Workflow Designer: Concepts
The workflow designer gives you a work space to graphically design workflows. A workflow is a series of steps that form a process. You can save the process as a template. Project managers and change order owners use the template to create projects and change orders.
Change orders are available only if you have set the Allow Change Orders system parameter to Yes. When you create a project workflow template, change order templates are not available to select as sub-workflows or review links. When you create a change order template, project workflow templates are not available to select as sub-workflows or review links.
Typically, workflow administrators create workflows. You should understand the template's expected purpose before you begin designing it. Work with project managers and change order owners to determine what types of workflows they need, how they will use the workflows, and the details to include for each step.
You are a workflow administrator, and you need to set up a workflow for a common process to create a product pamphlet. You work with the project managers to determine the common steps for creating a product pamphlet.
You determine that these are the required steps:
- First draft
- Project manager initial review
- Second draft
- Project manager second review
- Final edits
- Final director review and approval
- Send to print
You verify how the project managers want to handle the vote results of the various reviews, what information each step needs to collect, which role must be notified at each step's start and end, and any other information related to each step.
You design the workflow using the steps the project managers defined. After successfully validating the workflow, you test and promote it. The template is available for the project managers to use.
Design Considerations
When you design a workflow, keep in mind that users will see the steps you create as tasks in a project or change order. You can use several types of steps to create a workflow.
Carefully determine each workflow step's outcome. You can modify output ports for some step types and not for others. For steps that allow additional output ports, consider the rules you want to apply to them. See Workflow Criteria Overview. If you apply no rules, the project or change order could follow a non-default or non-best-practice port. You can create a sub-workflow to easily reuse a series of steps in multiple workflows. When you modify a sub-workflow, any projects that have previously used that sub-workflow are not affected by the changes.
Key Fields
The type of task you are viewing determines which tabs you see for a step.
Details
On the Details tab, you define the task's basic information, such as who must complete the task, the work schedule to calculate work information, and the start type. When you define a regular step or an iterative step, you enter assignees. You determine whether to assign a role, user, or group to the step. You enter the estimated work for the assignee as well. When you define a review step or an iterative review step, you enter reviewers and select a voting style. For more information, see Editing Workflow Review Steps.
The user record in System Tools is the source for a user's basic information. A user's role for a step is separate and can be affected by many factors.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
|
Work Schedule |
Select the step's days and hours of work, and whether weekends are included. Each step includes 1 work schedule. For more information, see Work Schedules. |
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Auto Close |
Select whether the task closes automatically. If you select Yes or Yes Milestone, the step does not have assignees and will close automatically. Start steps and end steps are zero duration and auto-close. Typically, milestone steps are also zero duration and auto-close. The Page Layout tab and the Document Layout tab are not available for auto-close steps. |
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Allow Remove |
Select whether users can remove the task from the workflow template. |
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Workgroup Action |
This field appears if the step is not a review step and has not yet been assigned. Select who is required to close a task. Who is required to close the task is especially important when you assign a step to more than 1 user. For more information, see Special Considerations for Workgroup Actions. |
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Document Level Voting |
This field appears for review steps. Select whether reviewers vote on each individual document in the review, instead of making 1 vote for the entire review. If this field is set to Yes, then users can select a Voting Style of Consensus or First Vote Decides. If the voting style is consensus, 1 vote to reject any document causes that document to be rejected and, therefore, the review to be rejected. If the voting style is first vote decides, the first reviewer to complete the review task will determine the outcome of the review. |
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Voting Style |
This field appears for review steps. Select how the application sends initial notifications and when it sets the vote result. See Voting Styles. |
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Auto Accept |
This field appears if:
Select whether a step automatically moves from Pending or Projected status to In Process status. |
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Allow Task Delegation |
This field appears if the step or review step is not set to auto-close. Select whether the assignee can delegate the task to another user. |
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Requires Electronic Signature |
This field appears if the step or review step is not set to auto-close. This field indicates whether assignees must type their electronic signature in order to close the step. |
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All Must Vote |
This field appears for review steps. Select whether all assigned reviewers must vote on the review, even after the review's vote result is reached. For example, if you set this field to Yes for a review that has the majority voting style, all reviewers must vote, even after a majority of voters have voted to approve, approve with changes, or reject the review. If the voting style is sequential, the application makes this field read-only and sets it to No. |
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Start Type |
Select when the task starts. See Start Types. |
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Estimated Duration |
Enter the amount of time you expect the task to take. For example, you set a task's work schedule to not include weekends, and you set work hours to be 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. for the work days. If the begin date is Friday June 9, 2014 at 9:00 A.M. and the end date is Thursday June 15, 2014 at 5:00 P.M., the estimated duration is 5 days. Note:
If you change the begin date or end date, the estimated duration changes. Note:
