Collaborative Forms

Overview

Collaborative Forms allow multiple users to work together on completing form submissions in OSPROV. Instead of filling out complex forms alone, form owners can share the workload with team members who have appropriate access permissions, making the process faster and more accurate. This feature is particularly useful for workflows that require input from multiple departments or subject matter experts.

Enabling Collaborative Forms

For System Administrators

Configure the collaborative forms notification system in Settings > Notification tab:

Enable notification for Invite Collaborator?

• Check this box to send email notifications when users are invited to collaborate
• Uncheck to disable email notifications (collaborators will still see invitations in their portal)

Template for Invite Collaborator

• Select which email template to use for collaboration invitations
• You can customize the template in Settings > Email Templates
• The template can include the submission URL and other information

For Workflow Administrators

To enable collaborative forms for a workflow:

1. Navigate to the Workflow Builder
2. Open the workflow you want to edit (or create a new workflow)
3. In the workflow settings, locate the "Enable collaborative forms?" option
4. Check the checkbox to enable the feature
5. Save and publish your workflow

Important Notes:

• No additional setup is required beyond checking the option
• The system automatically uses your existing security settings and notification preferences
• Only users with proper role and department access can be invited as collaborators
• All existing OSPROV security rules apply to collaborative forms

How Collaborative Forms Work

User Roles in Collaboration

Form Owner (Original Applicant)

• The user who starts the form submission
• Can invite colleagues to help complete the form
• Can edit the form and save drafts
• Only the owner can submit the final form
• Only the owner can delete draft submissions

Collaborators

• Users invited by the form owner to help with the submission
• Can edit the form and contribute content
• Can save drafts as many times as needed
• Cannot submit the final form - only the owner can do this
• Cannot delete the draft submission
• Should coordinate with the form owner when sections are complete

Starting a Collaborative Form Submission

1. Access Your Workflow

   • Navigate to your desired workflow as usual
   • Start a new form submission
   • You'll see a green banner at the top: "💡 You can invite other people to help fill this form."

2. Invite Collaborators

   • Click the "Invite collaborators" button in the green banner
   • A popup displays a list of eligible colleagues (based on their roles and department access)
   • Select multiple people using the dropdown (you can search by typing)
   • Click "Save Invitations" to close the modal
   • The invitations are saved when you save the form

3. Save as Draft

   • Fill out any sections you want to complete first
   • Click "Save as draft" - this is important as it:
     • Preserves your work
     • Sends invitations to your selected collaborators
     • Makes the form accessible for collaborators to edit
   • Your invited colleagues will receive email notifications (if "Enable notification for Invite Collaborator?" is enabled in Settings > Notification)
   • You can return anytime to continue editing

4. View Your Collaborators

   • After saving, you'll see a green banner listing all invited collaborators
   • The banner shows: "Collaborators: [Name 1], [Name 2]..."

Working as a Collaborator

Receiving an Invitation

• You may receive an email notification (if "Enable notification for Invite Collaborator?" is enabled by your system administrator in Settings > Notification)
• The invitation always appears on your user dashboard/portal under "Collaboration invites" with status "Pending"
• The form also appears in your "My Submissions" list with a special label: "[Form Name] — invited by [Inviter's Name]"
• Note: The invitation status will remain "Pending" throughout the collaboration process

Accessing the Collaborative Form

1. Click on the invitation from your dashboard or "My Submissions"
2. You'll see a green banner indicating: "You've been invited as a collaborator by [Inviter's Name]"
3. The form will show any sections the owner or other collaborators have already completed

Contributing to the Form

1. Edit any sections you need to complete
2. Click "Save as draft" to save your changes
3. All your edits are logged in the collaboration history
4. You will not see a "Submit Form" button - only the form owner can submit
5. Coordinate with the form owner when your sections are complete

Managing Collaboration as the Form Owner

Monitoring Progress

• View the collaboration history in the sidebar under "Collaboration History"
• The history shows:
  • When you opened the form for collaboration
  • All edits made during collaboration
  • When the collaboration was finalized

