Workflow templates contain the steps necessary to achieve a change management process. A workflow administrator creates workflow templates consisting of the workflow steps with defined recipients.
Each step defines an action that a user or the software must complete for the object to move to the next step in the workflow. Steps can optionally have a list of checklist items that the user must complete and check off before the object moves to the next step.
These templates are conditionally made available to manage different classes of object. You can associate objects to a workflow and manage the item in that workflow.
The order of processing for each step is defined by the Accept and Reject steps. By default, the first step is started when the workflow is attached to the change object. Subsequent steps start when the prerequisite steps are completed.
Parallel steps are configured by specifying a number of steps that start based upon the completion of a particular step.
An object can move from one workflow into another. For example, a document review and sign off workflow can be configured so that a document rejected during a review step moves to a different workflow designed to address the issues found with the document. Workflow steps manage each stage of the business process including validation, approval, distribution, and notification. Each workflow step has a target completion date that determines when overdue notifications are sent and workflows expire.
The steps in the template workflow are selected from a library of step definitions to ensure a consistent look and feel to all workflows. The following information can be specified on the steps in the workflow template:
-
Option to utilize e-mail notification as well as the To Do List.
-
Option to provide a condition to filter attachment of object. For example, a document would have to be working to be submitted to an approval/signoff workflow.
-
Step dependency (allowing for serial or parallel processing).
-
The recipients of each step (these can be users, roles, or matrices).
-
The next step for voting steps with a voting percentage that determines a true vote by all recipients.
-
The object status on step completion.
-
A rejection route for validation or voting steps.
-
The step duration (used to set the target completion date when the workflow is in use).
-
Optional checklists can be configured and attached for work assignment steps.
-
Option to delete completed workflow instances to reduce database size and help system performance.