Manage artifact types

Prepare to track the progress and resolution of artifacts by customizing artifact types and their associated statuses available to be logged on records in your inventory.

Artifact types

By default, the ValidMind Platform provides three artifact types:

Validation Issue

Problems discovered during record validation that reflect errors, inconsistencies, or gaps in data, methodology, implementation, or documentation that need to be addressed before the record is considered reliable.

Policy Exception

When a record or part of its development or usage does not comply with internal policies, regulatory requirements, or governance standards, but an explicit approval or waiver is granted to allow it under controlled conditions.

Limitation

Inherent weaknesses or constraints of the record itself that cannot be fully resolved; definitions under which the record’s results should be interpreted with caution.

You can rename any artifact type, including these defaults, so that it matches the terminology your organization uses.¹

¹ Edit artifact types

NoneCan I create custom artifact types?

Yes, you can create custom artifact types to track categories of observations beyond the defaults. Common examples include:

Change management

Track requested changes to records, their approval status, and implementation timeline. Useful when record updates require formal change control processes.

Audit findings

Capture observations from internal or external audits that require follow-up. Separating these from validation issues helps distinguish regulatory audit trails from routine validation work.

Enhancement requests

Log suggested improvements that don’t rise to the level of a validation issue. Helps capture ideas for future record iterations without cluttering the validation issue backlog.

Custom artifact types support the same features as default types, including statuses, fields, permissions, workflow triggers, and data exports.

Prerequisites

• You are logged in to ValidMind.
• You are a Customer Admin or assigned another role with sufficient permissions to perform the tasks in this guide.²

² Manage permissions

Add artifact types

1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

2. Under Artifacts, select Artifact Types.

3. Click Add Artifact Type.

4. Enter a Name and an optional Description for your artifact type.

5. Click Create to create your new artifact type.

   Every default artifact field except Risk Area starts out turned on for a new artifact type. To turn fields on or off, or to show or require them when creating artifacts of this type, configure them in Artifact Fields.³

6. Click on your newly created artifact type to edit its details and permissions.

7. Enter the artifact type’s details:

   • Record Fields Display⁴ — Select which upstream record fields⁵ to display as read-only under the Inventory Record Information section on artifacts of this type and click Save Record Fields Configuration to apply your changes.
   • Artifact Statuses — Configure the statuses available to this artifact type.⁶

8. Select the artifact type’s permissions:

   • Create Artifact — Inventory record stakeholder types or user roles⁷ that can create this type of artifact.
   • Update Artifact — Inventory record stakeholder types or user roles that can update existing artifacts of this type.

³ Configure default artifact fields

⁴ 
• Drag-and-drop fields to reorder them.
• Click Save Record Fields Configuration to apply changes.

⁵ Edit inventory fields

⁶ Manage artifact type statuses

⁷ 
• Manage record stakeholder types
• Manage roles

Edit artifact types

1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

2. Under Artifacts, select Artifact Types.

3. Click the existing artifact type you want to edit.

4. Make your desired changes to the artifact type’s details:

   • Name, Description, and Slug — Edit the artifact type’s details and click Save Details to apply your changes. You can rename any artifact type, including the default ones.⁸
     • The name is shown everywhere the artifact type appears, such as the sidebar, artifact lists and filters, and workflows. Dashboard charts filtered to the artifact type by name are updated to the new name. Names must be unique within your organization and 255 characters or fewer.
     • The slug identifies the artifact type in permissions and in links to its settings. Slugs must be unique within your organization and use only lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes.
   • Record Fields Display⁹ — Select which upstream record fields¹⁰ to display as read-only under the Inventory Record Information section on artifacts of this type and click Save Record Fields Configuration to apply your changes.
   • Artifact Statuses — Configure the statuses available to this artifact type.¹¹

5. Make your desired changes to the artifact type’s permissions:

   • Create Artifact — Inventory record stakeholder types or user roles¹² that can create this type of artifact.
   • Update Artifact — Inventory record stakeholder types or user roles that can update existing artifacts of this type.

⁸ 

NoneChanging a slug keeps the artifact type’s permissions.

Roles keep the same permissions to create, update, and view artifacts of the type, and existing artifacts and links to them are not affected. Bookmarked links to the artifact type’s settings that include the old slug no longer open it.

⁹ 
• Drag-and-drop fields to reorder them.
• Click Save Record Fields Configuration to apply changes.

¹⁰ Edit inventory fields

¹¹ Manage artifact type statuses

¹² 
• Manage record stakeholder types
• Manage roles

Manage artifact type statuses

Closed and Open are default stages, meaning they cannot be modified or removed.

1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

2. Under Artifacts, select Artifact Types.

3. Click the existing artifact type you want to edit,¹³ or create a new artifact type¹⁴ to add, edit, or delete artifact statuses.

¹³ Edit artifact types

¹⁴ Add artifact types

Add artifact statuses

1. Click Add Status.

2. Enter a Status Name and assign a Color to your artifact status.

3. When you are done, click Add Status to create your new status.

Edit or delete artifact statuses

1. Hover over the artifact status you’d like to modify.

2. When the menu appears, click on it and select:

   • Edit Details to change the Status Name or Color of the status, then click Update Status to apply your changes.
   • Delete Status to remove the status. Click OK to confirm permanent deletion of that status.

ImportantArtifact status deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Artifact statuses cannot be deleted if in use on an artifact. Ensure that the status you’re deleting is not associated with any artifacts before proceeding.

Archive and delete artifact types

ImportantDeletion of artifact types is permanent.

• Default artifact types cannot be deleted, only archived.¹⁵ When archiving a default artifact type, existing artifacts of that type will be hidden and no new artifacts of that type can be created.
• When archiving a custom artifact type, existing artifacts of that type will remain viewable, but no new artifacts of that type can be created.

¹⁵ Artifact types

1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.

2. Under Artifacts, select Artifact Types.

3. Hover over the artifact type you want to archive or delete.

4. When the menu appears, click Archive Artifact Type under the Actions column.

5. Click Yes, Archive Artifact Type to confirm archival.

Once archived, custom artifact types can be deleted permanently or restored for use:

Delete artifact types

Only artifact types with no active artifact records can be deleted.

1. Hover over the artifact type you want to delete.
2. When the menu appears, click Delete under the Actions column.
3. Click Yes, Delete Artifact Type to confirm permanent deletion.

Restore artifact types

1. Hover over the artifact type you want to restore.
2. When the menu appears, click Restore under the Actions column.
3. Click Yes, Restore Artifact Type to confirm restoration.