DEX 3 Group - Task and Document

["Barker, Sean (UK)" <sean.barker@baesystems.com>]

Below is an extract from the representing_task_association capability currently under development. This should be a first draft, trying to get the scope of the possible associations between Task and Document. Please review to see if all DEX 3 requirements are catered for, or whether significant other relationship types are needed. Comments from other DEX groups would also be welcome.

Document, Document_version and Document_definition

This section covers the relationship of documents to tasks. Much of the existing support systems are document based, and so this section provides both for identifying the documents used in a manual system and for a fully electronic system which needs to reference documents supporting the task. For example, a manual system will refer to the page of the manual, the stores requisition form needed and the worksheet recording the progress of the task. A fully electronic system will have computerised these functions, but may still reference training videos, assembly diagrams, etc. In some cases, such as transportation tasks, the task will involve documentation from outside the scope of the support system, such as customs declarations.

It is possible both to assign a task to a document or a document to a task. The choice of DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT_VERSION or DOCUMENT_DEFINITION depends on the granularity of control required, and is discussed in REPRESENTING_DOCUMENTS. It is also possible to assign part of a document to a task, using PARTIAL_DOCUMENT_ASSIGNMENT. The generic term "document element" is used to cover all these possibilities.

The reference data for DOCUMENT_ASSIGNMENTS is reproduced in the characterization section of REPRESENTING_TASK. It is reproduced here in order that the full set of associations can be compared.

The use of DOCUMENT_ASSIGNMENT to assign a document element to TASK implies that the element is relevant to the TASK as a whole, whether or not the TASK_METHOD has been detailed. The following classifications are defined as subclasses of Document_to_Task:

Task-review - a review of the TASK or its usage;
Task-recording - a description of a metric of recording procedure applicable to the task;
Task-record - a documentry record from an ACTIVITY_ACTUAL which used the recording method defined in a Task_recording document;
Document-task-other.
There is a nice distinction to be made between the recording of what was actually done (the method for ACTIVITY_ACTUAL) and the use of a recording method defined against the method for planned ACTIVITY. A Task-record provides for the latter. As this is a DOCUMENT_ASSIGNMENT, then the Task-record corresponds to a "filled-in form", where the blank form is some subclass of Task-recording.

A TASK_ASSOCIATION identifies a document element as being significant for the TASK as a whole, and, in particular, covers documents used to define the TASK, though excluding descriptions of the TASK_METHOD. The following classification are defined as subclasses of Task_to_Document:

Task-required-recording - the definition of any record of the TASK required to be completed by the TASK, e.g. record that the work has been done;
Task-required-document - any document or form required to be completed in order to complete the task, e.g. stores requistion, customs declaration;
Task-outcome - a document used in the description of the outcome of the task;
Task-resource-listing - a document detailing the resources used during the task, such as the list of parts supplied with a kit;
Task-document-other;
The reference data for DOCUMENT_ASSIGNMENT to TASK_METHOD is provided in REPRESENTING_TASK_STRUCTURE. It is reproduced here in order that the full set of associations can be compared.

Training-document - providing training that is applicable to the step;
Ancillary-description - a separate document providing useful guidance about the task step, e.g. diagnostics guide;
Task-step-review - a document recording any review of the step;
Task-step-recording - a description of a metric of recording procedure applicable to the task;
Task-step-record - a documentry record from an ACTIVITY_ACTUAL which used the recording method defined in a Task-step-recording document;
Document-task-step-other - documents not covered by the above classification.
TASK_METHOD_ASSOCIATION to document element provides documentation specific to the step or any of its component steps. Where a step inherits a document from a higher level step, then an assignment at the level of the step overrides the inherited document - for example, where a step references a later version of a diagnostics guide. Any revision of the target documents would n ormally require that the impact on the TASK definition be reviewed.

Method-description - a separate document defining the details of the task step;
Method-detail - a separate document - usually not text - used to describe the step, e.g. a photograph, assembly instructions;
Method-ancillary-description - a separate document providing normative guidance about the task step, e.g. diagnostics process;
Reference-document - a document providing reference information required by the step, e.g. a chart of tyre pressures;
Task-step-required-recording - the definition of any record or form required to be completed by the end of the TASK
Applicable-rules - asserts rules, regulations, etc. which apply when performing the task, e.g. safety regulations;
Applied-rules - asserts that the task step conforms to the referenced rules, regulations, etc.;
Non-applicable-rules - asserts that the referenced rules, regulations, etc, do not apply when performing the task;
Task-step-document-other - documents not covered by the above classification.
The use of a TASK_METHOD_ASSOCATION classified as "applied-rules" may also have an APPROVAL or CERTIFICATION applied to the association which confirms the validity of the claim.

Sean Barker
ATC Filton
0117 302 8184

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