Managing Workflow Actions

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to add actions to a workflow.

Advanced Workflow Action Management

Actions are activities that a user can perform in a workflow.

Some actions, such as Add Comment or Attach File, do not affect the case status. Others, such as Approve or Reject, can move a case from one status to another.

Advanced Workflow allows several ways to manage actions. You can use the standard actions using default settings, customize the settings for an action, or customize the default action settings.

To use the standard actions, when adding a new action, select one of the preset action types. Examples of standard actions include Approve, Attach File, Edit Case and View Case. A full list of action types can be found in the online help.

When adding an action, the default settings contain two options: Use Default Settings and Use Custom Settings. If you select Use Default Settings, the settings for the action cannot be customized. If you select Use Custom Settings, you can customize the action; however, these customizations will only affect the current usage of the action. Some customization options include changing the execution permissions and setting notifications.

Another option is to select Edit Default Action Settings. This option allows you to make the same customizations; however, in this case, all instances of this action use the new settings, not just the current one.

Let’s look at an example. Say that in your workflow, you have two statuses: New and Pending Acceptance. Both of these statuses use the Accept action; however, if a user selects Accept when the case is in the New status, you want a notification to go to the team leader, while if the case is in Pending Acceptance status, the notification should go to the case owner. Because the settings are different for both instances of the Accept action, you should select Use Custom Settings for each instance and set the notification to go to the appropriate recipient.

You can customize the default settings for an action type in the Settings for Default Actions tab of the workflow and selecting the desired action type. Some customizations include adding properties such as assigning notifications, assignment rules, forms, and events. You can also customize forms and associate each form with an action.

In many cases, customizing the actions will meet the needs of the business. However, you can also create custom actions if your business needs are more complex. Custom actions rely on Form Event scripts.

Create a Custom Action

Steps

From the Setup screen, select Fields & Forms→Custom Actions
Select Add New.
Enter a name for the custom action.
Configure the settings in the Form Events section.
Select the script to use in any of the four fields:
- Before showing the form
- After changing the value of custom field
- Every time the form is updated
- On Submit
- Select Save.
On the form, add a button to trigger the custom action.

Configuration of the Create Case Action in the Workflow

The first action to create in a workflow is the Create Case action. This action differs from others because it does not have a starting status. Each workflow has only one Create Case action, which can be accessed using the Create Action button at the top of the workflow matrix.

Workflow Matrix table with actions for statuses (Review, Assigned, Provide More Info, Resolved, Denied, Withdrawn) and editable fields.

Form Addition to Actions

When an action requires a form, such as when a new case is created, you can use Form Designer to create a new form associated with the action. The Form Designer allows you to customize the form for each action, defining the fields to be displayed and their properties (required, hidden, etc.). This ensures a user-friendly experience for those interacting with the workflow.

Reusable forms are containers that contain multiple fields. They can be created in advance and added to a new form. Use reusable forms if, for example, you always want to display custom fields in the same order on multiple forms.

The Inquiry workflow will use several forms. When creating a new case, the Create Case Form will be used. When requesting more information, the Need More Info form will be used. A complete list of forms for each action, along with a diagram of the form, can be found in the Inquiries Design.xlsx file.

Remove Actions from Workflow Statuses

In this exercise, you will remove all the actions that will not be used in the Inquiry workflow.

Steps

Remove the Add Comment, Attach Files, Delete Attachments, and Delete Comment actions from the Resolved, Denied, and Withdrawn statuses.
1. From the Setup screen, select Processes→Workflows .
2. Select the Edit button next to the Inquiries workflow.
3. Select Settings for Default Actions.
4. On the Add Comment row, select Edit.
5. Uncheck Denied, Resolved, and Withdrawn.
6. Select Save and back.
7. Repeat this step to remove the same statuses from the Attach Files, Delete Attachment, Delete Comment, and Add User to Team actions.
Remove the Edit action from all statuses.
1. Select Settings for Default Actions.
2. On the Edit row, select Edit.
3. Uncheck all statuses.
4. Select Save and back.
Remove the Assign action from all statuses except Review.
Note
Inquiry Managers can assign cases to team members using the Assign action when the case is in Review status. Remove this action from all other statuses.
1. In the Workflow matrix, select the Edit icon in the cell at the intersection of Provide More Info and Resolved.
2. Select the ellipses (…) next to the Assign action.
3. Select Delete.
4. Select Yes.
5. Repeat these steps to remove the Assign action from the intersection of Resolved and Denied.

