Who this article is for: Both, Authority Users and Facility Operators
Overview
The full deficiency lifecycle, from identifying an issue to resolving it and documenting the fix.
Creating a deficiency
You can create a deficiency in three ways:
Option A: From the site's page
Navigate to the site where the deficiency was found.
In the Action Items card, open the OPEN DEFICIENCIES tab and click ADD DEFICIENCY. If the site has no deficiencies yet, the card reads "You currently have no deficiencies on this Site!" instead; click here in "Click here to create a deficiency."
Fill in the fields (see below).
Click SAVE.
Option B: During an inspection report
While filling out an inspection report, use the deficiency composite field.
Add a new deficiency entry directly within the report form.
The deficiency is created when you publish the report with PUBLISH (or PUBLISH & EMAIL).
Option C: From a BMP implementation
Navigate to a BMP implementation on a site.
Click Add Deficiency on that implementation.
The management practice type and implementation are pre-selected, along with the implementation's region and coordinates.
Required fields
Name: A short title for the deficiency (required).
Optional fields
Level: Select a severity level from the dropdown. If the level has a resolution time, Due By is filled in for you.
Description: Detailed description of the issue.
Corrective Action: Enter free text, or pick an action from the OR Select Corrective Action From List dropdown to fill this field with that action's text.
Assignees: Select one or more users to assign responsibility.
Due By: When the deficiency should be resolved. You can change the date the level filled in.
Management Practice Implementation / Management Practice Type: Link to the relevant BMP if applicable.
Region: A specific area within the site (shown when the site has regions).
Latitude / Longitude: GPS location. Use SET LAT/LONG FROM to fill these from your current GPS location or from the site's coordinates.
Deficiency Images: Upload photos documenting the deficiency.
Naming a deficiency from the corrective action list
On an inspection report, the deficiency composite can include a corrective action list. When it does, the list is the first field in each deficiency entry, above Deficiency Name. One selection fills in two fields: the name of the deficiency and the corrective action required.
The list appears only on forms where it is turned on in the form builder (Enable Deficiency Corrective Action List?). The labels below are the defaults, and your form can rename any of them.
In the deficiency section of the report, set Has deficiencies? to yes, then add a deficiency entry.
Open the Deficiency Corrective Action List dropdown. In the web app, type in the search box to narrow the list.
Select a corrective action. The entry fills in:
Deficiency Name with the corrective action's title
Deficiency Corrective Action with the corrective action's instructions (or its title, if the action has no instructions)
Edit either field if needed. Both are free text, and your edits stay on this deficiency only. They do not change the corrective action list.
Complete the rest of the entry, such as Level, and continue the report.
📝 The list shows every corrective action in your organization's library, or only one category of them, depending on how the form is set up (Deficiency Corrective Action List Category in the form builder).
📝 You can skip the dropdown and type a Deficiency Name yourself. Deficiency names recorded before this change are not altered.
Setting the deficiency level
Open the deficiency.
In the Deficiency Action Log, choose Change Level from the -- Select Quick Action -- dropdown.
Select the new Level from the dropdown.
Click SAVE.
The change is logged in the audit trail with the old and new levels recorded.
💡 Changing a deficiency level may trigger notifications for users subscribed to 'Deficiency Level Change' events.
Assigning a deficiency
Open the deficiency and click EDIT DETAILS.
In Assignees, select one or more users.
Click SAVE.
Assigned users can find the deficiency in their filtered views.
Resolving a deficiency
Open the deficiency.
In the Deficiency Action Log, choose Resolve from the -- Select Quick Action -- dropdown.
Check Resolved Date and Resolved By. They default to now and to you.
Add Resolution Notes explaining how the issue was addressed.
Click ADD IMAGE to upload resolution images if applicable.
Click SAVE.
The deficiency status changes to Resolved, with the resolver, the resolution date and time, and your notes recorded.
Unresolving a deficiency
If a deficiency needs to be reopened:
Open the resolved deficiency.
In the Deficiency Action Log, choose Unresolve from the -- Select Quick Action -- dropdown, and confirm.
