Product tasks in ecratum – ecratum GmbH

The Product Task

Product Tasks are the way by which you gather your product documentation. One task represents a request for an individual document type for a specific product from one supplier. They correspond to a single request and can only hold one PDF document reply.

Each Document request is represented as single tasks to ensure transparency about the status of each document provided. Tasks can be sent manually one by one or automatically via ecratum’s automation feature. Tasks requiring the same PDF can be easily answered in one go with our multiupload feature. You can similarly approve those tasks in bulk if so intended.

Getting started with product documentation

The Task Lifecycle

When you send a request to one of your suppliers a corresponding task is created and shown in your Outbox as well as your suppliers Inbox. Once a task is in the supplier’s Inbox differing path can be taken.

The supplier provides the correct document:

The supplier will upload the file to the task. The task will move to his Outbox and show up in your Inbox with the Status “Review”. It is now your responsibility to check the document and approve it. Afterward, the task status will be in Status “Accepted”.

The supplier provides an incorrect document:

When you review a provided document and it turns out it is not correct, you have the option to reject it. When you reject, you are asked to leave a comment. Give your supplier some information that helps him to provide the correct document. The task will then show up in the supplier's Inbox again in the status “Rejected”, waiting for your supplier to remedy the situation. The task will move to your Outbox again.

The supplier does not have the requested document:

If your supplier realizes he does not have the requested document, he can let you know by responding to the request with “I do not have this document”. At this point, the supplier has to provide an explanation, why he will not provide the document. The task then reappears in your Inbox. It is now your responsibility to acknowledge or reject your supplier's declaration of the end of the lifecycle of this document request. If it is rejected the task will return to your supplier, if you acknowledge the status, work on this task will be finished and it will remain in the status “Accepted ND”.

Once a task has reached a final state it will be removed from all In-/Outboxes until it reaches its expiration or revalidation date or is manually renewed. It can still be accessed via Product Documentation.

Expiration / Revalidation / Renewal

Note: Expiration and Revalidation are fixed attributes of document types which cannot be changed at a later time. Please decide carefully which document type you pick for your requests.

Requested document types belong to two categories expiration and revalidation. Those categories define how a task behaves after it has been completed.

Expiration:

Tasks for document types with an expiration date, require the receiver of your request to specify date until which the document is valid when uploading it. After the document has expired the task will change its status to expired. Access to the expired document will be available in the archive. After expiration, a new task for the same product and document type will be created automatically and sent to your supplier. This task will behave as if it was sent by you manually.

Revalidation:

Tasks for document types with a revalidation date, expire after a fixed amount of time specified by the document type. In most cases, this will be one year. After the document has reached its revalidation interval the task will change its status to expired. Automatically a new task for the same document type will be created and sent to your supplier. Your supplier can simply revalidate the previously uploaded document which will directly extend its validity without any additional work on your side. If the supplier updates the document it has to be reviewed again.

Renewal:

You always have the possibility to renew your tasks manually. Manual renewal will directly expire your task and create a task for your supplier. If the document type has expiration the new task will require a document upload, document types with revalidation can be revalidated by your supplier

How to review my expired documents

Multiupload - Multiapproval

The Multiupload and Multiapproval Feature, allows you and your supplier to exchange documents for several Product Tasks in a fast, comfortable and easy way by uploading one PDF to multiple tasks in one step. To use this feature it is required that your supplier is invited and active and the document is from type revalidation. The Multiupload is used by your suppliers and the Multiapproval is the equivalent on your side.