Updated May 2, 2007

UPDATE: Workflow has been streamlined to reduce the number of statuses. Training should incorporate this information. If you've already been trained, please review the information below on how items should move through the system from story creation to "final" status.

-----

APT Falcon is a queue-based system. One of the biggest differences between APT and Harris is that APT will use status changes to advance copy through production, rather than move stories to different folders or baskets on the system.

With a story highlighted, clicking the forward "blue arrow" in the menu bar of a queue sends the item to the next stage of production.Here's an overview of those stages -- the basic workflow of APT:

Queue: Reporter
A story starts in a reporter's queue. When done, it is copied to the appropriate editing queue by clicking the blue arrow in the menu bar and selecting a departmental ready queue -- daily local for daily news, enterprise for unscheduled centerpieces, etc. A complete list of ready queues and functions is shown in a PDF attachment.

Queue: Ready
Any incoming unedited items should arrive in a ready queue with "1stEdit " status assigned. The item remains in this status until assigning editor signs off on item. The editor clicks the blue button, which changes status to PageReady and moves the item to JStory.

Sidestep: AdvanceEdit
An item ready for copy editing but not scheduled for the daily paper can be marked as AdvanceEdit. This status must be selected manually and takes the item out of the automated workflow.

Status: PageReady
This item is a daily story ready to be assigned to a page and placed by a designer. Subelements such as a headline are assigned. Click the blue button again to advance to the next status.

Status: CopyEdit
Once placed on page, a story's status is changed to to CopyEdit. When an item is placed, story should automatically move to JStory. Now the story may be "checked out" by a rim editor for copy editing and fixes.

Status: Backread
Once the rimmer has finished with a story, the editor "checks in" the story and clicks the blue button again to advance to the next status. This changes the status to "backread" for a final read of the story and its subelements.

Status: Final, and Queue: Recovery
The slot "checks out" the story, reads and "checks in." A final click of the blue arrow changes the story status to "final," triggers Web and archive routing and moves the story to Recovery.

Once all items on a page are checked back in, the page is ready to be sent to plate.

"Final" stories land in recovery, where they may be copied out and renamed for makeover in later editions. If no changes are required for subsequent editions, stories do not need to be copied and re-edited.