The deficiency returns to Open status. The resolution data and resolution images are cleared.
Adding follow-up notes
Open the deficiency.
In the Deficiency Action Log, choose Add Follow Up Note from the -- Select Quick Action -- dropdown.
Enter your Notes and, optionally, click ADD IMAGE to upload follow-up images.
Click SAVE.
Follow-up notes are logged in the Deficiency Action Log.
Emailing a deficiency
You can email details of an open deficiency to external parties:
Open the deficiency.
In the Deficiency Action Log, choose Email Deficiency from the -- Select Quick Action -- dropdown.
In Recipients, select one or more contacts from the list, or click ADD CONTACT to add someone who isn't listed.
Choose Deficiencies to Email lists the site's open deficiencies, with this one already checked. Check any others you want to include. Optionally, turn on Allow Deficiency Resolution From Email? (it is off by default). This lets the external recipient resolve the deficiency themselves through a public link without logging in.
Click SEND EMAIL.
📝 Save Selected Recipients is on by default, so the recipients you pick are selected for you the next time you send an email. Turn it off before sending if you don't want that.
The email includes a link to the public deficiency view, where the recipient can view the deficiency without logging in. If Allow Deficiency Resolution From Email? was turned on (it is off by default), they can also submit resolution information there.
Filtering and exporting deficiencies
In the deficiencies list, filter by:
Search: Find by site name or deficiency name.
Level: Filter by deficiency level.
Assignee: Filter by assigned user.
Status: Open, Resolved, or both. The list shows Open deficiencies by default.
Site Status: The status of the deficiency's site. By default, the list shows only deficiencies at sites whose status is marked Show by Default in Settings > Site Statuses.
Management Practice Categories: Filter by management practice category.
Identified After / Identified Before: A date range for when the deficiency was identified.
Click Download CSV to download the filtered results, or Copy to Clipboard to copy them.
Customizable columns
Click Customize Columns to choose which columns appear in the deficiency table. Available columns include: Name, Site, Latest Report, Latitude, Longitude, Corrective Action, Description, Tags, Status, Level, BMP Name, MP, Assignees, Identified By, Identified Date, Identified Time, Identified Date & Time, Resolved By, Resolved Date, Resolved Time, Resolved Date & Time, Resolution Notes, and Due Date.
FAQ
Q: Can a deficiency have multiple corrective actions?
A: The deficiency has one corrective action field, filled with free text or from the corrective action list. For complex issues, describe all required actions in the corrective action text, or create separate deficiencies.
Q: Why did my Deficiency Name change when I picked a corrective action?
A: On a report form, selecting from the Deficiency Corrective Action List copies the action's title into Deficiency Name. In the web app, this replaces any text already in Deficiency Name, including a name you typed. In the mobile app, a name you typed is kept, and only an empty name or one copied from an earlier selection is replaced. Selecting a different action also replaces the text in Deficiency Corrective Action. You can edit either field after you select.
Q: Why don't I see a corrective action list on my report form?
A: The list is a per-form setting. It appears only when the form's deficiency field group has Enable Deficiency Corrective Action List? turned on, and corrective actions are not turned off for that form.
Q: Why can't I find the corrective action I need in the list?
A: The form may be set to show only one corrective action category. The action may also not exist in your organization's library yet. In both cases, you can type the Deficiency Name and corrective action yourself.
Q: How do I add or rename corrective actions in the list?
A: An administrator manages the library under Settings > Deficiency Corrective Actions. Each action has a Title (which becomes the Deficiency Name), a Corrective Action (the instructions copied into the corrective action field) and Categories. Categories are managed from Manage Corrective Action Categories on the same page.
Q: Can someone outside our organization resolve a deficiency?
A: Yes, when you email the deficiency with Allow Deficiency Resolution From Email? turned on. The recipient can then submit resolution information (name, email, notes, photos) through the public form. With the option off, the link only lets them view the deficiency.
Q: Does resolving a deficiency notify anyone?
A: Notifications depend on your configuration. Users subscribed to relevant notification types will be alerted.