How to Configure a Workflow Template

Access to this product feature is dependent on your institution's Watermark agreement
Base ☑ | Faculty Accomplishments ☐ | Reviews, Promotion and Tenure ☑ | Web Profiles ☐

Workflow templates are the defined steps and forms in a process used by a schedule. Creating a new Workflow template involves creating the process outline (steps), defining the scope for each step, and finally customizing the forms used by the process participants at each step. This article outlines how you can define the steps for your template, while more details on configuring forms for steps can be found in the How to Configure Workflow Forms article. 

Once your template is set up, a schedule can be launched for it to initiate your workflow process. For instructions on creating schedules, refer to Creating a Workflow Schedule. 

Getting Started 

Workflow templates can be created by following the steps in the Creating a Template section of this article. A new template can be created if at least one of the following applies: 

• There is a change in the sequence of steps in your workflow process. 
• The workflow form for a step needs modification to collect information differently. 
• A step's scope or type must be changed. 
• A new workflow process is needed. 

When creating a new template, keep in mind that you can duplicate an existing template to avoid creating a new template from scratch. For more information on duplicating and editing existing templates, refer to the Editing an Existing Template section of this article. To learn about sorting and filtering your templates, see the Sorting and Filtering Templates section.  

Additionally, if your new workflow process follows the same steps in a template but differs in due dates, email frequency, or participants, you can use the same template and simply create a new schedule for it. For change in reviewers, refer to modifying your Role Groups to update your reviewers as needed. 

Creating a Template 

1. To begin creating a template, first login to Faculty Success as a Workflow Administrator. 
2. Click on Workflow in the navigation bar, then select Configuration to open the Workflow Configuration page. 
3. In the Templates section of the Workflow Configuration page, click the +Add New button to create a new template from scratch. Keep in mind that alternatively you can duplicate an existing template and modify it. For details on duplicating, refer to the Editing an Existing template section of this article. 
4. After selecting the "+Add New" button, you will be taken to an "Edit Workflow Template" page. Enter a descriptive name for the template in the Name field, such as "Annual Review." Select the template Type from the drop-down menu:
   
   • Annual Review
   • Application for Funding
   • Conflict of Interest
   • Credentialing
   • Expertise
   • Mentoring
   • Promotion
   • Promotion and Tenure
   • Sabbatical Leave
   • Tenure
   • Other
   
   

   Note: Changing the type for a template will overwrite any modifications, so save your progress by clicking on the Save button and then create a new template to test different template types.

5. The template may then be modified as needed to help you design the sequence of steps in your process: 
   
   • Add Steps: Click the Add Step box to open a drawer in the right-hand side from where you can configure the new step. For detailed instructions on creating steps for your template, see How to Configure Steps in a Workflow template. 
   • Move Steps: Left-click on a step to grab, drag and drop it before or after other steps to rearrange the order of your steps. 
   • Delete Steps: Steps can be deleted by clicking on the red trashcan icon by Delete this Template Step within the settings box of a selected step. When a step is delete, all associated data will be permanently deleted and this action cannot be undone. 
   • Configure Branching: Set up branching options for steps. To learn more about branching, click on the Learn More hyperlink within a selected step's settings box or visit How to Configure Workflow Template with Branching Options. 
   • Set Security Form Settings: Control step visibility for participants by configuring security form settings for each step. For more information, see Managing Form Security in Workflow. 

Editing an Existing Template

You can make the following edits to an existing template. Refer to the corresponding sections to learn more about each type of edit: 

1. Duplicating a Template
2. Editing a Locked Template 
3. Archiving a Template 
4. Deleting a Template 

Duplicating a Template 

Duplicating an existing template is a convenient way to create a new process based on an already established template without starting from scratch. Follow these steps to duplicate a template: 

1. Login to Faculty Success as a Workflow Administrator.
2. Click on Workflow in the navigation bar, then select Configuration to open the Workflow Configuration page. 
3. Use sorting and filtering options on the Workflow Configuration page to find the template you wish to duplicate. Refer to the Sorting and Filtering Templates section of this article for more details. 
4. Once you've found the desired template, click on the downward-facing arrow in the Actions column and choose the Duplicate option from the context menu that appears. 
5. After selecting the Duplicate option, a pop-up window will display with a default name for the duplicated template, typically in the format of "Title of the original template (duplicate)." You can edit this name as needed and then click on the Duplicate button in the pop-up window to proceed.  

The duplicated template will now appear among your existing templates, allowing you to sort and filter for it, if necessary. 

Editing a Locked Template 

Once a workflow schedule is associated with a template, the template will become locked and only some edits can be made. These editable items are outlined in the "Template" section of the Revising a Workflow Process Post-Launch article.

Archiving a Template 

Archiving templates helps you manage your templates by keeping only those that are active in sight on the workflow configuration page. Archived templates can then be viewed by clicking the Archived Templates button on the workflow configuration page, where you can also view their associated processes. Follow these steps to archive a template: 

1. Login to Faculty Success as a Workflow Administrator.
2. Click on Workflow in the navigation bar, then select Configuration to open the Workflow Configuration page. 
3. Use sorting and filtering options on the Workflow Configuration page to find the template you wish to archive. Refer to the Sorting and Filtering Templates section of this article for more details. 
4. Once you've found the desired template, click on the downward-facing arrow in the Actions column and choose the Archive option from the context menu that appears. 
5. After selecting the Archive option, a pop-up window will appear to confirm if you want to proceed with archiving the template. Click "Archive" to proceed or "Cancel" if you do not wish to archive the template. 

After the template is archived, it will only be accessible from the Archived Templates page which can be accessed by clicking the Archived Templates button on the workflow configuration page. A template can be unarchived by selecting the Unarchive option within the context menu that appears when clicking on the downward-facing arrow in the Actions column. 

Deleting a Template 

Templates can be deleted if they do not have any associated schedules. If a template has associated schedules and you want to remove it from the workflow configuration page, it is better to archive the template instead. Deleting a template will permanently remove it, and this action cannot be undone. If you wish to proceed with deleting a template, follow these steps: 

1. Login to Faculty Success as a Workflow Administrator.
2. Click on Workflow in the navigation bar, then select Configuration to open the Workflow Configuration page. 
3. Use sorting and filtering options on the Workflow Configuration page to find the template you wish to delete. Refer to the Sorting and Filtering Templates section of this article for more details. 
4. Once you've found the desired template, click on the downward-facing arrow in the Actions column and choose the Delete option from the context menu that appears. A pop-up window will then appear to confirm if you want to proceed with deleting the template. Click DELETE to proceed or Cancel if you do not wish to delete the template. 

Sorting and Filtering Templates 

By clicking on the downward-facing arrow next to the column headers for the templates section in the workflow configuration page, you can filter by templates by their Name, Type, and Explanation. This allows you to search for a particular template or sort them as desired. Here are the ways each of these column can be sorted and filtered: 

• Name: Template names can be sorted in ascending or descending order. You can filter by searching for a template's particular name. Note that the search function is case sensitive, so you must search by the template's exact name. 
• Type: Templates type can be sorted in ascending or descending order. You can filter by selected types.  
• Explanation: Template explanations can be sorted in ascending or descending order. You can filter by searching for a template's particular name. Note that the search function is case sensitive, so you must search by an exact word or words in the explanation.