Redline a run

A redline is an in-flight modification to a procedure made during a specific run: split a step, add a field measurement, correct an instruction, add a missing step, or build a procedure as you fly. It lives on the run rather than the procedure template, so it edits the build with full traceability and can be reconciled back into the template later. For where redlines sit among the other run concepts, see the Overview.

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When to use a redline versus an issue

These two are easy to confuse: Redlines and issues often go together: an issue might trigger a redline when a step missed something and you need to add a verification step. Both are recorded, both have reviewers, and both contribute to the build’s history.

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Redline versus procedure revision

Redlines are for this build; procedure revisions are for the future. If the same change keeps recurring across runs, escalate to engineering and revise the procedure rather than redlining each run individually. A redline that should apply to every future build belongs in a procedure revision.

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Deviations

A deviation is an accepted out-of-range measurement: the team acknowledges a value fell outside its tolerance and records the rationale. The in-step mechanic for capturing an out-of-range value is covered in Execute a run step.

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Start a redline

There are two entry points:

• To redline an existing step, open its More actions menu and click Put Step into Redline.
• Use the redlines button in the run header to select a position where a new step can be added. If you don’t select a position, the step is added to the end of the run.

When adding a new step through a redline, you can link it directly to an issue. The issue persists when you click Save and Add Another Step, letting you create a series of redlines related to an issue in quick succession. Use the search and filters to narrow results and find the exact step you want to add. For example, you can pull steps from a standard rework procedure in rapid succession to create many redlined steps that then get approved all at once. If you don’t select a step from the results menu, a new step is created with the selected step type. This lets you build entire runs from scratch without a procedure, in a build-as-you-fly manner, then save them back to a procedure later through the merge process.

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Copy a step from the library

To pull an existing step into the run without editing the procedure template, open a run step’s More actions menu and choose Add Step Before, Add Step After, or Add Child Step. In the dialog, switch to the Copy from Library tab, search for the step, select it, set the New Step Position, and confirm. ION copies the step’s title and content into the run at that position as a redline. If the parent step isn’t already in redline, ION puts it in redline as part of the copy. As with any redline, the copied step must be approved and submitted.

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Edit a step in redline

Steps in redline are indicated with a warning at the top of the step and a red pencil icon on the step queue. While a step is in redline, you can edit, add, duplicate, or remove its content, fields, datagrid rows and columns, and values.

• Redline steps cannot be completed or failed.
• Canceling a redline at any time returns the step to its previous actionable condition.
• Dependencies attached to a redline step can be deleted. Both steps must be in redline to add a dependency between them.

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Redline a standard step

Redlining a standard step works the same way. Open the run step’s More actions menu and click Put Step into Redline.

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Approve redlines

Assign reviewers to a redline, then each reviewer approves, rejects, or adds feedback for the editor to act on. If you’ve been assigned as a reviewer, run steps in redline show up in the run header. The Review Center in the sidebar shows all redlines waiting on your approval, with a count badge. Each redline gives you a diff of the changes.

• When assigned to review multiple redlines, you can approve an individual redline on a run step or approve all redlines assigned to you on a single run at once. This is built for sequences of connected redlines that should be reviewed together.
• The Submit button on the step approves and submits in one click whenever you’re permitted to approve. If you can approve the redline yourself, the button assigns you as the reviewer, records your approval, and submits the redline together, and its tooltip reads Approve & submit. If the redline is already approved, the button only submits, and the tooltip reads Submit. When a reviewer’s approval is still required, the button is disabled with a Pending reviewer approval tooltip. To always submit redlines automatically, enable auto-submit redlines in settings.
• If you’ve been assigned as a reviewer for merged redlines, you can approve all the run steps with merged redlines at once from the Review Center. This helps when a redline has been merged to many other runs.

The Redline History shows all completed redlines and the complete history of changes and feedback for each step.

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Reset a redline’s reviews

Once a reviewer approves a redline, the run step locks and the redline can’t be edited. To make more changes without pushing the redline through a rejection, reset its reviews and start the review over.

1. Open the redline’s review panel and expand the reviewers section.
2. Click Reset Reviews. Once any reviewer has approved, a warning above the button explains that the approval is in progress and blocks editing.
3. Confirm in the Reset Approvals dialog.

Every review request returns to pending and the redline becomes editable again. Reset Reviews appears once at least one reviewer has approved or rejected, and it works for both user-based and role-based approvals.

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Merge redlines

A redline improvement made on one run can be duplicated into other similar runs and into procedures. If 20 other runs use the same instructions, merging brings them all up to date in one push. Run steps and procedure steps you merge to automatically update to be identical to the source step when the merge is accepted. A redline must be submitted before it can be merged, from the Redline History. You have two merge targets:

• Merge to Procedure Step: merge to an existing step or to a new step at the end of the procedure. If the procedure is not in a draft state, ION creates a new draft version to merge into.
• Merge to Run Step: select many runs and steps to merge to. Before merging, assign a reviewer so they can approve all the merges at once instead of approving each merged redline independently. Once the merge completes, each destination run step is placed in redline and mirrors the source step. As with any redline, you still have to approve and submit them, so assign the reviewer before merging.

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Related

• Run and run step states
• Execute a run step
• Manage run batches
• Procedures
• Issues