Submitting an Action Item
How to Submit an Action Item
To initiate an Action Item request, it must be associated with a project.
You can submit an Action Item Request directly from within the Project by selecting “New Action Item” in the upper Actions toolbar.
Alternatively, from any grid, you can conveniently trigger this process by right-clicking and selecting "Actions," followed by "Submit Action Item Request(s)."
This action will open a window with the following components:
Choose Action Item Request: Select your Action Item from this list. It should be in order of your workflow.
In the case the Action Item Request is not visible in the list, it's probable that your Administrator hasn't linked that particular Project Type to the Action Item within the Administrator Application. This section walks your Admin through full setup of Action Items. See our troubleshooting section for Action Items here.
Pre-Requisites Checklist: This serves as a reminder of essential information required by the Receiving User or Group for the smooth and accurate execution of the request. You cannot submit an AI without marking all of your Pre-Requisite’s complete.
Due By Date: Select a reasonable Due By date with expecations that the receiving party or parties will use this date to priortize incoming tasks.
Order Drop Down: This dropdown is used to associate the Action Item with an existing order or create a new one for the project.
Existing Orders: If an order has already been processed for the project, the order name will appear in the dropdown. Typically, the order name follows the convention of using the Quote number tied to that order.
New Order: If no order has been processed yet, you will see “New Order” as an option. In this case, you can submit the Action Item tied to this "pre-ordered" task. The Action Item will remain linked to the project until an order is processed.
Create a New Order: If you want to create a new order while submitting the Action Item, select the + symbol next to the “New Order” option. This will allow you to create an order on the fly, directly connecting it to the Action Item being submitted.
Note: When creating a new order, we recommend naming it using your Quote number for easy identification. This will ensure that the time logged for the Action Item is properly associated with the correct Quote/Order for accurate P&L reporting.
The primary purpose of this dropdown is to connect Action Item time to orders, helping maintain accurate reporting for profitability. You can either attach the Action Item to an existing order, create a new one for the task, or link it to the "New Order" if no order has been processed yet.
Assign to User: This feature allows a User to submit an Action Item to an individual User who is configured in the Admin → Action Item Configuration to be part of the group designated to receive the selected Action Item Request. If you do not see the expected name in the dropdown, your Administrator needs to add that User to the Action Item Group. You DO NOT have to select a User. If you do not select a User, the Action Item will automatically be sent to the designated Group or Person assigned to that Action Item Request. If a User is selected, the Action Item will still be visible to the entire designated group, ensuring full transparency within that department.
Supporting Documents: You can drag and drop documents from your Project → History → Documents into the Supporting Documents section of the AI. Alternatively, you can drag and drop documents from outside of e-manage into this section of the Action Item submission window and it will auto-attach to the project as a “General” document. You can always flip the Document Type to ensure it is in the proper Document category.
Additional Information: This is the section you can use to free form (type) in any supporting information that needs to be communicated to the receiving party.
Action Item Surveys: If a Survey is tied to an Action Item, it will appear in the lower section of the Action Item submission window. Surveys are designed to capture important information needed to complete the task effectively and reduce back-and-forth communication.
To complete the survey:
Highlight the Question: Click on the question you need to answer within the survey.
Select an Answer: Choose an answer from the available options, such as multiple-choice selections.
Fillable Answers: If an answer is fillable, look for a pencil icon next to the field. Click the pencil icon to begin typing your answer directly into the cell.
The survey must be completed before the Action Item can be submitted. If it’s set as a "Pre-Requisite," the Action Item cannot be submitted until all required fields are filled.
Submit Request: Click this button to successfully submit the Action Item request. If this button is greyed out you did not mark all Pre-Req’s as complete.