Viewing Collaborators

• The green banner lists all people you invited
• You can see your collaborators at any time while editing the form

Submitting the Form

• Only you (the owner) can submit the form by clicking "Submit Form" instead of "Save as draft"
• Collaborators can only save drafts - they will not see the Submit button
• Coordinate with your collaborators before submitting to ensure they've completed their sections
• Once submitted, the collaboration closes and the workflow moves to the next stage
• The form can no longer be edited (unless it's sent back for revision through the normal workflow)

Important Notes About Editing

Coordination Required:

• OSPROV does not prevent multiple people from editing at the same time
• Important: Coordinate with your collaborators to avoid conflicting edits
• If two people edit at the same time, the last person to save will overwrite the previous changes
• Best practice: Communicate with your team about who is editing which sections and when

Draft vs. Submit:

• "Save as draft": Saves your changes and keeps the form editable (available to both owner and collaborators)
• "Submit Form": Finalizes the form and closes collaboration - workflow proceeds to next stage (only available to the owner)

Key Features and Benefits

Security and Privacy

• Only colleagues with proper role and department access can be invited
• All existing OSPROV security rules apply to collaborative forms
• Every action is logged in the collaboration history
• Both owners and collaborators can edit and save drafts
• Only the owner can submit the final form or delete the draft

Edit Tracking

• All changes are logged in the system
• Collaboration history shows when collaboration started and ended
• Field-level change tracking when form is finalized
• Audit trail maintained for compliance

Flexibility

• Collaboration is completely optional - forms work normally without it
• You can invite people when starting a new form
• Owner maintains control over final submission
• Simple invitation process with no complex workflows

Visibility

• Collaboration history available in sidebar
• Clear indication of who invited you to collaborate
• Invitations visible on user dashboard with "Pending" status
• Forms appear in "My Submissions" for all participants with workflow status badges (draft, pending, etc.)

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Budget Request Form

Sarah needs to submit a budget request that requires input from Finance and IT departments.

1. Sarah starts the budget request workflow
2. She fills out the basic project information
3. She clicks "Invite collaborators" and selects John from Finance and Mike from IT
4. Sarah clicks "Save as draft" - this sends the invitations
5. John receives notification and opens the form from his dashboard
6. John adds the financial analysis section and saves as draft
7. Mike opens the form and adds the technical requirements, saves as draft
8. John and Mike notify Sarah their sections are complete
9. Sarah opens the form, reviews everything, and clicks "Submit Form"
10. The workflow proceeds to the approval stage

Scenario 2: Employee Onboarding

HR is processing a new hire and needs information from multiple departments.

1. HR starts the onboarding workflow
2. They fill out the basic employee information
3. They invite managers from relevant departments
4. HR clicks "Save as draft" to send invitations and share the form
5. Each manager receives the invitation and adds their department-specific requirements (saving as draft)
6. Managers notify HR when their sections are complete
7. HR reviews all contributions and clicks "Submit Form"
8. The onboarding workflow proceeds

Scenario 3: Project Proposal

A project manager needs input from various stakeholders for a complex proposal.

1. Project manager creates the proposal form
2. They complete the project overview and objectives
3. They invite subject matter experts from different teams
4. Project manager clicks "Save as draft" to share with collaborators
5. Each expert adds their specialized knowledge to their sections (saving as draft)
6. Experts notify the project manager when complete
7. Project manager reviews and finalizes by clicking "Submit Form"

Best Practices

For Form Owners

• Plan ahead: Think about who needs to contribute before starting
• Complete your sections first: Fill out your parts before inviting others
• Save as draft: Always click "Save as draft" after selecting collaborators
• Communicate clearly: Let collaborators know what sections they should focus on via email or chat
• Coordinate timing: Discuss who will edit when to avoid conflicts
• Review thoroughly: Check all contributions before final submission

