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Implementing Contractor classification and self-service
Who is this article for?Administrators who want to learn the steps for Contractor classification and self-service.
Administrator permissions are required.
This guide outlines the essential steps for implementing an effective contractor classification and self-service system, from setting up access roles to final document approval. It covers creating company classifications, assigning contractor classifications, managing document uploads, and the validation process, ensuring a streamlined and compliant approach to contractor management.
- Set up access roles
- Create company classifications
- Set Contractor classifications
- Upload documents
- Validate documents
- Edit returned documents
- Approval
- Further reading
1. Set up access roles
System administrators will need to create additional access roles and assign privileges for Lucidity Contractor in order for the Contractor Classification & Self-Service feature to work. These are created in Lucidity Access.
An important step when assigning a new contractor permission is to scope them to enable them to view their company documents only. Other contractors should not be able to see other company's documents. This is managed through the User page in Lucidity Access.
2. Create company classifications
Company classifications are created to specify the documents required from a contractor. For example, a contractor classified as low risk may only be required to submit a single document, whereas a high risk contractor may need three or more documents.
The number of classifications that can be created is unlimited, however only one classification can be allocated to a contractor.
Organisations can determine the exact classifications required and, once a contractor is allocated a classification, placeholders for the required documents are automatically generated and a notification to the contractor is sent. In addition, placeholders and notifications are automatically generated when:
-
A document status changes to expiring.
-
A new document type is added to a classification that is already assigned to contractor.
-
The assigned classification for a contractor changes and, as a result, there are new document requirements.
To create a company classification, from the Settings tab:
- Select the Company Classification page from the menu on the left-hand side.
- Click Add New.
- In the screen that appears, enter the name and description for the company classification.
- Select all the relevant Document Types.
- These are the documents a contractor will need to add if they are allocated the classification. The documents required need to already exist within the document type managed list.
- Click Save to save the classification.
3. Set Contractor classifications
Each contractor can now be allocated a company classification and the required documents will automatically be listed as required.
- Navigate to the Contractor page.
- Locate the contractor using filters (or create a new one if needed).
- Click Edit on the far right of the contractor's entry.
- In the Company Classification dropdown, select the appropriate classification.
- Click Save.
After saving, the system will:
- Automatically list required documents on the contractor's Document page.
- Set the document approval status to Required for new documents.
Note: If documents already exist for the contractor, you may see additional document approval statuses.
|
Status |
Meaning |
|---|---|
|
Approved |
Document has been reviewed by someone with approve permissions and the document approval status set to Approved |
|
Returned |
Document has been reviewed by someone with approve permissions and the document approval status set to Returned |
|
Pending |
Document has been uploaded by a user with edit permissions and is waiting to be approved |
|
Required |
Document is a placeholder, created as a result of a company classification being applied or when a document starts expiring. These entries are automatically created |
By using the column configuration tool, adding several columns on the Contractor page may assist managers and admins in determine the status of contractors. These are described in the table below.
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Classification Document Status | Shows approved vs. required documents (e.g., 2/2). Red if incomplete or expired. |
| All Documents Status | Summarizes all document expiry statuses: Current, Expiring, Expired, Pending, or Blank. |
| Awaiting Approval | Number of uploaded but unapproved documents. |
| Company Classification | Assigned contractor classification. |
| Document Approval Status | Individual document status: Required, Pending, Approved, or Returned. |
Key for Classification Document Status:
- 2/2 (Green): All approved, expiry 30 days.
- 2/2 (Amber): Some expiring within 30 days.
- 1/2 (Red): Incomplete or expired.
Document Approval Status Definitions:
- Required: Needs uploading.
- Pending: Uploaded, awaiting approval.
- Approved: Validated by admin.
- Returned: Needs contractor action.
4. Upload documents
- Log into Lucidity Contractor using provided credentials
- Navigate to the Documents menu on the left-hand side
- Identify documents needing upload:
- Use filters if needed.
- Look for required or returned status.
- Click Edit next to the document.
- Click Add New for unlisted documents.
- Fill in all relevant fields (refer to Definitions of fields below).
- Click Save.
- Document status will be Pending until validated by an admin.
Note: This process allows contractors to enter their own documents into Lucidity Contractor after the initial setup (steps 1-3) is completed by the system admin.
4.1. Definition of fields
|
Name |
Definition |
|---|---|
|
Company Name |
Select the name of the company (may be pre-populated). |
|
Document Type |
Select the document type (may be pre-populated). |
|
Issuer Name |
Enter the issuer name. |
|
Issue Date |
Use the date selector tool or enter the issue date. |
| Expiry Date |
Use the date selector tool or enter the expiry date All expiry dates for documents will display as grey until approved. Once a document is approved, expiry dates will:
|
|
Document Number |
Enter the document number. |
|
Notes |
Add any relevant notes for the document. |
|
Lapsed |
Tick if the document is to be lapsed. This will change the date of the document to grey, indicating it is a lapsed document. This will be will be read-only for contractors and can only be altered by an Administrator. |
|
Upload a File |
Upload a copy of the document
|
|
Comments |
Add any relevant comments for the document. |
|
Document Status |
Document status will be automatically set to required or pending and cannot be changed by the contractor. |
4.2. Automatic lapsing of records
The system automatically lapses existing documents when a new document is approved that meets these criteria:
- Required by the contractor classification.
- Has an expiry date at least one month in the future.
The system then checks for existing documents that:
- Are of the same document type.
- Have an expiry date that is either:
- Expiring (within 1 month).
- Already expired.
Matching documents are automatically lapsed. This process:
- Preserves older documents as records.
- Prevents alerts from expiring/expired dates.
- Replaces old documents with the newly uploaded one.
5. Validate documents
Managers or administrators need to validate the document before the document approval status is set to approved. This is to ensure the details the contractor has entered are correct and meets all requirements. After validating the document, the manager or administrator can either approve or return it.
Locate pending documents:
-
- Go to the Documents page.
- Use the Document Approval Status filter.
- Select Pending and click Filter. You can also view approved and returned tickets.
- Apply additional filters if needed to narrow results
Review a pending document:
- Click Edit on the far right-hand side of the document.
- Open the document attachment and verify all details.
- Update details if necessary (option available).
- Change approval status to Approved or Returned.
- If returned, provide feedback in the comment box.
- Click Save.
This process ensures contractor-entered details are correct and meet all requirements. Managers or administrators can approve or return documents as needed.
6. Edit returned documents
Documents returned to the contractor need to be edited and corrected. The contractor can do this by:
-
Identify the relevant document with the returned status.
-
Click Edit.
-
Review the comments from the approver and correct the document details as required
-
Click Save.
The cycle of a contractor editing the document details and an administrator reviewing the document, continues until the administrator is satisfied and approves the document.
7. Approval
Once all documents are approved, the all document status on the Contractor Page changes to current and there is no further action required by the contractor at this point.
The all document status will not change until:
- A new document is added to the contractor classification and a placeholder with a required status has been generated.
- The contractor classification assigned to the contractor is changed. Placeholders with a required status will be generated for all new documents needed.
- A document is coming up to expiry (within 30 days of expiration date) and a new placeholder with a required status has been generated.
When one of these scenarios occurs the Document Approval process is triggered and the contractor will receive an email notification. In turn, administrators will either receive an email notification or an email report, to let them know when documents need approving.
Contractors have access to an Excel report to view a summary of all their company documents.