Important Note: This article discusses classic functionality. For information on the modern applicant experience, refer to the Applicant Experience Knowledgebase article.
This article is Part III of the documentation regarding tasks. Before creating workflows, you should configure the task feature and review the documentation with information about assigning tasks --
Administrative Tasks: Part I - Configuring the 'Task' Feature and Task Lists
Administrative Tasks: Part II - Creating Tasks
Introduction
Tasks can be automated by creating a workflow. A workflow is a series of tasks where each task is automatically generated in sequence when the previous task in the workflow is marked as complete. A workflow can be triggered manually by an admin user or automatically by a query watch.
This article discusses the following topics:
Permissions
There are three permissions that will provide access to the workflow-related admin tools. Work flow permissions allow admin the ability to view, add, and edit workflows on the site. It is not necessary for an admin user to have these permissions if they only need to be assigned tasks that are part of the workflow. In other words, an admin can complete workflow tasks without being granted the permissions to view, add, or edit workflows:
- Staff Admin: Workflow (view)
- Staff Admin: Workflow (add)
- Staff Admin: Workflow (edit)
Creating/Editing/Retiring/Deleting a Workflow
1) Workflow Listing
The workflow feature is found under Staff -> Workflow and is only accessible to admin users who have access to the 'Staff Admin: Workflow (view)' permission.
A: New Workflow tab: This tab will only appear if the admin has the permission 'Staff Admin: Workflow (add)'.
B: Workflow listing: The workflow listing shows all unarchived workflows that exist in the account. They are sorted alphabetically by the name of the workflow. Click on the subject to see the details of the workflow configuration including workflow-level settings and the individual workflow steps.
C: Workflow record: Each workflow will be displayed in the list with the name, description, and target setting information. A target setting of 'No Default' signifies that the workflow will not have a target object; a target setting of 'Reference' signifies that the workflow will require a target object. There is also an 'Active' column that will indicate whether or not there are currently any Open, Pending, or In Progress tasks associated with that workflow. The 'Actions' column will allow the admin to edit, retire, and/or delete a workflow. If a workflow has never been used, it can be deleted. If a workflow has been used, it can be archived to remove it from view. Workflows can only be edited when in an inactive status.
2) Workflow Builder/Editor
If an admin clicks on the 'New Workflow' tab or chooses to edit an existing workflow, they are brought to the workflow builder:
A: C opy existing workflow: If the workflow does not yet have any steps, a drop-down menu is provided with all currently existing workflows in the account. By selecting one and clicking 'OK,' the admin will be returned to the workflow listing with a new workflow having been created as a clone of the other workflow and with the name 'Copy of {WORKFLOW NAME}.' The new workflow can now be edited as necessary. When copying an existing workflow, it will often be necessary to tweak some of the workflow steps, like editing who the tasks will be assigned to.
B: Name: It is required to provide a workflow name.
C: Description: A description is optional.
D: Target: There are two options for the workflow target:
- No default: This means that the workflow will not have a target object.
- Reference: This means that there will need to be a target object identified when the workflow is started that can be used by the workflow's steps/tasks as the target object.
E: Notification list for start of workflow: This is an optional list of comma/semi-colon separated email addresses that will receive a notification email whenever the workflow begins.
F: Notification list for completion of workflow: This is an optional list of comma/semi-colon separated email addresses that will receive a notification email whenever the last step in the workflow has been marked as 'Completed'.
G: Add new step: This button will only appear when there are less than twenty steps in the workflow. A re-order button is provided to allow an admin to order/reorder the steps in the workflow. It is possible to have multiple steps in the workflow with the same number, to assign tasks simultaneously.
3) Creating/Editing a Workflow Step
When an admin adds or edits a workflow step, they will be brought to the edit step page which is very similar to the page seen when creating/editing a task:
A: Subject: This is a required field which must contain at least 1 character. The maximum size of this field is 140 characters.
B: Description: This is an optional field. The maximum size of this field is 4000 characters.
C: Priority: This drop-down menu has four options: Low, Medium, High, and Critical. The default option is Medium.
D: Deadline: This drop-down menu has four options:
- Fixed-date (this is the default option)
- Number of days after task creation
- Number of days after workflow start
- None
By using the options for number of days after task creation or after workflow start, an admin can configure relative deadlines. For example, if the deadline is set to be 2 days after the task is created, a new task assigned to an admin by the workflow on Feb. 15, 2016, will have a deadline of Feb. 17, 2016.
E: Assigned to: This is a required field for a workflow step. The default placeholder will be 'not assigned'. Click the 'Edit' link to select the name of the admin user to whom this task should be assigned.
F: Send notification to assigned admin: This will allow admin to configure the workflow to send a notification (email or SMS text message) to the selected administrator(s) when a new task associated with the workflow is assigned. Both are optional and are not checked by default.
NOTE: If custom task fields have been created under Settings -> System Features -> Administrative tab, they will appear on the workflow step creation page so that the admin can assign the desired attributes to tasks created from the workflow.
If this step is a new step in the workflow, it will be added as the last step in the workflow upon saving. The steps of the workflow can be re-ordered as desired. Up to twenty steps can be created for the workflow.
Starting a Workflow
Once a workflow has been created and has the desired steps configured, an admin can start the workflow manually or the workflow can be started by a query watch. Once a workflow has been started, tasks will be assigned in the sequence configured in the workflow. As soon as the task from Step 1 is marked as completed, the task from Step 2 will be automatically assigned. As soon as the task from Step 2 is marked as completed, the task from Step 3 will be automatically assigned, and so on.
1) Manually Starting a Workflow
To manually start a workflow that does not require a target object, go to Staff > Workflow and click on the name of the workflow. On the next page, click the 'Start Workflow' button.
To manually start a workflow that does require a target object, go to the target object page and click on the 'New Task' tab. When creating the new task, select the appropriate workflow from the 'Assign workflow' dropdown list.
2) Query Watch
Workflows can be started automatically by configuring them to be triggered via a query watch. There is a new setting on the Query Watch configuration page for workflow. When selected, a workflow will be identified and step 1 of that workflow will be triggered for new results in the query watch. Please note that if a workflow is included in a query watch, that workflow then becomes uneditable.
A: Actions: Workflow: Checking this box will reveal the workflow-related settings in section B.
B: Workflow: This section will appear when 'workflow' is selected in section A.
If the workflow that will be used in the query watch does not have a target, the 'Single workflow' option should be selected, and the appropriate workflow chosen from the picklist provided. The workflow that is triggered from the query watch will pertain to all records in the query watch as a group. For example, if the query watch is looking for new withdrawn applications, and a single workflow is triggered from the query watch, one task will be triggered from the query watch that could pertain to one withdrawn application, or many withdrawn applications.
If the workflow does require a target object, the 'Records included in actions as targets' option should be selected and the appropriate workflow chosen from the picklist. Individual workflows will be triggered by each new record in the query results. For example, if the query watch is looking for new withdrawn applications, and the next time it runs, there are three new withdrawn applications, then three workflows will be initiated, resulting in three tasks being assigned to the designated admin user. Each individual newly withdrawn application will have it's own task where the application serves as the target object of the task.
Workflow Examples
The following is a list of examples of common workflows:
- Credit Equivalency Request Approvals
- Travel Registrations - a workflow could be created to notify an administrator when an applicant registers travel to a high-risk area, and to either approve/deny the travel registration.
- Application Review - a workflow could be created to review applications as an alternative to using the Reviewers feature of Terra Dotta software.
- Consider using one specific admin user that is used as a 'queue' to assign tasks/workflows. All tasks/workflows would be assigned to this admin user, who would then switch ownership to the appropriate administrator.