What is the difference between a "For Information" and a "For Approval" Transmittal?

Created by OPS Team, Modified on Fri, 5 Jun at 4:01 PM by OPS Team

Purpose: To help users understand the two types of Transmittals so they can choose the right one for their documents.

When you share documents using Transmittals, you must choose how you want the other person to respond. There are two choices:

For Information: Use this when you only want the recipient to see the documents. They do not need to say "yes" or "no" to the files.
For Approval: Use this when the documents must be checked and signed off by a reviewer before work can continue.

This option is used to share regular project updates and keep everyone informed.

What the recipient does: The person who receives the files will review them and click Acknowledge. This tells the system, "I have received and seen these files."
Comments: The recipient can type a short comment when they acknowledge the files.
Visibility: If you send the files to many people, everyone can see who has opened and acknowledged them.
Example: Sending a weekly progress report, meeting notes, or general safety updates.

This option is used for important files that need a formal review and signature.

Flexible Workflows: These transmittals can route through an official Document Controller if your project uses one. However, this role is optional. You can also send transmittals directly to the reviewers, and the workflow can move from one approver to another without a Document Controller involved.
What the reviewer does: The reviewer must look at the files and choose one of three actions:
- Approve: They accept the documents. The system automatically adds their digital signature to the file.
- Reject: They stop the process because the files are wrong. The system immediately changes the status to Not Approved.
- Request Resubmittal: They ask the sender to fix mistakes. This action sends the transmittal back to the creator so they can make revisions and restart the approval process.
Example: Sending engineering drawings, contracts, or material choices that need official permission before work starts on-site.

Tips and Practices:

Choose For Information if you only want to maintain a record that you shared the files.
Choose For Approval if proceeding without a formal signature introduces a risk to the project.
When an item needs changes, using Request Resubmittal allows the sender to update the files and try again, keeping a clear history of the changes.