Time lines

Time lines help specify what a user's current responsibility is for objects they are assigned to based on those objects' workflow statuses.

There are three time lines:

Active. The assigned user in the Active role is the one who should be currently working on the object at the selected status. For example, a Writer is generally Active for a topic at Authoring:work. Objects at this status appear in the Active tab of the Todo List in CCMS Desktop and the My Assignments page in CCMS Web.

Incoming. The assigned user in the Incoming role can expect to become active at a later point in the object's workflow. For example, a Reviewer is Incoming for a topic at Authoring:work. While the Reviewer is not currently working on a topic at Authoring:work, they can become the active role when the topic moves to Authoring:review if they are configured that way. Objects at this status appear in the Incoming tab of the Todo List in CCMS Desktop. They do not appear on the My Assignments page in CCMS Web.

Retained. The assigned user in this role has already worked on the object but might expect it to be passed back to them. For example, when a Writer moves a topic to Authoring:review, it becomes Active for the assigned Reviewer and Retained for the Writer because the topic will be passed back to the Writer when the review is complete. Objects at this status appear in the Retained tab of the Todo List in CCMS Desktop. They do not appear on the My Assignments page in CCMS Web.

When configuring time lines for a role, it's probably easiest to look at each status in each object's workflow and ask yourself:

  • What role should be working on the object at this status? That role is Active.
  • What role should expect to be working on the object when it moves to the next status? That role is Incoming.
  • What role should expect to get this object back after they have already worked on it? That role is Retained.
Important: To ensure that each user's Assignment list is meaningful in CCMS Web, ensure that there is an appropriate Active role for each object you expect users to work on, especially images, topics, resources, maps, Collaborative Reviews, and Approvals.

Not every status needs to have a time line associated with it. For example, it's unlikely that any role needs to see images at Authoring:done on their Todo List or their My Assignments page.

In addition, not every time line needs to have a status associated with it. For example, if there is no logical Retained status for an object, you don't have to specify one.