Purpose Statement
The ITM Pending Reasons feature gives Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) users greater visibility and control over which ITM submissions from the Business Portal are flagged as Pending for manual review and which submissions continue through automated processing.
Pending Reasons provide more granular control by identifying the specific condition that caused a submission to require attention. This allows your department to prioritize critical submissions while existing ITM automation continues to operate in the background.
Background Information
The Pending Reasons system determines which ITM submission scenarios are assigned an AHJ Status of Pending for manual review.
Pending Reasons are organized into three categories that reflect how ITM submissions move through your department:
- Initial Statuses: Apply when a new ITM report is submitted through the Business Portal.
- Status Changes: Apply when a service provider updates the status of an existing system.
- Resubmission: Applies when a previously rejected report is resubmitted.
Initial Statuses vs. Status Changes
The primary difference between Initial Statuses and Status Changes is when they apply during the ITM submission process.
Initial Statuses apply when a brand-new ITM report is submitted. These settings determine which initial system statuses cause the report to be flagged as Pending for manual review.
Status Changes apply when a service provider updates the status of an existing system. These settings determine whether a change in system status causes the report to require manual review.
For example, Pending Reasons allow your department to distinguish between an initial Critical Deficiency and a status change to Critical Deficiency. Instead of only knowing that a report is Pending, you can identify the condition that caused it to require review.
A simple way to remember the difference is: Initial Statuses look at how the system is reported when it first comes in, while Status Changes look at how the system's status changes afterward.
How Pending Reasons Work with Existing Automation
Pending Reasons work alongside your existing automated ITM workflows. They do not replace or disable your current automation.
Your existing settings continue to control processes such as:
- Compliance check scheduling
- Automated email notifications
- SMS alerts
- Applicable automatic processing and approvals
This allows the system to continue handling automated compliance workflows in the background while surfacing the appropriate submissions for manual review.
For departments already using the Business Portal, existing Flag as Pending settings were migrated to the Pending Reasons system when the feature was implemented. Existing automated processes continue to operate while the Pending Reasons section provides additional visibility into why a submission was flagged.
Required Permissions
Users must have the following access to configure Pending Reasons:
- ITM Reports - Setup: Required to access ITM Setup and configure Pending Reasons.
- Appropriate AHJ access, such as a Fire Inspector or Administrator role, to modify agency-level ITM configurations.
If you cannot access ITM Setup or modify Pending Reasons, contact your agency administrator to verify your assigned permissions and role.
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Step-by-Step Guide
Navigate to ITM Setup
From the module stack, click ITM, then click ITM Setup.
Open Pending Reasons
From ITM Setup, click Pending Reasons.
Configure Pending Reasons
Review the available options and select which conditions should cause an ITM submission to be assigned an AHJ Status of Pending for manual review.
Configure the appropriate conditions within each of the three stages:
- Initial Statuses: Determine which statuses should trigger manual review when a new report is submitted.
- Status Changes: Determine which changes to an existing system's status should trigger manual review.
- Resubmission: Determine when a previously rejected report being resubmitted should require manual review.
When a configured condition is met, the submission is flagged as Pending, allowing your department to identify why the submission requires manual attention.
Best Practices
Prioritize Critical Conditions
Consider configuring Pending Reasons for conditions that require timely attention, such as Critical Deficiencies and system impairments. This helps your team focus its manual review efforts on higher-priority submissions.
Differentiate Initial Statuses from Status Changes
Configure these categories based on when you need your team to intervene. A Critical Deficiency on a new report may require a different workflow than an existing system that changes to Critical Deficiency.
Use a Risk-Based Approach
Prioritize impairments, critical deficiencies, and other higher-risk conditions over routine compliance items when determining which reports require manual review.
Consider Your Team's Workload
Be mindful of how many conditions are configured to create a Pending status. Flagging too many submission scenarios can increase the volume of reports requiring manual review.
Start with Your Highest-Priority Conditions
Begin with the conditions most important to your agency. Additional Pending Reasons can be enabled as your team evaluates submission volume and workflow needs.
Review Your Configuration Regularly
Periodically evaluate Pending Reasons based on report volume, staffing, and department procedures. Adjust the configuration as your department's review process changes.
Remember That Automation Continues
Pending Reasons work alongside your existing notification and compliance settings. Automated emails, SMS alerts, compliance check scheduling, and other configured workflows continue to operate.
Account for Multi-System Reports
If any system within a multi-system report meets the configured Pending criteria, the entire report is flagged as Pending.
Account for New Addresses
Reports containing new addresses are automatically flagged as Pending regardless of the configured Pending Reasons.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
I configured Pending Reasons, but submissions aren't appearing in my queue.
Verify that the AHJ Status filter in the ITM list is configured to display Pending submissions. Also confirm that the submissions meet at least one of your configured Pending Reasons.
What is the difference between Initial Statuses and Status Changes?
Initial Statuses evaluate the status of a system when a new ITM report is first submitted. Status Changes apply when a service provider changes the status of an existing system. This allows your department to configure different manual review requirements depending on when a particular status occurs.
Why does a report show as Pending?
A report can be assigned a Pending status when it meets one of your configured Pending Reasons. The Pending Reasons system provides greater visibility into the specific condition that caused the report to require manual review.
Too many submissions are being flagged as Pending. What should I check?
Review the Initial Submission setting. This setting flags all new reports regardless of status. If your department only needs to review specific conditions, consider using more targeted Pending Reasons, such as Initial Critical Deficiency.
Do Pending Reasons affect my existing automated workflows?
No. Pending Reasons work alongside your existing automation. Your configured compliance checks, notifications, SMS alerts, and other automated processes continue to operate according to their existing settings.
My existing compliance checks stopped working. Are Pending Reasons causing this?
Pending Reasons do not control compliance check scheduling. Review the applicable settings within the Initial, Update, and Resolved Notifications tabs to verify that your notification and compliance configurations are still properly configured.
What happened to my previous "Flag as Pending" settings?
Existing Flag as Pending settings were migrated to the Pending Reasons system when the feature was implemented. Your previous flagging behavior should continue based on the migrated configuration, while Pending Reasons provide more granular visibility into why reports are Pending.
What happens when a submission contains a new address?
Submissions containing new addresses are automatically flagged as Pending regardless of your Pending Reasons configuration. After the AHJ approves the new address, the system re-evaluates the submission using the configured Initial Status criteria.
What happens if one system in a multi-system report meets a Pending Reason?
If any system within a multi-system report meets the configured Pending criteria, the entire report is flagged as Pending for review.
Are Pending Reasons retained after a submission is approved or rejected?
Yes. Pending Reasons are maintained in the submission's historical records even after the submission is approved or rejected.
Do changes to my Pending Reasons configuration update reports that are already Pending?
No. Configuration changes apply to new submissions. Existing Pending submissions retain the Pending Reasons that were assigned when they were originally processed.