User Initiated Workflow Overview

When you set up user initiated workflows, you specify conditions so that certain Vision events automatically trigger related actions, such as sending an alert or running a process. The events that you specify may occur in the Info Center or in other applications.

You set up user initiated workflows in Configuration > Workflow > User Initiated Workflows.

An "event" is when someone adds, changes, or deletes a record or a portion of a record in Vision. For example, someone adds a new employee in the Employee Info Center.

When an event takes place, if it meets the conditions of a user initiated workflow, Vision automatically performs the actions that are specified for it in the user initiated workflow, such as sending an email alert, changing the value of a column, creating an activity, or invoking a Web service. For example, when a new employee record is added to the Employee Info Center, the new employee's supervisor will receive an email alert notifying them that the new employee is now entered in the system.

In a user initiated workflow, you can specify one or more actions for an event. For example, you can create a workflow that states that when you add a new employee (event), Vision sends an email message to the manager (action) and sets up a lunch meeting (action).

The events that you specify in a user initiated workflow are based on Vision database tables, records, and fields. You can create workflows for both standard and user-defined fields and grids.

In Workflows the word column is synonymous with field.

If your firm uses Vision Multicompany, additional column options and operators are available when you create the workflow. These options and operators may provide access to all companies or to the home company. See the Employees and Multicompany online help topics for more information.

Deltek recommends that you review all conceptual and procedural information about workflows before you begin.