Template Manager is an administration tool for checklists, delivered as a SharePoint web part in Business Online. It is not part of the mobile app itself, but is the side of the solution that system administrators use to define the templates that users fill out in the app.
Template Manager is only available to system administrators in Business Online.
📄 See also: Checklists
Who uses Template Manager?
| Role | Task |
|---|---|
| System administrator | Creates and publishes templates |
| QHSE manager | Defines quality checklists for project types |
| Project manager | Can see available templates for their project types via the project |
Key concepts
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Template | Definition of a checklist with questions and answer types |
| SchemaJSON | The technical representation of the template that drives the display in the app |
| ChecklistTemplate list | The SharePoint list in Project Hub where all templates are stored |
| Consolidation list | A separate SharePoint list for reporting on answers from a template |
Create a new template
- Open the Template Manager web part in Business Online
- Tap New Template
- A new template is created in Draft status
Metadata you can set
| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The name of the template | Yes |
| Template code | Optional code for the template | Yes |
| Template category | Categorical choice for the template | Yes |
| Project type | Which project types the template applies to | No |
| Allow without project | Whether the template is general (not project-type-specific) | No |
| Aggregation | Whether answers should be replicated to a consolidation list | No |
Define form sections
The question builder lets you define form sections so you can group questions in the form more easily.
What are sections?
Sections group related questions. For example, a safety round can have "General information", "Physical work environment", and "Fire and evacuation" as separate sections. This is very useful if the form becomes large or is to be filled in over several stages.
Define questions and answer types
The question builder lets you add, edit, and remove questions.
Properties per question
| Property | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Key | Unique identifier | Yes |
| Question text | Norwegian and English | Yes |
| Answer type | Type of answer | Yes |
| Required | Must be answered | No |
| Allow attachment | File upload allowed | No |
| Default value | Pre-filled value | No |
| Choices | Answer options (Choice/MultiChoice) | For choice types |
| Visibility logic | Conditions for when the question is shown | No |
Available answer types
| Answer type | Description | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| SLT (Short Line Text) | Single-line text | Short answers, references |
| MLT (Multi-Line Text) | Multi-line text | Descriptions |
| Number | Numeric value | Measurement values, counts |
| Choice | Choose one option | Status, type selection |
| MultiChoice | Choose multiple | Categories, properties |
| Date | Date | Inspection date |
| Person | Person picker | Participants in an inspection |
| Attachment | File upload | Images, documents |
Benefits
- Structure: clear segmentation
- Stepwise completion: users can fill in one section at a time
- Navigation: easy jumping between sections
- Progress: status per section
In the app the sections appear as collapsible cards with a progress indicator (e.g. 4/5).
Categorisation
Each template must be assigned a main category. The categories are predefined and managed centrally. Categorisation is used for:
- Filtering of templates
- Searching for checklists
- Reporting and export
Reference links in templates
You can attach external references to each question to give users quick access to relevant documentation.
| Type | Description | Icon in app |
|---|---|---|
| Web link | External URL | Browser |
| Governing document | Document from QDMS | Document |
Use a descriptive label (not raw URLs) — this gives better readability in the app.
Preview and validation
Before publishing a template you should preview and validate it.
Preview
Preview mode shows how the checklist looks for users in the app.
Validation
Template Manager checks automatically:
| Check | Description |
|---|---|
| Unique keys | No duplicate question keys |
| Valid options | Choice/MultiChoice have defined answer options |
| Required flags | Consistent |
| Visibility logic | References existing questions |
| Valid JSON | SchemaJSON is well-formed |
| Title | The template has a title |
You cannot publish until all validation errors have been corrected.
Save, publish, and version handling
Templates have three statuses with one-way transitions:
Draft --> Published --> Archived
Statuses
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Draft | Freely editable. The version number is not changed on save. Not visible in the app |
| Published | Locked for editing. The version number is incremented. A new Draft copy is created automatically for future changes. Visible in the app |
| Archived | Marked as inactive. Not in the template selector. Can be read but not edited |
Version handling
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Save draft | Changes are saved. Version number unchanged |
| Publish | Version number is incremented. The current version is locked. New Draft copy is created |
| Archive | The template is marked as inactive |
Published templates cannot be changed. To make changes, edit the draft copy that was created automatically on publishing, and publish it as a new version.
Consolidation lists
For templates with Aggregation = Yes, a consolidation list is created automatically on publishing.
What are consolidation lists?
Consolidation lists are SharePoint lists that gather answers from submitted checklists in tabular format. This makes it easy to create reports and dashboards in Power BI.
Column mapping
| Question type | SharePoint column |
|---|---|
| SLT | Single-line text |
| MLT | Multi-line text |
| Number | Number |
| Choice | Single-line text |
| MultiChoice | Multi-line text (semicolon-separated) |
| Date | Date |
| Attachment | Yes/No + hyperlink |
System columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| InstanceId | Unique ID for the checklist instance |
| TemplateId | Reference to the template |
| SubmittedBy | Who submitted |
| SubmittedOn | Submission time |
| ProjectId | The project the checklist belongs to |
Metadata management
After publishing, only the status can be changed — all other fields require a new version.
| Field | Can be changed after publish |
|---|---|
| Title | No (new version required) |
| Template code | No (new version required) |
| Template category | No (new version required) |
| Project type | No (new version required) |
| Allow without project | No (new version required) |
| Aggregation | No (new version required) |
| Status | Yes (forward only: Draft → Published → Archived) |
Requirements for publishing
- The template has a title
- The template contains at least one question
- SchemaJSON is valid
- Status is set
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