Context Item Features
In addition to fields and workflow states, a context item can carry a set of features that support collaboration, traceability, and documentation. Comments and attachments are available on all context items. Approvals and audit trail are optional features that must be enabled on the context item type.
Access to these features depends on the permissions a user has on the context item type.
Comments allow users to add free-text notes to a context item. Any user with write permission on the type can add a comment. Comments are visible to all users who can view the item and are listed in chronological order in the detail panel.
Comments are useful for recording observations, updates, or decisions related to an event without modifying the context item itself. Because each comment is timestamped and attributed to the user who added it, they provide a traceable record of communication around the item.
How to add comments?
Open a new or current context item and scroll to the bottom of the context item panel.
At the bottom of the panel add a new comment.
Click on the "Add comment" button.
Attachments allow files to be linked to a context item. They are visible in the detail panel and can be downloaded by any user who can view the item.
Attachments are useful for linking supporting documentation directly to an event, such as lab reports, photos, or process records. Files can also be attached automatically via a dashboard trigger, for example to attach a shift report when a context item changes state.
How to add attachments?
Open the detail panel of a context item.
Select the Attachments tab at the top of the panel.
Drag and drop a file onto the upload area, or click to browse and select a file.
Click Upload. The file appears in the attachments list above the upload area.
Note
File names must be unique per context item.
Most document types are supported, including PDF and Word documents. The maximum file size is 20 MB.
Approvals allow users to formally sign off on a context item, confirming they have reviewed and agreed with its content. Multiple users can each add their own approval to the same item. Approvals are visible to all users who can view the item and are listed in the detail panel, newest first, showing the name of the approver and the date and time of approval.
Approvals are an optional feature that must be enabled on the context item type by an admin. See Context item type for configuration details.
Open the detail panel of a context item whose type has approvals enabled.
Click Add approval in the Approvals section.
Your approval is recorded immediately and is visible to all users who can view the item.
A user can only remove their own approval. To remove it, open the detail panel and click Remove approval next to your entry in the Approvals section.
All approvals on an item are automatically removed when the item is edited. This includes changes to field values, the component, or the time of the event, as well as adding or removing attachments. A confirmation prompt appears before the edit is saved, allowing you to cancel if needed.
This ensures that an approval always reflects the state of the item at the time it was given.
Context views can be filtered by approval state. The filter returns either items that have at least one approval, or items with no approvals.
The audit trail is an immutable log of all changes made to a context item. It records the initial creation of the item as well as every subsequent change, capturing what was changed, who made the change, and when. The audit trail is visible in the detail panel of the item.
When audit trail is enabled for a type, the following changes are recorded for context items of that type: changes to field values, the component, and the time of the event; comments added, edited, or removed; attachments added or removed; approvals added or removed, including automatic removal when an item is edited; and workflow state changes.
Each record includes the previous value, the new value, the user who made the change, and the point in time the change occurred.
The audit trail is not visible in the TrendMiner interface. It is accessible via the TrendMiner REST API. Contact TrendMiner support for developer access.
The audit trail is enabled per context item type. See Context item type for configuration details.
Note
When a context item is deleted, all audit trails are deleted too.