# Configuring External Collaboration for Document Review & Approval (Document Control) [QualityOne Vaults](/en/lr/78612/) allow you to streamline temporary, short-term access to your Vault for external parties, such as suppliers, to review and approve documents on behalf of their company. You can configure your Vault to give your organization's users the ability to [send document review and approval tasks to recognized external contacts](/en/lr/679759/), who can then complete those tasks in Vault with minimal or no need to manage user account provisioning for those external parties.
## Configuration Overview {#config} Configuring your Vault to use External Collaboration for Document Review & Approval involves the following steps: 1. [Create reference records][1] 2. [Create an External Collaborator User Template][2] 3. [Configure External Collaboration notification templates][3] 4. [Configure the _Organization_ object][4] 5. [Add shared document fields to applicable document types and document field layouts][5] 6. [Configure document actions][6] 7. [Configure a document lifecycle role][7] 8. [Configure document workflows][8] 9. [Configure a report][9] to track active External Collaborators in your Vault
## Creating Reference Records {#ref-records} Data setup for External Collaboration might include setting up the following records: * _Organization_ records for the _Organizations_ with which you will be collaborating. * _Person_ records to represent potential External Collaborators. ## Creating a Quality External User Template {#user-templates} To configure the _Activate External Collaborator_ action, you must [define an External Collaborator User Template](/en/lr/76845/) that the action can use to create a new _User_. Before setting up templates, make sure you have created the standard [_Security Profile_ and _Permission Set_](/en/lr/23647/) that you will assign to the External Collaborator.
## Configuring External Collaboration Notification Templates {#notification-templates} This feature includes three (3) email templates that Vault automatically sends to recognized external contacts at different points during the External Collaboration process: * **QOne Doc External Collab Welcome**: Vault sends a _Welcome Collaborator_ email to any recognized external contact for whom a Vault automatically creates a _User_ account. * **QOne Doc External Collab Welcome Back**: Vault sends a _Welcome Back Collaborator_ email to recognized external contacts who previously had a _User_ account that is reactivated to complete a document review or approval task. * **QOne Doc External Collab Goodbye**: Vault sends a _Goodbye Collaborator_ email to recognized external contacts when all of their assigned tasks are complete and when the document they are collaborating on reaches its [_Steady State_](/en/lr/14560/). You can [edit the notification templates](/en/lr/2157/#edit-messages) to include any additional information about collaboration with your organization. ### External Collaboration Message Template Tokens {#tokens} You can [include tokens to display field data](/en/lr/2157/#document-fields--information) from the collaborating document in External Collaboration message templates. [Non-specialized Vault tokens](/en/lr/2157/#document-fields--information) for displaying the collaborating record's data are resolved via the external collaborator's security profile. The _QOne External Collab Welcome_ message template can also include the special `${userName}` and `${userPassword}` tokens. Use of these tokens in the object message template functions similarly to a Vault automated [password reset email](/en/lr/7239/), but does not replace or override the standard password reset method. ## Configuring the Organization Object {#org-object} You can configure the _Organization_ object to use External Collaboration for document review and approval. ### Custom Field {#custom-field} You can optionally create a custom field on the _Organization_ object so users can specify if the _Organization_ is approved for External Collaboration. ### Contact List {#contact-list} We recommend configuring the _Organization_ object to simplify the management of a contact list of _Persons_. _Person_ records have a field linking them to _Organizations_, and _Organization_ records can list the _Persons_ with whom your own organization interacts. This allows for easier identification of contacts to whom you can assign document reviews. You can manage these contacts centrally, or you can enable internal users to manage these persons independently for the _Organizations_ they work with. To configure the _Organization_ object to display contact lists, insert a _Person_ related object section into the layout of the _Organization_ object. We recommend defining [section-level help](/en/lr/26387/#related-object) for this contact list to make its purpose clear to users. ## Assigning External Collaboration Document Fields {#doc-fields} The following shared document fields are used with External Collaboration for Document Review & Approval: * **Collaborate Externally?**: This field determines whether a document can be sent to _External Collaborators_. * **External Collaborators**: This field contains the names of the external _Persons_ to whom the task is sent. * **Organization**: This field contains the name of the collaborating _Organization_, and determines which External Collaborators are available for selection. [Assign the shared fields](/en/lr/4884/#use-shared-field) to each document type you will work on with External Collaborators, then perform these optional steps: * [Configure a field dependency](/en/lr/2617/) so that the _Organization_ and _External Collaborators_ fields are hidden if the _Collaborate Externally?_ field value is _No_. * [Configure a field dependency](/en/lr/2617/) so if the _Collaborate Externally?