If you have activated any extra project scale system types those will be seen here. Any project scale that is visible but has not been filled in will default to the Default project scale when the project is running. Also seen is the Estimated Work Multiplier which will work in conjunction with Project Scales. The Estimated Work Multiplier will always be 1 on the Default row and cannot be changed. Multipliers can be modified on any other scales and those multipliers will be multiplied against the Default Estimated Work field for each assignee to come up with a new Default Estimated Work amount when the corresponding scale is selected in a project. |
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Estimated Work |
Enter the number of hours or days you expect will be required to complete the task. If the task has multiple assignees, the estimated work is the total time estimated for all assignees. |
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Fixed Source |
This field appears if you set the Start Type field to Fixed Begin, Fixed End, Start No Earlier Than, or Start No Later Than. Select the date that determines the task's fixed date. The options listed in this field are based on extended attributes you configure. Be sure to use extended attributes that appear on the Details tab for the user. Placing the start date information on a tab other than the Details tab can create problems if some users cannot view the other tab. |
| Source Behavior |
This field appears if you set the Start Type field to Fixed Begin, Fixed End, Start No Earlier Than, or Start No Later Than. A task with a Fixed source behavior will use the Fixed Source to calculate the task’s date once and then won’t change it. A task with a Dynamic source behavior will use the Fixed Source to calculate the task’s date and then will update the task’s date if the date in the source attribute changes. |
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Fixed Source Offset |
This field appears if you set the Start Type field to Fixed Begin, Fixed End, Start No Earlier Than, or Start No Later Than. When a task with a fixed date starts, the application uses the offset to determine how long before or after the selected fixed source the task should begin. |
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Sub-Workflow |
This field appears if you add or modify a sub-workflow. Select the sub-workflow options. |
Start Types
The task's start type determines the task's behavior. These are the start types and their behaviors.
| Start Type | Behavior |
|---|---|
|
As Soon As Possible |
The application calculates the begin date based on the predecessor step's end date. You cannot use As Soon As Possible and As Late As Possible start types in the same project. If you set the Enable ALAP field on the workflow template's Details tab to Yes, the application changes any steps you define with As Soon As Possible start types to As Late As Possible start types. If you set the start step's Start Type field to As Soon As Possible, a second field appears next to the start type to determine the task's starting behavior. If you select Begin Immediately, the project or change order starts immediately when you start it. If you select Use Calculated Date, the start task changes to Pending status when you start the project or change order. The project actually begins on the project anchor date. Notes:
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As Late As Possible |
The application calculates the begin date based on the successor step's begin date. You cannot use As Soon As Possible and As Late As Possible start types in the same project. If you set the Enable ALAP field to No, the As Late As Possible start type is not an option to select for the workflow steps. If you set the start step's Start Type field to As Late As Possible, a second field that determines the task's starting behavior appears. If you select Begin Immediately, the project or change order starts immediately when you start it. If you select Use Calculated Date, the start task changes to Pending status when you start the project or change order. The project actually begins on the project anchor date. Note:
If a project relies on an extended attribute to start, the extended attribute must be filled in before the project is able to start. |
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Fixed Begin |
Clicking this start type enables the Fixed Source, Source Behavior and Fixed Source Offset fields. Use attributes to define the source, select the behavior and add an offset from that source if needed. |
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Fixed End Date |
Clicking this start type enables the Fixed Source, Source Behavior and Fixed Source Offset fields. Use attributes to define the source, select the behavior and add an offset from that source if needed. |
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Start No Earlier Than |
The step begins on or after the date you enter if the step's input requirements are met. If all requirements to start the step are met, but the date is not reached, the step waits to start until the specified start date. Clicking this start type enables the Fixed Source, Source Behavior and Fixed Source Offset fields. Use attributes to define the source, select the behavior and add an offset from that source if needed. |
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Start No Later Than |
The step begins on or before the date you enter. If all requirements to start the step are met, but the date is not reached, the step starts. Clicking this start type enables the Fixed Source, Source Behavior and Fixed Source Offset fields. Use attributes to define the source, select the behavior and add an offset from that source if needed. If you set the start step's Start Type field to Start No Later Than, a second field appears next to the start type to determine the task's starting behavior. If you select Begin Immediately, the project or change order starts immediately when you start it. If you select Use Calculated Date, the start task changes to Pending status when you start the project or change order. The project actually begins on the fixed date. |
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Avoid using project or change order extended attributes to populate fixed start dates or end dates unless the attributes are required and they appear on the Details tab of the project or change order. Otherwise, the date field might appear on a tab other than the Details tab, and the project manager or change order owner might not notice this.
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If you enter no date and time for the start step, the application uses the activity's project anchor date as the start date. So if you design the step with a start type of As Soon As Possible, and the application cannot calculate a start date from any other settings in the steps, it uses the project anchor date as the start date.
Examples:You have a small workflow with 4 steps. The start step's start type is As Soon As Possible. All subsequent steps also have As Soon As Possible start types. The application uses the project anchor date to determine the start date, because it found no other way to calculate the start date.
