Workflow Templates

Overview

Workflow Templates define the tasks that make up a business process.

Workflow Templates are categorized by Functional Area. For example, a "Conduct Inspection" workflow template can be defined for evaluations, and a "Process Submission" workflow can be defined for an Application/Service Request. Workflows are supported on Submissions, Evaluations, and Compliance Actions.

Workflow Templates can be added by default to various items when they are first created. 

  • Submissions - Default workflows are configured in the Form Settings for a given form.

  • Evaluations - Default workflows are configured on the Evaluation Type lookup edit page.

  • Compliance Actions - Default workflows are not supported. They must be manually added to a compliance action at the time it is created.

Searching Workflow Templates

To manage workflow templates, navigate to Admin > Workflow Templates. The Workflow Template List page is displayed. To aid in searching for a specific workflow template, use the column sort buttons or type a value in the filter text box at the top of each column in the list. When entering a filter value, the list is dynamically filtered to display all list items that match the entered value:

Deleting a Workflow Template

If the workflow template has never been used, a delete button will appear on the Workflow Templates list page next to the workflow template list item. Once a workflow template has been used, it cannot be deleted, but it can be set inactive.

Adding or Editing a Workflow Template

From the Workflow Template list page, either click the Add New Workflow Template button or Open an existing workflow template.

Alternatively, the Copy button can be clicked to create a clone of an existing workflow template.

The following fields can be configured on the New Workflow Template (or Edit Workflow Template) page:

Fields

Field

Description

Workflow Template Name

The name of the workflow template.

Functional Area

The functional area to which the workflow template relates.

Program Area(s) 

The program area(s) to which the workflow template relates. If no program area is assigned, then the workflow template is available for use on any item, regardless of its program area.

Link Workflow To 

This field only applies to the Application/Request and Schedule functional areas, and it designates what effect, if any, the workflow will have in creating or modifying a permit. 

Options include:

  • Workflow does not create or change a permit - No permit action is performed.

  • Workflow creates a new draft permit (v1.0) -  A new permit record will be created. When adding a workflow that creates a new draft permit, the user may be prompted to indicate the permit category and/or type to be created, depending on the workflow template and linked permit category configuration.

  • Workflow creates a new draft permit (v1.0) with a new permit number superseding an existing permit - Used to create a new permit with a new permit number, carrying forward information from an existing permit. The new permit will supersede the previous permit. This can be used when a new permit number is issued in response to a permit change.

  • Workflow creates a new permit version (e.g. v1.0 to v2.0) - A new permit version will be created. The basic information from the latest version will be used to populate the new version.

  • Workflow affects the current permit version - The current, active permit is unlocked for editing.

  • Workflow creates a new permit version for reissuance (e.g. v1.0 to v2.0) - Same behavior as "new permit version" above. For NPDES permits in particular, the limit set and limit start/end dates are cleared out. All other workflow templates that revise or version a permit will copy forward the old limit dates.

  • Workflow creates a new permit version for revoke and reissuance (e.g. v1.0 to v2.0) - Same behavior as "new permit version" above.

  • Workflow creates a new permit revision (e.g. v1.0 to v1.1) - A new permit revision will be created. The basic information from the latest version will be used to populate the new revision. The permit issue date is carried forward from the previous version. Issue and Expire date are not editable on revisions greater than 0.

Permit Category to Create

Only applies to Application/Request and Schedule functional areas when a workflow is set to create a new permit and a single program area is selected.

Indicates the category of permit to create if the workflow creates a new permit.

Permit Type to Create

Only applies to Application/Request and Schedule functional areas when a workflow is set to create a new permit and a single program area is selected.

Indicates the type of permit to create if the workflow creates a new permit. Available choices will be filtered based on the selected permit category to create.

Default General Permit

Only applies to Application/Request and Schedule functional areas when a workflow is set to create a new permit, only a single program area is selected, and the "Permit Category to Create" is set to a permit category with a Coverage Type of "Coverage under Master General Permit".

When this workflow is added to a submission, the general permit set here will be selected automatically. 

Note: General Permits will become ineligible for selection over time if they become inactive (superseded, terminated, etc.). When this happens, an alert message appears below this field, indicating that a new general permit needs to be selected.

New Permit Version Copy Contact Behavior

Only applies when a workflow creates a new permit version or revision.

This affects the behavior of contact creation on the new permit version or revision.

The options are:

  • Copy Contacts from Submission and Previous Permit Version - When selected, the contacts from the previous permit version and the submission are both copied to the new permit version/revision created by the submission.

  • Copy Contacts from Submission Only - When selected, only the contacts provided in the new submission are copied to the new permit version/revision. The contacts from the previous permit version are not copied.

For more information, see the "How Contacts are Created on New Permit Versions/Revisions" support page.

Permit Document Template to Automatically Generate

Only applies to Application/Request and Schedule functional areas when a workflow is set to create a new permit and a single program area is selected.

When the workflow is added to a submission, the selected document template will be generated immediately and saved to the new permit record. The document will be set to public/final, and a PDF will be created.

