Workflow Settings

Use workflows to specify conditions in applications for which you want to be alerted. You can also use the Numbering options to view the current formats for your firm 's record identification numbers, and to set up auto numbering for records.

There are different types of workflows:

Workflow type Purpose
User initiated These workflows are triggered when a user adds, changes, or deletes a record or a portion of a record.
Scheduled These workflows are database queries that run at regular intervals via the process server. They are triggered when user-defined conditions are met.
Approval These workflows identify the steps, approvers, and alerts for approving certain items, such as timesheets and expense reports.
Web services These are created by your organization and triggered when a user saves, approves, or routes a record.

You can create workflows for both standard and user-defined fields and grids.

Workflows and Hubs

When you create a workflow, you determine whether you want it to apply to an entire record or to only a part of the record. For example, you can create a workflow alert that is generated when a contact is associated with a record in the Projects hub.

Workflow Events and Actions

The User Initiated and Scheduled Workflow forms each consist of two grids, Workflows and Actions. Use the Workflows grid to assign one or more events to the selected application. You can then use the Actions grid to assign an action to each workflow event. For both events and actions, you have the option to specify detailed conditions that determine when the event or action is fired and what parameters are required.

Workflow and Multiple Languages

If your firm uses multiple languages, a Languages lookup displays on the Actions grid. This lookup displays the languages that the system administrator has enabled. Use this lookup to select the language for this workflow; only employees with the same language receive the message. If the field is blank, all employees receive the message.

For example, if an email alert is set up for English US and English UK, then only employees who have English US or English UK specified in the Language field in the Employees hub receive that message. The administrator must set up a separate alert rule for Spanish-speaking employees if they should receive a message in Spanish.

The Language field displays <languages selected> if any languages are selected.

Workflows and Multiple Companies

If you use multiple companies, the scheduled and user-initiated workflows include field options and operators that provide access to all companies, including the home company. See the Concepts section of the online help for more information.

Numbering

Use automatic numbering to automatically generate an identification number for new records created for hubs, organizations, labor codes, and in User Defined Components. You can define the structure of the identification numbers to match your business requirements. Automatic numbering is enabled on the Numbering form in Settings > Workflow > Numbering.