Creating and Managing Date-Triggered Workflow

Updated by Rodney Frazier

Administrators can create workflows that will trigger actions like tag changes, status changes, or sending email notifications for specific products based on dates associated with those products.  This is useful for setting up routines like Expiring Contract or DPA notifications, reminding admins to request feedback six months after implementation, removing a “new” tag or automatically sending a product into an annual “Review” status for a health check.

In this guide we will cover:

  • Creating Date-triggered Workflows
  • Adding Actions:  Tags & Statuses
  • Adding Actions:  Notification
  • Using Wildcards
  • Triggering Actions
  • Publishing the Workflow

Creating Date-Triggered Workflows

To configure workflows, as an organization administrator, navigate to Settings > Workflows and select “Create Workflow”

→

Select Date-Triggered Workflow

Note: Other workflow types like “Request Workflow” and “Review Workflow” are in development and will require access to those modules when they become available.

Using the Workflow Builder

  1. Workflow Map Preview - The pane on the right is the Workflow Map Preview. This preview will be automatically updated based on the selections made in the left pane.  Date-triggered workflows only contain a transition from start to end with some number of actions; other workflow types may contain multiple steps and transitions.
  2. Name - The workflow name will be used to manage workflow runs and be visible in workflow notifications so choose a name that will be clear to all workflow participants.
  3. Trigger - The trigger is the set of conditions that initiate a specific run of the workflow.  
  4. Actions - Actions are the specific directions you would like the system to carry out when the triggering condition is met.  Actions may include the following:

  • Changing an approval status
  • Changing a privacy status
  • Adding a tag
  • Removing a tag
  • Sending a notification

  1. Publishing - Workflows may be configured and saved without being active.  This toggle activates the workflow and it will be triggered once a day for all products that meet the triggering condition.
  2. Saving - All changes will not take effect until the workflow is saved.  If you navigate away from the workflow builder with unsaved changes you will be prompted to save or discard.

Note: When building a workflow, you can have the system carry out Actions associated with Transitions, which you can think of as the space between two steps.  Date-triggered workflows only have one Transition between the steps of Start and End.  Other workflow types may have multiple transitions and each transition may have actions associated with it.

Adding Actions

To add an action, select “Add Action” and then select and configure the type of action that you would like the system to carry out when the conditions are met.

  • Set new status to… - This will change the approval status of a product that meets the triggering condition.
    • Example:  Change product approval status from “Approved” to “Needs Review” when a product nears its contract renewal date
      Note:  Only one status change action can be assigned for each transition
  • Set new privacy status to… - This action will change the privacy status of a product that meets the triggering condition
    • Example: Change the privacy status of a product from “Approved” to “Not Approved” when its DPA expires
      Note:  Only one privacy status change action can be assigned for each transition
  • Add new tag… - This action will add a new tag to a product that meets the triggering condition.  
    • Example: Adds “Needs Mike’s Attention” when a product is 30 days past its DPA expiration date
      Note:  Multiple tags can be added at one time
  • Remove tag… - This action will remove a tag (if present) from a product that meets the triggering condition.
    • Example: Removes “New” tag 120 days after its Implementation date.
      Note:  Multiple tags can be removed at one time
  • Send notifications… - This action sends an email notification to the selected recipients.  See the section “Add Actions:  Sending Notifications” for more details
    • Example:  Send the group “Administrators” a notification when a contract will expire in 90 days
      Note:  All recipients for notifications must be members of your organization

Selecting the trash icon will remove the action.

Add Actions: Sending Notifications

Notifications can be configured as an action so that the selected recipients receive an email with the message that you create.  Some wildcards are supported to allow you to communicate about the specific tool or process that triggered it.

Once you have added an action and selected the action type of “Send Notification…” then you can configure the template of the message that will be sent.

  • Select Recipients - Select from any members of the organization or any Group that has membership in your organization
    Note:  External users and ad hoc email addresses are not supported with notification actions.
  • Subject - This will show as the subject of the email and supports the use of wildcards
  • Notification Text - This makes up the body of the email and supports the use of the wildcards
  • Wildcards are useful to create notifications that are specific to the product, workflow and person receiving the notification.  Swap specific details with the wildcard listed below as you are composing either the Subject or Notification Text.

<name>

Recipient’s Full Name (First + Last)

<first>

Recipient’s First Name

<last>

Recipient’s Last Name

<email>

Recipient’s Email Address

<org-name>

Name of Organization

<transition>

Name of Transition (if present)

<product>

Name of Product

<status>

Product’s Approval Status

  • For Example.  Saying “Head’s up, <product> is about to expire” will be substituted with “Head’s up, Acme Math is about to expire” when the date for Acme Math matches the trigger criteria.

Triggering the Workflow

Associate the Column

Data-triggered workflows are triggered by dates in date type columns.  You may assign the date column that is associated with a workflow by selecting existing columns

Or you may add a new column by selecting “Create New Date Type Column”, naming the column, then selecting “Add Column”.  This will create a new, visible column in the first place in management > products.  Removing, reordering, or hiding that column can be managed in Settings > Columns 

Configure the Trigger and Add the Dates

Once a column is associated you may choose to offset the date that the workflow triggers from the date captured in the column.  For example, if a DPA expires, I would like to see notification of that expiration 60 days prior to the actual expiration date.  You can accomplish this by setting an offset to the trigger.  Select “Before” or “After” and an option will appear to fill in the number of days prior to the date listed in the column.

If your column contains no dates, then no actions will be triggered.

Publishing the Workflow

Once the workflow is configured, you have the option of leaving it in draft form by navigating to the “Publish” tab and saving the workflow

  • Inactive - The workflow configuration is saved, but no actions will be triggered.
  • Active - The workflow configuration is saved and any matching triggers will result in the configured actions.

How did we do?

Powered by HelpDocs (opens in a new tab)