When using this option, be sure that the document template will have all required merge field data available on the permit record immediately upon creation. For example, default issued, effective, and expiration dates may need to be configured.

Immediately Set Permit to Issued/In Effect

Only applies to Application/Request and Schedule functional areas when a workflow is set to create a new permit and a single program area is selected.

Checking this box will set the permit status to Issued or In Effect immediately upon creation of the draft permit. Note that this option bypasses the validation rules that users must pass before issuing a permit, so if the permit category is not properly configured, using this option may lead to a permit that would not pass the normal permit issuance validation rules.

The permit’s related submission, workflow, and tasks will also be set to Complete. In the event the permit’s related submission is not in In Process status, or if other In Process workflows exist on the submission, the submission’s status will not be updated.

For more information on all of the elements required to configure the Insta-Permit, please visit

Permit Issuance Notification Template

Only applies if the template has been configured to immediately set the permit to Issued/In Effect.

The notification template to be used for immediate creation of notifications of permit issuance. A notification will be sent to both the original submission creator (if creator is an external user) and the permit's permittee email address (if specified and valid). If a default document template is specified, the document will be attached to the notification email.

On Submission Import, Assign this Workflow based on Site Location

Options include Unassigned, Statewide, or By County. Only applies to the Application/Request functional area. Indicates that the workflow template should only be created if the workflow is attached to a submission whose site is physically located in one of the specified counties. 

Workflow Template Tasks

Each workflow template must contain at least one task. To add a task to a workflow template, click the Add Task button.

Tasks can be reordered via drag-and-drop or by changing the order sequence.

The following fields are available on the Edit Task page:

Field

Description

Task Name

The name of the task.

Task Availability

Indicates the condition under which a task should be made available to be worked on.

Select between ‘Always Available’ and ‘Previous Task Completion’. Previous Task Completion means that the task is not available to work until the specified 'Trigger Task' has been completed (see Trigger Task below).

Trigger Task

Only displays when Task Availability is set to 'Previous Task Completion'.

A list of all tasks that may be specified as the trigger task. When the task specified as the ‘Trigger Task’ is marked complete, this task will be available to work and will be displayed on the My Tasks dashboard.

Task Due Date Days from Trigger Event

Only displays when Task Availability is set to 'Previous Task Completion'.

If a trigger event is selected, the user can specify the appropriate number of days from the trigger task completion that the task is due.

Allow user to override calculated due date

Only displays when Task Availability is set to 'Previous Task Completion'.

Indicates that the user can update the task due date even though it is calculated by the system. Once overridden by a user, the system will no longer update the due date based on the trigger condition.

Task Decisions

Tasks can be required to have a Decision set when marked complete.

If a task has one or more decisions configured, a user must supply a decision before marking the task complete. When editing a workflow template, editing a task allows for specifying one or more valid task decisions (multi select list).

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Don't Create Task By Default

Indicates that the task can optionally be added by a user at a later time if the task is needed, but that the task will not appear in the generated workflow by default.

Task must be closed before associated Workflow can be closed (e.g. Required Task)

Indicates that the task must be explicitly set to Completed or Withdrawn before a workflow can be closed. A required task will have an orange circle next to the task name, indicating it is required.

Notify Assigned Process on Status Change

A notification will be sent (email or system notification depending on user preference settings) to the assigned processor for the workflow when the task’s status changes.

Allow user to Override Notification

If this box is checked, the user will see a checkbox on the Edit Task page, allowing them to suppress the task status update notification that is sent to an item's owner when a task status is changed.

Default Assignment Setting

Indicates how the task should be assigned at the time of task creation.

Options include:

  • Item Owner/Processor - The task’s parent functional area record’s assigned workgroup and user are assigned to the task.

  • Selected Role - The role assigned to a workgroup user is used to determine task assignee.

  • Selected Workgroup/User - Specify a specific workgroup and user to be assigned to the task.

Default Role

Only displays when Default Assignment Setting is set to ‘Selected Role’.

When a workflow is assigned to a record, tasks with a “Selected Role” assignment method are assigned to the staff with the corresponding workgroup role. If the workgroup does not have roles specified, the tasks are left unassigned.

Used to select the Role Type, configured in Role Type Lookup, that the task will be assigned to upon assignment of the workflow.

 

Default Workgroup and User

Only displays when Default Assignment Setting is set to ‘Selected Workgroup/User’.

Indicates the Workgroup and User that are assigned to the task by default.

Workflow Component Rules

Component Rules prevent a user from adding a workflow until a given program component has been added to a submission.

Workflow Component Rules are only available for Application/Request or Complaint/Incident functional area workflow templates.

Creating an Insta-Permit Workflow

Once all of the sub-elements for this feature are configured (please see ) then the following items will need to be configured on the workflow. This workflow will then need to be added as a default workflow to the appropriate form, and the form will need to be set to auto-import (bypassing the Inbox).

  • The box for Immediately Set Permit to Issued/In Effect must be checked.

  • The Permit Issuance Notification Template should have a notification template selected if a notification other than the standard Permit Issued should be sent to the permittee.