The intake process - where plan review assignments/tasks are created for documents in e-PlanREVIEW® (EPR) - varies based on whether an Agency is using EPR standalone, EPR with goPost, or if EPR is integrated to a partner permitting system. It also depends on whether assignments are created from scratch manually or if Automated Distribution workflows are configured.
For standalone users, those with goPost, or those with integrations that require EPR Intake, staff can either create assignments manually on the project Intake tab or use Automated Distribution workflows (if configured).
The following must be completed before creating assignments on the intake tab:
Create the project record
Upload one or more plan files successfully
Integrated clients using EPR in conjunction with a partner permitting system should create assignments through their designated process rather using Intake unless instructed to.
The Intake Tab
Whenever documents require intake, the e-PlanREVIEW® (EPR) Intake tab displays a number that corresponds the number of files that need assignments. Incoming documents are listed separately, with each one then listing its own possible assignments. If there is more than one file, the first displays an expanded ‘assignments view’ while the rest remain collapsed until clicked.
From this tab, staff will either manually fill in assignment information or confirm assignments suggested by Automated Distribution Workflows for each document. Alternatively, staff can select multiple documents at once and create the same set of assignments for all selected files.
As document assignments are created, documents will “leave” the Intake tab until no documents remain listed, at which point initial intake is complete.
Creating Assignments Manually
If no Automated Distribution workflows are active, you can create assignments by working with one document at a time or you can batch create the same set of assignments for multiple documents at once.
Working with One Document at a Time
If each document will require different assignments (or if documents are resubmittals), it’s best to create those assignments one document at a time by going through the document list.
Document List
If more than one document has been uploaded for review, the Intake tab will list each pdf file so that staff can create assignments for each one.
The first file (or only file, if there are no others) will display an ‘expanded’ assignments view where staff can either manually add assignment information or, if using automated assignment distributions, staff can confirm these automated suggestions are correct.
Additional files are listed below the first in a ‘collapsed’ view. To expand a collapsed file, click on the expand icon ( 
) next to its name.
If you need to find a specific document in the list, you can filter the list by typing a filename into the ‘Search’ field above the list.
Assignments View
The first document listed will display assignment(s) by default. This ‘assignments view' will either show prepopulated assignment suggestions based on Automated Distribution workflows, prepopulated assignments based on a prior document version review, or simply display an unpopulated area for staff to create assignments manually. This view allows intake staff to fill in assignment information as noted in the table below.
Feature | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
Prior Submittals | N/A | For resubmittals only. Dropdown that lists all first submittal documents within this project.
See Prior Submittals section for more details. |
Group | N/A | Required. Each assignment must belong to a group so that one or more members of that group can view and work on the assignment as needed. |
Review Type | N/A | Optional. If staff need to create multiple assignments for a single group, they can use this field to create unique sub-assignments. The options for this field populate from a list configured by the Admin. |
Assignee | N/A | Optional. Staff can further designate a specific assignee (from a list of group members) to perform a plan review. Other group members will still have access and can work on the assignment, but the assignee is the designated reviewer. |
Due Date (Assignment-level) |
| Recommended. Click on the calendar-shaped icon next to each assignment to set a Due Date. If multiple assignments are required, make sure each assignment has a Due Date set. |
Due Date (Document-level) |
| Optional. If a document has multiple assignments and they all require the same Due Date, click on the calendar-shaped icon in-line with the document name to set a Due Date for all the document’s assignments at once. |
Add Assignment | ➕ | Click to add another row for an additional assignment below the existing assignment row. |
Remove Assignment | ➖ | Click to remove the current assignment row (removed assignments will not be created). |
CREATE ASSIGNMENTS (Document-level) |
| Click to confirm and create all assignments for the current document. |
RESET |  | Click to clear all filled-out assignment information for the current document. |
Delete (Document-level) |
| Click to delete an incoming document directly from Intake (users with delete rights only). Deleting is only recommend in specific circumstances because doing so will either prevent assignment(s) from being created for a new document or prevent existing assignments from updating when a resubmittal comes in. |
How to Use Prior Submittals
The ‘Prior Submittals’ dropdown will populate a first submittal document filename (or its document display name, if different) if the system has been told the file in intake is a new version of that file.
For a first submittal, this field should remain blank:
For a new version of a document previously submitted to EPR, the ‘Prior Submittals’ should display the name of the document’s first submittal (or its document display name, if edited).
The intake file will be linked as a new version of the selected document.
