How to Create a New Issue Type

  Who is this article for?  

  Issue Managers, Issue Administrators

Issue types are the templates used to define the data, permission and notification requirements for the different types of issue that your system is handling. This could be anything from Change Control, to Accidents and Incidents or Non-Conformance handling.

Each type consists of the key details, associated workflow, settings, permissions, notifications and any custom fields that your form or process require.

In this article we will be discussing how to create a new issue type.

This article is split into twelve sections:

1. How to Create a New Issue Type
2. How to Select a Status Group
3. How to Select Target and Follow-up Period
4. How to Select Companies and Contacts 
5. Issue Type Settings
6. How to Select a Workflow Template
7. How to Add and Associate Custom Fields
8. How to Select an Issue Type Owner
9. How to Select a Default Issue Owner
10. How to Set Permissions
11. How to Set Associated Issue Permissions
12. How to Set Notifications

1. How to Create a New Issue Type

1. Navigate to Home, then Issues and then Issues Type.
2. Select  Create button from the issue types list screen.  You will be shown a screen as per the image below:

3. Provide a Title for the issue type and Issue Type Category.
4. You can also enter a default subject, if required.  This will be the standard title that is used for issues of this type.
5. You can then select a Status Group to define which statuses will be available for selection for the issues of this type.
6. Define your Target Period and units - this defines the standard period of time that issues of this type should be completed
7. If required, you can include a Follow-up Period - this will define the period of time between an Isse being raised and it being reviewed
8. After this, if required, you can select a Default Company to be associated with issues of this type.
9. Additional, you can also define whether a specific Customer Contact is required.
10. Next, you can amend the Settings for the issue type.
11. If you want to use a workflow to set the process for handling issues of this type, select a Workflow Template.
12. The next section allows you to add any additional Custom Fields that you need, to ensure that all required data is captured.  These fields can be split into different sections.
13. On the right hand side of the screen are options for defining the Issue Type Owner, Default Issue Owner, Permissions, Associated Issue Permissions and Notification Groups.
14. Click Save to confirm the creation of the new issue type.
15. Alternatively, you can click Save and Continue to create the new issue type and begin associating additional items.

2. How to Select a Status Group

Status groups define which statuses are available for selection for issues of this type.

1. Select a status group via the  Select button.  A Select issue status group modal as per the image below:

2. To enforce this status group across all issues of this type, tick the Locked check box.
3. Next you will need to select a Target and Follow-Period.

3. How to Select Target and Follow-up Period

Target period

The target period defines the amount of time that issues of this type should be completed.

1. Enter the period
2. Select the period unit (Days or Hours)
3. If you want to enforce this across all issues of this type, tick the Locked check box

Follow up period

The follow up period defines the amount of time that issues of this type should be reviewed for progress.

1. Enter the Period
2. Select the period unit (Days or Hours)
3. If you want to enforce this across all issues of this type, make sure that the Locked box is checked.
4. If a follow up period is not required, tick the Not applicable box is checked.

4. How to Select Companies and Contacts

Default companies and contacts allow you to specify which of your customers, suppliers or other companies are automatically associated with issues of this type. If left undefined, you can specify the company or contact on each individual issue.

Default company:

1. Select a default company via the  Select button, you will then be presented with the Select Company modal as per the image below:

2. If you want to enforce this across all issues of this type, tick the Locked check box.
3. If you do not want issues of this type to be associated with a company, tick the Not Applicable check box.

Contact:

A contact is an individual person associated with a company. These can also be user record.

1. If you require users raising an issue to associate a contact as a mandatory requirement, tick the Contact required check box
2. If you do not want users to associate contacts to issue records of this type tick the Not applicable check box

5. Issue Type Settings

The Settings area allows you to specify additional requirements for issues of the selected type. The functions for each of the check boxes are defined below:

To enable any of these settings, simply tick the suitable check box.

6. How to Select a Workflow Template

Workflow templates are used to define the process for handling issues of this type.

1. Select a Workflow Template via the  Select button.  This will present you with the Select Workflow Template as per the image below:

2. Once you have located the workflow you wish to use, check the box on the left column of the page.
3. Click Confirm to associate the workflow with the issue type.
4. If the workflow doesn't exist you can create it using the instructions here.

