This section describes the features present throughout the application, which always behave in the same way.
How forms work
A form looks different depending on whether you are filling it in or consulting it.
When you insert or edit, it shows all the fields, including those still empty, so that you can fill them in. Detail pages, which are read-only, show only the fields that have a value, keeping the view compact.
Mandatory fields are marked with *. For issues, actions and checklists the administrator can configure two levels of obligation:
| Level | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Always mandatory | It must be filled in to open the record and for every save, including in Draft status. |
| Mandatory to submit / complete | It can be left empty while you fill in the other fields and does not block saving, but until it is filled in the submit or complete button stays disabled. |
For collections in Data and Documents all mandatory fields must always be filled in before saving.
If a button stays disabled
Check that all mandatory fields are filled in: that is almost always the reason.
Search filters
Pages that contain a list of issues, actions, checklists or collection items all have filters to narrow down the view. The fields available as filters are configured by the administrator and vary for each of those pages.
Filters are set in the panel that opens with the magnifying glass icon (
) and take effect when you click Apply. To go back to the complete list, reopen the panel and click Reset.
How to tell when a list is filtered
Look at the counter beside the magnifying glass. If it is 0 you are seeing the complete list, otherwise it shows how many filters are applied. Filters stay set even if you leave the page and come back.
If filters are applied, they are also used to determine which rows are exported with the Excel download.
Users section
Every issue, action or checklist has four functional roles (supervisor, responsible, involved, informed), which determine what each person can do in that particular context: the same person can be responsible in one case and simply informed in another.
Who belongs to each role is determined when the record is opened, according to the default rules. Managers can always change who holds each role; other users can do so too, depending on the role they hold. The sections on roles in Issues, Actions and Checklists describe what each role can do and who can assign it.
The Users section shows who holds each role and lets you add users to it or remove them. To add a user to a role, click the (
) button next to the role concerned; to remove one, click the bin icon (
) next to the name. There must always be at least one responsible.
Attachments section
The Attachments section is available to all enabled users, regardless of role: you can add documents and images. If the device has a camera, you can capture images directly.
Each attachment can have a caption to describe its content.
Attachment field and Attachments section
ComQual provides two distinct ways to manage files.
Attachment fields are part of the form structure: they are used when a particular file is an integral part of the process (e.g. the defect photo, the signed report). They can be mandatory, and can only be filled in by those with permission to edit the form.
The Attachments section at the bottom of the page is a free space instead: anyone can add supporting files at any time, even after the activity has been completed, with no role restrictions. Useful for gathering additional material that is not part of the structure but may be relevant: notes, references, supplementary documentation.
Comments and history
The Comments section is a free space: anyone can add a comment at any time, even after the activity has been completed, with no role restrictions. Type your message and click Send. Comments are useful for asking for clarification, adding information, suggesting ideas or explaining a choice.
The Full history toggle expands the list: when it is off you see only the comments, when you turn it on you also see what has happened, together with the comments in chronological order. Each entry says who acted and when, whether it is a change to a field, an attachment added or deleted, or a change of status.
Notifications
The bell icon (
) opens a menu where you subscribe to notifications, choose the level of events, or unsubscribe. You can change at any time: the menu lists the alternatives to your current situation.
| Icon | What happens |
|---|---|
 |
cancel subscription |
|
receive notifications for essential events |
 |
receive notifications for any modification |
Essential events are typically those that change the status.
Informed is the list of those who are notified of what happens, and it appears alongside the other roles in the Users section. Subscribing with the bell icon is the same as joining that list, and unsubscribing is the same as leaving it; anyone who is responsible or supervisor can achieve the same result by adding or removing a user directly from Informed. Default informed users are subscribed automatically and receive the opening notification.
Each user chooses how to receive notifications on their own Profile page (see Profile and preferences):
Email for each event
One email for each notification.
Daily summary
A single email a day with a summary of all subscribed events.
No email
Notifications are not sent by email.
If you have installed the mobile app, you can also choose to receive notifications as push notifications.
Why have I received a notification if I chose No email?
Some notifications, typically those assigning an activity, are delivered regardless.
PDF download
In every issue, action and checklist, the down arrow button (
) in the header generates a PDF with all the data filled in up to that point. Useful for external sharing, for attaching documentation to third-party systems or for paper archiving.
The PDF is generated on demand: it always reflects the current state.
Excel download
On list pages (issues, actions, checklists, collection items), the download button exports to an Excel file all the rows matching the filters applied at that moment. The columns included are those the administrator has enabled for export.
Why the export does not always have the same columns
Different issue or checklist types may have different fields, and the file contains only the columns of the types present in the result. For example if you download a single issue type, the columns specific to the other types do not appear; if you download them all, the file contains every enabled column.
Form versioning
For issues, actions and checklists the form structure (which fields are present, in what order, with what options) is frozen at the moment of opening: if the administrator changes the configuration, the changes do not apply to those already opened.
This ensures consistency: the structure stays the same from opening to closure, regardless of subsequent configuration changes.
For collections in Data and Documents versioning does not apply: the structure always reflects the current configuration.
Record preservation
In a quality management system, issues, actions and checklist activities are official records: once closed or completed they cannot be deleted. This ensures that the documented history of non-conformances, interventions and controls stays intact.
Before closure, deletion is possible only in certain statuses and only by those holding particular roles. For more detail see the section on the detail page in Issues, Actions and Checklists.
Items in Data and Documents collections can be deleted instead: they do not record a process, but the organisation's reference data, which changes over time.