Creating Workflow

Create the action templates you need

HelpMaster workflow relies heavily on the Action Template system. For each step of your workflow that involves an action, or update to a job, you will be using an Action Template. Remember that Action Templates can contain assignment, status and email information. Combine these concepts into a single template, or use a series of simple templates to create your workflow. Each time an Action Template is used, it will update the job and record a new entry in the Action Log. Create / update the Action Templates you need to make your workflow happen.

Creating Workflow from within a Job Template

Workflow can be created and defined within a Job Template (see Workflow tab within a Job Template). When that job template is used to log a job, the workflow defined in the template will be transferred into the new job and appear on the Workflow tab on the job screen, ready for use.

Creating Workflow from within a job

Any job can have workflow associated with it. If the job already has workflow created for it, it will appear inside the Workflow tab. If the job does not have any workflow, you can create, or import some by clicking on the + Workflow link next to the tabs along the top.

Workflow can be created by adding individual components onto the workflow canvas, or workflow can be imported from a Job Template that already has a workflow process created for it.

Once you have created, or imported your workflow, click Apply to save your changes. Hovering your mouse over the Workflow menu on the job toolbar will start displaying the next workflow step.

Editing Workflow

Workflow can be edited, or updated at any stage of the job lifecycle. Right-click on a Workflow item to select from the context pop-up menu. Edit, delete or add new items to update your Workflow. Multiple workflow items can be highlighted and selected for copy or delete. This is handy if you wish to create multiple versions of a similar workflow. Changes to workflow will be captured in the Audit History for the job.

Copy and Paste Workflow

Once workflow objects appear on the workflow canvas, they can be copied and pasted within the same workflow, or into other workflow, template, or jobs. To do this, select some or all of the workflow, right-click an object and select Copy. This can then be pasted into another workflow canvas within HelpMaster, or as XML if pasted into a text file / text box.

Workflow is stored as an XML definition. This XML can be copied and pasted from any HelpMaster screen that contains workflow. This may also be used for technical support to send/recieve workflow.

Duplicating workflow objects

Click on any workflow object, and then type CTRL+D to make a duplicate of that object.

See Also

OnCreate workflow

Planning for workflow

Workflow Anti-patterns