7. How to Add and Associate Custom Fields

Custom Fields allow you to build out the rest of your Issue Type to ensure that all the data you require is being captured by the responsible people and is in the format you need to carry out your reports. These custom fields can be split into sections for both presentation and permission purposes.

Add custom field sections

If you are going to have several custom fields added to the details of issues of this type, they can be split into sections for both presentation and permissions purposes.

To add a section:

1. Select the Add Section button as shown in the image below:

2. Provide a Title for the section.

To associate a custom field:

1. Click the  Select button - you will be taken to the Select Custom Field modal as per the image below:

2. Use the Select custom field modal to find the required field(s)

3. Once located, check the box in the far left of the suitable row(s)

4. Select confirm to associate the custom fields to the issue type

8. How to Select an Issue Type Owner

Owners are users who are specified as the key stakeholder of an item, record or type within EQMS. Issues types allow you to select an owner for the overall type.

The owner of a type will automatically default to the current user creating the Issue Type.

To change this:

1. Select the remove icon next to the owner's name. This will now present you with a blank owner field.
2. Click the  Select button and you will be presented with a user selection modal.

3. Use the Select user modal to find the required user.

4. Once located, check the box in the far left of the suitable row.

5. Select confirm to associate the user to the issue type as the new Issue Type owner.

9. How to Select a Default Issue Owner

The default issue owner is used to identify the key stakeholder or required user for a process. When any issue of the current type is raised in the system, the user defined here will be selected as the default owner. If left blank, owner will default to whichever user is currently raising the issue.

To associate a default issue owner:

1. Click the  Select button and you will be presented with a user selection modal.

2. Use the Select User modal to find the required user.

3. Once the user is selected, check the box in the far left of the suitable row.

4. Select Confirm to associate the user to the issue type as the Default Issue Owner.

Any user identified as the owner of a specific record such as an Issue or Document will be selected as the owner for any action in an associated workflow where the actionee is set to 'Owner'.

10. How to Set Permissions

Issue types can be restricted so that only users within a defined group can view, edit or manage. You can define the issue type permissions down the right hand side column of the details screen, similar to below:

To allow specific groups or users to edit the issue type

1. Tick the Enable edit check box in the Restrict permissions box in the right hand side column of the screen as per the image below:

2. Click the  Select button and you will be presented with a Select Group or User selection modal.
3. the Select group/user modal to find the required group(s)/user(s)
4. Once the group or user is selected, check the box in the far left of the suitable row(s)
5. Select Confirm to associate the group(s)/user(s) to the issue type

11. How to Set Associated Issue Permissions

If you need to restrict and apply permissions to the individual issues of this type so that only selected users or groups can View, Edit or Delete issues of this type, you can define the permissions in the Associated issue permissions section of the right hand side column of the screen, similar to below:

To restrict the issues of this type

1. Tick the Restrict check box in the Restrict permissions box in the right hand side column of the screen.
2. To enforce these settings across ALL issues of this type, tick the Enforce on all issues of this type check box.
3. Click the  Select button and you will be presented with a Select Group or User selection modal.
4. Use the Select group/user modal to find the required group(s)/user(s)
5. Once located, check the box in the far left of the suitable row(s)
6. Select confirm to associate the group(s)/user(s) to the issue type
7. Once a group or user is selected decide what permissions they will have:

If the group doesn't exist you can create the group using the instructions here.

12. How to Set Notifications

If you want to ensure that specific users or groups of users are notified when issues of this type are raised in the system, you can define the notification requirements in the right hand side column of the detail screen, similar to below:

To enforce any notification settings

Tick the Enforce notifications check box. This will ensure all documents of this type use the defined notification settings. If left un-checked, users will be able to modify the notification settings for each specific document of this type.

1. Click the  Select button and you will be presented with a Select Group modal.
2. Use the Select group modal to find the required group(s).
3. Once located, check the box in the far left of the suitable row(s).
4. Select Confirm to associate the groups to the document.