Transmittal Purposes
Every transmittal specifies a purpose — the intent of the document issue. The purpose communicates to recipients what action (if any) is expected of them and sets expectations for how the documents should be treated.
The four standard purposes
For Approval
Documents issued For Approval require the recipient to formally approve or reject them. This is the most binding transmittal purpose — the recipient's approval constitutes a formal record of acceptance.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Recipient action required | Yes — formal approval or rejection |
| Acknowledgement required | Yes |
| Workflow link | Typically linked to an approval workflow instance |
| Typical use | Design submittals to client for approval, contractor method statements, shop drawings |
Document status expectation: Documents transmitted For Approval are typically at For Review or Under Review status. On receipt of approval, the document status updates to Approved.
Best practice: Always link a For Approval transmittal to the workflow instance running the approval. This creates a complete audit trail connecting the transmittal receipt to the workflow approval record.
For Information
Documents issued For Information do not require approval or formal response. They are distributed for awareness, reference, or records.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Recipient action required | No — receive and note |
| Acknowledgement required | Optional |
| Typical use | Distributing meeting minutes, issued-for-construction drawings to all stakeholders, safety notices, information bulletins |
Document status expectation: Documents transmitted For Information may be at Approved, For Information, or any other status. The transmittal is for distribution, not review.
Note: Even though no formal response is required, recipients can still acknowledge receipt — useful for demonstrating that all parties received key safety or programme information.
For Review
Documents issued For Review are sent for technical review and comment — feedback is expected but the response is not a formal approval or rejection. This is often a preliminary review before the formal approval cycle.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Recipient action required | Yes — provide comments or feedback |
| Acknowledgement required | Yes |
| Typical use | Early-stage design reviews for comment, internal peer review before formal submission, consultant coordination reviews |
Document status expectation: Documents at Draft or For Review status are typically transmitted in this purpose. The review comments inform the next revision before a For Approval transmittal is issued.
As Requested
As Requested indicates that these documents are being issued specifically because the recipient asked for them — in response to an RFI, verbal request, or formal document request.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Recipient action required | Usually none beyond acknowledgement |
| Acknowledgement required | Yes |
| Typical use | Responding to an RFI, sending supporting documents requested during a meeting, fulfilling a formal document request |
Best practice: Reference the original RFI or request number in the transmittal Remarks field to complete the audit trail.
Purpose comparison table
| Purpose | Recipient must respond | Changes document status | Used with approval workflow |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Approval | Yes (approve/reject) | Yes (→ Approved/Rejected) | Yes (strongly recommended) |
| For Information | No | No | No |
| For Review | Yes (provide comments) | No (may → Under Review) | Sometimes |
| As Requested | No (acknowledge only) | No | No |
Custom purposes
Custom transmittal purposes can be added by Org Admins if your project contract or industry requires additional purpose codes (e.g. "For Construction Issue", "For Tender", "As Built Submission"). Contact your Org Admin to add custom purposes.
What's next
- Creating a Transmittal — field-by-field transmittal creation guide
- Acknowledgment Tracking — track recipient acknowledgements
- Transmittal Purposes Reference — full reference table with contractual context