4. Add a Process and Steps

Before you embark on setting up a workflow, it is important to read the Workflows Introduction and Process and Type guides.

Important note: If you change the configuration of workflow, it will only impact instances of the workflow that are initiated after the change is made. Workflows that were initiated prior to the change will not be affected.

The first step to configuring a workflow is to configure a Process – the series of steps during the processing of a workflow. Each step of a Process has:

  • Participants
  • Transition options (which steps it can transition to from the current step)
  • Tabs for entering additional information as the Workflow progresses (e.g. adding documents, comments and actions)

Add a process

As a System Administrator, select Settings on the menu bar.

On the Settings Menu Panel select Workflow Admin >  Configure Workflow > Workflow Processes

We need to add a new workflow process. Remember, a process is a series of steps that is associated with a data entry form that will be displayed when the workflow is initiated.

Select the New button (above the empty grid on the page) to add a step to the process. Fill out the form as shown.

The Process has a name and description. The Class field is where you select the Workflow Class that will be associated with Process. In this case the Report Class is selected.

Note: The Report Class may not be changed after the Process is created.

Descriptions of the available Workflow Classes

Select the Create button on the form to create the new process.

Select the Configure button at the right hand end of the grid row to open the page for configuring the workflow.

On this page we will create the workflow steps. We will then use the buttons on the right hand side of the grid to open a page where we will:

  • Configure how the steps are linked together (the transitions)
  • Configure which tabs (additional information such as actions, comments, documents) can be associated with each step.

Above the grid on the page select the New button to bring up the form for adding the first step.

Filling out the form

Step Name

The Name of the step will be displayed at the top of the page while the workflow is at this step. It should be concise but informative. Ideally it will indicate to a user that is on this step of the workflow what he should do.

In the step, a user is required to add more information to the report if his/her supervisor has returned the report to them.

Name this step: Initiator to add information

Associated Status

Workflows are open while they are being executed. Most steps will have a status of Open. The later steps will give options for closing the workflow, including:

  • Close and save.
  • Close and discard.

Set the Associated Status to: Open Workflow

Sequence

Sequence determines the order of the steps when the steps of the workflow are displayed in a list. Importantly, sequence does not influence the order in which the workflow transitions through the steps. The order in which the workflow transitions through the steps is determined by the Transition settings which we will look at in later in this guide.

First Step of Process

By default the step with Sequence number of 1 will be the first step of the Process.

However you may set any one of the steps to be the first step of the process by selecting the First Step of Process checkbox.

Enable Notifications

If you select this checkbox, then the participants in the workflow will be notified by email that they have been assigned task when the workflow transitions to this step. The email message contains a link to open the workflow.

Select Create to create the step. Note the step has been added to the Workflow Step Configuration page:

Select the New button again to add the next step.

Fill out the form as shown

This step is where the Supervisor of the Initiators workgroup reviews the report. Later we will add transitions to the step that allow the Supervisor to:

  • Return the report to the Initiator, requesting more information.
  • Close and save the report.
  • Discard the report.

We also want this step to be the first step of the workflow.  This means that when a user initiates a ‘Weekly Report’ workflow, they will be presented with the Report form to enter the details of their report. When the user submits the report, the workflow transitions to the ‘First Step’ where the Supervisor reviews the report.

We want the Supervisor to be notified by email that the report has been submitted, so select the Enable Notifications checkbox.

Click the Create button on the form and note the addition of the step to the grid.

Select New above the grid to add the 3rd step.

Fill out the form as shown

Select Create at the bottom of the form to create the step. The Workflow Step Configuration page will be updated with the new step.

Note: You can edit these steps at any time by selecting the checkbox on the left of the grid, then Edit (above the grid).

Select New above the grid to add the 4th step.

Fill out the form as shown.

Click the Create button to create the step. The Workflow Step Configuration page will be updated.

Look over the form to see the information shown for each of the fours steps of the workflow.

That completes the initial creation of the steps of the workflow.

We are now able to configure each step in more detail including adding Transitions, associating Participants with each step and assigning tabs to each step for entering information as the workflow transitions through the steps.

We have added four Steps to the Process. Next we add additional settings to each step including:

  • Add transition options for each step.
  • Assign participants to each step.
  • Assign tabs to each step so that additional information can be added by participants.

Guide to Configuring the Workflow Steps