You have a small workflow with 4 steps. The start step's start type is As Soon As Possible. The second step and the end step have As Soon As Possible start types. The third step, however, has a fixed start date. When a project manager uses this template to start a project, the application calculates the start date based on the third step's fixed start date and the other steps' estimated durations.
- If you set the Enable ALAP field on the workflow template's Details tab to Yes, the application changes any steps you defined with As Soon As Possible start types to As Late As Possible start types. If you set the Enable ALAP field to No, the As Late As Possible start type is not an option for the workflow's steps.
Assignees and Reviewer Definitions
The Assignees and Reviewer Definitions sections are on the Details tab. The Assignees section appears if the step is not a review step. The Reviewer Definitions section appears if the step is a review step.
Assignees
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
|
Type |
Select the type of assignee. This field determines the Assignee field's options. |
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Assignee |
Select the user, role, or group responsible for the task's completion. The available options depend on your selection in the Type field. |
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Estimated Work |
Enter the estimated days, hours, and minutes the task will take to complete. The estimated work should reflect the best estimate for the time needed to complete the task. In the estimate, do not consider how long the task will take the assignee based on the assignee's other work or time constraints. For example, if you think the task will take 4 hours total, enter 4 hours. Do not anticipate that the assignee might need an entire day due to working on another task. |
Reviewer Definitions
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
|
Type |
Select the type of reviewer. This field determines the Reviewer field's options. Order buttons appear next to the Type field only if the step has a sequential review. |
|
Reviewer |
The available options depend on your selection in the Type field. Select the reviewer associated with the selected type for the task. If you assign more than 1 reviewer to the task and the task is sequential, use the order buttons to order the reviewers. The reviewer at the bottom of the list reviews first. The reviews continue up from the bottom, with the reviewer at the beginning of the list performing the final review. |
Voting Buttons and Labels
The Voting Buttons and Labels section appears on a review step's Details tab. You can change the labels that appear on the review's voting buttons.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
|
Enabled |
Uncheck this option to hide the Approve with Changes button in a review or iterative reject step. If you uncheck this option, you must still configure a valid path for the step's Approve with Changes port. Notes:
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Vote Action |
These fields list the default button labels you can change:
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Button Label for This Task |
In the field next to the default button label, type a new button label. Notes:
Tip:
If you want to change the review step voting button labels for all review steps across the application, use the Terminology module in System Tools. |
Voting Styles
You can choose from several voting styles for a review task.
| Style | How Initial Notifications Are Sent | When the Vote Result Is Set |
|---|---|---|
|
Consensus |
The application sends initial notifications simultaneously to all reviewers when the task review begins. |
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First Vote Decides |
The application sends initial notifications simultaneously to all reviewers when the task review begins. |
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Majority |
The application sends initial notifications simultaneously to all reviewers when the task review begins. |
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Sequential |
The application sends initial notifications 1 at a time to reviewers. When the task review begins, the first reviewer receives a notification. The application sends the remaining notifications 1 at a time to the reviewers if the previous reviewer approved the review task. The reviewer at the bottom of the list is first. The reviews continue up from the bottom, with the reviewer at the beginning of the list performing the final review. |
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Single |
The application sends initial notifications simultaneously to all reviewers when the task review begins. |
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If you select Sequential, you can order the task's reviewers. If a reviewer has already voted, you cannot change that vote or re-order the reviewers.
If you set the All Must Vote field on the Details tab to Yes, every reviewer must vote, even after enough reviewers have voted to determine the review's vote result. If the voting style is sequential, the application makes the All Must Vote field read-only and sets it to No.
Reviews marked as Document level voting reviews support only Consensus and First Vote Decides voting styles.
Page Layout
The Page Layout tab defines the information users see for the task. Checklist items appear to the user in a section called Work List. Data collection items appear in sections that reflect their title. You can assign step checklists and data collection templates to roles.
You add a checklist and a data collection template to a step. You name the checklist Standard Review Items and assign it to the graphic designer role. You add a data collection template named Materials Needed and assign it also to the graphic designer role. When the user with the graphic designer role opens the task, the Standard Review Items checklist and the Materials Needed data collection template appear.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
|
Work Entry |
Different work entry options are available depending on the Detailed Time Tracking system parameter setting. The work entry fields can be Require, Show, or None. If you select Require, users must enter information into the fields before they can close the task. If you select Show, users have the option to enter the information. If you select None, the work entry section does not appear. If you disable detailed time tracking, assignees see 3 fields when working with the task:
If you enable detailed time tracking, assignees see additional fields. The application totals all time that assignees enter for the task to populate the Actual Begin, Actual End, and Actual Work fields when the task is closed. For information, see My Time Entries. |
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Data Collection Template |
Apply data collection templates to steps to gather required task information. You can use multiple templates in a step. You can assign roles to data collection templates in the workflow designer. You create data collection templates in the Data Collection Templates module in Workflow Administration. Note:
On the page layout tab, data collection templates display in the order in which you add them to the task. When an assignee views the task, the data collection templates display in the same order as seen on the page layout tab. To modify the order, click the Set Sequence button on the page layout tab. |
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Checklist |
A checklist is a group of items that assignees must complete for a task. You can display the checklist items as check boxes or option buttons. If you choose option buttons, buttons labeled Yes, No, and N/A appear for each checklist item. You can assign roles to step checklists. Note:
On the page layout tab, checklists display in the order in which you add them to the task. When an assignee views the task, the checklists display in the same order as seen on the page layout tab. To modify the order, click the Set Sequence button on the page layout tab. You create step checklists in the Step Checklists module in Workflow Administration. Note:
Changes to a step checklist also appear in workflows that use the checklist. However, those changes do not appear in existing projects or change orders that use the checklist. |
| Role Assignment | If configured, Task inbox users assigned to task or review tasks will be able to assign users to project roles. Any users selected in this field in the task inbox will populate on the project roles tab and also be automatically added to the Activity Access, View list.
