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    Workflow

    We've built the Workflow feature of the SRM platform to help you more easily collaborate with your coworkers, and help you create and run processes so you can easily accomplish tasks as a group without ever leaving SRM. With SRM Workflows, you can create workflow templates that you can use and reuse for your standard projects, and track and comment when you use those templates in a group collaboration space.

    In this article, we'll go through how to create workflow templates, how to use those templates in Thread collaboration spaces.

    In this article:

    Creating Workflow Templates
        · Step Types
        · Rearrange Steps
        · Saving Your Template
        · Editing or Deleting a Step

    Using a Workflow
        · What is a Thread?
        · Starting a Workflow
        · Active and Closed Threads
        ·     Completing a Step
        · Comments and Activity

    About the Notification Widget

    Click a link above to get directly to that section, or scroll down and start reading.

    Creating Workflow Templates

    First, you will need to create some workflow templates. Workflow templates are a series of steps . You can create templates as simple as a single step, or as complex as multiple steps with multiple approvals. These templates can be used over and over again, so you can use them to standardize the steps you follow to do common projects or campaigns.

    You'll create your workflow templates on the Workflow section of Workflow & Automation.

    To create a workflow template:

    1. Click Create Workflow.
    2. Give your workflow a name.
      Note: This needs to be a unique name.
    3. Click Save. Your workflow will be saved, and you'll be taken to the edit page for that workflow.

    To start adding steps to your workflow template, click Add Step. A modal window will open, allowing you to set the options for the step.

    Note: Workflow templates are saved in your root bundle, no matter which bundle you are in when you create them. To use that workflow in a specific bundle it must be added to that bundle by using the bundle edit page in Workflow & Automation. You can get more information on adding items to bundles in the Bundles help article.

    Step Types

    First, you'll select the step type. Each step type has different options, so let's go through each.

      To Do:
    • Description - Enter what exactly the assignee will need to do for this step.
      For example, find images to use in the fall campaign post.
    • Assignee - Select who you want to do this step.
      The drop-down menu has several choices for you to assign the step. These are, a single person from your bundle, a team assigned to your bundle, or Assign Later, which lets you wait until the workflow template is used to assign the step. All the people and teams assigned to your bundle are listed as options in the drop-down menu. You can also type a name into the search box to find someone specific.
      Approval Step:
    • Description - Enter what exactly the assignee will need to do for this step.
      For example, approve the images for the fall campaign.
    • Assignee - Select who you want to do this step.
    • This cannot be the first step in the workflow.
      Create Post:
    • Assignee - Since the title of the step explains what the step is, you only have to assign the step.
      Publish Post:
    • This step is a trigger for SRM to automatically publish the post when this step is reached. You don't have to enter any information for this step.
    • This step requires that a Create Post Step be included in the workflow and must appear after it.

    Once you have entered the details on the step, click Add to add the step to your template.

    Keep adding steps by clicking Add Step at the top of the page.

    Rearrange Steps

    If you need to reorder your steps, just click on a step and drag it to the place you want it.

    Saving Your Template

    Once you are finished adding all your steps, click Save. Your workflow will appear in the list on the main Workflow page.

    Editing or Deleting a step

    If you need to edit a step, click the pencil icon next to the step name. It will open the modal up again and you can make any changes you need to. To delete a step, click X. The step will be automatically deleted.

    When you go back to the main Workflows page, your workflow template will appear on the main page. If you need to delete or edit the template, click the gear icon and those options will appear in a drop-down menu there.

    Using a Workflow

    Once you have your workflow template set up, you'll be ready to use it. You'll do this inside a thread.

    What is a Thread?

    Threads are collaboration spaces, where you can have a conversation with your coworkers about your project, and track the progress of your workflow. You can be a participant, which means you are assigned a task or are part of a team that's been assigned a task, or an observer, which means you aren't assigned a step but you can comment in the thread.

