Creating Variation Templates

Creating Variation Templates

There might be cases where users might want to include a slightly different version of a standard document template depending on the specifics of the solicitation. To accommodate these situations, Document Builder allows admins to create multiple variations of a section template, each with their own distinct inclusion criteria. Users may also propose variations based on their edits to a particular solicitation document.

Any variation proposed by an admin while editing a solicitation will be automatically approved.

Creating New Variations

To recap prior to creating a new variation:
  1. Create/ update an existing Document Template.
  2. Within that Document Template, select the Section Template in question.
  3. This brings you to a Section Template details page.
  4. Now you can create!



To create a variation for a specific section template, do the following:
  1. Click on the desired document template.
  2. Next,  click on the desired section template which will bring you to the 'Section Template Details' page.
  3. Navigate to the bottom of that page and click on 'Add New Variation'. 
  4. Let's breakdown the available fields on the 'New Variation Details' page below.

Some of this information is self-explanatory - like choosing the inclusion criteria attached to your newly created variation. For more information on Inclusion Criteria, click here.
  1. Variation Name - This will be used to help differentiate between variations. It will not appear on the project side.
  2. Title - This will display as the section header in a live project.
  3. Body text can be edited in the same manner as any section template.
  4. Help text - The text entered here will display above the editor when users edit this section / subsection in a live project.  Include any instructions or clarification you might want to give to someone editing the section contents.
For number one in the image above, it is important to ensure the option 'Yes' is selected if your intention is for the tool to automatically insert the newly created variation as a replacement without duplicates. 

For number two in the image above, you have the option of telling the system to pull in this specific variation when a particular question is answered. The drop down menu will provide you with a list of available questions to attach to the variation. 

When creating a new variation, admins have the option of two different, yet similar workflows:
  1. Include default language when your solicitation is created.
    1. Section template: Ensure that the question field is set to “Always include this section”
    2. Variation template: Select the option ‘Yes’ for the question ‘Are these changes a complete replacement of the original content?’
      This will prevent duplicates from being inserted into your live project when the question is answered by Procurement Staff

  2. Do not include default language when your solicitation is created
    1. Section template: Ensure that the question associated with the new section template variation is added to the Section Template Details; and ensure all answers are selected for the Section Template.
    2. Variation template: Select the option ‘Yes’ for the question ‘Are these changes a complete replacement of the original content?’ This will prevent duplicates from being inserted into your live project when the question is answered by Procurement Staff."
To edit or delete a variation, select the available option listed in the Section Template Variations panel. You can edit at any time.

Approving User Proposed Variations

Sometimes a user will edit a document and wish to save it as a variation of an existing document template for use in future solicitations.  In this case, the user will propose a variation on a template and an admin will have the option of approving, editing, rejecting, or removing it.
    To manage user-proposed variations, do the following:
    1. Navigate to the Configuration screen.
    2. Scroll to the bottom to view the Pending Variations panel.
    3. Click the title of a section with the proposed variation to review proposed variation.
    4. From the variation details panel, choose to Approve, Edit, Reject or Remove the variation.
    5. When a variation is approved, that document template will be available for future solicitations.
If you are an administrator, any variations you propose will be automatically approved.

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