Approving, Editing and Deferring PLSS Schedules

When you are done creating an Inspection Schedule, the Schedule will be inactive and will still have a Draft Approval Status. The SAP Status on the Schedule will also be empty until the Final Approval. To set the Next Inspection Date (NID), the Inspection Schedule must be Final Approved. 

The Approval level is assigned in the Security Settings. The assigned Approval Level for individuals is based on their responsibilities. (See Approval Privileges.)

The Approval Level can be specified for a Site, a Plant, or a Unit. For more information on this see IMS Approvals.

In the example below, user "cen-user" has Final Approval rights for the plant "CEN PLANT":

Final Approval rights assigned to the user "cen-user" for the plant "CEN PLANT". 

When the Schedule is Final Approved, the Inspection can take place (at the NID). When the inspection is done, the schedule should be credited in the Condition History (ECH). This process is depicted below.

The Schedule process with regards to Approval status.

It is possible to Edit or Defer (Expand) an Approved Schedule. The Schedule will then go into Draft and will be re-Approved.

Approving Schedules

To Approve a Schedule:

• Click Approve to Approve the Schedule.

Click on Approve to Approve the Schedule.

The status will change to the maximum allowed Approval Level. 

To choose an alternative Approval Level:

• Click on the Dropdown button next to the Approval button. 
• From the dropdown menu, choose the applicable Approval Level (e.g. Level 1 Approved).
• Click on Approve.

Choose an alternative Approval Level by clicking on the Dropdown button next to the approval button.

Note: This dropdown is not available for sites that follow a strict Approval flow, i.e. a step cannot be skipped – e.g. first level 1 Approve, then Final Approve, even if the user has Final Approval privileges.

Once Final Approved, the Schedule Details will look as follows:

• the Schedule Status is set to Final Approved.
• the Schedule is made Active.
• the NID date is set.
  Next Inspection Date (= LID + MII)
• the SAP status is populated (i.e. PENDING).

Schedule Details after Final Approval.

Inspection Function

The Inspection Function box (see below) will show the Approval Status ("Draft", "Writer Approved", "Level 1 Approved", "Final Approved") as well as the Event ("None", "Schd Edit/New Insp", "Recalculation", "Deferral", and "Insp Completed").

The Inspection Function information box.

Editing Schedules

It is possible to Edit a Final Approved Schedule. When you Edit the Schedule, a new Event with the function "Schedule Edit / New Inspection" is created automatically. 

To Edit a Schedule:

•  Click Edit.

Click Edit to make changes to the Approved Schedule.

• A copy of the existing data is created and will show as Pending next to the In Effect Schedule.
• Edit the new copy and click Save. 
• The Schedule will now be back in "Draft".
• Approve the Schedule again. Note: A pop-up will ask you to give a reason for the Edit.

The applied changes will update the existing Schedule (e.g., NID, Sched Driver, Resp Discipline, Sched Category).

For more information on how Editing fits into the Approval process see Approving Inspection & CAIR Schedules.

Deferring (Extending) Schedules

If the Schedule is Final Approved, but still Uncredited, it can be Deferred (Extended) when the inspection date of the Schedule needs to be changed, but not the Inspection Interval. A new Event (Deferral) will be credited.

Deferrals are only mandatory for the Schedules of Category 1. For the Category 2 Schedules, it is optional, since for these Schedules it is possible to change the User Date during the normal Edit.

During the process to DEFER a Schedule, you have the option to edit and delete/reverse the deferral process by disapproving the pending Schedule. When a Schedule is extended and Approved, only the Next Inspection Date will change; it is not possible to change other details or inspection scope.

To defer (extend) a Schedule:

• Click DEFER. Note: The DEFER will be shown in yellow for Category 1 Schedules, since it is mandatory. For Category 2 and Category 3 Schedules, it will be shown in blue, indicating that this is optional.

Click DEFER to Defer (Extend) the NID of Approved Schedule.

• A pop-up will open.
• Enter the Deferral date e.g., Deferral NID, etc.
• Click Save.
• The deferral date will show in the new Draft.

The Deferral data will show in the Draft copy. This must still be Approved.

•  Approve the Schedule again. Note: a pop-up will ask you to give a reason for the Edit.

The NID will then become Deferral NID.

For more information on how Deferral fits into the Approval process see Approving Inspection & CAIR Schedules.

Deleting an Approved Schedule

To delete an Approved Schedule:

• Click on the Schedule.
• Click Edit.

Click Edit to delete an Approved Schedule.

• Uncheck the Active checkbox (only inactive schedules can be deleted).

Uncheck the Active checkbox.

• Click Approve.

Click Approve.

• Click Delete at the top of the Schedule.