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Stale Capture Management
Overview
A capture becomes stale when one or more associated artifacts no longer match the expected state. Stale capture management prevents long-running, invalid reviews from persisting indefinitely.
What Makes a Capture Stale?
State Changes
A capture becomes stale when artifacts:
- Are reverted to a previous version
- Are moved to a different lifecycle state
- Are deleted or become unavailable
- No longer match the state they had when added to the capture
Example Scenario
Normal Workflow:
- Three documents (Rev A) are under review
- Reviewer opens capture to review
- Reviewer completes review and approves
- ✅ All is well
Stale Scenario:
- Three documents (Rev A) are under review
- During review, one document is reverted to Rev 0
- The capture is now reviewing mixed revisions
- ⚠️ Capture is out of sequence/stale
- System marks capture as stale
Why Stale Detection Matters
Problems Prevented
Without stale detection:
- Reviews could proceed on outdated artifacts
- Approvals might apply to wrong document versions
- Audit trail would be ambiguous
- Process integrity would be compromised
Benefits
With stale detection:
- Data Integrity - Ensures reviews apply to correct artifacts
- Process Control - Prevents invalid reviews from completing
- Audit Compliance - Clear record when artifacts change
- Quality Assurance - Catches process errors automatically
Configuring Stale Capture Settings
In Template Configuration
- Open the Capture Template in Console
- Find Stale Capture Management or Stale After Days setting
- Enter number of days
- Optionally configure visibility settings
- Save template configuration
Stale After Days Setting
What It Controls
Stale After Days determines how long a capture can remain active after becoming stale.
Configuration Options
| Setting | Behavior | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| 0 days | Capture immediately invalidated | Fast-turnaround processes, strict state control required |
| 3 days | 3-day grace period | Short review cycles, minimal tolerance for state changes |
| 7 days | 1-week grace period | Standard review processes, most common setting |
| 14 days | 2-week grace period | Longer review cycles, more flexibility needed |
| 30 days | Month grace period | Very long reviews, or historical/reference captures |
| Unlimited | No automatic invalidation | Archives, reference-only captures, no state enforcement |
Recommended Settings by Process Type
Fast Reviews (24-48 hours)
Recommended: 0-3 days
Rationale:
- Review should complete quickly
- State changes likely indicate process error
- Tight control maintains integrity
Example processes:
- Daily drawing releases
- Urgent approvals
- Quality checkpoints
Standard Reviews (1 week)
Recommended: 7 days
Rationale:
- Allows time for normal review completion
- Provides buffer for weekends/holidays
- Catches artifacts that genuinely changed
- Most balanced setting
Example processes:
- Engineering design reviews
- Document transmittals
- Standard approval workflows
Long-Running Reviews (2-4 weeks)
Recommended: 14-30 days
Rationale:
- Extended review periods expected
- Multiple reviewers or stages
- Need flexibility for complex processes
- Still enforces eventual consistency
Example processes:
- Multi-stage approvals
- Complex design reviews
- Regulatory submissions
Historical/Reference Captures
Recommended: Unlimited
Rationale:
- Captures are for reference, not active review
- Artifact state changes expected over time
- Historical record should remain accessible
Example processes:
- Completed project archives
- Historical transmittal records
- Audit trail retention
What Happens When Capture Becomes Stale
System Behavior
- Detection - System detects artifact state change
- Marking - Capture status updated to "Stale"
- Notification - Users may be notified (configurable)
- Countdown - Stale days counter begins
- Expiration - After configured days, capture expires or is hidden
User Experience
In Inbox:
- Stale captures may be highlighted/flagged
- Special indicators show stale status
- Filtering options to show/hide stale captures
In Review Environment:
- Warning message displays stale status
- Details show which artifacts changed
- Options to resolve or close capture
Handling Stale Captures
Option 1: Recreate Capture
Best when: Artifacts need to be reviewed in current state
Process:
- Close stale capture
- Create new capture with current artifact versions
- Proceed with fresh review
- Original stale capture remains for audit
Option 2: Close as Invalid
Best when: State changes invalidate the review need
Process:
- Document why capture became stale
- Close capture without approval
- Handle artifacts separately if needed
- Review process that led to stale state
Option 3: Proceed with Caution
Best when: State changes are minor or understood
Process:
- Verify state changes are acceptable
- Document in capture notes
- Complete review with acknowledgment of changes
- Audit trail shows stale status
Visibility Configuration
Show in Inbox
Some systems allow configuration of stale capture visibility:
Always Show:
- Stale captures remain visible in inbox
- Users can see what became stale
- Helps with process improvement
Hide After Stale Period:
- After configured days, stale captures hidden from inbox
- Reduces inbox clutter
- Captures still accessible via search/reports
Administrator Only:
- Only admins see stale captures
- Regular users have clean inbox
- Admin can manage stale captures centrally
Best Practices
Setting Stale Days
- Match process timeline - Consider typical review duration
- Add buffer - Account for weekends, holidays
- Balance control vs flexibility - Too strict = user frustration, too loose = integrity risk
- Review actual data - After deployment, analyze if setting is appropriate
Monitoring Stale Captures
Regularly review:
- How many captures become stale
- Why artifacts are changing during review
- Are stale days settings appropriate
- Process improvements to prevent stale captures
Process Improvement
If many captures become stale:
- Process timing issues - Reviews taking too long
- State management problems - Artifacts changing unexpectedly
- Training needed - Users changing artifacts during reviews
- Workflow design - Process needs redesign
Advanced Scenarios
Scenario 1: Multi-Stage Approvals
Challenge: First stage completes, but artifacts change before second stage
Solution:
- Longer stale days setting
- Or separate captures per stage with artifact snapshot
- Monitor transitions closely
Scenario 2: Agile/Iterative Processes
Challenge: Artifacts frequently revised during ongoing reviews
Solution:
- Very short stale days (0-1)
- Force recreation of captures for each revision
- Or unlimited stale days with clear revision tracking
Scenario 3: System Integrations
Challenge: Automated systems creating captures, artifacts changing rapidly
Solution:
- Tight stale control (0-3 days)
- Automated handling of stale captures
- Workflow logic to recreate captures automatically
Troubleshooting
Too Many Stale Captures
Symptoms:
- High percentage of captures becoming stale
- User complaints about invalid captures
Diagnosis:
- Review process timeline
- Check artifact lifecycle management
- Analyze when artifacts are changing
Solutions:
- Increase stale days if changes are legitimate
- Improve process coordination if changes are errors
- Consider artifact state rules to prevent changes
Stale Detection Not Working
Symptoms:
- Artifacts change but captures don't mark as stale
- Inconsistent stale detection
Diagnosis:
- Check template configuration
- Verify artifact state tracking
- Review system logs
Solutions:
- Confirm stale days setting is configured
- Verify artifact source integration
- Check MinuteView version for known issues
Reporting and Analytics
Useful Metrics
Track these for process improvement:
- Percentage of captures that become stale
- Average time before becoming stale
- Which artifacts most commonly trigger stale status
- User/role patterns in stale captures
Reports
Generate reports showing:
- Currently stale captures
- Historical stale rate by template
- Artifacts with frequent state changes
- Process efficiency metrics
Next Steps
Continue with configuration topics:
- Artifact State Rules - Configure artifact validation rules
- Fields & Custom Columns - Customize metadata capture
- Event Handlers & Automation - Set up automated actions