Change Requests are separate optional application processes that are outside of the normal application lifecycle. The intent for now is that these change requests are turned off by default, and can be turned on for each client as needed.
The currently supported change requests are:
- Name Change Request. Since most of our clients prevent transferring applications from one person to another, these requests likely need to reviewed to make sure that the name change is not simply a backdoor way of transferring an application to a different person altogether. This request will likely include attachments supporting the name change (a marriage certificate, a legal name change document, etc.)
- Applicant Change Request. Most of our clients prevent transferring applications from one person to another, but a few allow it. Based on what we've seen so far, there are always restrictions on who the applications can be transferred to, so these requests likely need to be reviewed to make sure that the new person is allowed to be listed on the application. There are actually two flavors of this request: one where the existing applicant makes the request (an Applicant Change To Request), and one where the potential new applicant makes the request (an Applicant Change From request). The "From" request is currently used on Vessel Registration applications and nowhere else.
- Vessel Change Request. Most of the applications we process involve the assignment of a vessel to a berth, and changing a vessel necessitates a review to make sure that the new vessel can safely fit in the assigned berth.
- Location Change Request. In some cases, even after being assigned a berth, the applicant may be interested in being relocated to a "better" location. For now, this request simply allows the applicant to put themselves on one of the existing wait lists, and the applicant will be offered a space when they get to the top of the wait list and a location becomes available.
Starting the Change Request Process
There are two ways for an applicant to initiate a change request:
1) From their "My Applications" page. Next to each application is a "More" button, and if someone clicks the button they'll see a drop down list of change request options that are currently available.
2) While they in the middle of an application process, updating an existing application. If appropriate, they'll see options to perform the change request options that are currently available.
In order for a change request option to appear, a bunch of things need to happen:
- The change request must be enabled for the application type. There is a configuration setting under Configuration > Applications > application type > phase type called "Allow Online Application" that must be checked.
- The change request is only allowed when the application has certain statuses. It will not appear for any inactive statuses, or when the status is Under Review.
- The change request is only allowed when the application has an existing link:
- For name change requests, the application must have an existing linked applicant
- For applicant change requests, the application must have an existing linked applicant.
- For vessel change requests, the application must have an existing linked vessel.
- For location change requests, the application must have an existing linked berth.
- The specified change request application for that application type must have at least one editable field.
- The application that the person is currently on must have certain fields that are NOT editable:
- For name changes, we check all the name fields (First, Middle, Last, Suffix)
- For applicant changes, we check all the name fields
- For vessel changes, we check all the identification fields (Boat Reg/Doc, HullId, BoatName)
- For location changes, we check all the berth identification and location fields (Mooring Number, Alternate Mooring Number, Mooring Location, Marina, Location on Application (Lat/Long), Wait List Selection)
- For location changes, the current application type must have at least one wait list
Change Request Processing
Once the applicant has submitted the change request, a Change Submitted action (more specifically Name Change Submitted, or Applicant Change Submitted, etc.) is added to the application, and the status of the application changes to Change Under Review (or, more specifically: Name Change Under Review, Applicant Change Under Review, etc.)
While the application has this Under Review status, there will be an additional tab on the application. In the case of applicant-related changes, there will be a new tab called "Proposed Owner" (or similar language). In the case of vessel-related changes, there will be a new tab called "Proposed Vessel". This allows administrators to view the old and new information side-by-side.
The provider reviews the application, and ultimately either clicks the Approve button or the Reject button on the Actions tab. This does the following:
- Approve: Adds a Change Approved action, copies the information from the Proposed tab to corresponding tab
- Reject: Adds a Change Rejected action
- Both: Hides the Proposed tab, and changes the status to what it would have been if the change request had never happened. So if this was a mid-year change, the status would likely revert to Approved or Wait Listed. If this was during the renewal season, the status would revert to Renewal Incomplete or something similar.
Application Lifecycle Considerations
An application in Online Mooring can be in one "phase" at a time. The most common phases are: First-time wait list application, wait list renewal application, first-time permit application, and permit renewal application. Each of these change requests is also a phase.
What this means is that once you've started a phase (by adding a "Submitted" action to the application) we're set up so that you have to finish that phase before going on to do a different phase.
So, let's take the situation where an applicant wants to do something that would involve more than one phase. Let's say we have an applicant who wants to renew their mooring permit with the new boat they recently purchased, and we have a provider that requires vessel changes to be handled separately. The flow would go as follows:
- The renewal process starts normally:
- The provider sends the boater an e-mail with a link to renew their permit (because all they know is that the boater's permit is expiring, and they don't know that the boater has a new vessel).
- The boater clicks on the link to their renewal application.
- On the vessel tab, all the info about the former vessel appears read-only. There are also instructions to the boater that a new vessel requires a separate vessel change process, and there is a button to initiate that process.
- The boater initiates the vessel change process:
- The boater clicks the button to do a Vessel Change Request
- The boater fills out the change request form and submits it, along with any attachments and money required by the provider.
- The provider completes the vessel change process:
- The provider reviews the application and approves or rejects the request
- A notification goes out to the boater telling them their change request has been approved, and that they should continue with their renewal process.
- The boater continues the renewal process:
- The boater clicks the link to Renew.
- On the Vessel tab, they'll see the information about the new vessel
- They'll continue to renew as usual.
That's at least how it SHOULD work. There is at least one situation where it won't work that way. Let's say that Renewals are supposed to happen from 1/1 to 3/1 each year. Let's say that the boater starts renewing on 2/15, and ends up submitting a Vessel Change Request that date, and that the provider didn't approve the Vessel Change Request until 3/5, which is after the renewal deadline. Unless the provider also takes action to extend the deadline for submitting that application, the boater will be unable to renew after the Vessel Change Request is approved. We recommend that providers prioritize responding to change requests over responding to the "normal" application reviews, to avoid this problem.