Workflows

A workflow is a named process that something moves through in stages, like a purchase request going from Draft to Manager review to Finance approval to Approved. You define the stages and the steps between them once, publish the workflow, and then every process that runs on it follows the same rules and can always answer “what stage is this at?”.

Where to find it#

Open Workflows from the sidebar. The page lists every workflow with a Live or Draft badge, what it applies to, how many processes are running or finished on it, and its live version number.

Key concepts#

Workflow

The definition of a process: a name, a key and the kind of record it applies to.

Version

Each workflow has numbered versions. A version is a draft while you build it and live once published. A live version can never be edited.

Stage

A place a process can be, such as “Manager review”. Every stage has a kind: Start, Step, Approval, Waiting, Finished, Rejected or Cancelled.

Step

A named move from one stage to another, such as “Submit for review”. A step can start from a specific stage or from any stage.

Blocked until

A requirement that must be met before a step can be taken: an approval, a finished checklist or filled-in fields.

Process

One record going through a workflow. It sits in exactly one stage at a time, and one record can only have one live process at a time.

Who can use it#

Create a workflow#

1. Fill in the new workflow form

   At the top of Workflows, type a Name such as “Purchase request”. The Key is suggested from the name (purchase_request) and you can change it. The key is how a process is started on the workflow, so it stays the same even if you rename the workflow later. Keys must be unique in your organization.

2. Choose what it applies to

   Pick Applies to: Work items, Projects, Approvals, Requests, Documents or Business processes (the default). A process can only run on records of this kind.

3. Create the draft

   Select Create. The workflow is created as a draft. Select Edit draft v1 on its row to start building it.

Build the stages and steps#

Add the stages#

1. Name the stage

   Under Stages, type a Stage name. Its key is created from the name and shown next to the stage once added.

2. Choose its kind

   Pick a Kind from the list below. Once a version has a Start stage, the Start option is disabled, because a workflow can only have one.

3. Set a time limit, if you need one

   Optionally enter Overdue after (working minutes). Time is counted in your organization’s working time, not calendar time (see Business calendars). The stage then shows “Overdue after N working minutes”.

4. Add it

   Select Add stage. Repeat for every stage.

Add the steps between them#

1. Name the step

   Under Steps, type a Step name, such as “Submit for review”. This is the label people see when they move a process.

2. Choose where it goes from and to

   Pick From and To. Leave From as Any stage for a step that can be taken from anywhere. This is how a “Cancel” path is normally written, so you don’t have to repeat it on every stage.

3. Say what has to happen first

   Under Blocked until, choose one of:

   • Nothing — always available
   • An approval comes through
   • The checklist is finished (offered only for workflows that apply to work items)
   • Some fields are filled in. Enter the field names under Which fields, separated by commas, such as cost, justification.

4. Add it

   Select Add step. The step appears as “From stage → To stage”, with a badge for any requirement, such as “Needs an approval”.

Publish a version#

When the draft is ready, select Publish at the top of the version page. UnitX checks the whole definition first and refuses to publish, listing every problem, if:

• there is no Start stage, or more than one;
• there is no ending stage (Finished, Rejected or Cancelled), so nothing could ever finish;
• a non-ending stage has no step leaving it, so a process could get stuck there;
• a step leads to a stage that isn’t in this version.

Once published, the version is marked Live, the workflow’s badge changes to Live, and new processes use this version.

Change a live workflow#

A live version can’t be changed, because processes are already running on it and changing the rules underneath them would change decisions already partly made. To make changes:

1. Start a new version

   On Workflows, select New version on the workflow’s row. The new draft starts as a copy of the live version. A workflow can only have one draft at a time; if one exists, its row shows Edit draft vN instead.

2. Edit and publish the draft

   Add the stages and steps you need, then select Publish. New processes use the new version. Processes already running stay on the version they started on until they finish.

Select View live on a workflow’s row to open the version currently in use.

Watch and move processes#

The Running processes section at the bottom of a version page lists the processes on this workflow, ten at a time, with Previous and Next to page through. Each row shows the current stage, the kind of record and the start of its ID, and a status badge.

1. Open a process

   Select a running process to expand it. You see every step available from its current stage.

2. Read what’s still missing

   Steps that can’t be taken yet are still listed, with the reason next to them, for example “These still need a value: cost.”, “2 checklist items still to tick off.” or “Waiting on 1 approval.”. A blocked step stays visible so you can see what to do next.

3. Take a step

   Select Take next to an available step. The process moves to the step’s To stage. If the step is refused, the message says why.

Rules and limits#

• A published version is never edited. Make a new version instead.
• One live process per record at a time, so there is only ever one answer to “what stage is this at?”.
• A process stops itself after 50 steps. That points to a runaway loop, not a long process.
• A process can only start on a workflow that has a published version and applies to that kind of record.
• Stages and steps can be added to a draft but not removed from this page, so plan the shape before you build it.

Troubleshooting#

Related pages#

• Automations
• Approvals
• Business calendars
• Work item types