For Collaborators

• Respond promptly: Check your dashboard regularly for collaboration invitations
• Coordinate access: Communicate with the team about when you'll be editing
• Save frequently: Click "Save as draft" often to preserve your work
• Notify the owner: Tell the form owner when you've completed your sections
• Communicate: If you have questions, reach out to the form owner directly

General Best Practices

• Avoid simultaneous editing: Coordinate with your team to edit at different times
• Start early: Begin the collaboration process well before deadlines
• Stay organized: Keep track of who is responsible for what sections
• Communicate outside OSPROV: Use email, chat, or meetings to coordinate editing schedules
• Save before leaving: Always save your changes before closing the browser

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Q: I can't see the "Invite collaborators" option

A: This feature is only available on forms where the workflow administrator has enabled collaborative forms.

Q: The person I want to invite doesn't appear in the list

A: Only colleagues with appropriate roles and department access for this workflow can be invited. They must have the same role requirements and authorization channel access as defined in the workflow settings.

Q: My collaborator says they can't see the form

A: Make sure you clicked "Save as draft" after inviting them. Collaborators can only access the form after it has been saved as a draft.

Q: I made changes but they disappeared

A: This can happen if someone else was editing at the same time and saved after you. The last person to save overwrites previous changes. Always coordinate with your team to avoid editing simultaneously.

Q: Can I remove a collaborator after inviting them?

A: The current implementation doesn't have a remove function. Once invited, collaborators can access the draft form. Coordinate with your team about who should actually contribute.

Q: As a collaborator, why don't I see a "Submit Form" button?

A: Only the form owner can submit the final form. As a collaborator, you can only save drafts. Notify the owner when you've completed your sections so they can review and submit.

Q: As the owner, what happens if I click "Submit Form" instead of "Save as draft"?

A: The form will be finalized and submitted to the workflow. The collaboration will close, and the form can no longer be edited (unless sent back through normal workflow revision processes). Make sure all collaborators have finished their sections before submitting.

Q: Can collaborators delete the draft?

A: No, only the form owner can delete draft submissions. Collaborators cannot delete the form.

Q: Can I see who edited what?

A: Yes, the collaboration history in the sidebar shows all editing activity. When the form is finalized, detailed change tracking shows which fields were modified.

Q: As the owner, I invited someone by mistake. What should I do?

A: Simply communicate with them that they don't need to contribute. They won't be required to edit anything before you submit the form. The current implementation doesn't allow removing collaborators once invited.

Q: Why does the collaboration invitation always show "Pending" status?

A: The current implementation keeps all collaboration invitations in "Pending" status throughout the process. The status field exists for future enhancements but is not actively updated in the current version.

Administrator Configuration

Setting Up Collaboration Notifications

System administrators should configure these settings in Settings > Notification tab:

1. Enable notification for Invite Collaborator?

   • Check to enable email notifications when users are invited
   • Users will still see invitations in their portal even if disabled
   • Recommended: Enable for better user experience

2. Template for Invite Collaborator

   • Select the email template for collaboration invitations
   • Default template includes the submission URL
   • Customize in Settings > Email Templates (TID: invite-collaborator)

3. Email Template Customization (Optional)

   • Go to Settings > Email Templates
   • Find template with TID invite-collaborator
   • Subject line: Default is "You're invited to collaborate"
   • Available variables: [submission-url]
   • Add organizational branding or additional instructions as needed

Getting Help

If you encounter issues with collaborative forms:

1. Verify you clicked "Save as draft" after inviting collaborators
2. Check with your system administrator if you're not receiving email notifications - they may need to enable "Enable notification for Invite Collaborator?" in Settings > Notification
3. Verify you have the correct role and department access for the workflow
4. Contact your system administrator if technical issues persist
5. Reach out to the form owner directly for clarification on your responsibilities
6. Coordinate with your team to avoid simultaneous editing conflicts

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Collaborative Forms make teamwork easier in OSPROV by allowing multiple people to contribute their expertise to form submissions while maintaining security and clear visibility. Remember to coordinate with your team and save frequently!