SLM Checklist Configuration Guide
SLM checklist configuration allows administrators to create structured verification checklists that guide and document compliance with specific procedures, tasks or standards. Checklists provide predefined items that users can review and complete consistently within Safety Lifecycle Manager.
Administrators can create checklist definitions and individual checklist items, configure checklist-specific statuses, add custom fields and attach completed configurations to objects throughout SLM.
This guide explains the SLM checklist configuration process, including how checklist statuses influence completion percentages and how definition and non-definition custom fields behave when users work with an attached checklist.
Understanding SLM Checklist Configuration
Checklists in SLM are structured tools designed to guide and document compliance with specific procedures, tasks or standards. They help improve consistency and thoroughness by providing users with a predefined collection of items to review or complete.
Administrators manage these configurations through the System module under Verification Checklists.
From this area, existing checklists can be edited or deleted and new checklists can be created. A checklist can contain its own items, statuses and custom fields before being attached to an object elsewhere in SLM.
The main configuration process consists of:
- Creating the checklist.
- Adding checklist items.
- Configuring checklist-specific statuses.
- Adding custom fields where required.
- Attaching the checklist to an SLM object.
- Tracking completion through item statuses.
Creating a Verification Checklist
To create a checklist, navigate to the System module and select Verification Checklists.
When adding a new checklist, the training demonstrates configuring information including:
- Checklist name
- Checklist ID
- Description
- Hidden status
- Category
The description is optional, while the Hidden setting allows the checklist to be hidden when required.
A category can also be assigned to help organize the checklist. After the required information has been entered, saving the configuration creates the new checklist and allows its individual items to be added.
Adding and Organizing Checklist Items
After the checklist has been created, individual checklist items can be configured.
Select the required checklist and use the Add Checklist Items function. Each item can contain:
- Item name
- Item ID
- Description
- Hidden status
- List order
The list-order setting controls the sequence in which the configured items are presented within the checklist.
Additional items can be created using the same process, allowing administrators to build a structured series of verification steps appropriate to the procedure or activity being managed.
For a broader introduction to working with checklists as an SLM user, see the SLM-101 Checklists Guide.
Configuring SLM Checklist Statuses
SLM checklist configuration supports both global checklist statuses and statuses created specifically for an individual checklist.
The global statuses demonstrated in the training include:
- Not Started
- Not Applicable
- In Progress
- Failed
- Complete
Global statuses can themselves be managed by administrators, including adding, editing or deleting statuses where appropriate.
Additional statuses can also be created for an individual checklist. The training demonstrates adding Open and Closed statuses that apply specifically to the tutorial checklist.
A checklist-specific status can include a code, background colour, list order and settings that determine whether it represents an initial or final status.
Initial and Final Checklist Statuses
Initial and final status settings are particularly important because they influence how SLM determines checklist completion.
In the training example, Open is configured as an initial status while Closed is configured as a final status.
The final-status property identifies checklist items that SLM treats as completed when calculating the overall checklist completion percentage.
For example, the training creates a checklist containing two items. One item is subsequently set to Closed, which is the configured final status, while the other remains Open.
After the changes are saved, SLM reports the checklist as 50% complete because one of the two checklist items has reached a final status.
This means administrators should consider the effect of initial and final properties when designing statuses rather than treating statuses as visual labels alone.
Adding Custom Fields to Checklist Items
Administrators can extend checklist items by adding custom fields to the checklist configuration.
The training demonstrates two types of custom field:
- Definition fields
- Non-definition fields
A definition field is displayed as a read-only value on each checklist item. It can therefore provide predefined information that users can reference but do not modify while completing the checklist.
A non-definition field can accept user input. In the training example, a non-definition field is configured as a dropdown so users can select a value while working with the checklist.
Custom fields can also have their own labels and list order, allowing the checklist configuration to be adapted to the information that needs to be captured during verification.
Attaching a Checklist to an SLM Object
Once the checklist configuration is complete, it can be attached to an object within an SLM module.
The training demonstrates this process using an object within the Global module. The user selects the object and chooses Attach Checklist before selecting the required checklist category and checklist.
After the checklist has been attached, its configured items become available on the object.
Opening the checklist provides information for each item including:
- Description
- Findings
- Status
- Verified By
- Last Status Changed
- Modified By
- Modified On
- Configured custom fields
The checklist-specific statuses appear alongside the applicable global statuses, giving users the available status choices when working through each checklist item.
How Checklist Completion Is Calculated
SLM checklist configuration uses the status properties assigned by administrators to determine checklist completion.
When an item reaches a status identified as final, that item contributes to the checklist’s completed percentage. Items that have not reached a final status remain incomplete for this calculation.
The example demonstrated in the training contains two checklist items:
- One item with the final Closed status.
- One item with the initial Open status.
Because one of the two items has reached a final status, SLM displays a checklist completion value of 50%.
Correctly configuring the status properties is therefore essential if the completion percentage is intended to represent progress through the checklist accurately.
Designing Effective SLM Checklists
When creating verification checklists, administrators should consider the checklist structure as a complete workflow rather than configuring each element independently.
The checklist items define what must be reviewed, statuses define the progression of those items, custom fields provide additional information or data capture, and final-status properties determine how completed work contributes to the overall percentage.
A practical configuration should therefore consider:
- Whether each checklist item represents a clear verification activity.
- The order in which items should appear.
- Which global statuses are appropriate.
- Whether checklist-specific statuses are necessary.
- Which statuses should represent completed work.
- Whether users need additional editable custom fields.
- Whether read-only definition information should accompany each item.
Keeping these elements aligned helps create a checklist that is straightforward for users to complete while providing meaningful progress information within SLM.
For broader guidance on designing and maintaining structured checklists, administrators can refer to the NIST National Checklist Program guidance, which discusses checklist development, use, maintenance and lifecycle management. SLM-specific checklist configuration should continue to follow the workflows and controls provided within Safety Lifecycle Manager.
Managing Checklist Configuration in SLM
SLM checklist configuration provides administrators with control over both the structure of a checklist and the way users interact with it.
Administrators can create and organize checklist items, control visibility, define checklist-specific statuses and add custom fields appropriate to the verification process.
Once attached to an object, the checklist combines these configured elements with user-entered findings, verification information and status history.
The use of initial and final status properties also allows SLM to translate individual checklist-item statuses into an overall completion percentage.
Together, these capabilities allow verification checklists to support structured and repeatable activities throughout the SLM environment.
