How can a review update an item's status?

Chris
Chris

Author: Christopher Robertson

Updated: October 2024

Audience: Everyone

Products Applicable: Jama Connect®

Use Case

How can a review update an item's status?

Item and review status are crucial for managing items in Jama Connect. This article will explore how Jama Connect enhances project management by automating item status update based on review status using the approval review template. We will discuss Jama Connect's mechanisms to synchronize these statuses, illustrating how automation can streamline workflows and reduce manual effort. By understanding how review status can trigger automatic updates to item status, users can optimize their project management processes and ensure timely and accurate tracking of item progression.

Item Status

Item status tracks the overall progression of an item through its lifecycle stages, whether it's a requirement, document, test case, or any other type of item managed in the system.

Each item typically progresses through a series of defined stages or statuses, which reflect its development, review, and approval process.

Review Status

Review Status in Jama Connect is a key attribute used to track and manage the progress and outcome of a review process for items within the system. It provides insight into the current state of the review and shows which stakeholders approved or rejected specific items.

How Review Status is Used:

  • Tracking Progress: Review status clearly indicates where an item type stands in the review process, helping project managers and team members track progress and identify any items that may be delayed.
  • Decision Making: The status informs stakeholders of the review outcome, guiding decisions about whether an item should proceed, be revised, or be discarded.
  • Reporting and Auditing: Review statuses are used in reports and audits to provide visibility into review activities and ensure compliance with project or regulatory requirements.

The review process starts when a moderator initiates a review and sends requirements. The review may go through several versions and various feedback rounds. If there are disagreements, the moderator can either make changes and re-review or move the requirements to the next state.

  • Req_vs_Review_Status.png

Implementation

1 Enable Approval Review Template

Next, let's implement enabling the Approval Review Template and link Review Status to Item Status. 

  • Log In: Sign in to Jama Connect and navigate to the Admin tab.
  • Navigate to Organization > Review Center
  • In Review Center, under Approval and Peer Review Templates, Select "Enable Approval review template."
  • When this option is selected, the Approval Review and Peer Review tabs will appear on the screen, with additional options to Require Electronic Signatures from Approvers. 

    Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 5.23.41 PM.png

  • After checking the Approval Review Template option, you will need to confirm your item's workflow. 

2 Configure Item Workflow

  • In the Admin Tab, navigate to Admin > Workflow

    Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 5.25.31 PM.pngNote: Ensure the "Enable Workflow for this Organization" is checked. 
  • Under Workflow Administration, identify the item type and the status you wish to update. 
    • You can choose to Config or Delete your item type;
  • Under Configure Item Workflow > Review Transitions, select "Enable a workflow transition triggered by a Finalized Approval Review. 

Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 5.28.54 PM.png

  • Once enabled, click on "New Status" and change the Status of the item type to the status you would like your item type to be after a review is Finalized. Ex. Approved.

Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 5.29.19 PM.png

3 Start a new Review: 

  • Now, you can navigate to an item from your Project Tree and select "Send for Review" or to the Reviews tab and select "Start a Review."

    Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 5.30.31 PM.png

If your template is configured correctly, during review configuration under the settings Tab, you will see the Approval Review under Review Template.

Review templateScreenshot 2024-07-26 at 10.00.37 AM.png

4 Review, Collaborate & Iterate:

You'll get plenty of feedback during the review and may go through several revisions. Please look at the help guide for moderating a review and incorporating feedback. And then Publish new Revisions

5 Update the Item Status based on Review Feedback

Option 1: ALL ITEMS APPROVED

If all items are approved, the Review Moderator can simply Finalize the Approval Review. After the review has been finalized, the status of the reviewed item will be updated to the Status selected under the item type in the Workflow, e.g., approved.
Screenshot 2024-07-24 at 5.33.53 PM.png

OPTION 2: NOT ALL ITEMS IN REVIEW SHOULD MOVE TO APPROVED

In this scenario, there are disagreements, but the review needs to close where some items advance in workflow and others remain as-is or go to a formal rejected/deferred state.  The Review Moderator can Batch Transitions Item Status Based on Feedback in Review: 

Navigate to the Stats Page, go to your Review, and click on the Stats icon:

Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 12.08.40 PM.png

You click on the Item Progress Tab and sort by the number of approvals or rejections.

To select your items, click Shift + highlight the item workflows you want to update, then navigate to Actions > Batch Transition Workflow

Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 12.02.17 PM.png

Please Note: All items must be in the same workflow state as batch transition workflows.

Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 12.14.11 PM.png

Click commit to save your changes to see the workflow status updated on your items.

References

Please feel free to leave feedback in the comments below.

 

 

 

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Comments

1 comment

  • Comment author
    Jeff Pearson

    Once an item is set to Approved, and a user sometime later makes an update to the item, does the item status automatically get set to Draft (or at least moved away from Approved)?  Or, do state transitions depend entirely on invoking a review?  I want to detect new items or changed items that haven't been reviewed.

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