Configure the Create Case Action for a Workflow

The first action we will create is the Create Case action, which is available to members of the Inquiry Submitters permission group. When the case is created, a notification is sent to all assignees of the case. This action will use a reusable form called Create Case Form, which has already been created. Once the case is submitted, the status of the case will be Review.

Steps

Add the Create Case action to the workflow.
1. From the Setup screen, select Processes→Workflows .
2. On the Inquiry workflow row, select Edit.
3. Select Create Action.
4. Select the Execution Permissions tab.
5. In the dropdown list labelled "End Status", select Review.
6. In the Select who can execute this action field, select All Users.
7. Select Save.
Configure notifications for the action.
1. Select the Notifications tab.
2. In the Email Recipients field, select Current Assignees.
3. Select Add.
4. Select Save.
Configure the next assignee for the case.
1. Select the Assignment Rules tab.
2. Select the Assignment Group radio button.
3. From the dropdown list, select Inquiry Managers.
Add the Create Case form to the action.
1. Select Save and go to Form Designer.
2. Select the Forms tab.
3. Drag the INQ_Create Case form to the canvas of the Form Designer.
4. Select Save.
5. Select Save and Back.

Add the Assign Action to the Workflow

In this exercise, you will add the Assign action to move the case from the Review to the Assigned status. This action is only visible to the manager.

Steps

Add the Assign action to the workflow
1. In the workflow matrix, select the plus (+) sign in the cell on the Review row and the Assigned column.
2. Set the Action Type to Assign.
3. Enter the Action Name Assign.
Configure the Notification settings to notify the next assignee.
1. Select the Notificationstab.
2. Set the Email Recipients field to Assignee.
Limit the list of users in the Assigned To list to only include members of the Inquiry Admins assignment group. Since the assignee will be selected manually, set the Default Assignee to Unassigned.
1. Select the Assignment Rules tab.
2. In the User(s) preselected in ‘Assign To’ field, select the Unassigned radio button.
3. In the Users available in ‘Assign To’ Field field, select Inquiry Admins.
Customize the Assign form to make the assignee name a required field.
1. Select Save and go to Form Designer.
2. Select the forms tab.
3. Hover over the Assigned To field until the grey bar above the field is displayed.
4. Select the edit (pencil) icon.
5. Select the Required checkbox.
6. Select Save.
7. Select Save to close the Form Designer.
8. Select Save and Back.

Add the Need More Info Action to the Workflow

The Need More Info action will be available when the case is in either the Review or Assigned status, and will move the case to the Provide More Info status. The action will open a simple form that allows the user to enter a comment, and forwards the case back to the case creator. In this exercise, you will create the action and add it to the matrix, and set the case creator as the next assignee.

Steps

Add the Need More Info action to the workflow.
1. In the Workflow Matrix, select the plus (+) sign in the cell on the Assigned row and the Provide More Info column.
2. Set the Action Type to Assign.
3. Enter the Action Name Need More Info.
4. Under System Roles, select Case Assignee.
5. Select the Execution Permissions tab.
6. Under Select who can execute this action, select [Case Assignee].
Set the case creator as the next assignee.
1. Select the Assignment Rules tab.
2. Select the Case Role radio button.
3. Using the pick list, select Case Creator.
Make the Comment field on the Need More Info form required.
1. Select Save and go to Form Designer.
2. Hover over the Comment field.
3. Select the Edit icon.
4. Select the Required checkbox.
5. Select Save.
6. Select Save to close the Form Designer.
7. Select Save and Back.

Summary

Default actions can be used or customized by adding properties like notifications, assignment rules, and events.
Use the Form Designer to customize or reuse forms, ensuring a user-friendly interface for each workflow action.
The Create Case action is a unique action that has no starting status. It is essential when initiating a new workflow.
Actions can be associated with a built-in form or a custom reusable form.

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