Configuring Document Change Requests

QualityDocs Vaults include the Document Change Request (DCR) object to support Vault users requesting changes for individual Vault Library documents. In Vaults configured for Multi-Document Change Control and Periodic Review, Document Change Requests can additionally be managed in parallel with Document Change Control and Periodic Review records.

Configuration Overview

Veeva’s best-practice configuration for the Document Change Request object includes the below.

  1. Review your Vault’s document lifecycle configuration. For each state in which document viewers can create a Document Change Request, configure a user action labeled “Create Document Change Request” using the Create Related Record action. We recommend minimally configuring this action on the lifecycle’s Steady state, such as the Effective state. This optional configuration allows Vault users to create DCRs directly from a document, without having to navigate away from the Vault Library.
  2. Update the access control settings for the Document Change Request object to ensure that the right users can create requests. Users will also need the View Document permission on a document to create a related change request.
  3. Create a custom tab so that users can view and work with requests outside of the Admin area.
  4. Configure user actions for the Document Change Request object lifecycle. Your configuration should include actions that move the request to Closed or Rejected status.
  5. Configure notifications for the Document Change Request object lifecycle. You should set these up as Send a notification entry actions for the Accepted, Closed, and Rejected lifecycle states. If you chose to use Matching Sharing Rules for access control on object records, you may use the object roles (Owner, etc.) as notification recipients. This allows you to notify the user who created the request. You can also define the Send Notification to Document Owner event action to trigger under certain conditions which will send a notification to the document owner if a Document Change Request record is created for the document. This event action utilizes the Doc Owner Change Request notification template.

Configuring the Inactivate Associated Document Change Request Records Action

You can optionally configure Vault to automatically inactivate Document Change Request (DCR) records when the related document reaches a destination state using the Inactivate Associated Document Change Request Records document lifecycle action.

This can be useful in Vaults where documents with associated DCRs are not subject to the Multi-Document Change Control (DCC) process. For example, many organizations allow Vault users to create DCRs for Draft to Approved lifecycle documents, but do not use DCC to update those documents.

To configure this capability:

  1. Review your Vault’s document lifecycle configurations. For each lifecycle which supports Document Change Request creation, identify the state(s) in which Vault should automatically inactivate associated Document Change Request records. For example, in the Draft to Approved lifecycle, a DCR is considered to be closed when the related document reaches its Approved or Obsolete state.
  2. Review your Vault’s Document Change Request object lifecycle configuration and identify the state in which Vault should automatically inactivate records, based on the document lifecycle state(s) you identified in Step 1. Within this state, select the Records in this state become inactive option. In many QualityDocs Vaults, this option is already configured within the Completed and Rejected states.
  3. For each document lifecycle state identified in Step 1, create an entry action such that Vault always executes the Inactivate Associated Document Change Request Records action. This action includes two additional selections:
    • The Source State(s) are optional, and allow you to constrain the action according to the Document Change Request record’s state at the time the action runs. The source state(s) you select must be active and cannot be configured with the Records in this state become inactive option. If you do not select a source state, Vault automatically transitions the Document Change Request record associated with the target document to the configured Destination State.
    • The Destination State is required to specify the Document Change Request lifecycle state you identified in Step 2. Vault filters the state(s) you can select based on the Records in this state become inactive option.

A similar action is also available for configuration within the Periodic Review process.

Generally, users must be assigned a security profile with Read, Create, and Edit permissions for the Document Change Request object.

Additionally, users must be assigned a document role with the below document lifecycle security settings in order to locate documents and associate them with a Document Change Request record:

  • View Document
  • View Content
  • Edit Fields

Some of these permissions may already be granted via your Vault’s Multi-Document Change Control (DCC) configuration.