Link existing communications

You can create links between communications at any time from the Process Chain section of the Communication Details page or from the Stories tab.

Note If the communication templates of the communications to be linked do not support the same type of financial values (either expenditure or not expenditure), you cannot create financial associations but only add the communications to stories.

Note You cannot link to or from an existing progress communication.

To link existing communications:

1. Do one of the following:

   • On the Communication Details page, click the drop-down arrow on the Process Chain heading and select Add Link from the menu.

     The Edit a Communication page is opened.

   • Click the drop-down arrow on the Stories tab and select Add a Link from the menu.

     The Add a Link Retrospectively page is opened.

2. Complete the pages of the wizard as required.

   Click Next and Previous to move between pages.

   Page	Displayed If	Options
   Search for a Communication to Link To	Always	Type the text you want to search on in the Search for field. You can click to display further criteria on which to search: Enter the date you want to search from in the From this date field. Note that this date defaults to the Start Date of the contract. Select the fields by which you want to refine your search. Tip Select Latest Revision from the Communication Revisions drop-down list to view only the latest revisions of communications. Click Search. You can also click List All to display all communications in the contract. From the Results list, select the communication you want to link to.
   Choose Type of Link	Both communications have financial values of the same type (commitment change or expenditure)	Select the type of link you want to create: Create a Financial Association: Add the new communication to a story AND create a financial association with the communication you are linking to. Create a General Association: Add the new communication to a story.
   Choose Direction of Link	Create a Financial Association was selected on the Choose Type of Link page	Select the direction of the process chain link. The predecessor is displayed on the left and the successor on the right. The information displayed for each communication shows any changes to the financial and schedule impact values and reporting categories which will occur when the link is made. Click the Change Direction button to swap the predecessor and successor.
   Choose a Story Group	Always	Select the story you want to add the new communication to. Story options are: Add both communications to a new story. If either communication already belongs to one or more stories, add the communication you are editing to one of these stories. Note Stories which already include both communications are not displayed.

3. Click Finish.

   The Communication Details page or Stories tab is refreshed.

   If a financial association was created, the new link is shown in the Process Chain section of the Communication Details page If expenditure values and line items were also copied, they can be viewed and updated on the Expenditure tab and the financial values copied from the predecessor communication are displayed as appropriate (in the Financial Impact field, in the Commitment Changes section, or on the Expenditure tab).

   If the predecessor had a schedule impact value, this is added to the Schedule Impact field (if this is displayed for this communication type).

   If only a story link was created, this can be viewed on the Stories tab.