Managing policies effectively requires a clear understanding of their lifecycle—from creation to publication. BoardX simplifies this process, helping organisations maintain compliance, track changes, and ensure stakeholder engagement. Follow this comprehensive guide to navigate each stage of a policy’s journey.
Step 1: Create a New Policy
Upload a Draft (Optional):
System Admins can upload draft policies directly into the document centre to upload later.
Create a Policy:
Navigate to the Policies and Contracts dashboard.
Click + New Document.
Assign Ownership and Categorisation:
Assign a Policy Owner (regular users only).
Select the appropriate Document Type and Category/Subcategory (categories are set up in system settings).
Add a description of the Policy or Contract to keep things organised.
Set Visibility:
Configure visibility for regular users if the policy contains confidential information.
Everyone: The document will be visible to all users
Limited: Choose who sees the document on their dashboard. Choose between Groups or Individuals
Upload the Policy:
Upload the document from your local device or select an existing one from the Document centre.
Result: The policy is now successfully created in the Draft State.
Step 2: Define Key Dates for an Active Policy
Input Key Dates:
Set the Valid From date.
Specify the Next Revision Date and select the Review Frequency. (Published Policies will be rolled back to draft on the next revision date ready to go through the revision process.)
Define the Notice Period (how many days before the Next Review Date a notification should be sent).
Adjust Visibility:
Check or uncheck the Publish to Employee Portal box to determine if the policy should be visible to Employee users.
Publish the Policy:
Scroll to the top, click Action, and select Publish.
Result: The policy is now live and visible to relevant users.
Step 3: Manage Policies in the Draft State
Assign Contribution Tasks:
The Policy Owner or System Admin assigns contribution tasks to regular users only.
Contributors’ Workflow:
Contributors access the task via the Task Centre.
Navigate to the Policy Text Tab to make edits.
Notify the Policy Owner upon completing edits.
Policy Owner’s Workflow:
The policy owner will be notified of contributor edits via email.
Follow the link in the email and it will take you to the document.
Review the notifications and contributors’ edits.
Send reminders to contributors as needed.
Finalise Contributions:
Contributors complete their tasks by clicking Complete.
The Policy Owner or Admin can Force Complete tasks to progress if needed.
Note: If a contributor becomes irrelevant, tasks can be reassigned or cancelled.
Result: Once all contributions are finalised, the policy moves to the Review State.
Step 4: Manage Policies in the Review State
Assign Review Tasks:
If reviewers have already been added to this policy, then the BoardX system automatically moves on to the review state.
If not, the Policy Owner needs to assign reviewers and specify if they can edit the policy text. If enable to edit policy text is not selected then the reviewers can only make amendments to the review view of the policy.
Reviewers’ Workflow:
Reviewers access tasks via the Task Centre and make suggestions in the Review View.
Notify the Policy Owner after completing reviews using the Notify Document Owner option.
Policy Owner’s Workflow:
Review suggestions in the Review Tab and accept or reject them.
Send reminders to reviewers if needed.
Finalise Reviews:
Reviewers mark tasks as Complete.
Result: Once all review tasks are completed, the policy transitions to the Approval State.
Step 5: Manage Policies in the Approval State
Assign Approval Tasks:
If approvers have already been added to this policy, then the BoardX system automatically moves on to the approval state.
If not, the Policy Owner needs to assign Approvers and specify if they can edit the policy text.
Approval Workflow:
Approvers review the document and provide final comments or corrections.
If required, a representative can present the policy at a Board or SMT meeting and complete the task on behalf of others.
Finalise Approvals:
Once all approvers mark tasks as Complete, the policy is approved.
Result: The policy moves to the Published State.
Step 6: Maintain Version Control
Access Previous Versions:
All edits are saved and numbered in the History Tab.
View and Restore Versions:
Click View next to a version to review its content.
Restore previous versions if needed.
Result: A transparent audit trail ensures accountability and traceability for all changes.
Steps to Replace a Policy Document
To replace a policy document in BoardX while retaining its history, follow these steps:
Ensure the policy document is in a non-published state, such as Draft, Review, Approval Requested, or Retired.
Open the policy document you wish to update.
Locate the Action menu by clicking the three-dot icon next to the Action button.
Select Replace Document from the menu.
Upload the new version of the document.
Once completed, the new version will replace the old one, and the document’s version history will remain accessible in the History tab.
Retaining History When Rolling Back to Draft
If you need to roll a policy document back to Draft, rest assured that its history will still be retained. BoardX saves all cycles and versions of the document, including records of when it was active. This information remains visible in the History tab.
FAQs on Policy Document Management
Do I need to retire an existing policy before adding a new version?
No, you do not need to retire the existing policy. Simply ensure the policy is in a non-published state and follow the steps outlined above to replace the document.
Will the history of a policy document be retained after replacing it?
Yes, the history of the document, including all previous versions, will be retained and accessible in the History tab.
Can I view the active periods of a policy document after rolling it back to Draft?
Yes, the active periods of the document will still be visible in the History tab, even after rolling it back to Draft.
BoardX Policies and Contracts empowers organisations to streamline the lifecycle of their policies while maintaining compliance and collaboration. For additional support, contact our support team for expert guidance.