Workflow Templates are the foundation of the Workflow Manager functionality. Workflow Templates hold the details and steps necessary to complete your business processes. Here you can outline exactly what Tasks, Checklists, or Approvals are needed, the order of the steps, how long these should take to complete, and who will be assigned to each step. The Workflow Launcher then copies the Templates to create new Workflows with the same, repeatable processes.
Elements comes with six preconfigured Templates for you to get started and edit to best fit your internal processes. To learn more about the Salentica Default Workflow Templates, click here.
Permission Sets Required
The ability to view, create, or edit Workflow Templates is controlled by Permission Sets. To learn more about assigning Permission Sets to users, check out this article!
- Workflow Manager Administrator - This Permission Set allows a user to read, create, edit, and delete Workflow Templates.
- Configuration: This Permission Set allows access to the Configuration App where Templates can be viewed, created, edited, and deleted.
What's in a Template?
Features
Details Tab:
- Unique workflow template name
- Categorization of workflow type and subtype
- Estimation of Business Days for Completion
- Description for added context
- Frequency setting (e.g., one-time or every X days/weeks/months)
- Option to copy steps from an existing template
Steps Tab:
- Steps create the Tasks to be assigned in a workflow
- Specify the order of task assignment
- Define the assignee and timing for each task
- Types: Tasks, Approvals, and Checklists
Order of Steps:
- Linear: Sequential order
- Concurrent: Multiple tasks executed simultaneously
Approvals:
- Rejection steps: Workflow can be adjusted if a task is rejected
- Two options: Cancel Workflow or Reopen Preceding Step
Checklists:
- Detailed sub-tasks to be completed for a single task
- Weighting in checklists: Percentages for each checklist item
- Should be created before adding it to the step
Data Tab:
- Optional feature that displays specific data or details to the workflow
Workflow Templates contain the information needed to create multiple Tasks and assign them to different users or queues to complete a business process through a Workflow. Workflow Templates are copied by the Workflow Launcher to create new Workflows for individual Relationships. For example, if your new account opening process requires the same Tasks every time the process is done, then it can be set up as a Workflow Template.
The Details tab shows general information about the Workflow Template. Here you can name the Template, select a Workflow Type and Subtype for reporting, determine the total Estimated Business Days Until Completion, set the Frequency to one-time or recurring, determine how to handle Holidays, and give the Workflow a Description.
In this example, this Workflow Template will be used to create the Tasks needed for a Standard Account Opening for brokerage accounts, which will happen one time and take a total of 10 business days to complete.
The core of a Workflow Template is the Steps. Steps are the objects that create and assign specific Tasks to users or queues automatically. Once a Step is kicked off by the Workflow, an associated Task is created that carries over the specified Assignee, Subject, Description, and Duration. The Assignee is notified via email or in-app notification that the Task has been assigned to them. Once the Assignee marks the Task Complete, the Step is also automatically marked Complete, and the Workflow will kick off the next Step in order. This process will continue until all Steps are completed, and then the entire Workflow will be marked Complete.
The Workflow Template example below contains six Steps that will kick off five Tasks and an Approval, in the order specified.
Within each Step, you can determine whether the Step should assign a Task, Approval, or Checklist, who will be responsible, and how long they have to complete the Task, Checklist or Approval. In this example, the Client Service Manager is assigned to the Task, Complete New Account Open Form. This is the first task in the Workflow, is due to be completed in one business day after the assignment, and should take 20 minutes to complete for Time & Expense tracking. The Subject and Description will show on the Task created by the Step.
Parts of a Step
1. Workflow Template Step Name: Select a Name for the Step.
2. Order: The Order the Step will occur in the Workflow. Steps can be linear, started one after another, or concurrent, started at the same time. To learn more about Step Order, check out this article.
3. Type: Options - Task or Approval. A Task is a to-do item that creates a Task for the Workflow. Also, choose Task if this step should have a checklist. Approval requires additional input and setup when chosen. If Approval is selected, you will then see an option to Select an Approval Step and Upon Rejection options. To learn more about Approvals, check out this article.
4. Due in X Business Days: Enter the number of Business Days you expect the associated Task to be completed in. This field will drive the task's due date.
5. Workflow Template: The Workflow Template Name will automatically fill in since we created this Step from the Workflow Template page.
6. Checklist: Assign a Checklist. The Step will create a Task with the assigned Checklist. We recommend creating the Checklist first, before assigning the Checklist to a Template. To learn more about Checklists, check out this article.
7. Subject: This Subject will be the name of the Task or Approval that the Step creates. It will be consistent across all Workflows that are kicked off using this Workflow Template.
8. Description: Description that will show on the Task or Approval that the Step creates. This gives the user more details on what is required for their process. It will be consistent across all Workflows that are kicked off using this Workflow Template.
9. Assignee: Assign a user who will be responsible for completing the Task or Approval that the Step creates. This can be a Specific User, a Role that is assigned to the Relationship Team, or a Queue. We recommend assigning to a Role for ease of Adminstrator burden, in case a User leaves or changes positions, then you won't have to reassign Tasks/Approvals assigned to the old user.
10. Duration: Assign a Duration in minutes for which this Task/Approval is expected to be completed. Once the Task/Approval is marked complete, this amount will be tracked in Time & Expense.
Clone a Template
Don't want to start from scratch, but want to edit an existing Template? You can clone an existing Workflow Template and make changes from there. To make changes to Workflow Manager Templates, users must have the Elements Configuration and the Elements Workflow Manager Administrator Permission Set assigned.
1. From the App Selector, select Elements Configuration.
2. Select More and Workflow Templates.
3. Click on the Name of the Workflow Template you want to clone to open it.
4. Click the Clone button at the top right. This will copy in all the Workflow Template Details.
5. To also copy the Steps from a Workflow Template, check the box for Copy Steps from Existing Template.
6. Select the Template to copy.
7. Click Save.
8. Give the new Workflow Template a new Name to distinguish it from the original Workflow Template.
9. Click Save.
10. Make any edits you need to the Details or Steps.
11. Click Save.
Create a New Template
To make changes to Workflow Manager Templates, users must have the Elements Configuration and the Elements Workflow Manager Administrator Permission Set assigned.
1. From the App Selector, select Elements Configuration.
2. Select More and Workflow Templates.
3. Click the New button.
4. Complete the Workflow Template required fields as well as the other details.
5. Click Save.
6. Click the Steps tab.
7. Click New.
8. Enter the Step required fields and any other details. Each Step will create a Task/Approval/Checklist as specified in the Workflow process.
9. Click Save.
10. Create additional Steps, one for each Task/Approval/Checklist needed to complete your business process.
Once you have added all of the Steps needed for the Workflow, your Workflow Template is ready to use. You can now copy it via the Workflow Launcher into a new Workflow.
