following:
I am the requester: Email is sent when..
- Submitted/resubmitted (when option above checked)
- Approved
- Rejected
- Canceled
I am the approver: Email is sent when ...
- my turn to review & approve
- canceled prior to my change to make a decision
- Resubmitted
I am set as notify: Email is sent when…
- Approved
Use default name & email: when a project change request is created, use the name & email of the person that created the form.
Additional change request setup
After making all of your selections on the Add change request page, click 'save' which brings you to the next view:
Request form name
If you need to make edits to the project request - simply click on the Pencil icon to the right of the change request form name.
Access
Security group access section - This area allows you to define which security groups are allowed to select/complete the project change request form via Project change request >. If the requestor's security group is not selected, they will be unable to add/view/edit this specific project request form, even if the admin security group settings allow them to view project request forms.
This area is divided into 2 sections: 1) available security groups, and 2) selected security groups.
To add a security group click on the + and available security groups to add to the project request will be listed. Click on 'select all' or just on the specific security group that should have access to this project request which moves them onto the main page which now will be listed under the Access area.
Approval process
The approval process allows you to set up steps that the request form will follow. During the approval process, the system is designed to allow you to edit succeeding approval/notification steps. The current & past steps will remain locked. This allows you to specifically route the request form to a person(s) prior to the "current" approval step being completed. Notification step(s) will be sent after the prior step is completed.
NOTE: If you have no approvers setup in the step, then the change request will be automatically approved upon submission. In this case, you can simply add a notify to alert users that a change request was submitted/approved.
Select the Approval process. By default, the screen will be ready for you to add a new "step". Once saved, the steps will be visible below the Approval process section.
Step name: Required-enter a descriptive subject for the step (i.e. approval)
Instructions: Enter any instructions that should be given to the individual receiving this approval step. This is visible in the email subject line and also via the My items to approve screen. For the notifications step, this is visible as the email subject line.
Send options
Send to people in order: When you enable routing, the system sends the project change request to the selected people in the selected order. The system will first send the change request to the person at the top of the list. When that person approves the request, the system will send the change request to the next person on the list. If any one person rejects the change request, the system will stop the approval process, and reject the overall change request.
Send to everyone at once: Will send the change request to everyone in the selected list at the same time
Everyone must review: If you do not send to people in order, the system will send the change request to everyone in the selected list at the same time. If you require all to approve, the system will require a response from everyone in the selected list before moving the change request to the next step. If this box is not checked, the system will use the first response it receives to either cancel the change request step or approve it and move the change request to the next step.
# of days to approve: When an approval process is updated, the system will try and determine due dates based on the number of days you give people to approve a particular step. When a change request is sent to a person, the system will calculate the due date for approval based on the date it was sent to the person and the number of days that they have to approve the change request.
Approvers:
This option is used to route the change request for approval. The blue dropdown list allows you to select specific staff, roles, project key people (requires further setup), and though not recommended, contacts.
NOTE: Key people allows you to select project-level "generic" settings, ie account manager, project manager or defined key people. The change will pick up the actual person that is defined in this role on the project & route the approval to that person. If using services: anyone that is defined with that service on the project team will have the change request routed to them for approval
Notify: This option is used to send an email with the contents of the project change request form to the assigned individuals. NOTE: Persons listed in the approve steps will be notified that they have a project request to review. The notify step type is typically used to notify people outside of the approval process.
Once complete, click the 'save' button to save the approval process to the change request form.
To edit or delete a step in the approval process click directly on the approval step. The details of the step will appear on the right side of the screen. Click on the Pencil icon to edit the step. To remove a step, edit the step and click the 'delete' button in the bottom right corner.