To create a new custom workflow, you need to click on the Create Workflow button on the Workflow Setup page. The following steps will guide you through the creation of a brand-new workflow.
Naming the workflow – The first step while creating a workflow is to assign a name to it. The name can be chosen based on the purpose of the workflow or the business function to which the workflow belongs, such as Capex Approval, Business Enquiry, or Expense Reimbursement.
Once the name of the workflow is assigned, the next step is to add stages to the workflow. A stage is a unique step in the process that either gathers information or where an approval action is performed. Cflow creates the first and the last stage (END) by default, users need to add the stages in between these two steps.
The add Stage button must be clicked to add a new stage. To add stage attributes and reviewers of that stage you need to click on the Stage.
To send a request to multiple stages simultaneously, you need to click on the “+” symbol on that stage and select Parallel Stage to define parallel stages. Once all the stages have been added, you can move on to the next step in workflow creation.
Creating forms – A workflow or a process involves the collection and flow of information from multiple stakeholders. A workflow Form contains all the information gathered from stakeholders.
Creating sections in Forms – A Form can contain multiple sections with each section comprising a number of fields. A new Section can be created by dragging the Section under the Layout element and dropping it in the canvas on the right side.
Fields from the toolbox can be dragged and dropped into a section.
Configuring field attributes – Attributes of various Fields can be set in the Field Settings by clicking on the respective field. All forms are auto-saved as and when fields are added and field settings are saved.
Redesigning forms in Other Stages – A form is inherited in all stages of the workflow by default. You may redesign, hide, resize, or modify the attributes of the fields in each stage by selecting the Stages tab next to the Elements and choosing the appropriate stage.
Form Automation – Automation refers to the definition of the rules and related actions. When a form is submitted at each stage, the rules defined at that stage are processed. A rule is essentially a collection of conditions relating to the form fields and values. Whenever a form is submitted, the rules corresponding to the stage are evaluated, If found true, then actions defined for that rule are executed.
Defining multiple actions – For each rule, multiple actions can be defined. The actions may be routing a request to another stage, setting field values (auto approval), sending email notifications, making API calls (connecting to external systems), or triggering a request in the current workflow or a different workflow(sub-process). For each stage in a workflow, multiple such rules and related actions can be defined.
Configuring advanced settings – The Advanced step may be used for configuring additional settings for the workflow. You can configure features like enabling public form access, lookups, designing custom documents, and SLAs, in the Advanced section.
Publishing the workflow – Once you are done with the workflow setup, you can click on the Publish Workflow button. This creates the backend infrastructure that enables users to start using the workflow.