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Configure a Review Matrix

Review matrix configuration

The review matrix eliminates manual reviewer assignment for routine documents. Once configured, Workflows automatically determines the correct reviewer(s) for every document based on its attributes — discipline, document type, zone, and package. This tutorial walks a project admin through building, testing, and activating a review matrix from scratch.

Role: Project Admin or Org Admin
Prerequisite: Project has documents configured with at least one discipline and document type.

Why use a review matrix?​

Without a review matrix, a document controller must manually assign a reviewer to every step of every workflow. On projects with hundreds of documents across multiple disciplines, this creates:

  • Assignment errors (wrong reviewer selected)
  • Delays when document controllers are unsure who is responsible
  • Re-work when organisational structure changes

The review matrix centralises responsibility assignments so they are maintained by the admin, applied automatically, and auditable.

Step 1 — Navigate to the review matrix​

  1. Go to Settings → Review Matrix (project-level settings).
  2. The review matrix shows a list of existing rules (empty on a new project).
  3. At the top, a summary shows how many rules are configured and whether there is a fallback rule.

Step 2 — Understand rule structure​

Each rule in the review matrix consists of:

FieldDescription
Rule nameA descriptive label for the rule (e.g., Civil Drawings – Structural Lead).
Match conditionsOne or more filters that must all match for the rule to apply. Conditions can be: Discipline, Document Type, Zone, Package, Confidentiality.
AssigneeThe user, project role, or access group to assign when the rule matches.
Step typeThe step type this rule applies to: Review, Approve, Acknowledge, Sign.
Approval modeFor multi-assignee rules: Any One (any one team member), All Required (all must respond), Majority.
SLA hoursOverride the default step duration for documents matching this rule.
PriorityDetermines which rule wins when multiple rules match the same document. Lower numbers = higher priority.

Step 3 — Add your first rule​

  1. Click Add Rule.
  2. Enter a Rule Name (e.g., Structural Drawings – Technical Review).
  3. Set Match Conditions:
    • Click Add Condition.
    • Select the field: Discipline = Structural.
    • Add a second condition: Document Type = Drawing.
  4. Set the Step Type: Review.
  5. Set the Assignee: select an access group (e.g., Structural Review Group).
  6. Set Approval Mode: Any One (any member of the group can respond).
  7. Set SLA hours: 120 (5 business days).
  8. Click Save Rule.

Step 4 — Add discipline-specific rules​

Repeat Step 3 for each discipline + document type combination in your project. Common patterns:

Rule nameConditionsAssigneeSLA
Civil Drawings – Technical ReviewDiscipline=Civil, Type=DrawingCivil Lead5 days
Mechanical Specs – Engineering ReviewDiscipline=Mech, Type=SpecificationMech Engineer5 days
All Drawings – PM ApprovalType=DrawingProject Manager2 days
Method Statements – HS ReviewType=Method StatementH&S Manager3 days

Step 5 — Add a fallback rule​

A fallback rule matches any document that no other rule matches. Without a fallback, documents outside your explicit rules would require manual assignment.

  1. Click Add Rule.
  2. Name it Default Reviewer – Fallback.
  3. Leave all conditions empty (matches everything).
  4. Set the Assignee to a senior document controller or project manager.
  5. Set Priority to a high number (e.g., 99) so it is evaluated last.
  6. Save.

Step 6 — Set rule priority​

When a document matches multiple rules:

  • The rule with the lowest priority number wins.
  • Rules with equal priority that match the same step type are both applied (multi-reviewer parallel step).

To reorder rules:

  1. Click and drag rules in the list, or
  2. Edit each rule and change its Priority value manually.

Step 7 — Test the matrix with a sample document​

Before activating the matrix for all workflows:

  1. Open the document register.
  2. Find a test document with known discipline, type, and zone.
  3. Click Actions → Start Workflow and select a template with Review Matrix as the step assignee.
  4. In the workflow start panel, observe the auto-assigned reviewer for each step.
  5. Verify the assignments match your expectations.
  6. If an assignment is wrong, cancel the workflow start (do not submit) and update the relevant rule.

Step 8 — Test edge cases​

Test at least one document for each of these scenarios:

  • A document matching the fallback rule only (no specific rule applies)
  • A document matching two competing rules (check priority resolution)
  • A document with Confidential flag (if confidentiality rules are configured)
  • A document with an unusual combination (e.g., zone-specific rule)

Step 9 — Update workflow templates to use Review Matrix​

For each template step that should use the matrix:

  1. Open Settings → Workflow Templates → [Template].
  2. Edit the relevant step.
  3. Change the Assignee from a named user or role to Review Matrix.
  4. Save the template.

Now every workflow started from this template will trigger the review matrix to determine the correct assignee.

Maintaining the matrix​

  • When team membership changes, update the access group membership rather than the matrix rules.
  • When project scope changes (new disciplines, new zones), add new rules before the first document of that type is uploaded.
  • Review the matrix quarterly using the Review Response Summary report — look for patterns where rules are matching unintended reviewers.
  • Archive rules that are no longer needed (they remain in history but are not evaluated).