Designing Questionnaires

If a questionnaire has a single question, then the response to that question determines whether the related objects assigned to each of that question's responses are automatically added to the objects created from the template. For example, a change questionnaire with a single question might have the following structure:

• Change questionnaire
  • Change question 1
    • Response Yes is assigned to Route 1.
    • Response No is assigned to Member List 3.

When a Change Coordinator responds to Change question 1, if the answer is Yes, then Route 1 is automatically added to the change order. If the response is No, then Member List 3 is automatically added to the change order.

More specifically, if you have a change template for change orders used to update documents, the change questionnaire might be structured as follows:

• Change questionnaire
  • Question: Is this a financial document?
    • Response Yes is assigned to a route for approving changes to financial documents.
    • Response No is assigned to a member list who can approve changes to all other types of documents.

If the document being proposed for change is a financial document, making the response to the question Yes, then the route for approving changes to financial documents is automatically added to the change order. If the document being proposed for change is a procedure document, making the response to the question No, then the member list who can approve changes to procedures and all other types of documents is automatically added to the change order.

The questionnaire can be designed so that only one related object is either assigned or not assigned to the object created from the template. For example, you could attach an impact questionnaire to a change order only when the proposed change affects other products:

• Change questionnaire
  • Question: Does this proposed change affect other products?
    • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire.
    • Response No is not assigned to a related object.

If the response to the question is Yes, then Impact Questionnaire 1 is automatically added to the change order. If the response is No, then no related objects are automatically added to the change order.

You can also structure the questionnaire so that multiple related objects are assigned to the same response. The questionnaire structure would look similar to the following example:

• Change questionnaire
  • Question 1
    • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 1
    • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 6
    • Response Yes is assigned to Route 2
    • Response Yes is assigned to Member List 1
    • Response No is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 7

If the response to the question is Yes, then Impact Questionnaire 1, Impact Questionnaire 6, Route 2, and Member List 1 are automatically added to the change order. If the response to the question is No, then only Impact Questionnaire 7 is automatically added to the change order.

The questionnaire can also be a simple list of sequential questions, with each one determining if a related object is added to change orders.

• Change template
  • Question 1
    • Response Yes is assigned to Route 1.
    • Response No is assigned to Route 2.
  • Question 2
    • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 2.
  • Question 3
    • Response No is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 3.

For Question 1, either Route 1 or Route 2 is automatically added to the change order, depending on the selected response. For Question 2, Impact Questionnaire 2 is added only if the response is Yes. For Question 3, Impact Questionnaire 3 is added only if the response is No.

You can define as many levels of questions in a questionnaire as needed for your business process. The questionnaire can be structured to reveal additional questions only if a previous response requires that they be asked. A sub-question is asked only if the response assigned to it matches the actual response to its parent question.

This example shows a more complicated change questionnaire structure for a change template:

• Change template
  • The response to Question 1 is Yes, which is assigned to sub-question 1-1, sub-question 1-2, and Impact Questionnaire 1.
    • Sub-question 1-1
      • Response Yes is assigned to Route 1.
      • Response No is assigned to Route 2.
    • Sub-question 1-2
      • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 2.
      • Response No is assigned to Member List 1.
  • The response to Question 1 is No, which is assigned to Question 2.
  • The response to Question 2 is Yes, which is assigned to sub-question 2-1.
    • The response to Sub-question 2-1 is Yes, which is assigned to sub-question 2-1-1.
      • The response to Sub-question 2-1-1 is Yes, which is assigned to sub-question 2-1-1-1.
        • Sub-question 2-1-1-1
          • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 3.
          • Response No is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 4.
      • The response to Sub-question 2-1-1 is No, which is assigned to sub-question 2-1-1-2.
        • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 6.
        • Response No is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 7.
    • The response to Sub-question 2-1 is No, which is assigned to sub-question 2-1-2.
      • Sub-question 2-1-2
        • Response Yes is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 8.
        • Response No is assigned to Impact Questionnaire 9.

For Question 1, if the answer is Yes, then Impact Questionnaire 1 is automatically added to the change order and Sub-questions 1-1 and 1-2 are asked. If the answer is No, then Question 2 is asked.

For each sub-question that is answered, the response to that sub-question determines which related object is automatically added to the change order and which additional subu-questions are asked. For sub-question 1-1, if the answer is Yes, then Route 1 is added to the change order; if the answer is No, then Route 2 is used.

If the response to Question 2 is Yes, then sub-question 2-1 is asked. If the response to Question 2 is No, then the questionnaire is complete because there are no sub-questions or related objects defined for that response.

Question 2 shows how you can build a complicated structure to ensure that the Impact Questionnaires added to a change order are customized for whatever business process you need. If the response to Question 2-1 is No, then sub-question 2-1-2 is asked. Sub-question 2-1-1 and the complete question hierarchy below it, is skipped. Each sub-question response is assigned to a different Impact Questionnaire that has been customized for a specific business purpose.