Form Statuses

Every form submission in Baldwin follows a defined lifecycle from creation through resolution.

This article covers the two status systems in Baldwin: workflow states (the core submission lifecycle) and custom statuses (configurable labels your organization can define for more granular tracking).

Workflow States

Workflow states represent the core lifecycle of a form submission. Every submission moves through these states regardless of form type.

Standard Workflow

Most form types — including reports, audits, assessments, analyses, finding reports, and waivers — follow the standard workflow:

How Submissions Move Between States

Draft  ──submit──►  Submitted  ──close──►  Closed

• Submit — Moves a draft to submitted. All required questions must be answered.
• Close — Marks a submitted form as resolved.
• Reopen — Returns a closed form back to submitted status for further review.

Custom Statuses

For organizations that need more detailed tracking beyond the core workflow states, Baldwin supports custom statuses. These are configurable, color-coded labels that layer on top of the standard workflow while a submission is in the Submitted state.

Custom statuses require the Automatic Form Flow feature to be enabled.

What Custom Statuses Look Like

Custom statuses appear as color-coded labels on form submissions. Available colors include green, light green, yellow, orange, red, and blue — letting you create a visual system that's immediately recognizable to your team.

On the form:

In the Form Dashboard:

Setting Up Custom Statuses

Custom statuses are configured at the assigned form level, meaning different form types in your organization can have different status workflows.

1. Access a form's settings by navigating to the Form Management menu, then Form Management page.
2. Open the form group that contains the form.
3. Click on the arrow to the right of the form to expand the settings.
   
   
4. Open the Form Statuses configuration.
5. To add a new Status, select Add Status. Existing Statuses can be edited by clicking on the pencil icon.
6. For each status, define:
   • Name — A descriptive label (e.g., "Under Investigation", "Pending Committee Review", "Corrective Action Required").
   • Color — Choose from the available color options.
   • Next Status — What statuses can be chosen after this status has been set. Your custom statuses can also be listed here to create powerful workflows. Note: When changing multiple statuses, ensure there is a path back to either Submitted or Closed as applicable.
   • Authorized Users — The users who are able to set this state (roles, groups, or specific users).
     

Example

Here's an example of a custom status chain:

Submitted  ──►  Under Investigation  ──►  Corrective Action Required
     └────────────────────└──────────────────────────└──────────────────►  Closed

Notification Rules

Specific users can be notified of status changes by configuring Notification Rules under the form settings:

If left blank, the assigned recipient will receive notifications for all status changes.

Tips for Safety Managers

• Keep custom statuses simple. Start with 3-4 statuses that match your existing review process. You can always add more later.
• Use colors consistently. Establish a color convention across your forms — for example, red for items needing urgent attention, green for reviewed items, yellow for items in progress.
• Set transition rules to enforce your process. If your organization requires submissions to be investigated before they can be closed, configure the transition rules to prevent premature closure.
• Use authorized recipients for sensitive workflows. Restrict who can change critical statuses to ensure proper oversight.
• Communicate the workflow to your team. Make sure submitters and reviewers understand what each status means and what action is expected when they see it.