WORKFLOW OVERVIEW
All items in the Safety Indicators system follow a progressive Workflow within a Module (or across multiple Modules), including Audits, Incidents, Tasks and more. Even a Subform can have its own workflow, to cover a specific need or aspect.
This system helps ensure that nothing gets dropped before it is resolved, and ensures that all relevant stakeholders are kept in the loop in real time as progress is made.
Default workflows for each of the platform’s modules and operations are provided. You can use these as-is; modify them to suit your purposes; or design a new Workflow from scratch to fit a particular process.
STATUS OVERVIEW
Each step along the Workflow is known as a Status. Color-coded status designations in List View enable everyone to easily track the progress of each item.
Only a System Administrator, or a stakeholder with proper Permissions, can change an item from one Status to the next. Note that when you make a Status change, you (as well as others in the relevant Communications Group) will automatically receive an email that confirms the item’s updated Status.
Essentially, all Statuses fall under one of two categories: Open or Closed. In this flexible system, you may designate an Open Status as whatever you want: Assigned, In Progress, Under Review, etc. You may name a Closed Status as Complete; Approved; Resolved; etc.
CHANGING THE STATUS OF AN ITEM
In this example we are in the List View of the Safety Incidents Module, to change the third item from ‘Analysis’ status to ‘Closeout’ status.
OPTION 1: FROM LIST VIEW
A Click the down-arrow in the color-coded Status indicator
B The next Status in the Workflow, ‘Closeout’ will appear just below it. Click on that
This item will now show a ‘Closeout’ status designation.
C Click the green Disk Icon at top to Save your change
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OPTION 2: FROM THE DETAILS PAGE
• In List View, double-click the item you want to change
In the item’s Details window, the current Status is shon at upper left.
A Click the down-arrow in that color-coded status indicator
B The next Status in the Workflow, ‘Closeout’ will appear just below it. Click on that
This item will now show a ‘Closeout’ status designation.
C Click the green Save/disk button at the bottom to save your change
In a ‘Branched Workflow’ (see below), there may be more than one ‘next Status’ option. In that case, click on whichever one is appropriate in this case.
DESIGNING A NEW WORKFLOW
STEP 1: GETTING STARTED
• At the bottom of the main left menu, click the small Gear/Settings icon
A In the Process & Permissions Control window, click Workflows in the left menu. Here you will see a listing of the currently available Workflows
B Click + Create New at top to begin creating a new Workflow
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STEP 2: FIRST TRANSITION
A In the Workflow window that opens, enter the Name of the new Workflow
B Optionally, enter a Description
You will now build a Workflow from a series of Transitions (steps From one Status To the next).
C To add the first Transition, click on the orange Plus Sign at top of the Transitions section.
A new row will appear for adding details to that Transition.
D Since this is the first Transition, check the checkbox in the Start Point column, but don’t add anything to the From column
E In the new row, click in the field in the To column
F Click on the down-arrow that appears
G Choose and click on the Status you want from the list of available options
If the preferred Status doesn’t appear on the first page of the list, you may need to go to the next page.
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STEP 3: ADDITIONAL TRANSITIONS
A For the next Transition, click the orange Plus Sign again, to create a new row
B In that new row, click in the From field; then click the down-arrow, and select the appropriate Status
Typically, the From Status in each Transition is the same as the To Status in the previous Transition
C Just as before, click in the field in the To column, and use the down-arrow to select the next Status
• Follow the same sequence for the rest of the Transitions in the Workflow sequence
Note that in the Status Type column, the final Status will automatically be designated as such.
D When done, click the green Disk/Save Icon at the bottom to Save your new Workflow
This new Workflow will now be included in the List of Workflows.
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STEP 4: OTHER TRANSITION OPTIONS
• In the Approvals column, click the blue box (after Saving the Transition) if someone in a certain Role will need to approve this Status change (Click + Create New; click in the Role column to select from a drop-down list of Roles; Save). Note that this Approval requirement will be marked by a small circle in an item’s status indicator in List View.
• In the Button Text column (see screenshot above), click and edit the Status name IF you would like it to be called something else when this status indicator appears in the Module List View
• In the Button Color column, click in the field, then use the drop-down to select a new color IF you would like it to be another color when this status indicator appears in the Module List View
• In the From Any Status column, check the checkbox if it’s allowable to jump to the To Status in that Transition from any step in the Workflow
• In the Log History column, check the checkbox if you want that Transition to appear in an item’s History Log
• In the Report column, check the checkbox if you want a Report to be automatically generated and distributed when an item completes that Transition
• In the Requirements column, click the blue box IF there are one or more existing requirements for this Status Change (Click +Create New; checkmark the appropriate item(s); click Add Selected; click in the Field column to select from a drop-down list of options; Save)
CREATING A NEW STATUS
However, it is easy to create a new Status, for current and future use.
• In the Process & Permission Control window, select Statuses from the left menu
• Click +Create New at the top to add a new Status
A In the Status window that appears, type in a Name for the new Status
B Type in a Description (mandatory)
C Check the Is Complete? checkbox IF this Status is the final step in the Workflow
D Check the Is Success? checkbox IF this Status indicates successful resolution
E Check the Is Void? checkbox IF the last step in the Workflow is to put the item on hold, due to some issue or problem, rather than completing it at this time
F Check the Inert checkbox IF you want the system to ignore this item for now
For example, a Status of ‘Future’ may be designated as Inert, so that, say, an Audit that’s planned for next year isn’t included in current charts or reports.
G In the Color field, click the down-arrow and select a Color for the Status indicator
H When done, click the green Disk/Save icon at the bottom to save the new Status
This new Status will now be available in the drop-down list of Statuses as you design your Workflows.
WORKFLOW BRANCHING
The progression of Statuses in a Workflow may not always be a straight line. Multiple Status options may be included at any step, to allow for different circumstances.
In the diagram below, after ‘Investigation,’ there is a branching to three possible Status options:
• Safety Review, followed by Closeout
• Corrective Action, followed by Closeout
• Going straight to Closeout
HOW TO SET UP BRANCHING WORKFLOWS
• Using the example in the above diagram, create a Transition from Investigation Status to Safety Review Status; then a Transition from Safety Review to Closeout
• Next, create a Transition from Investigation to Corrective Action; then a Transition from Corrective Action to Closeout
• Finally, create a Transition from Investigation to Closeout
Once an item (Incident, etc.) has progressed past the Investigation phase, the system administrator or their designee will be presented with all three next-Status options to choose from (see “Changing the Status of an Item,” above).
Also note that a Workflow may end with branching final-step options; for example, “Completed Pending Approval” and “Completed With Approval.”
MODIFYING AN EXISTING WORKFLOW
• Go to the list of Workflows in the Process & Permission Control window, and double-click on the one you want
• To change one or more Status designations, click on the Status, then use the down-arrow to select a new Status
• To change the order of Transitions, select the Transition you want to move, and use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow at the top to move it up or down in the order
• When you’re done, Save your changes
Again, remember that typically, the From Status in one Transition is the same as the To Status in the previous Transition.
• To add a new Workflow ‘Branch,’ see “How to Set Up Branching Workflows,” above
• To add a new Status, see “Adding a New Status,” above
ASSIGNING A WORKFLOW TO A MODULE
This step insures that all Audits, for example, will share the same Audit Workflow.
STEP 1
A In the Process & Permission Control window, click Lists in the left menu
B Double click the List/Module you want
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STEP 2
A Use the down-arrow in the Workflow field to select the appropriate Workflow
B Click Save at the bottom
