Document Lifecycle: The Complete Status Guide
To understand how to track your documents and manage workflows effectively in MSTND, it's important to learn the lifecycle each document goes through. The "status" represents the current stage of a document and helps your team know what action is next and who is responsible.
Why Document Statuses Matter
Statuses give you instant, clear visibility into the progress of any document. Instead of asking "Has the contract been reviewed?" or "Did the manager sign the request?", you can see it directly from the document's color and status in the list.
Statuses Explained in Detail
1. Draft
Description: The initial status for any document created in or uploaded to the system as a first version. The document is freely editable at this stage.
When? When creating a new document or starting to prepare an unfinished file.
Who? The document author or any user with edit permission.
2. Uploaded
Description: Means the draft is complete and has been officially uploaded to the system to begin its workflow.
When? After finalizing the draft and preparing it for next steps.
Who? Document owner or uploader.
3. Under Review
Description: The document has been sent to a specific person or department to review and provide feedback.
When? When the document needs scrutiny from another party before approval.
Who? Any user with permission to assign tasks.
4. Pending Signature
Description: The document has been sent to relevant parties (internal or external) requesting electronic signature.
When? For contracts, agreements, and acknowledgements requiring formal signature.
Who? Users authorized to request signatures.
5. Pending Approval
Description: After reviews and signatures are complete, the document awaits final approval from the authorized party (e.g. department manager or general manager).
When? As the final step in the workflow before the document becomes official.
Who? The reviewer, or the system automatically after the previous step.
6. Approved
Description: The final positive status. The document is now official and approved, and is typically locked from editing to preserve integrity.
When? After receiving final approval.
Who? The final approval authority.
7. Rejected / Canceled
Description: The document was rejected during a review or approval stage, or was canceled by the owner. The workflow halts at this point.
When? If the document contains errors or is no longer needed.
Who? The reviewer, approver, or document owner.
8. Expired
Description: For documents with a defined expiration date (e.g., licenses, contracts) that have passed that date.
When? Automatically by the system, or manually by the user.
Who? The system or authorized users.
9. Updating
Description: When an "approved" document is opened to create a new version. The current version is temporarily locked to prevent conflicts.
When? When you need to edit an official document while preserving previous versions.
Who? Users with permission to create new versions.
10. Archived
Description: The document was moved from the active list to long-term archive. It does not appear in regular search but is still preserved.
When? For older documents no longer in daily use.
Who? Users with archiving permission.
Tracking Every Change: Custom Description and Activity Log
One of the system's key features is transparency. When changing any document's status, the system lets you write a custom description or reason for the change. This description, along with your name and the action timestamp, is automatically recorded in the document's "Activity Log". This ensures a complete and clear audit trail for every step taken.
Document Statuses Summary Table
| Status | Description | Possible Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Being created and edited. | Upload, edit, delete. |
| Uploaded | Ready to start the workflow. | Send for review, request signature. |
| Under Review | Awaiting opinion from a specific party. | Approve, reject, reassign. |
| Approved | Final and official. | Create new version, archive. |
| Rejected | Workflow halted. | Return for editing, archive. |