Review flows and electronic signatures

#The default flow

1. 1Draftauthor writes or accepts a draft
2. 2Submittedauthor names the SMEs
3. 3Internal reviewSMEs pass, request changes or reject
4. 4Formal reviewapprovers sign, reject, defer or ask for evidence
5. 5Approvedfrozen; changes need a new revision

Projects choose a review flow for each record kind. Administrators can copy a built-in flow and change its steps, reviewers and checklists; every change makes a new version, and records keep the version they started with.

#Named reviewers and due dates

When you submit, you name the SMEs; when an SME passes a record, they name the approvers. Only the people named may decide that step. They are notified, and a due date drives the overdue alert. A lead or governance member can re-name reviewers.

#Electronic signatures

Formal approval is an electronic signature: the approver chooses its meaning from the list your project uses (for example approval, review or verification) and re-enters their password. The signature, its meaning, the time and the exact revision are recorded and cannot be changed.

If something upstream changed after the revision was written (a corrected source statement, a revised parent requirement), the signature dialog lists it and the approver must confirm they checked it, or send the revision back.

#Approval matrix

A project's approval matrix can require several signatures and specific signing roles in order, for example a quality approver and then a regulatory approver, each from a different person.

#Stale approvals

When something an approved record depends on changes, the approval becomes stale and an alert opens until someone checks it. This keeps the design history honest without anyone having to remember.