Document Change Requests

Document Change Requests (DCRs) provide a formal, traceable process for requesting modifications to effective documents. Anyone with read access to a document can file a DCR; QA reviews and approves or rejects it; an assignee uploads the new version that fulfills the change.

Who can request a change

Anyone with documents.read on a document can file a DCR. This includes admins and QA — they are not limited to direct upload, because filing a DCR formally records why the change is needed and lets QA assign someone else to do the work.

On the Versions tab of an effective document, the page offers up to three actions side by side:

• Request change — opens the DCR submission modal. Available to everyone (one open DCR per user at a time).
• Upload new version — direct upload, available to admins and QA.
• Implement approved change — appears for the assignee of an approved DCR. Uploads the new version through the dedicated implementation flow so the action is linked to the DCR in the audit trail.

Document status while a change is in flight

The moment the first DCR opens, an effective document transitions to Change Requested. The badge updates immediately so anyone browsing the document can see a change is in progress.

Outcome	Document status
DCR rejected, no other open DCRs remain	Returns to Effective
DCR rejected, other DCRs still pending or approved	Stays Change Requested
DCR approved, awaiting implementation	Stays Change Requested
Assignee uploads the new version	A new draft version starts the normal review/approval flow

Multiple concurrent DCRs are allowed; the document only returns to Effective when none remain open (all rejected, with none approved-but-unimplemented).

Submit a change request

1. On the left sidebar, select Documents.
2. Open the document you want to request changes for.
3. Open the Versions tab and select Request change to open the DCR modal.
4. In Reason for change, explain why a new version is needed. Required.
5. In Impact (optional), capture regulatory, product, or process implications.
6. In Proposed changes (optional), outline the edits.
7. In Suggested assignee (optional), pick the user who should make the change. Leave blank to log the request without naming anyone.
8. Select Submit Request.

Approving a change request (QA)

In the Versions tab, the Document change requests panel lists all DCRs.

1. Select Approve on a pending request.
2. In the Approve modal, set or change the Assignee if needed. The picker is pre-filled with the suggested assignee from submission.
3. Select Approve.

The assignee is notified and the request appears on their My Tasks page.

QA can also reassign an already-approved DCR via the Edit assignee action on the row.

Rejecting a change request (QA)

1. Select Reject on a pending request.
2. Enter a Reason for rejection (required for the audit trail).
3. Confirm. The requestor is notified and, if no other DCRs are open on the document, the document returns to Effective.

Implementing an approved change

The assignee (or any user with documents.approve as an escape hatch) uploads the new version through the Implement approved change button on the document’s Versions tab.

The upload is recorded against the DCR (status becomes Implemented, with the new version linked) and the document continues through the normal draft → review → approved → effective flow on its new version.

Where do I see what’s assigned to me

The My Tasks page (/tasks from the sidebar) lists every DCR assigned to you alongside training, deviations, and CAPAs. The dashboard’s Assigned items widget links there too.

Form fields reference

Field	Required	Description
Reason for change	Yes	Why a new version is needed. Drives the QA review.
Impact	No	Regulatory, product, or process impact.
Proposed changes	No	Outline of the edits.
Suggested assignee	No	A user to action this change. QA may override at approval time.

Validation rules

• The Submit button is disabled until Reason for change is filled in.
• If the API returns an error, an alert appears in the modal with the specific message.
• Each user may have only one open (pending) DCR per document at a time.

Permissions

Action	Requirement
Submit a change request	Authenticated user with documents.read on the document
View own and assigned change requests	Authenticated user with documents.read on the document
View all change requests on a document	documents.approve
Approve / reject / reassign	documents.approve and role of admin, QA, QA_Team, or QA_Manager
Implement an approved DCR	The assignee, or any user with documents.approve

Notifications

Trigger	Recipients
DCR submitted	All QA users; suggested assignee (if set)
DCR approved	Requestor; final assignee (if set)
DCR rejected	Requestor; previously suggested assignee (if any)
DCR reassigned	New assignee; previous assignee (if any)
DCR implemented	Requestor; QA users

Practical example: requesting a change to an effective SOP

Scenario: A production operator notices that SOP-MFG-012 (Autoclave Operation) references an outdated sterilization temperature after a recent equipment upgrade.

1. On the left sidebar, select Documents and find SOP-MFG-012.
2. Open the document, switch to the Versions tab, and select Request change.
3. Reason: “Update sterilization temperature to match upgraded autoclave AC-04. Section 5.3, step 4: change 121 °C / 15 min to 134 °C / 4 min, validated per protocol VP-2026-003.”
4. Impact: “Affects all 12 production operators trained on this SOP — retraining required.”
5. Suggested assignee: pick the document’s process owner.
6. Select Submit.

QA reviews the request, approves it, and confirms the assignee. The assignee receives a notification, opens My Tasks, uploads the corrected SOP via Implement approved change, and the new version enters the normal approval flow.