Using Workflows
A Workflow guides a record or Board item through configured steps. It can ask a person to choose an action, wait for a time or a change, and finish with a business outcome. Each run has its own process number and history.
Find and start a process
Section titled “Find and start a process”Open the record’s Card or the Board item. Your configurator chooses which process summaries appear there. A summary shows the process name, status and, after a run has started, its linked number. A table cell shows status without action buttons.
If Start process is available, select it. Some processes start automatically when a record is created or updated. A missing action can mean the process has no published revision, its start condition is false, you lack permission, or it already has an unfinished run. Ask your configurator to check the setup if the process is missing entirely; see Set up Workflows.
One record can have different processes, but each Workflow allows only one unfinished run for that record at a time. Starting succeeds before automatic work finishes, so Running is an expected initial status.
Answer a step
Section titled “Answer a step”A User Input step shows its title and the actions you may take. Open the action, read the instruction and choose the appropriate response. Choices belong to the current visit to that step; if another person already answered, refresh and follow the current state. Viewing a record does not by itself grant permission to answer.
Delay, Wait Event and Wait Until steps continue automatically. For a process waiting on child records, change those records through their normal forms or related table. The process checks its configured events and conditions; there is no response button for an event wait.
Wait Until checks whether the configured condition is true now. If not, it waits for its observations, checks again, and keeps the same step while false. Events that occur during the change from checking to waiting remain available. Details show available observation progress and an optional overall timeout. Any/All combine event observations; they do not decide the business condition. A configured timeout does not restart after a false check and takes priority when processing finds it expired. A step without timeout can wait indefinitely.
Follow progress
Section titled “Follow progress”Select the process number to open its preview or details. Use Workflow Instances in the menu to find processes you can view or administer, including ones requiring your action. Details show the pinned revision, current steps, execution diagram and ordered history. If enabled by configuration, process activity also appears in the record’s Collaboration feed.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not started | This process has not run on this record. |
| Running | The process is executing or waiting for input, time or an event. |
| Suspended | An administrator paused it; current steps are retained. |
| Faulted | A technical problem stopped progress and needs investigation. |
| Completed | An End step was reached; read the business outcome. |
| Canceled | An administrator stopped the process. |
An outcome such as Rejected or Timed out can belong to a Completed process: the configured graph finished normally with that business result. Faulted is a technical state, not a business rejection. Publishing a new revision does not change an existing run.
Runtime administration
Section titled “Runtime administration”Authorized administrators can use the available controls and enter a reason:
- Suspend pauses a Running or Faulted process.
- Resume restores the state before suspension. A previously Faulted process still needs Retry after its cause is resolved.
- Retry attempts recovery of the same Faulted run, retaining its revision and completed steps.
- Cancel ends an unfinished run. A later start creates a new process number.
Time continues while a process is suspended. After Resume, an expired timer or configured event-wait timeout can proceed immediately. A wait without a timeout continues waiting until its observations are satisfied.
Administration permission does not grant access to the underlying record or the right to answer its steps. An administrator without record View sees only technical process information.
Inspect Board movements
Section titled “Inspect Board movements”Select a Move on Board step in the process execution view. Its details show moved, unchanged, refused and pending cards available to you. Failure can mean partial changes: successful card moves remain committed. An unchanged card was already at the configured destination after access and source checks.
The list is paged and uses your current access. When some details are unavailable, full totals are omitted; an empty visible list does not mean the process did no work. Refresh clears details that you can no longer access. The recorded Success/Failure exit stays the same.
Suspend keeps pending work for Resume. Retry recovers a technical fault without repeating completed card attempts. Cancel stops remaining work and leaves earlier moves in place. A deliberately configured return to the node is a new business attempt and makes a fresh selection.