FieldClear

Guide · Updated 2026-09-21

Training Matrix Colour Coding That Clients Understand

Colour coding helps only when every viewer shares the same legend and colours are calculated from expiry dates. Manual green cells are how stale matrices impress clients until the first opened certificate fails.

Quick answer

Use a short legend: current, due within your warning window, expired, missing, and not required. Drive colours from dates automatically. Publish the legend on exports so a principal contractor does not guess what amber means in your file.

A legend clients can read

A legend clients can read
StatusMeaning
CurrentDate in the future beyond the warning window
Due soonInside the warning window you defined
ExpiredDate has passed
MissingRequired but no date or evidence yet
Not requiredDeliberately out of scope for that role

Rules that prevent arguments

  • Never paint over an expired date to keep a pack looking tidy
  • Show missing differently from not required
  • Keep skills proficiency colours out of the training matrix
  • Include the warning-window length on the export cover note
  • Use the same legend across subcontract packs you request

Exports and portals

Some client portals strip formatting. Pair colour with a text status column so meaning survives CSV upload. When presenting on screen, filter to red and amber first — that is what decision-makers need.

Honest limits

FieldClear calculates status from dates rather than relying on hand-coloured cells. Colours remain a display of your data quality. This guide is operational information, not a client standard.

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