How to configure the Assignment Workflow?
How to configure the Assignment Workflow?
Each workflow must have at least one approver, and it can have as many approvers as needed.
Ideally, the system is configured so each approver gets an email when the previous approver approves the request, and the requester receives an email when the request is approved by the last approver or declined by any approver. However, the assignment workflow needs to be configured with the emails in order for the emails to be sent.
Configuring Emails associated to Assignment Workflows:
Each approver can get an email when the previous approver approves the request. For the next member of the workflow to receive an email, there must be an email template in the Email to Following Approver AND the workflow step must have the Send Email to following approvers checked.
If the Workflow is configured to send emails, then when the last approver approves the request or if the request is declined at any time, the requestor will receive an email indicating the request was either approved or declined.
The configuration for this module can be set under Setup > Codes > Assignment Workflow. This is where administrators can define which email templates are sent with certain actions. This includes the email to the first approver, following approvers, if the assignment is declined, and when the assignment is approved.
Whether or not the user receives the email, are defined in each Step of the workflow.
The email templates that are displayed in the drop down come from the Email/message Templates code table with a category=AssignmentEach Assignment workflow can have multiple Steps. Each Step should only have one approver, but the STAC administrator can add another approver and set them as a Backup. An Approver can be configured either as a relationship in a case or a directory record.
Below is an example of an email template that we created to send to the following approvers of a workflow.
The variable that displays the hyperlink to STAC should be a variable of type Special, column Write your own, and this is the SQL code
select iis_url+'/Pages/assignments_pending.aspx' from vi_sys_project
Admins can add an Email template to the following fields in the Assignment Workflow code table:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Email to first approver | Indicates the email template that will be sent to the first approver of an Assignment Workflow. If no template is defined, then no email will be sent at the time of the creation of the Workflow |
| Email to following approvers | Indicates the email template that will be sent to every other step, that is not the first step. For the recipients to receive this email, the Assignment Workflow Step will need to have the Send Email to following approvers checkbox checked |
| Email when Declined | Indicates the email template that will be sent to the directory related to the user who created the assignment. For the recipients to receive this email, the Assignment Workflow Step will need to have the Send Email when Declined checkbox checked |
| Email when Approved | Indicates the email template that will be sent to the directory related to the user who created the assignment. For the recipients to receive this email, the Assignment Workflow Step will need to have the Send Email when Approved checkbox checked |
However, whether or not the user receives the email, are defined in each Step of the workflow. Each step in a workflow could have different email requirements.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Send Email to following approvers | If the current step is NOT the first step, the template is defined, and the step is checked to send email for following approvers. Then, the Email will use the template (“Email to following approvers”) to send the email to the directories assigned to the current step |
| Send Email when Declined | If the assignment was rejected at any point, the template is defined, and the step is checked to send email when rejected. Then, the Email will use the template (“Email when Declined”) to send the email to the directory related to the user who created the assignment |
| Send Email when Approved | If the assignment was completed, the template is defined, and the step is checked to send email when approved. Then, the Email will use the template (“Email when Approved”) to send the email to the directory related to the user who created the assignment |
Editing a workflow
The important fields to be set in the workflow are the email templates that will be used in this process and instructions that are displayed to users.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Assignment Workflow | The code used for the Workflow |
| Description | The workflow description |
| Instructions | Instructions about the workflow |
| Inactive | |
| Email Template | |
| Email to first approver | Template for the email sent to the first approver. If this template is not defined, then no emails will be sent to the first approver |
| Email to following approvers | Template for the email sent to the other approvers. This could be the same email used for the first approver |
| Email when Declined | Template used to email the requestor indicating it was declined |
| Email when Approved | Template used to email the requestor indicating it was approved |
| Events | |
| Event type to be added when the assignment is approved | Allows configuring an event to be added if the assignment is approved |
| Event subtype to be added when the assignment is approved | Allows configuring an event to be added if the assignment is approved |
| Event type to be added when the assignment is declined | Allows configuring an event to be added if the assignment is declined |
| Event subtype to be added when the assignment is declined | Allows configuring an event to be added if the assignment is declined |
Adding Steps in a workflow
After selecting a workflow, the administrator can define the steps by Selecting the workflow > Steps
Each approver should be separated by their own individual step. This is important so STAC can track the process of the approvers.In creating the workflow, users can be assigned one of three roles: Approver, Acknowledger, or a Backup.
- The user set to Approve the document has the ability to Approve or Decline the document.
- The user set to Acknowledge the document will only have the ability to Approve the document.
- The user set as a Backup will receive all of the emails the Approver/Acknowledger receives, and they will be able to take action for the other individual on that step.
Each step must have an approver or acknowledger. Assigning a Relationship or Directory as a Backup is optional.
How to add members to an Assignment Workflow?
To add members or a Backup to the Assignment workflow steps, go to: Setup > Codes> Assignment Workflow > Steps > View Step Members > Add new member
Another important consideration when setting up approvers is using a relationship vs a directory record. This would allow for fewer workflows to be created.
If an agency relates a relationship for a step in the Assignment workflow it is important to remember that if the relationship is not related to the cases at the time the workflow is initiated, then the workflow will not have the Relationship assigned for that step.
Automating processes using the assignment
It is possible to create quite a bit of automation using the assignment module. For example, users can merge a document that is configured to add an event that changes the User Status of a case, and the document after merged is automatically added to the Image Tab, which is configured to be assigned to an Assignment Workflow using the Image Trigger. The Assignment Workflow can be configured to add another event that would reset the User Status of the case if the Assignment is declined.
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