In addition to shared access, it is also possible to create more complex processes in the form of a workflow. A workflow differs from simple sharing in that multiple documents can be sent to multiple individuals or groups in a specific order. The system automatically sends requests by email to the recipients as soon as it is their turn.
In contrast to shared access, workflows are a kind of "black box." The selected documents are copied into the workflow in the background. When documents are uploaded, they are not stored in the "Documents" area, and instead become part of the workflow. Changes are therefore NOT made in the documents in the repository, but only in the workflow, and they must also be downloaded there once the workflow has been completed.
Create workflow
A new workflow can be created using the orange ‘Create’ button (top left) or the dashboard. A wizard opens that guides you through the creation of the workflow.
Select documents
First select the documents that are to be provided in the workflow. The documents can either be selected from the repository ("Templates" or "Documents" area) or newly uploaded.
Configure recipients
Next, configure the recipients. A distinction is made here between the "workflow step" and the "recipient of the workflow step".
Any workflow steps can be created in the upper area via "Add step." By clicking on a workflow step, the recipients of the selected workflow step are displayed in the area below.
Basically, the logic behind the process is that all recipients of a workflow step are requested to process it at the same time. Only when all recipients of a step have completed processing will the next workflow step be requested for processing. So, if you want to share a document with one person first and then with two more people, you need two workflow steps, with the first workflow step containing only one recipient and the second workflow step containing the two additional recipients.
Assign form fields
You can assign each recipient only the form fields that they need to complete. If you wish to assign form fields to the recipient, the document will open. Now you can assign or deselect form fields by clicking on the field or selecting it from the sidebar. Selected fields are displayed in green, while unselected fields are displayed in red. The fields that do not need to be edited by the recipient are not displayed to them. If you tick the box to assign the form fields but do not assign any form fields to the recipient, they will not be able to edit any fields. If you do not tick the box, all fields can be edited. This is possible for every document that has been attached to the workflow.
It is also possible to insert a signature field into the document by selecting ‘Create signature field’.
Configure message
Next, you can configure the subject and message for the email that will be sent to recipients.
Summary/review
In the final step of creating the workflow, you will once again receive an overview of the selected documents, the configured message, the workflow steps and the recipients included.
Click on ‘Finish’ to create the workflow. All recipients of the first workflow step are then immediately requested to process the task.
Managing workflows
In the Workflows menu, under ‘In progress’, you will find all workflows that have not yet been completed.
The progress bar shows you how far the workflow has already been processed. Below the bar, you can also see how many recipients have already processed the document and how many workflow steps are still pending.
Using the drop-down button next to the workflow, you can open the workflow details or pause (or continue), rename or even cancel the selected workflow.
In addition, a reminder can be sent to all recipients who are currently due to receive a reminder via ‘Send reminder’.
Completed workflows
A completed or cancelled workflow is displayed in the ‘Completed’ section. From there, the workflow can also be deleted or the documents it contains can be downloaded.
Workflow detail page
On the details page of a workflow, you can view the selected documents, the configured message, the workflow steps and the recipients.
The workflow steps and recipients can be expanded so that you can see exactly which recipient has already processed which documents.