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How To Set Up Workflow Definitions

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Workflow Definitions

Creating the Workflow Definition entails the setting up of the general workflow parameters.

How does it work?

  • A Workflow can only be setup in System Configuration.
  • Only Users with System Administration permissions can access these screens.
  • If you do not have access to the screen, please contact your company's System Administrator.

Step 1: Enter a New Workflow Definition

Click on New Record and enter the information as prompted.

Workflow Name: Give the Workflow a Name that corresponds with the definition of the workflow that you are building. E.g. If building a workflow for the HR department only, then the Workflow Name can be Leave Workflow_HR

Module: Select Leave from the drop-box.

Country: If setting up a workflow for a company within a specific country, select the applicable country. If the workflow is applicable  across All Countries, select the ‘All Countries’ option.

Division, Department, Section: Similarly, select the Division, Department and Section for which you are building the Workflow. If the Workflow is applicable across all entities, select ‘All Divisions’, ‘All Departments’ and ‘All Sections’

HR Module Type: A list of all leave types built into the application is displayed within the drop-box. Select the leave type to which the workflow will apply.  Alternatively, you can select ‘All Leave Types’ if there are no specific workflow rules for each leave type.

Effective Date: Select the date on which the workflow will become effective. Use the diskette icon to save the record.

Status: Check Active or Inactive to indicate the status of the workflow Note: You cannot use a workflow if it is inactive. Additionally, a workflow that is already in use (with transactions in the workflow process) cannot be made inactive. It is recommended, therefore, that you do not make the workflow Active until all parameters associated with the workflow are setup.

Use the diskette icon to save.

Step 2: Enter a New Workflow Stage

Click on the plus sign to the left of the Workflow Definition record to expand. Next, click on New Stage and enter the information as prompted.

Stage Number: Enter the number for the stage of the workflow.

Process: Select the process that will be carried out at that stage of the workflow.

Form: Select the form appropriate to the stage of the workflow.

Stage Approver: Select the Approver for the workflow stage.

  • Reporting Structure - The employee's immediate supervisor is responsible for approving this stage of the workflow.
  • Role / Alternate Role - Select a role defined in your Workflow Roles setup for 1st and 2nd Approver.
  • Position / Acting in Position - Select any Position in the company.

Auto Escalate: If the Leave Request is not approved within a specified time frame, select 'Yes' to escalate.

Auto Escalate Action: Specify the action to perform upon escalation.

Auto Escalate After (Days): Enter the number of days after which the record will be escalated.

Void After (Tries): Enter the number of auto escalation tries after which the record will be voided.

Process at Home of Workflow: Set to no allows you to search search in all companies (multi-company environment), divisions, departments and sections.

Step 2.1: Enter Workflow Stage 1

As per the workflow processes, the first stage is ‘Enter Leave Record’ i.e. the employee, via the Self Service Module, can enter a Leave Request.

Stage Number: Enter ‘1’ for the 1st Stage

Process: Select ‘Enter Leave Record’ from the drop-box

Form: Select the ‘Leave Entry Form’ from the drop-box

As this stage does not require a role and does not need auto-escalation, you can simply save by clicking on the diskette icon.

Step 2.2: Enter Workflow Stage 2

The second stage of the workflow is an approval stage. As such, we will enter the Stage information as follows: 

Stage Number: Enter ‘2’ for the 2nd Stage.

Process: Select ‘Review and Recommend Leave’ from the drop-box.

Form: Select either ‘Leave Approval Form’ or ‘Leave Approval Form Detailed’ from the drop-box.

In this example, we will not use the Reporting Structure at this stage as we want the application to direct leave requests to the employees’ direct supervisors.

We do, however, want the leave request to be auto-escalated should the employee’s Direct Supervisor not receive the request (if on leave etc.)

Auto Escalate Action: Chose the appropriate action as per your company’s leave rules. In this example, we will choose ‘Send to HR’ as we have a second level of approval.

Note: If the Auto Escalate feature is used, the processor will automatically attempt to process the record on the workflow after the specified number of days using the specified action.  The processor keeps track of the number of attempts made at automatically escalating the record on the workflow.  When this number reaches the specified number of tries after which the record may be voided, the record is automatically voided.

Step 2.3: Enter Workflow Stage 3

Next, we will enter a third Stage of the workflow. This is the 2nd level of approval. In this example, we have instructed the application to send Leave Requests that have been approved by Direct Supervisors to the HR Manager for final approval. As such, we are utilising the Role option.

Role Name: Select the name of the Role from the drop-box (role definitions previously setup will be displayed in the list).

Auto Escalate Action: Notice that, as this is the last stage that we are setting up, we have instructed the application to Reject and Stop Workflow if the 2nd approver does not approve the request.

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