Use document remark or issue and the differences

The platform offers you multiple ways to communicate with your customers and suppliers. This article explains when you should use document remarks, when to create issues and what the difference is for you and the person you are communicating with.

There is one simple difference: 

1. Document remarks are useful when you have send out a document request. The receiver can see your remark and knows what to adjust to complete your request. 
2. Issues are created when working with technical file request. You receive the shared technical file and by creating issues and declining the shared technical file you can communicate what document or information needs to be adjusted.

Feature access

These features are available to all ProductIP users. However sending out a technical file request is only available for the Professional and Enterprise subscription.

Before you begin

To add document remarks:

• Create a technical file
• Send out a document request
• The receiver has uploaded documents

Or to create issues:

• Create a pre-draft file
• Send out a technical file request
• The receiver has shared their technical file with you

Video instructions 

A short step-by-step guide will follow soon! 

Steps 

Add a document remark

1. Go to the Technical files tab and open a technical file.
2. Navigate to the Documents tab.
3. Open the document where you want to add a remark. 
4. Click the Edit status button in the top row.
5. You can now set the Status of the document to rejected or pending and add your Remark. 
6. You also have the option to add the remark as a note under the Timeline tab. Select this if the remark is highly important and you need an extra reminder for yourself. 
7. Click Save.

The uploader of the document will see the document remark in their document request in the platform. 

Note: The uploader will not receive a platform email for it unless you de-select this in the Edit status window. Keeping this selected prevents a multitude of platform emails to your contacts. 

Add an issue

1. Go to the Request tab > Pending view & clone shares tab and open the shared technical file.
2. Navigate to the Documents tab.
3. Open the document where you want to create an issue.
4. Click the Add issue button in the top row.
5. You can now: 
   • Assign the issue to the person who shared the technical file or one of your colleagues. 
   • Set a deadline for when this issue needs to be resolved
   • Set the severity of the issue to Minor, Major or Critical
   • Add a description (recommended to add the document name in the description for easy reference)
6. Click Save
7. Select Decline in the action bar at the top of the shared technical file when you have added all issues and have completed your review of the technical file. Add a message to your contact to inform them you have created issues which need to be resolved.
8. Click Decline.

The person who shared the technical file will now receive a platform email that you have declined their shared technical file and can open the technical file in their account to view all issues created. They will adjust the technical file and can reply to the open issues to close them. If you receive a new share you can view the Issues tab to see their remarks.

Tips and best practices 

• If you are reviewing documents and only have one document with a remark. You could de-select the "Do not send" option in the Edit status window. Then the uploader of the document will receive a platform email with your remark. If you have multiple documents with remarks, it is better to keep it selected and Add a comment to the document request task instead. You can find this under the Timeline tab. This also provides the option to insert all document remarks at once.
• You can also add a document remark without opening the document itself. When in the Documents tab, search for the flag icon at the end of the document line. Click this and the Edit status window pops up.
• If you have multiple documents which need the same document remark, you can select these documents by clicking the white square in front and click the Set document status button.
• If you upload documents yourself instead of by document request you can still use document remarks for your own convenience. Just remember that these remarks are only visible to you and colleagues who can access this technical file.
• You can also create issues directly in the Issues tab. This can be helpful if you have an issue that is not related to a specific document. For example if a requirement was set to "excluded" and you don't agree with the reasoning.
• When creating an issue for a document, it is helpful for the receiver to know to which document this issue is related. Therefor we recommend to copy/paste the document name at the beginning of the issue.
• You can also use issues when you are not working with Technical file request. Issues give you the option to involve your colleagues in the technical file by assigning issues to them and setting deadlines. Note that using the workflow status for collaboration with colleagues instead is recommended.

Troubleshooting 

• My contact cannoot see the document remarks? 

Check if the document with remarks was uploaded by this contact or by your own company. Only the uploader of the documents can see the remarks. 

• My contact cannot see the issues I have created? 

Check if you have declined the technical file. If the technical file request is still pending the issues are not yet visible to the sender. However when you accept the technical file the issues should also be visible to the person that shared this technical file. 

• I received a re-shared technical file, but the issues are still open, what should I do?

Check if the issues have been solved in the technical file. It could be that your contact has made the adjustments, but not registered them for you in the issues. In that case you can ask them to do this for future technical files. If they left the issues open and not resolved the issues, decline the shared technical file again and point out they can find the open issues under the Issues tab.

• When I want to create an issue the window is greyed out and I can't adjust/add information? 

Close the window and refresh the page. Try again. 

Still having issues? Contact ProductIP via helpdesk@productip.com. 

FAQ 

1. Document remarks are used when you send out a document request and want the receiver to adjust specific documents.
2. Issues are used when reviewing a shared technical file after sending a technical file request. Issues allow you to formally decline the technical file and communicate what must be corrected.

• Why does the uploader not receive an email after I added a document remark?
  By default, the platform prevents sending multiple notification emails to reduce email overload.
  When adding a remark in the Edit status window:
  - If the “Do not send” option remains selected, no platform email will be sent.
  - If you want the uploader to receive an email, deselect this option.
  Best practice: If you have multiple remarks, keep email notifications disabled and instead add one summary comment under the Timeline tab.

• Can I use document remarks on documents I uploaded myself?
  Yes. However:
  - These remarks are only visible to you and colleagues who have access to the technical file.
  - They are not visible to external parties unless the document was uploaded through a document request.

Related articles

Send a document request

Send a technical file request 

Track your progress on the timeline 

Add a task to the timeline 

Manage your workflow status