Instead of creating new assignments for the resubmittal, the linked document’s assignments are updated to link to the newest document version. If a new Due Date is provided, that will also be updated.
If an incoming document is supposed to be a resubmittal and ‘Prior Submittals’ is blank, stop intake. One of the following actions may be required:
If using EPR standalone: click the ‘Prior Submittals’ field, select the document that should be linked from the dropdown list, then proceed with intake.
If EPR is integrated with goPost or a partner permitting system, refer to Unlinked Documents for instruction.
If no filename is listed under ‘Prior Submittals’ and intake occurs, the incoming file will be treated as a new first submittal file and separate, potentially duplicate review assignments will be created.
Working with Multiple Documents
If all incoming documents are first submittals and will have the same set of assignments, then using the multi-document Create Assignments option can save time over creating them one by one.
Selecting Documents
Click the checkbox to the left of the ‘Search’ field to select all documents listed or select documents from the list individually.
Multi-Document Features
When multiple documents are selected, document-level features are disabled and a set of multi-document features are instead enabled to the right of the ‘Search’ field.
Multi-document features apply to all selected documents, except where indicated.
Feature | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
CREATE ASSIGNMENTS (Multi-document) |
|
This window does not apply to resubmitted files. It does not allow you to override (change) or update existing assignments for a document. (Changes can be made from the project’s ASSIGNMENTS tab, after intake is completed.) Trying to replace existing assignments' information with a different Group, Review Type, Assignee, or even change an existing Due Date during a resubmittal will be ignored. (For resubmitted files, use the document-level assignments view instead.) |
Due Date (Multi-document) |
|
Assignment Due Dates can be confirmed or edited by deselecting all documents and then clicking on expand ( |
Delete (Multi-document) |
|
This action cannot be undone except by submitting a Service Desk ticket to e-PlanSoft Support. |
Batch Edit and Create Assignments
Clicking the multi-document CREATE ASSIGNMENTS button will open the “Batch Edit and Create Assignments” window. This window has similar features to those in the document-level “assignment view,” but, if used, will override assignment suggestions for any first submittal files (resubmittals will be excluded).
Feature | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
Group | N/A | Required. Each assignment must belong to a group so that one or more members of that group can view and work on the assignment as needed. |
Review Type | N/A | Optional. If staff need to create multiple assignments for a single group, they can use this field to create unique sub-assignments. The options for this field populate from a list configured by the Admin. |
Assignee | N/A | Optional. Staff can further designate a specific assignee (from a list of group members) to perform a plan review. Other group members will still have access and can work on the assignment, but the assignee is the designated reviewer. |
Due Date (Assignment-level) |
| Recommended. Click on the calendar-shaped icon next to each assignment to set a Due Date. |
Add Assignments | ➕ | Click to add another row for an additional assignment below the existing assignment row. |
Remove Assignment | ➖ | Click to remove the current assignment row (removed assignments will not be created). |
CREATE ASSIGNMENTS |
| Click to confirm and create all assignments for all listed documents. “Batch Edit and Create Assignments” only works for first submittal documents. Resubmittal files linked to a prior version will NOT have their assignments updated by this feature, even if selected. (Note that resubmittal files are excluded from the list at the top of the window.) |
CANCEL |  | Click to close the window without creating assignments. |
Creating Assignments with Automated Distributions
If Automated Distribution workflows are active, suggested assignments will automatically populate for each document listed on the Intake tab.
Expand each document in the list to review the suggested assignments.
Add Due Dates and/or otherwise modify suggested assignments, if necessary (refer to Assignment View for details).
Finish creating the assignment(s) by clicking CREATE ASSIGNMENTS or clear assignment suggestion(s) by clicking RESET.
In the above example, active Automated Distributions exist for the Planning and Building groups to create assignments for Gerry and Billy, respectively. The incoming SN-plans-v2.1.pdf file has triggered these suggestions and staff can either process the suggested assignments, modify them, or clear them and manually create assignments from scratch.
Working with Resubmittals
Updated versions of previously submitted documents, usually referred to as resubmittals, have a slightly different intake process than first submittal documents. While they still need to be processed through the Intake tab (excluding integrations where the permitting partner system handles assignments), the following differences should be noted:
Automated distribution workflows (if they exist), will not trigger for resubmittals.
New assignments should not be created for resubmittals.
Instead, the goal for resubmittals is to link them to the first submittal document versions that they are updating.
