When managing workflow processes in the Workflow Module, you’ll often need to decide whether to create a new workflow template or launch a new schedule from an existing template.
This article outlines common situations where one option may be better than the other. Use this guide whenever you’re unsure which path to take.
Tip: Once a schedule is launched, only limited revisions can be made. To learn more about what can be revised post-launch, visit Revising a Workflow Process Post-Launch.
When to Create a New Schedule
Create a new schedule if:
- You are initiating a review for a new academic year.
- The reviewers who will evaluate candidates are different from those in the original schedule.
- The due dates differ from the existing schedule.
- The communications (emails or reminders) need to be different.
- You need to attach different full-service reports to the review process.
- You need to enable the joint appointment reviewers feature. To learn more about this feature, see Configuring a Schedule for Joint Appointments.
- A reviewer in the original schedule must also be reviewed as a candidate in the process. In this case, you must create a new schedule along with a new role group as reviewers cannot be added as a candidate within the same schedule they're a reviewer in. To learn more about role groups, see What is a Role Group?
For instructions on how to create a new schedule, refer to Creating a Workflow Schedule. If you do not need to make any of the changes above and simply need to add a candidate to your existing schedule, see Adding Candidates to a Schedule Post-Launch.
When to Create a New Template
Create a new workflow template if:
- The Scope or Type of a step needs to be changed.
- The name of a step must be modified.
- You need to add or update branching options for your steps. To learn more about this feature, see How to Configure a Workflow Template with Branching Options.
- You need to modify the form in a step. For guidance on this, see How to Configure Workflow Forms.
- The order of steps needs to change, or you need to add or remove a step. To learn more, see How to Configure Steps in a Workflow Template.
- You need to create a template with external reviewers. For instructions on this, refer to How to Configure a Workflow Template with External Reviewers.
For guidance in creating a new workflow template, see How to Configure a Workflow Template.
Need Additional Guidance?
This article covers the most common scenarios, but your situation may be unique. If you are unsure whether you need a new template or a new schedule, we recommend submitting a Help Request with as much detail as possible, including:
- The full title of the workflow template.
- The workflow schedule you are working with.
- Details about your unique situation (for example, do you have a reviewer who is also a candidate?).
- The Faculty Success username(s) of any users involved.
Once these details are submitted, a member of our Watermark Support team will review your request and reach out with our recommendation on how to best proceed. For instructions on how to submit a Help Request, refer to Contacting Watermark's Client Support.