# Working with Multi-Document Change Control (Document Control)

<a href="/en/gr/78612/">QualityOne Vaults</a> allow you to use the _Document Change Request_ and _Document Change Control_ objects to execute document release and obsolescence in a programmatic, controlled manner.

Depending on your <a href="/en/gr/75561/">Admin's configuration</a>, object, field, and section labels may appear differently than the labels mentioned in this article.


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      <p><strong>Note</strong>: This article assumes that your Admin has followed the recommended processes in <a href="/en/gr/75561/">Configuring Multi-Document Change Control</a> or that your Vault uses the default configuration. If your configuration is different, some of this information won’t apply to you.</p>
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## Process Overview {#overview}

If your organization follows the suggested configurations, changing documents under change control will follow a process similar to this:

1. Users log change requests against individual documents by creating _Document Change Request_ object records.
2. A Change Manager creates a _Document Change Control_ record and adds one (1) or more documents to it. The Change Manager can also choose to include change requests (none, some, or all) for each document in the change control. <a href="/en/gr/23143/">CrossLinks</a> are not supported types of documents for routing via Multi-Document Change Controls.
3. Document Authors edit individual documents included in the change control. If necessary, these users send the documents through a review workflow. Either through a Document Author's action or through a workflow, each document moves into its lifecycle's _Pending Change Control Approval_ state.
4. When all documents enter _Pending Change Control Approval_ state, Vault automatically moves the _Document Change Control_ record into _Ready for Approval_ state.
5. The Change Manager initiates an approval workflow on the _Document Change Control_ record. Generally, this workflow involves various reviews. At the end of the review process, the change control moves into _Approved_ state.

When the _Document Change Control_ record enters _Approved_ state, the following actions occur automatically:

* All related _Document Change Request_ records enter the _Closed/Cancelled_ or _Closed/Completed_ state. In this state, they automatically become inactive. When this occurs, Vault releases the related documents from any [change control restrictions][1].
* Vault automatically moves the related _Document Change Request_ records into _Approved_ state.
* Vault automatically updates various fields on the related documents with values from the _Document Change Control_ record. Depending on the action occurring (release or obsolescence) and your configuration, Vault may update _Proposed Effective Date_, _Proposed Obsolescence Date_, and _Obsolescence Approved_.
* Scheduled jobs automatically move the change control's documents into the appropriate document lifecycle state: _Issued for Training_, the lifecycle _Steady_ state, or the lifecycle _Obsolete_ state.

## Governed Documents {#governed-docs}

Governed documents are any documents related to an active status _Document Change Control_ record through the document fields _Release Change Control_ and _Obsolete Change Control_. These fields may not be visible to you, but they control whether documents appear in the _Documents to be Released_ and _Documents to be Made Obsolete_ sections of the _Document Change Control_ detail page.

## Viewing Documents Under Change Control {#view-docs}

When a document is governed by a change control, Vault displays a banner stating which change control currently governs the document. Only users with at least one (1) of the following permissions can see this banner, as users lacking these permissions can't update the document:

* _Edit Document_
* _Edit Fields_
* _Annotate_
* _Version_

## How to Create Change Requests {#create-change-req}

_Change Request_ is an object, so creating a request involves creating a new _Document Change Request_ object record and relating it to the document. To create a new change request:

1. Locate the document for which you're requesting a change.
2. In a document tab, the Doc Info page, or search results, open the **All Actions** menu and select a configured **Create Related Record** user action. The label for this action may be different in your Vault.
3. Fill in request details. When creating a request from the document, you don't need to fill in the _Target Document_ field. Vault automatically selects the document version you viewed when you initiated the action.
4. Click **Save**.

You can also create a change request from the _Change Requests_ custom tab. When creating this way, select a specific document (including version) in the **Target Document** field. You can also create a change request through **Business Admin > Objects**, if your Admin has granted you the applicable permissions.

## How to Include/Exclude Change Requests {#include-exclude}

Each _Document Change Control_ detail page displays an _Associated Change Requests_ section. This section automatically filters to show change requests on documents linked to the change control through the _Documents to be Released_ or _Documents to be made Obsolete_ sections.

As a Change Manager, you should review the _Associated Change Request_ records. If you remove a change request, Vault changes its status to _Active_. Change requests listed in _Associated Change Requests_ are in _Accepted_ status.

See [How to Create Change Controls][2] for more details.

## How to Create Change Controls {#create-dcc}

To create and set up a change control:

1. Navigate to the custom **Document Change Control** tab or to **Document Change Controls** in **Business Admin > Objects**. Custom tabs may be labeled differently in your Vault.
2. Click **Create**.
3. Enter a **Description**.
4. Enter a **Reason**.
5. Select an **Urgency**.
6. Optional: Select a **Proposed Implementation Date** for the change control. When approval occurs, this date will cascade down to the documents and the scheduled job will use it to determine when to implement.
8. Click **Save**.
9. From the _Document Change Control_ record details page, add documents. Locate the _Documents to be Released_ section and click **Add**. In the selection dialog, select the checkbox next to a document to add it to the change control and click **Close** when finished. Repeat this process in the _Documents to be made Obsolete_ section. You should have no more than 100 total documents in your _Document Change Control_.
10. Optional: From the record details page, add _Document Change Request_ records. Find the **Associated Change Requests** section and click **Add**. In the dialog, select a change request to the change control and click **Close** when finished. The change requests you select should be related to the documents associated with the change control.

## Criteria for Documents to be Released {#criteria-release}

Documents must meet the following criteria for you to add them to a change control as documents for release:

* Cannot be in their lifecycle's _Steady_ state.
* Cannot be governed by an existing active _Document Change Control_ record; if a document is attached to an inactive record, Vault will automatically unlink it from the inactive record when you attach it to an active record.

## Criteria for Documents to be made Obsolete {#criteria-obsolete}

Documents must meet the following criteria for you to add them to a change control as documents for obsolescence:

* Latest version must be in their lifecycle's _Steady_ state
* Cannot be governed by an existing active _Document Change Control_ record; if a document is attached to an inactive record, Vault will automatically unlink it from the inactive record when you attach it to an active record.

## Restrictions on Documents Under Change Control {#restrictions}

If a change control currently governs a document, you cannot add it to _Documents to be Released_ or _Documents to be made Obsolete_ on any other change control. There are no other restrictions on documents under change control, unless configured by your Admin.

## How to Approve Change Controls {#approve-dcc}

Before you can approve a change control, every document in _Documents to be Released_ should be in its lifecycle's _Pending Change Control Approval_ state. When this happens, Vault moves the _Document Change Control_ record to _Ready for Approval_ state. If your change control only includes documents to be made obsolete (no documents to release), you will need to manually move the _Document Change Control_ record into _Ready for Approval_ state.

To approve a change control:

1. Use the approval workflow configured by your Vault's Admins. You can start a workflow on the _Document Change Control_ record from the **Workflow Actions** menu on the record details page. Depending on your Admin's configuration, this action may be in the **All Actions** menu.
2. Open the multi-document viewer by choosing **View All Related Documents** in the **All Actions** menu.
3. Click **Complete** to approve the change control from the multi-document viewer. You may need to provide an eSignature at this point. This signature may apply to all governed documents if the workflow uses the _Cascade eSignatures_ system action, so be sure to carefully read all instructions provided with the task dialog.

[1]: #restrictions
[2]: #create-dcc
[3]: #approve-dcc