Note:
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Considerations When Assigning Roles to Step Checklists and Data Collection Templates
A step can have multiple assignees. You might want each different role for the step to complete a different checklist or data collection template. You can assign 1 or more roles to a checklist. Assignees see the checklists and templates that apply to them based on their role for the step.
A user record is where you define basic user information in System Tools. Consider these possible interactions among roles, checklists, and templates:
- The role listed in a user record applies to the user in a workflow step as long as the step specifies no other role for the user.
- If you assign a role to a user in the step, the step role takes precedence over the role listed in the user record.
- If a group or field tag causes a user to be assigned to a step, and no role exists in the user record, the user does not have a role for the step.
- The user's role in the step determines which checklists and templates are visible.
- If a step has more than 1 assignee, and the step's workgroup action is Any May Close, 1 assignee can close the step before the others complete their required fields.
- Assignees who have multiple roles for a step might see checklists or templates that have multiple roles next to them, indicating that those items apply to more than 1 role.
- If a step has assignees with different roles, and more than 1 role has the same checklist, the checklist appears multiple times with the role listed next to it.
- If a step uses multiple data collection templates, and more than 1 template uses the same extended attribute, the first template to use the extended attribute lists it. The other templates that use the extended attribute contain an empty place where the attribute would have been.
Document Layout
The Document Layout tab provides several ways to make documents visible in a task. The documents can be review documents or supporting documents.
Review Documents
Review documents are documents for users to review by annotating them or checking them out.
You can check out, edit, and check in new versions for review documents of these formats:
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Excel
Other users cannot edit a review document while you have it checked out.
Select the Documents visible from previous steps check box to make the document list display review documents you attach to this step as well as review documents attached to the predecessor steps. If you select this option, type instructions in the field to tell users what to do with the attachments or digital assets.
You require a document attachment in a step. In the next step, you select the Documents visible from previous steps check box and require the assignees to edit the document. In the third step, you also select the Documents visible from previous steps check box and require the reviewers to approve, approve with changes, or reject the document.
Assignees can delete only documents attached to the current step with the Document Uploads method. If a document is visible from a previous step, it cannot be deleted.
When a workflow is defined with a Digital Asset Location = Aprimo DAM, Auto close tasks will allow for some level of document layout configuration but only for Aprimo DAM assets. This will be available to allow different metadata to be updated automatically for various asset types. The default behavior will be a check mark for ‘Pass all work documents from immediate predecessor Step’ that when checked will pass all work documents through this step that appeared in the immediate predecessor step regardless of asset type. Any metadata updates that happen here will apply to all asset types. Configuration for DAM assets that will be allowed will be noted below.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
|
Show document vote details |
Select whether the task's Documents section displays each document's vote details. The vote details include the vote and comments entered by each reviewer. |
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Documents visible from previous steps |
Select whether the task's Documents section shows the combined list of documents from the Documents sections of all of its immediate predecessors. After you assign the task, any documents on the user's task are displayed as specific attachments or specific digital assets. Note:
Steps that have documents visible from previous steps are designed to display all versions of each document in their content. If you don’t want to see multiple versions of the same document in these instances, design your workflow to include steps that are not on the workflow’s main execution path. For these steps, create two paths: In one path, add an auto-close step. In the second path, create a step that includes only one version of the document. Then, for the step that includes the last version of the document, reconnect its path to the main execution path. |
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Show documents of these types |
Select the category and type of activity-level documents that appear in the Documents section. Select Attachment or Digital Asset for the category. The Type list reflects the category you select. After you assign the task, any documents that users add in this section are displayed as specific attachments or specific digital assets. Note:
Auto close tasks will have this configuration available. Users will only be able to select a Category of Aprimo DAM. Remember that no assignee will see this task, so the main purpose of this is configuring only certain asset types to move through the workflow and have metadata updated. |
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Specific Attachments |
Select the attachments that appear in the Details tab's Documents section. These attachments are available for users to view from the My Tasks module or, for review tasks, from the My Review Tasks module. You can select documents attached to the activity. |
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Specific Digital Assets |
Select the digital assets that appear in the Details tab's Documents section. These digital assets are available for users to view from the My Tasks module or, for review tasks, from the My Review Tasks module. |
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Document Uploads |
Select the documents that users must upload before they can close the task. If you select None Required, users can add as many documents as they want, but they are not required to add a specific number of documents.
