Creating workflows

You can create a workflow for a module.

Before you begin

Define the process that you want the workflow to support. For example, you might create a process model of the states and how they are related.

Procedure

  1. Select or create the module to use for your workflow.
  2. Make sure that the module includes a Choice attribute with all the states in your process.
  3. Make sure that at least one view is based on the module. After you set up the workflow, you can apply it to this view.
    Note:
    • Workflows can be assigned only to views that meet either of the following requirements:
      • The mandatory attributes, Display and Visualize, are set to Yes
      • The Add, Display, Review, Prioritize, Visualize, and Plan attributes are set to No
    • Workflow views must be shared with all users who need to transfer elements from one state to another.
    • To correctly define transitions, make sure that the attribute access level for the view is correct. Consider which attributes need to be editable, and in the view, specify which attributes users can edit during a transition.
  4. Add a workflow:
    1. Click Configure > Workflows.
    2. Click Add Workflow.
    3. On the Workflow Definition page, enter a name and description for the workflow. The name of the workflow is the heading for the transition area above the attribute list for each element. The description is displayed beneath the heading.
    4. Select a module and workflow attribute. Only the choice attributes in the module are listed. The attribute that you select will not be visible or editable in the attribute list in the view in which the workflow is used. Instead, the Workflow attribute is displayed in a transition area at the top of the attribute list in the view.
    5. Click OK.
    6. Edit the transitions for the workflow. The transitions are displayed in the transitions area at the top of the attribute list for the view.
      1. Set the attribute access for each state.
        1. For an item, click the Edit icon. The Edit attribute access page is displayed.
        2. For each attribute, select the access level. The default value is As view, which provides the same access as is available in the assigned view. Read-only does not override the view rules. For example, if the attribute is hidden according to the view definition, it is not displayed for this state.
        3. Click Save.
      2. Create the allowed transitions for each state:
        1. In the Transitions column for an item, click Add Transition. The transition configuration page is displayed.
        2. Enter a name and description.
        3. Select a target state to determine which state to transfer the element to.
        4. Select the type of transition. If you select Direct, all the attributes are hidden during the transition. If you select With Options, the attribute access level list for the transition is displayed.
        5. Edit the attribute access for the transition. The default value is Hidden for transitions in new workflows.
          Note: In version 6.3.1 and earlier, the default access value was As view. To ensure that only relevant information is displayed, update the attribute access of transitions for workflows that were created in version 6.3.1 and earlier. If you add an attribute to a module that has a workflow that was created before version 6.3.1, the new attribute has the default value of As view. Edit the transition to set the correct access level.
        6. Click Save.
  5. Connect the workflow to the view by completing either of these steps:
    • Assign the workflow with a view:
      1. On the Edit Workflow page, expand the View Assignment section. A list of all the views is displayed, based on the module that you selected for your workflow. The Current Workflow column contains the workflow that you selected for each view.
      2. For the view to assign, select Assign.
      3. Click Save.
    • Configure the view:
      1. Click Configure > Views.
      2. Select the view.
      3. Edit the View Definition attribute and click Next. The attribute list for access levels is displayed.
      4. From Miscellaneous Settings, select the workflow to apply.
    Note: When the workflow is used in a view, you can only update the workflow attribute for one element at a time.

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