Linking a resubmittal is done through one of three ways:
Automatically, if the incoming filename is an exact match for a first submittal filename in the same project (in EPR)
Manually, by selecting a document from the “Prior Submittals” dropdown (in EPR)
Through goPost or the integrated partner permitting system (prior to documents being routed to EPR)
When a resubmittal is linked properly, the first submittal document’s filename (or document display name, if different) is displayed in the “Prior Submittals” field.
Linked resubmittals will list the assignment(s) that already exist for the prior document versions, but will allow staff to set a new Due Date for the assignment(s).
Existing assignments will be updated to point to the resubmittal document once intake is completed.
If the “Prior Submittal” field is left blank for a resubmittal and intake is completed, it will be processed as a new first submittal instead and separate, potentially duplicate assignments will be created.
An incoming resubmittal must be linked to a prior submittal during intake to ensure that reviewers' markups and comments are carried forward from prior versions to the newest version, thereby reducing the effort required to complete the latest plan review cycle.
Group cannot be changed for existing assignments. Review Type, Assignee, and the number of assignments cannot be changed during resubmittal intake, but can be updated afterward from the project’s ASSIGNMENTS tab.
Deleting a Document from Intake
Deleting a document from the Intake tab is not advised except for the following situations:
When a document has been uploaded or routed to EPR by mistake
When a resubmittal document has been routed to EPR without being properly linked to a prior submittal in goPost or an integrated partner permitting system (see Unlinked Documents)
When intake does not complete successfully, resulting in a ‘Bad File’ error message displaying on the Intake tab (see Bad File Errors)
Not all users will have rights to delete files, but for those who do, the Delete icon ( ) will display to the right of the document record on the Intake tab.
Only click on Delete ( ) if certain the file should be removed as this action cannot be undone except by submitting a Service Desk ticket to e-PlanSoft Support.
Unlinked Documents
One reason to potentially delete an intake file is that the incoming file from goPost or an integrated partner permitting system is not correctly linked to the prior submittal. In this scenario, staff will need to delete the unlinked file that has been routed to EPR, then go back to the partner system and correctly link the file there before rerouting to EPR.
If the partner is goPost, you will need to (or ask the applicant to):
Download the file from goPost.
Use UPLOAD NEW VERSION to link the file to the previous submittal correctly.
Delete the unlinked file in goPost.*
Delete the unlinked file in EPR intake.*
Re-route the linked file to EPR.
*Submitting a Service Desk ticket to e-PlanSoft Support may be required for these steps.
If the integrated partner is someone else:
Submit a Service Desk ticket to e-PlanSoft Support to ensure the file(s) are deleted properly and can be routed again. They will provide guidance based on your integration.
Bad File Errors
If a file on the Intake tab displays a ‘Bad File’ error, this may mean intake did not complete successfully as expected. First, check whether the assignments for that file have been created (first submittals) or updated (resubmittals).
If assignments were created/updated successfully, simply delete the ‘Bad Error’ file.
If no assignments were created/updated, submit a Service Desk ticket with e-PlanSoft support to have them investigate the potential cause and provide resolution.
Creating and Updating Assignments After Intake
Although resubmittal assignments cannot be updated during the Intake step, these assignments can be updated after intake from the project’s ASSIGNMENTS tab. To update an existing assignment, either click on Edit ( ) to the right of the assignment record, or click on the checkbox for one or more assignments and then use the EDIT ASSIGNMENTS button.
Edit a Single Assignment
If editing a single assignment, staff can add or change the Review Type, add or change the assignee (“User”), or change the Due date.
Once an assignment is created, its Group value cannot be changed.
Edit Multiple Assignments
If editing multiple assignments at once, staff can add or change the assignee (“User”), change the Status, add or change the Review Type, or add or change the Due date.
Adding Assignments After Intake
It is also possible to add extra assignments that did not exist during a previous review cycle from the ASSIGNMENTS tab. To add additional assignments for staff:
Click on the Add button (
) in the lower right corner (you may need to hover over it with your cursor in order to see it properly).In the “Add Assignment” pop-up, click on the “Documents” field. A list of the first submittal documents that exist for this project will display.
Select the document for which you want to add another assignment, then click again outside of the list to clear it.
Fill in Group, Review Type, Assignee, and/or Due date information as needed.
If additional assignments are needed, repeat step 4.
Click CONFIRM to finish creating the extra assignments.
Any additional assignments created during the current review cycle will automatically be part of all future review cycles.
If an assignment is no longer needed during the current review cycle, do not delete the assignment. Instead, give the assignment a status of “Canceled” (or the equivalent Agency value ). This will remove it from consideration in the overall project workflow but maintains the history of previous review cycles.