Note:
If Category selected = Aprimo DAM there is a Location column available for selection. No preference means that end users in inbox assigned to a task will have the ability to ‘Select from DAM’, ‘Upload from local drive’, or 'Create PDF from website’*. If the workflow template is configured for Location = ‘Browse Existing’ end users in inbox will only be able to select existing assets that exist in the DAM. If the workflow template is configured for Location = ‘Upload from local’ end users in inbox will only be able to create brand new assets in the DAM from their local drive. If the workflow template is configured for Location = ‘Create PDF from website’, end users in inbox will only be able to create a new website review asset in the DAM*. *A specific setup in DAM is required to create a PDF from website. For more information, please see Setting up a website review stored in DAM.
Note:
Auto close tasks will have this configuration available. Users will only be able to select a Category of Aprimo DAM. Remember that no assignee will see this task and this is an upload asset panel. The use case for this is if you chose to create a child DAM asset in the immediate predecessor task and you wanted to attach that child asset to the workflow so that it could move through the workflow independently of the parent without any user being assigned the task. The other use case would be if you want to create a child DAM asset automatically through an auto-close task. Outside of those two uses cases, there is no reason to configure this option. Note:
Documents marked with activity level visibility will appear on all projects inside an activity. If there are a large number of projects on an activity and therefore a large number of attachments with activity level visibility there could be performance issues on the Attachment list page inside the activity. |
Supporting Documents and Links
Documents and digital assets you add in the Supporting Documents and Links section are available for users as read-only information, or as links to an activity.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
|
Document Uploads |
Select the documents that a reviewer can upload to the review task. Documents that reviewers upload to the review task are not intended to be reviewed. If your project requires reviewers to provide certain documents, this option enables them to upload those documents to the review task rather than having to be assigned a regular task for the document upload. Note: *A specific setup in DAM is required to create a PDF from website. For more information, please see Setting up a website review stored in DAM. |
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Show documents of these types |
Select categories and types of activity-level documents to appear. Select Attachment or Digital Asset for the category. The Type list reflects the category selected. For work tasks, not review tasks, the Add New Version field appears. Select Yes or Yes – Required if you want to allow or require assignees to add a new version of the document. Select No if you don’t want to allow assignees to add a new version of the document. |
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Specific Attachments |
Select specific attachments to appear. These attachments are available for users to view from the My Tasks module or, for review tasks, from the My Review Tasks module. You can select documents attached to the activity. For work tasks, not review tasks, the Add New Version field appears. Select Yes or Yes – Required if you want to allow or require assignees to add a new version of the attachment. Select No if you don’t want to allow assignees to add a new version of the attachment. |
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Specific Digital Assets |
Select specific digital assets to appear. These digital assets are available for users to view from the My Tasks module or, for review tasks, from the My Review Tasks module. For work tasks, not review tasks, the Add New Version field appears. Select Yes or Yes – Required if you want to allow or require assignees to add a new version of the digital asset. Select No if you don’t want to allow assignees to add a new version of the digital asset. |
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Activity Links |
Select whether to include instructions and an activity link. You can add activity links for a regular task or review task. Users can click the link to go directly to the specified place in the activity. Users must have access rights to the activity. Example:
You want the user to add an offer to an activity at a certain point in the project. For the step, you label the instructions to click the link to add an offer. Then you assign the link to go to offers in the activity. |
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Review Links |
This field appears only for review tasks iterative review tasks. Select whether reviewers of other specified tasks can click a link to go directly to this task. Your task can be accessed by reviewers of other tasks you specify. In the Step list box, click a task. That task then includes a link to allow reviewers to view your task. If a review link becomes invalid, the application automatically removes it from the task when the task is saved. |
Input Ports
Each step has 1 default input port. You can modify the default input port, and you can add input ports.
An input port's Details tab specifies whether all paths entering the port must arrive before the step is started, or whether the first path into the port causes the step to begin. The input port is where you determine whether the step can be assigned before the port is active.
On an input port's Actions tab, you can edit attributes for the activity, project, or task. You can also set workflow variables, define notifications to send, promote attachments to digital assets, apply teams and access rights, automatically start projects and assign access rights, reset baselines, and change the activity type status. For more information about configuring these options, see Actions for Input and Output Ports, and Status Actions.
Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
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Activation |
Select the option that will enable the port to activate. This setting matters only for steps with more than 1 port. |
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Required |
Select whether the task can be assigned without this port being activated. |
Actions
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
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Edit Attributes |
Edit attributes for the activity, projects, and tasks. For more information, see Actions for Input and Output Ports, and Status Actions. |
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Set Workflow Variable |
Set a value for a workflow variable. |
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Send Notification |
Send notifications to specified roles. All users assigned to that role receive notifications. |
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Promote Attachment to Digital Asset |
Promote documents to digital assets. The application promotes all documents of the type you specify that are visible to the task. Note:
In the Digital Asset Default Title field, you can configure the title that the application gives this digital asset after the promote action occurs. |
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Apply Team |
Apply a team to the project, change order, or activity. For example, if a supplier will complete a task, you can apply a team to seed the roles for that supplier. You can also determine whether to add the users to the access list. |
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Apply Project Template |
Select a project template and select whether to automatically start the project. You can also add a project team and add the users to the access list. |
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Reset Baseline |
Reset the baseline for a project or change order. Note:
The Reset Baseline action resets the baseline for the entire project or change order, not just for an individual task. |
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Set Activity Type Status |
Select an activity type status for each of the parent activity's activity types. Based on the activity type status you select, the application automatically updates the activity's status at that step. This section's name might vary based on your organization's terminology. |
Output Ports
For regular steps, you can modify the default output port and add output ports. For review steps, iterative steps, and iterative review steps, some changes to the ports are disabled.
On the Actions tab, you configure the output port to edit attributes for the activity, project, or task. You can also set workflow variables, define notifications to send, promote attachments to digital assets, automatically start projects, apply teams and then assign access rights, reset baselines, and change the activity type status. For more information about configuring these options, see Actions for Input and Output Ports, and Status Actions.
The Rule tab enables you to build criteria and expressions for the port.
Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
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Best Practice |
Select whether the output port should be on the best practice path for the project or change order. You can have only 1 best practice output port for a step. |
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Default |
Select whether the output port is the default. This path is used only if no other path is taken. You can have only 1 default output port for a step. If the output port is not the default, the Rule tab is available. |
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Iterative |
If the output port is the Approved port, the iterative option is not available. Select whether the review task's output port is iterative. |
Actions
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
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Edit Attributes |
Edit attributes for the activity, projects, change orders, and tasks. |
| Edit Asset Fields |
Configure metadata that will be gathered through a workflow and updated on Aprimo DAM assets that exist on a Task. Users will be able to select from the following attributes types in Aprimo DAM: Classification List fields, Option List fields, Date Time fields, Date fields, Numeric fields, User List fields and Text fields. Notes:
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Set Workflow Variable |
Set a value for a workflow variable. |
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Send Notification |
Send notifications to specified roles. All users assigned to that role receive notifications. |
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Promote Attachment to Digital Asset |
Promote documents to digital assets. The application promotes all documents of the type you specify that are visible to the task. Note:
In the Digital Asset Default Title field, you can configure the title that the application gives this digital asset after the promote action occurs. |
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Apply Team |
Apply a team to the project, change order, or activity. For example, if a supplier will complete a task, you can apply a team to seed the supplier's roles. You can also determine whether to add the users to the access list. |
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Apply Project Template |
Select a project template and select whether to automatically start the project. You can also add a project team and add the users to the access list. |
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Reset Baseline |
Reset the baseline for a project or change order. Note:
The Reset Baseline action resets the baseline for the entire project or change order, not just for an individual task. |
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Set Activity Type Status |
Select an activity type status for each of the parent activity's activity types. Based on the activity type status you select, the application automatically updates the activity's status at that step. This section's name might vary based on your organization's terminology. |
| Set Project Scale | You can set the Project Scaling System Type for the project based on a configured rule. |
Rule
The Rule tab is available if you have not set the port as the default port. The Rule tab is not available for editing if the step is an iterative sub-workflow step.
| Section | Description |
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Expression |
Build your expression with the criteria defined in the Criteria section. |
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Criteria |
Select the criteria to use in your expression. You create the criteria before you build the expression. |
Task Stuck Notification Section
The Task Stuck Notification section appears on the Output Ports tab when the Task Stuck Notifications system parameter is set to Yes.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
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Task Stuck Notification |
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Task Stuck Notification Delay |
Type the amount of time for the application to delay before sending task stuck notifications if the task becomes stuck. |
Status Actions
On the Status Actions tab, you can configure actions based on the task's status. You can edit attributes for the activity, project, or task. You can also set workflow variables, define notifications to send, promote attachments to digital assets, automatically start projects, apply teams and then assign access rights, reset baselines, and change the activity type status. For information about configuring these options, see Actions for Input and Output Ports, and Status Actions.
Assignee status, also known as work status, is different from task status, which indicates the task's overall status. For information on assignee statuses, task statuses, and how they work together, see Overview of Statuses in Tasks.
