This is the lifecycle of a knowledge document in short:
Creation and editing by an editor (user with editor right)
Auditing and checking by an approver
Usage by public readers
powerKNOW has different configuration options to support smaller
groups and implementations where such a detailed role concept is not needed.
A new document is started by clicking "[new document]" in the
'Search + Navigation Page'. Only a user registered as
'editor' is allowed to do this.
The 'document edit page' is then started. Here all the data
of the document can be changed / inserted / edited. When finished with
editing the user has to decide whether the document is 'completed' or whether
he will return to the document to continue editing. If the user
is also registered as an approver he may as well mark the document as 'approved/released'.
When the editor has marked a document as 'completed' an
approver can view it and
mark it as 'approved/released'. From this time on the document is visible to
normal users (readers).
Later, when it is no longer needed the document can be deleted. This feature can
be disabled by a configuration option. It is also
possible to switch a document marked as 'approved/released' back to 'completed'
or 'Under construction' making it possible to review and enhance a document
which already has been available for some time.
By using the status flags a document can be set to have one of the three
available statuses:
Under construction
The document is still being edited. The user editing the document has not yet
marked it as 'completed'.
The editor has to come back to the document and continue editing in future.
Completed
Editing of the document is completed. But no approver has yet
marked it as 'approved/released'.
An approver has to open the document in document editor,
check it for correctness and mark it as 'approved/released'.
Approved / Released
The document is approved for viewing by the public.
Normal readers (users who are not allowed to edit or approve documents) will
only see these documents.
Small groups or companies normally do not implement such a detailed concept of user
roles and therefore do not want a document lifcycle where multiple users have
to work on the document to finish it.
powerKNOW supports these groups with the following features: