Issues are the tool for documenting non-conformances, complaints, observations or any situation that requires attention. Each organisation configures one or more issue types according to its own needs (customer complaints, internal non-conformances, audit findings, and so on).
The issue list
The Issues page shows all the issues you have access to. The list opens with no filters active. Issues are loaded progressively: initially you see only those visible on screen; the others are loaded as you scroll down. The magnifying glass (
) opens the filter panel; the number beside it shows how many filters are active at that moment (see Search filters). The download button (
) exports to Excel all the issues matching the applied filters, including those not yet loaded on screen (see Excel download).
The process
When an issue is opened it starts in draft status. Once it has been filled in with the required information, the responsible submits it.
At that point the issue is taken on by a supervisor, who carries out a non-conformance assessment and decides how to proceed. If the analysis shows that action is needed, one or more corrective actions are opened: the responsible users carry them out and, where the action type requires it, submit them for review.
The issue stays open until all linked actions are completed and reviewed, after which it closes automatically. If instead the assessment identifies no action to take, the issue closes straight away.
These steps are reflected in the four statuses the issue goes through, from creation to closure:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Just created, being filled in |
| To be assessed | Submitted, waiting for a supervisor to take it on |
| Corrective actions in progress | Taken on: assessment and/or corrective actions under way |
| Closed | Process completed |
Opening and filling in
A new issue can be opened from several points in the application:
- Dashboard: (
) button in the Issues area - Issue list page: + button
- Detail page of a checklist (control activity, maintenance activity or other configured type): + button in the Linked issues section; the reference to the checklist is saved automatically on the issue
- Page of an item in a collection: + button in the Linked issues section, if enabled; if the selected issue type has a field with that collection as its data source, the starting item is preselected automatically
In every case the issue starts in Draft status: you can save it, come back to it later, complete the fields and add attachments before submitting it.
Submission and assessment
Submission is a key step: only the responsible can do it, using the arrow button (
) in the header. From that moment the issue moves to To be assessed status and can no longer be edited; only the Attachments and Comments sections remain active, if present, where enabled users can continue to contribute (see Attachments section and Comments and history).
The assessment request is assigned to the default supervisors, if any, otherwise to all managers. The first to take it on becomes the supervisor of the issue and starts the non-conformance assessment, in which it is decided how to proceed (see Non-conformance assessment).
Roles on an issue
Four functional roles can be assigned on each issue: Supervisor, Responsible, Involved and Informed. There must always be at least one responsible on the issue. The supervisor, if not among those set as default for the type, is determined when the non-conformance assessment is taken on.
The functional role of whoever opens the issue is determined automatically:
- No preassigned responsible: whoever opens the issue automatically becomes its responsible
- Preassigned responsible users: whoever opens it is assigned as involved; the preassigned responsible users receive a notification
Why the distinction
In some organisations, and for some kinds of subject matter, the person who spots a problem is not best placed to classify it and submit it formally. Preassigned responsible users ensure that issues are reviewed before submission.
If default supervisors have been set for the issue type, they are added automatically on creation. The same applies to default informed users. Using the bell icon (
), anyone can add themselves to Informed to be notified of what happens on the issue, or remove themselves.
| What they can do | Supervisor | Responsible | Involved | Everyone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit the fields | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Submit the issue | ✓ | |||
| Carry out the non-conformance assessment | ✓ | |||
| Assign (and remove) users to the various roles | ✓ | (partial) | ||
| Add attachments and comments (if the relevant sections are enabled) | ✓ |
Special cases in user management MANAGERS
- Managers can always manage users, whatever functional role they hold on the issue.
- The responsible has more limited powers: they can add responsible users (but not remove them), manage involved and informed users at any time, and cannot act on the supervisor role.
The detail page
Once opened, the issue page is organised into sections:
- Header
- Non-conformance assessment
- Actions
- Detection context
- Users
- Attachments
- Comments and history
The order of the sections may vary and some may not be present, depending on how each issue type is configured.
Header
The header shows the fields of the issue. Each issue type can be configured with its own fields, independently of the others, according to need (see also Filling in the form). The action buttons are shown at the bottom of the header:
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
|
Subscribe to / unsubscribe from notifications on this issue |
|
Download the PDF of the issue with all data filled in up to that point |
 |
Open the form for filling in (if you have permission) |
|
Submit the issue (responsible only, in draft only) |
 |
Delete the issue (responsible only, in Draft status only) |
Filling in the form
All ComQual forms are designed around the needs of the company: fields, labels and options are configured by the administrator according to internal processes. Each issue type therefore has its own form. You will typically find at least a field for the subject, one for the description and one for the origin (where the issue came from), but even these may be absent if not considered necessary. Some fields become mandatory only at later stages (see Mandatory fields).
Tip
Since the forms are designed for your organisation, for clarification on what to fill in, when to use a particular type or which values to enter we suggest asking the colleagues who look after the application.
Non-conformance assessment
The assessment is the moment when a manager or supervisor analyses the issue and decides how to proceed.
Who receives it:
- If default supervisors have been set, the request goes to them
- Otherwise it goes to all managers
The request appears in Assigned to me. The first to take it on becomes the supervisor of the issue. Managers can always act on an issue, even if they are not among the default supervisors.
The assessment form is configured by the administrator and is the same for all issue types. Here too, for any clarification on how to fill it in, it is best to ask the colleagues who look after the application.
In the assessment the supervisor analyses the causes (according to the criteria set by the organisation) and decides how to proceed:
- Creates new actions linked to the issue
- Links existing actions
- Declares the assessment complete (once the necessary actions have been created or linked, if any)
Once the assessment is declared complete, the issue closes automatically if there are no linked actions in progress; otherwise it will close when all linked actions have been completed with a positive review.
Other sections
Depending on the configuration, the following may be present:
- Actions: the linked corrective actions
- Detection context: the checklist (control activity, maintenance activity or other type) from which the issue was opened; if it was not opened as part of a checklist it shows "Direct issue"
- Users: see Users section
- Attachments: see Attachments section
- Comments and history: see Comments and history