Setting deadlines, much like setting a GPS for a road trip, keeps everyone on the right path and ensures a smooth journey. In Full Fabric, the "Deadline" field in application templates plays a valuable role in the application process. But why exactly are these deadlines useful? ⏳ This article will explore the reasons behind these deadlines and how they benefit both staff and applicants. So, buckle up and join us on this informative expedition! 🚗 📆

➜ Why Do Application Templates Have Deadlines?

➜ How Does the Closure of a Class Impact Application Templates, and Vice Versa?

As you might have noticed before, all application templates created in Full Fabric include a "Deadline" field under the "Details" tab. This setting is for defining a submission deadline, after which applicants will be unable to start or submit their applications, and an error message will appear if they try.

Understandably, this might cause you to wonder, "Why should I set a deadline for an application template if all classes already have their own? Don’t they serve the same purpose?" However, there are actually several important reasons for establishing a deadline for application templates:

Full Fabric's application templates were designed to be reusable. ♻️ As a result, staff can spare themselves the hassle of creating a suitable application template from scratch every time an intake looms on the horizon by simply adding new classes to one that already exists. This not only saves staff time but also facilitates the application process for returning applicants, who encounter a familiar framework. 😌

Since application templates can be shared across multiple different classes and even programmes indefinitely, assigning an application template a deadline lets you regulate the duration of its usage. This essentially means that it's to remain valid only for a limited period of time—a decade at most, albeit renewable—which all related classes must observe. The proper enforcement of application templates is always under your complete control and authority.

If you treat the deadline as a quality assurance date, a restricted timeframe for using an application template can be a clever strategy for encouraging regular reviews and updates.🧹This allows for the incorporation of user feedback, the integration of enriching new Full Fabric features, and the general upkeep of the template to better meet the evolving needs of candidates and staff.

In the interest of delivering the most optimal application experience you possibly can at any given moment while safeguarding data integrity, it could be best to retire an old application template if it requires such a drastic overhaul that it's safer and more practical to start over. 🔄 Defining a deadline for the old application template will prevent overlap and confusion with the new one(s).

Knowing the deadline for certain application templates helps staff plan ahead. Staff members can allocate resources, delegate tasks, and coordinate efforts accordingly to keep the templates up-to-date or create replacements in a timely fashion. 🗂️

Although placing deadlines on application templates is optional, skipping this setting has its drawbacks. Besides foregoing the aforementioned benefits, you would also be unable to extend deadlines for specific applications from particular applicants, as explained in the article How to Enable Late Applications. 🕒 ✨

Class deadlines take precedence over application template deadlines if the latter are longer. When a class closes, the system automatically removes it from the product choice field of the associated application template(s), making it impossible for new applicants to select that class from then on. As for applicants who'd selected it prior to closure but failed to submit their applications on time, they will no longer be able to do so unless they modify their class selection or are granted an extension. ⛔

That being said, application template deadlines take precedence over class deadlines if the latter are longer. Application templates close automatically when they expire. While this doesn't close the class itself, it will put it out of reach for potential candidates unless you prolong the application template deadline or link the class to a different application template that's open and part of a portal page. To avoid disruptions, make sure that deadlines for application templates do not fall during the application periods of any classes that use them, and take advantage of the break between application cycles for any necessary content revisions. 🛠️

Congratulations on reaching the end of this article, and thank you for reading it! 🙌 If you have any questions or comments on the topic at hand, or if you enjoy this type of content and have article requests, just drop us a line at support@fullfabric.com or start a chat from the chat bubble on the lower right-hand corner. Also, please leave a rating below. Your feedback helps us grow! 💖

PUBLISHED: July 20, 2024
​LAST UPDATED: July 20, 2024, at 08:50 a.m. London time, by Cláudia Duarte