_ field value is _Yes_, the _Organization_ field is required and the _External Collaborators_ field is read-only. Then, [configure a workflow prompt][8] for users to select _External Collaborators_ when they initiate the workflow. You can perform these additional optional steps to filter the External Collaborators available to select by _Organization_: * Configure a [reference constraint](/en/lr/75340/) on the [custom field][10] you created on the _Organization_ object. * Configure a [reference constraint](/en/lr/75340/) on the _External Collaborators_ field to filter _Persons_ available for selection based on the value of _Organization_, especially if your Vault has numerous _Person_ records. ## Configuring Document Actions {#doc-actions} You must make the following changes to your target document lifecycles to enable external collaboration for document review and approval. ### Activate External Collaborators Action {#activate} The _Activate External Collaborator_ action attempts to activate a user account for the _Person_ records (recognized external contacts) referenced in the _External Collaborators_ document field. If Vault finds that a user account already exists with the same details as a _Person_, Vault assigns that user account to the _Person_, activates that user account, and sends them a _QOne Doc External Collab Welcome Back_ message. If there is no existing _User_, Vault creates and activates a new account based on the [_Quality External User Template_][2] you specified in the action's **User Template** field, then sends the _QOne Doc External Collab Welcome_ message configured for External Collaboration on documents. Add the _Activate External Collaborator_ as an [entry action](/en/lr/12399/#create) or [user action](/en/lr/12339/) to required document lifecycle states. We recommend configuring this entry action on the _In Progress_ and _In Approval_ states of the _Draft to Approved_ lifecycle. ### Inactivate Document External Collaborators Entry Action {#inactivate} Add the _Inactivate Document External Collaborators_ entry action to applicable document lifecycle states. When users run this entry action, Vault makes sure that the External Collaborators in the _External Collaborators_ field were activated using the _Quality External User Template_, then inactivates the External Collaborator as long as there are no active external collaboration tasks (including QMS tasks). Vault also inactivates the External Collaborators if a user removes them from the _External Collaborators_ field on a document or deletes the collaborative document. Ensure you configure this action on each lifecycle on which you configured the _Activate External Collaborator_ action. ## Configuring a Document Lifecycle Role {#doc-lifecycle-role} Add a custom [document lifecycle role](/en/lr/2662/) to your document lifecycle with a label appropriate to your process. In **Application Role**, select **External Collaborator**. Do not create more than one (1) role for this purpose. In the _Security Settings_ tab of your document lifecycle configuration, select the supported access for the external user. You must configure the following security settings for the custom role on the _In Progress_ and _In Approval_ states of the target document lifecycle: * _View Document_ * _View Content_ * _Annotate_ * _Download Source_ ## Configuring Single-Document Workflows for External Collaboration {#doc-workflows}
You can configure workflows to send to External Collaborators only, or you can optionally add internal participants who will collaborate with the external person. You can add up to five External Collaborator participants per workflow. ### Suggested Workflow Configurations for External Collaboration {#workflow-config} We recommend configuring the following tasks in the document workflow you plan to use for External Collaboration. #### Configuring a Review Workflow {#review} For review workflows such as _Draft to Approval: Send for Review_, do the following: * [Assign External Collaborators a task](/en/lr/50498/#document_task_steps) to review and provide external reviewer comments. * [Assign the workflow owner a task](/en/lr/50498/#document_task_steps) to assess the external reviewer's comments. When the workflow owner provides a verdict of "No Changes Required – Ready for Approval" the task rules will move the document to a _Reviewed_ state. * For users to select External Collaborators via a workflow prompt: * [Hide the _Organization_ and _External Collaborators_ fields on the document][5]. * Configure a [workflow prompt](/en/lr/50498/#prompt-for-document-fields-control) to add external users. * Set up at least one (1) [workflow prompt](/en/lr/50498/#prompt-for-document-fields-control) to update or clear these fields when needed. #### Configuring an Approval Workflow {#approval} For approval workflows such as _Draft to Approval: Send for Approval_, do the following: * [Assign the External Collaborators an approval task](/en/lr/50498/#document_task_steps) to provide an eSignature. * [Assign the workflow owner a task](/en/lr/50498/#document_task_steps) to assess the external approver's approval task. When the workflow owner provides a verdict of "No Changes Required – End External Collaboration" the "Update States based on Task Verdicts" task rules will move the document to an _Approved_ state. When the document moves to the _Approved_ state, Vault evaluates the External Collaborators for inactivation. * For users to select External Collaborators via a workflow prompt: * [Hide the _Organization_ and _External Collaborators_ fields on the document][5]. * Configure a [workflow prompt](/en/lr/50498/#prompt-for-document-fields-control) to add external users. * Configure at least one (1) [workflow prompt](/en/lr/50498/#prompt-for-document-fields-control) to update or clear these fields when needed. ## Configuring a Report {#report} We recommend you configure a [report type](/en/lr/21543/) for the _Ext Collab Document Assignment_ object and [create a report](/en/lr/3606/) to monitor active external users in your Vault. [1]: #ref-records [2]: #user-templates [3]: #notification-templates [4]: #org-object [5]: #doc-fields [6]: #doc-actions [7]: #doc-lifecycle-role [8]: #doc-workflows [9]: #report [10]: #custom-field