When designing status actions, realize that all steps initially have Draft status and continue through Projected, Pending, and Assigned statuses. Steps that have the As Soon As Possible start type display Projected status, but then appear to skip Pending status and continue directly to Assigned. These steps do pass through Pending status, but it is not visible to users. Likewise, steps with a Fixed Begin or Fixed End start type appear to skip Projected status, but they actually pass through that status and then display Pending status. Auto-close steps also pass through all statuses even though that might not be visible. Therefore, even if you do not see the status change, you can be sure that the application will initiate status actions you set for all step statuses.
If you duplicate a status action on both Projected status and Pending status, the action might occur more than once. If the step start type is As Soon As Possible, consider setting an action only for Projected status. If the step start type is Fixed Begin or Fixed End, consider setting an action only for Pending status.
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
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Actions for status |
Select the status from the list. The statuses available to select vary based on the type of step you are creating. For example, you cannot select In Process status for a start task because that status is not available for a start task. |
| Cell Matrix Locked | When set to 'Unlock', the Cell Matrix field on the Activity is unlocked. When set to 'Lock', the Cell Matrix field on the Activity is locked. When set to 'Do Not Change', the state of the field remains unchanged. When locked, the Cells, Cell Matrix, Offers, and Treatments associated with the Activity may not be edited or deleted. |
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Edit Attributes |
Edit attributes for the activity, projects, change orders, and tasks. |
| Edit Asset Fields |
Configure metadata that will be gathered through a workflow and updated on Aprimo DAM assets that exist on a Task. Users will be able to select from the following attributes types in Aprimo DAM: Classification List fields, Option List fields, Date Time fields, Date fields, Numeric fields, User List fields and Text fields. Notes:
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| Duplicate Aprimo DAM Asset |
Create a new child asset in the Aprimo DAM from the latest version of the master file of a parent asset and provide a link from the child to the parent inside the asset. User will pick an Attribute from a set of record links defined in Aprimo DAM (single language only and Link type = OneParentManyChildren) and then choose the Asset Type of the asset(s) that should be duplicated. Notes:
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| Associate Aprimo DAM Asset |
This status action works in conjunction with the ‘Duplicate Aprimo DAM Asset’ panel explained above. It is possible work should continue on the newly created child asset, but no further work should be done on the parent from which the duplication occurred. If that’s the case, this panel should be configured. You will be able to define a new asset type for the child asset(s) that was created from the setup in the ‘Duplicate Aprimo DAM Asset’ panel and in the same task on the document layout tab, you could add the child assets’ new asset type to the Documents section with a different asset type than the parent. In the ‘Associate Duplicated Asset of Digital Asset Type’ column you will select the asset type that was duplicated in the ‘Duplicate Aprimo DAM Asset’ panel. In the ‘Associate Duplicated Asset to Digital Asset Type’ column you will select a new asset type for the duplicated (children) assets to have. This will allow the children to travel separately of the parent through the workflow. If the copy-ref-annotations feature flag is on, then an additional column titled "Copy Reference Annotations" will display with options Yes and No. When the option is set to Yes, annotations that have been linked to a reference document or tag on the parent asset (from any Project the parent asset has been annotated) are copied over to the child asset. A popular use case for this functionality is to create a copy of a marketing asset to send for transcreation. Notes:
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| Relate Content Items |
Create a link between all content items seen in a task (working documents) or a review task (review documents). The link will be visible in Aprimo DAM as a record link field (single language only and Link type = No Parent Child Relationship). Select the record link field in the Attribute column in the Relate Content Items where you would like the link information stored. Notes:
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Set Workflow Variable |
Set a value for a workflow variable. |
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Send Notification |
Send notifications to specified roles. All users assigned to that role receive notifications. |
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Promote Attachment to Digital Asset |
Promote documents to digital assets. The application promotes all documents of the type you specify that are visible to the task. Note:
In the Digital Asset Default Title field, you can configure the title that the application gives this digital asset after the promote action occurs. |
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Apply Team |
Apply a team to the project, change order, or activity. For example, if a supplier will complete a task, you can apply a team to seed the supplier's roles. You can also determine whether to add the users to the access list. |
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Apply Project Template |
Select a project template and select whether to automatically start the project. You can also add a project team and determine whether to add the users to the access list. |
| Assign Projected Tasks based on Team Roles |
Populate projected task assignment with user(s) that fill the activity or project roles. Note:
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Reset Baseline |
Reset the baseline for a project or change order. Note:
The Reset Baseline action resets the baseline for the entire project or change order, not just for an individual task. |
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Set Activity Type Status |
Select an activity type status for each of the parent activity's activity types. Based on the activity type status you select, the application automatically updates the activity's status at that step. This section's name might vary based on your organization's terminology. |
Notification
The fields on this tab work in conjunction with the Work Task Notifications system parameter and the Review Task Notifications system parameter to configure whether Aprimo sends email notifications, reminders, and escalations to various users for work tasks and review tasks.
