When a user initiates an action within the system, such as requesting leave, the provided information goes through a series of users and events for additional actions, like approval. This series of users and events is called a workflow. In Applaud, workflows are handled in Models, where you can create, edit, deactivate, and duplicate these event sequences.
Key features
Workflow triggers
You can define what events trigger the workflow, such as form submissions, data changes, and specific dates.
Pending approval
When a workflow is triggered, a "Pending approval" chip may appear on list items to indicate the current approval status.
When you select the chip, it opens this Status dialog box, where you can see who the approval is with and perform other actions. This chip doesn't affect the primary action of the list item, where you can select the list item to open another page.
If an approval workflow gets stuck, the HR Admin can use the context menu to approve, reassign, cancel, or select more to take you to the approval task detail dialog box. In addition, if the task includes the option to return, the task will appear in this context menu.
Example Scenario
Imagine an employee submits a leave request. The workflow triggers an approval process, notifying the manager. If the manager approves, the workflow sends a confirmation to the employee and updates the system records.
Best Practices
Clear Objectives
Define clear objectives for each workflow to ensure it meets your specific business needs.
Avoid Complexity
Keep workflows as simple as possible to avoid errors and make them easier to maintain.
Regular Testing
Frequently test workflows in various scenarios to ensure they function correctly.
Documentation
Document each workflow’s purpose, steps, and conditions or exceptions to facilitate future updates and troubleshooting.
Example
- Objective: Automate the leave request approval process.
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Design
- Trigger: Form submission for leave request.
- Actions: Notify manager, wait for approval, send confirmation to employee, update leave balance.
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Optimization:
- Minimize steps by combining actions where possible.
- Use conditional logic to handle different types of leave requests.
- Testing:
- Create test scenarios for different leave requests, such as sick leave or vacation.
- Validate that notifications and updates are correctly triggered and processed.