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Edition Copy from Prior

Copy from Prior Edition pre-populates a new edition with content from the previous reporting period. It eliminates re-entry of data that carries forward — standing action items, ongoing risks, narrative boilerplate, lookup values, and section-level defaults.

When to use Copy from Prior​

Use caseRecommended?
Monthly progress report with a persistent risk registerYes — copy risk and action sections
Rolling project status where narrative intros are largely unchangedYes — copy summary and background sections
Weekly lookahead where every row is new each weekNo — start fresh
First edition of a new projectNo — nothing to copy from
Quarterly report after a project scope changePartial — copy stable sections, reset changed ones

What is copied​

Content typeCopied?Notes
Text field valuesYesCopied as-is — contributor edits to update
Textarea / Rich textYesFull content copied including formatting
Number / Currency / PercentYesCopied as-is
Date fieldsYesCopied — contributor must update to current period
Select / Multi-selectYesSelected values carried forward
Toggle / RAG / RatingYesValues carried forward
Repeating section rowsYesAll rows copied — contributor can add, edit, or remove
File attachmentsNoFile references are not carried across editions
Image fieldsNoImages are not carried across editions
Computed fieldsRecalculatedComputed values are never stored — they recalculate from source fields
Lookup fieldsRecalculatedLookups resolve fresh from the source blueprint at render time
Review commentsNoComments belong to the source edition only
Edition statusReset to DraftThe new edition always starts in Draft
AssigneesYesThe same contributors are pre-assigned (can be changed)

What is not copied​

  • Attachments and files — files are unique to each edition; re-upload where needed.
  • Review comments and decisions — the prior edition's review history stays with that edition.
  • Completed / closed status — the new edition always starts as Draft.
  • Edition metadata (name, reporting period, report date) — these are set fresh when creating the edition.

How to use Copy from Prior​

Step 1: Create a new edition​

  1. Go to Editions tab → click + New Edition.
  2. Select the blueprint.
  3. Fill in edition name, reporting period, data date, and report date for the new period.

Step 2: Enable Copy from Prior​

On the Create Edition panel, enable the Copy from prior edition toggle.

A source edition selector appears.

Step 3: Select the source edition​

The dropdown shows the most recent editions for this blueprint, sorted newest first.

  • In most cases, select the immediately preceding edition (e.g. copy April into May).
  • You can select any prior edition — useful if you want to copy from the same quarter last year.

Step 4: Select sections to copy​

A section checklist appears listing every section in the blueprint.

Default behaviour: All sections are selected. Deselect sections you want to start fresh.

When to deselect a sectionExample
Section content is entirely period-specificWeekly lookahead activities
The section had significant changes requested in the prior reviewA section that needs a full rewrite
The section contains data that should not carry overPayment certificate amounts specific to that period
tip

For a monthly progress report, a common pattern is:

  • Copy: Risk register, Action log, Project background, Contacts
  • Reset: Lookahead, Progress photos, Executive summary (update narrative each period)

Step 5: Create and edit​

Click Create Edition — the new edition opens in Draft status with the selected sections pre-populated.

Review each copied section:

  • Update dates to the current period.
  • Update numeric values with fresh data.
  • Remove resolved risks and completed actions from repeating sections.
  • Add new rows for new items.

Section-level copy behaviour for repeating rows​

For sections with repeating rows (risk registers, action logs, etc.):

  • All rows from the prior edition are copied.
  • Row order is preserved.
  • Each row's completion status is also copied — if a row was marked "Closed" or "Complete" in the prior edition, it arrives closed in the new edition. Delete it or update its status as appropriate.
note

Rows do not merge across editions — if the same risk appears in both periods, you have two separate row records in two separate editions. This is intentional: each edition is a standalone snapshot.

Audit trail​

The edition audit log records that the edition was created via Copy from Prior, including:

  • Which prior edition was used as the source
  • Which sections were selected for copy
  • Timestamp and the user who created it

This gives reviewers full visibility into what content was inherited versus entered fresh.

Common patterns​

Risk register roll-forward​

Each month, copy the full risk register from the prior edition. Remove closed risks, update likelihood/impact for evolving risks, and add new risks identified this period. The register grows and shrinks naturally each cycle.

Narrative boilerplate carry-forward​

For executive summaries with a standard structure (Project Overview, Scope Status, Key Highlights), copy the section and update the bullet points. The section headings, formatting, and standard sentences remain — only the period-specific content changes.

Action log aging​

Copy the action log from the prior edition. Mark completed actions as closed. Update due dates on overdue actions. Add new actions raised since the last period. Reviewers can compare the current log with the prior edition to see what progress was made.