As a user (both admin and end user), I will need to link certain notifications together so that me and other authorised users can build a matrix/dossier of interrelated notices, and then view or report on the relationship between notices. This requirement necessitates the need for a new API to support this feature request.
This new feature will allow FastDraft users a number of ways to organise and view their data. In this post we outline how we envisage relations or associated notice feature working to allow you to more effectively assess your FastDraft data when responding to disputes or escalating/collating notices around a complex issue which has several related notices. This features is display on the same tab as the new tagging feature but the functionality of tagging is set out separately here and works slightly differently:- New feature - Tagging and associated notices
This feature is used to allow new and existing notices to be link together as explained here:-
Best uses for associated notices
Associating notices is very useful when you need to quickly build a dossier of related notices. For example, if you have an adjudicate or dispute that has been escalated and needed to see all of the associated document through the lifecycle of the events, this feature would support this. You could go to one of the notice and see all the related notices. This feature is also designed to work in the background and naturally build the relationship organically for you.
Initially associating notices can be done only certain notice types in FastDraft. This feature will initially only support linking some Instructions, Early Warning Notices, Compensation Event Notices and general contract Notices by System Admins, Super Users and general end users. The links will be system generated and can sometimes be added to or edited by all users. The following associations and edit will be supported initially:-
Phase 1
- Instructions to
- Compensation Events (system generated when raise from the original but editable by end users), so a user can create a PMI and then a CE off of the instruction.
- Early Warnings to
- Notifications (system generated when raise from the original notice but editable by end user), so a user can create a EWN and then response to it with another notice.
Phase 2
- Compensation Events to
- Notifications (system generated when raise from the original notice but editable by end user), so a user can create a CE and then response to it with another notice.
- Notifications to
- Notifications (system generated when raise from the original but editable by end users), so a user can create a notice and then response to it with another notice.
Links between notices are two directional, so when a user adds a link between say a CE and an EWN, it shows on both the EW and CE notices the link to each notice and when a user removes the link between the notices it’s removed on both notices. Its view via the relations tab on each notice. Some workflows also allow the user to associate EWNs and PMIs with CEs at the time of the notice; these associated notices display on the original remain locked and are different to relations between notices.
The related notices features will also be available in the future as a filter options in registers, reports and via our API.
Using links to associate notices
As described above, you can create association between different notice types in FD so that you can more easily segment, view, and evaluate the data in your FD account.
In the future a user with admin rights is able to amend certain links that are visible to all FD users. The feature will also allow all users to define and apply their own links to certain workflows on their projects.
Adding links to notices
All notice workflows that an admin user has enabled on a contract in the contract template settings pages are available to be linked. If all users are allowed to add their own links, they can be added as described here.
To apply links to new notices via the communicate button
To link notices on a single contract when creating a new notice, use the following steps:-
- Select the notice (a Project Managers Instruction, for example) to which you want to raise from the Create New button.
- Once on the notice appears, complete the form and the click the Create Instruction Draft button.
- Check you are happy with the content on the draft preview and click the Communicate Instruction split button (downward arrow) to reveal the other notices that can be raised in combination, select the secondary notice you wish to communicate after the instruction that will be linked.
- The user will then be redirected to an additional new notice to complete and the relations tabs will link the two notices. You will be prompted to confirm you wish to first communication the first notice before being redirected to the next new notice.
Step 1
Step 2
To apply links to existing notices via the communicate button
It is also possible to create new linked notices from an existing notices (where the functionality is enabled. If it is not enable you can still raise a new notice and apply links to the notice via the relations tab (see below).
Using the example from before, we can see in the screenshot below that we have created a new PMI, then a new CE and then gone back into the CE we created from the register and we have the option to Create related items.
To apply links to notices via the relations tab
The feature will initially only support linking notices within a single contract and not across multiple contracts.
To link notices across multiple workflows on a single contract, use the following steps:-
- Select the notice (a Project Managers Instruction, for example) to which you want to apply an association from the register, in this instance the Project Managers Instruction Register.
- Once on the notice, click the Relations tab and the click the Add/Edit button.
- Select the workflows which you wish to link e.g. Early Warnings and you’ll see the list of Early Warning Notices that exist under the workflows on this project.
- For users generated links between notices, selected the notices you wish to link or un-link and click Save.
You can also select multiple notices at one time using this tab.
Removing links
Links between notices that are applied by FD users to their notices can also be removed from the notice by simply editing the element and removing the applied link from the notice. These user generated links can be changed by end user on the contract and admins.
Filtering by linked and associations (future enhancement)
After links have been applied between notices, you can use them as filter options and display only those elements any of the table register views, aggregated report or the API for reporting purposes. This feature will be delivered in a later release and is not supported in the initial release.
Managing links as an admin (future enhancement)
To help you organise the entire workflow of your instance of FD, we plan to have prefined the system generated links and provide default permission to allow some control of low and medium risk links by admins and end users. You need admin rights to edit some links type. This feature will be delivered in a later release and is not supported in the initial release.
Allowing all users to add links
The systems allow some links to be added by all user who have access to a contract.
Editing and deleting links
The systems allows some all links to be edited or deleted by all users who have access to a contract.
API integration
The relations API endpoints will allow the following interfaces:- Fetch list of relations, Fetch specific relations, Update relations, Delete relations, Create relations, List possible autocomplete values for a search term and List all relations for the current project/contract/notice/workflow and Link an project/contract/notice.
name - The name of a link.
String - Required
context_id - The ID of the object the link is for.
Integer - Required
context_type - The type of the object the link is for. May only be set to the current project at this time.
String - Required
content_permission The type of the user that change or edit the link. May only be set to the current project at this time.
String - Required