To ensure that Aprimo sends email notifications, reminders, and escalations to the users you intend, see Best Practices for Configuring Work Task Notifications and Best Practices for Configuring Review Task Notifications.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
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Notify |
This field appears for tasks that are not review tasks and tasks that do not have the Auto Close field set to Yes. This field indicates who receives notification emails. |
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Reminder Interval |
This field determines how frequently Aprimo sends reminder emails. |
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Reminder Begin |
This field determines whether Aprimo sends reminder emails and when it starts sending them. Note:
If you configure a reminder email to be sent outside the work hours of the task's work schedule, the task sends the reminder at the beginning of the next working day. |
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Escalate To |
This field indicates who receives escalation emails. Use escalation emails to alert users when a critical task is not closed by a certain date. |
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Escalation |
This field determines an escalation date. On the escalation date, if the task is not closed, Aprimo sends an escalation email to the user selected in the Escalate To field. |
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Notify If Approved |
This field appears for review tasks. It indicates users, groups, and roles who receive notification emails if the review is approved. |
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Notify If Rejected |
This field appears for review tasks. It indicates users, groups, and roles who receive notification emails if the review is rejected. |
Tools
Drag these items from the Tools area and drop them on the design window to create your workflow.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
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Step |
Add a regular work step. |
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Review Step |
Add a regular review step. |
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Iterative Step |
Add an iterative work step. |
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Iterative Reject Step |
Add a step with an iterative path from the Rejected port. |
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Iterative Approve Step |
Add a step with an iterative path from the Approved with Changes port. |
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Iterative Approve and Reject Step |
Add a step with an iterative path from both the Rejected port and the Approved with Changes port. |
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Sub-Workflow |
Add a sub-workflow to your workflow. |
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Path |
Add a path to connect steps. |
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Comment |
Add a comment box to a workflow to highlight a workflow section or simply add information. You can change the comment box's size and color. |
Buttons
Use these buttons to manage the workflow.
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
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Validate |
Click to verify that all steps and paths function correctly. You must validate a workflow before you can promote it. |
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Promote to production |
Click to promote a validated workflow. |
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Revert from production |
Click to change a workflow's updated draft back to the version currently in production. |
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Copy |
Click to copy the workflow template. |
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Delete |
Click to delete a selected path or step. |
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Workflow Variables |
Click to view and edit workflow variables. |
Use these buttons to modify the size of workflow steps in the design window.
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
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Fit All |
Click to modify the size of steps to fit the entire workflow in the design window. |
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Zoom In |
Click to enlarge the viewing size of workflow steps. |
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Zoom Out |
Click to reduce the viewing size of workflow steps. |
Actions for Input and Output Ports, and Status Actions
Defining the actions on the Input Ports tab affects the specified input port. Defining them on the Output Ports tab affects the specified output port. Defining them on the Status Actions tab affects the task when it has a specified status.
For each Actions tab for an input port or output port, and on the Status Actions tab, you can configure these options.
| Option | Description |
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Edit Attributes |
The extended attributes you can select are at the activity level, the project or change order level, and the task level. The attribute types you can select are the same as those for standard extended attributes. However, the operators you can select are limited. |
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Set Workflow Variable |
Setting workflow variables works the same way that the edit attributes section works. However, you define the workflow variables in the workflow and not at the activity level. |
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Send Notification |
If you define a role and a notification template to send to that role, the application notifies all users with that role for the project or change order and the activity. Example:
The project manager wants to be notified when this task reaches Projected status. On the task's Status Actions tab, you select Projected, and you set the appropriate notification template to notify the project manager role. |
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Promote Attachment to Digital Asset |
If you set this action, the application promotes any specified attachment type that is visible to the task to a digital asset. Example:
Part of the workflow you are designing involves creating, reviewing, and sending a document to print. When you reach the step at which the document attachment achieves final approval to print, you specify on that output port to promote the attachment to a digital asset. Note:
In the Digital Asset Default Title field, you can configure the title that the application gives this digital asset after the promote action occurs. |
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Apply Team |
You can apply a team to the activity, the project, or the change order. You can also determine whether to add the users to the access list. The team must exist in the master teams list to be on the list of available teams. |
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Apply Project Template |
You can select a project template and determine whether to automatically start the project. You can also add a project team and determine whether to add the users on the team to the access list. |
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Reset Baseline |
Reset the baseline for a project or change order. Note:
The Reset Baseline action resets the baseline for the entire project or change order, not just for an individual task. |
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Set Activity Type Status |
You can set the activity type status for each of the parent activity's activity types. Based on the activity type status you select, the application automatically updates the activity's status at that step. Example:
You are defining a workflow. You have multiple activity types with which a project can be associated. For the projects that will be associated with the activity type of Media Campaign, you want the activity status to automatically change to Open when the first task in a project starts. On the input port's Actions tab for the first step in the workflow, you assign the Open activity type status to the Media Campaign activity type. |
Attribute Types and Operators
| Attribute Type | Available Operators |
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Date and Time |
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Date |
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Time |
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Long Integer |
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Numeric |
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Long text |
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Text |
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Multiple selection |
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Picklist - Encoded |
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