Can you post replies to tagged comments in a proof before your proof stage begins?

[MichaelMe2]

Our proofing process is generally a 3-stage process, with each stage moving to the next level of approvers. We would like to allow later-stage Approvers the option to reply to comments they are tagged in before the proof has moved to their stage. Is this an option?

With our current setup, an Approver does not have the ability to reply to comments in the proof until their assigned approval stage has begun.

[SarahNau]

Hi Michael - not a proof expert, but I think if you change their role to Reviewer and Approver, they should be able to make comments.

[MichaelMe2]

In this case, those individuals are currently set as Reviewers and Approvers. The challenge we are experiencing is that individuals that are part of stages 2 or 3 can't comment in the proof when it's in the earlier stages.

The obvious answer (at least to me) would be to eliminate the stages altogether so that anyone can post comments in the proof at any given time, but that solution doesn't work with our existing workflow.

[MichaelPe1]

Hi Michael, in my experience if someone who is already in a workflow stage is tagged in an earlier stage and they try to access it they will get a "stage not started" at the top and are unable to comment. The only way for them to comment would be for you to manually activate their stage. As of right now a user can only be included in one stage of a proof workflow. But I was told with the Proof updates Workfront is working on that they plan to make it possible to add the same person to more than one stage. I would assume that once that upgrade has been released that when someone tags a user in their stage they will get the option to add the user to the current stage and this would resolve your issue. Hopefully someone else knows a workaround for you to use until then.

[MichaelMe2]

If that's the case, that's great news.

Thanks Tracy!

[nryan2]

Hi Michael, we use a two-stage proofing workflow and set the second stage to activate On Proof Creation. That way, anyone in the second stage can see and reply to comments made in the first stage.

[WhitUser]

Does this mean therefore that both stages are live at the same time ? as in our workflow that would be undesirable.