Who is this article for?

Users working with Word documents in the document control lifecycle.

Document module access is required.

Ideagen Quality Management supports the tracked changes feature built into Microsoft Word, presenting reviewers with both a tracked changes version and a clean proposed published version when a Word document is released for review.

This article explains what to do if the tracked changes are unexpectedly missing from documents.

Issue

Despite being enabled, changes are not tracked as they're made in the Word document. Once the document is checked back in and released for review, the reviewer is unable to see any tracked changes.

Important

Tracked changes only apply to Word (.docx) files. Other file types do not support this feature and will not generate a tracked-changes version.

Troubleshooting

Checking system settings

Tracked changes must be turned on at the system level before it is available for any document.

To check system settings:

1. Open to Administration.
2. Select System Settings.
3. Go to Document Control.
4. Confirm Allow Track Changes is ticked.

If this setting is disabled, the tracked changes version will not be generated or shown at any stage of the document lifecycle.

Feature turned off during editing

Ideagen Quality Management automatically enables tracked changes when a document is checked out, but the editor can manually disable it in Word's Review tab at any time. Edits made while track changes are off will not be recorded.

Example

An editor disables tracked changes in Word to avoid distraction while editing. Upon check-in, no tracked-changes version is created, despite system settings being enabled and edits visible in the Word file.

The most common cause is that edits exist in the Word file, but without Track Changes enabled, Ideagen Quality Management has no markup to show during review.

Tracked changes version opens as a separate file

Tracked changes do not appear inline on the Ideagen Quality Management review page. During review, you can open the tracked-changes Word file via a link, and a separate link is provided for the proposed published version.

Tip

If your group is later in the review order, the document may be released but not yet in your Inbox. You can access it early via the Documents Tree and continue the review from there.

Solution

Current revision

If the document is under review and the tracked-changes version has no markup due to disabled tracking, markup cannot be added later.

You have two options:

• Review using only the proposed published version; edit markup is unavailable for this revision.
• Cancel the revision, re-edit with Track Changes active, and resend for review.

Important

Cancelling a revision removes the document from the Inboxes of all current reviewers. Let reviewers know before you cancel so they are not caught off guard.

Future revisions

To ensure tracked changes are always captured in future editing sessions:

1. Ensure the Track Changes button in Word's Review tab is active before editing.
2. Keep it on throughout the editing session.
3. Use the New Comment button in the Review pane to add comments.

Comments added this way are automatically recorded in the Changes Made field in Ideagen Quality Management, which cannot be edited manually when tracked changes are enabled.

Tip

You can set tracked changes to be always on by default in Word, so it is active whenever you open any document, not just Ideagen Quality Management files.