    Threads live in the Collaborations section of the Home page. When you go to the Home page, you'll see the News and Updates tab and the Collaborations tab.

    Starting a Workflow

    When you start a thread, you'll select a workflow template for that thread and select the participants in that thread. Here are the steps to do that.

    1. Click Start Thread on the Collaborations tab. The Start Thread module will open.
    2. Give your thread a unique name.
    3. Select the workflow template you want to use from the drop-down menu.
    4. Assign a user or a team to each step that requires an assignee.
    5. Click Save. You'll be taken to the main page for the thread.

    Starting a Thread in Publish

    You can also start a thread from the Create a Post page in Publish. When you go to the Create a Post page, you'll see the Select Your Workflow section. However, this will only appear if you have created some workflow templates. Otherwise this section will not appear.

    Select the workflow you want to use with the post, and then enter a name for your thread. The thread will automatically be created for you. You will be able to assign users and teams after you select to save the post.

    Note: If you select multiple streams when you create a post and assign it to a workflow, you will start threads for every stream you select. Each step in all the threads that are created will have the same user or team assigned to it. Ensure that's what you really want to do.

    Active and Closed Threads

    On the left side of the screen, you'll see sections labeled Active and Closed. Active contains threads that are still active - they either still have steps to be completed, or there is conversation still happening inside.

    Closed contains threads that have completed all steps in their workflows. When a thread is closed by the thread creator, comments can no longer be added. However, you can still see the full audit trail of activity and comments, which you can export if you need to.

    Inside Active and Closed, you'll see two choices, participating and observing. Those are the roles you are assigned to for each thread.

    • Participants are users or teams who are assigned to steps in the workflow and can comment on the thread.
      Users/teams who you assigned when you created the workflow will be automatically added as participants when you start the thread with the workflow. When you assign a step to a user/team after the thread has started, those users/teams will then be added as a participant.
    • Observers are users or teams who can see what is happening in the thread, but are not assigned to a step. They can comment on the thread.
      You'll add any observers after you create the thread, using the drop-down menu on the left side of the page.

    So, if you click Participating in Active, you'll only see the active threads that you are a participant in.

    Note: If a user or team is removed from the SRM, the step will be assigned to the thread creator. If the step was assigned to a user in the workflow template, the step assignee will be changed to Assign Later.

    Completing a Step

    When it is your turn to complete a step, you'll receive an email letting you know it's time and with a link to the thread page. When you have completed your task, the system will then send an email to the person assigned to the next step in the flow.

    Creating a Post Step

    If your task is to create a post, clicking Create Post will take you to Publish, where you can create your post. You'll see the thread name that the post is linked to. Currently, you cannot schedule a post when you create a post through a thread, but we're working on that.

    Note: You will not be able to publish the post at this point. When you are finished with the post, you will be able to save the post as a draft so others can review it. Clicking Save Draft will trigger the system to send an e-mail to the next person assigned to the next step in the flow.

    Publishing the Post

    If your flow contains a Publish Post step, once the last step before Publish Post is complete, the system will automatically publish the post for you.

    Comments and Activity

    Beneath the steps in your workflow, you'll see the comments and activity that's happened in your thread. These form a handy audit trail to what's been happening on your thread. Comments and completed steps will appear in this area. You can add comments using the provided box.

    If you just want to only see what tasks have been completed, click Activity. If you just want to read the comments that have been added, click Comments.

    Exporting the Audit Trail

    To make a report how your thread progressed, click Export Audit Trail. Clicking the button will open a download window where you can save the audit trail as a CSV file.

    About the Notification Widget

    To keep up with your tasks in Workflow, use the notification widget at the top of the page that lets you know what is happening to your threads. These notifications are items that don't warrant an e-mail, but are things you still want to know about if you are in the SRM platform.

    You'll see the Notifications link at the top of the platform. If you have any new notifications, a number will appear there. Clicking will open the widget, displaying your last five notifications. What kind of notifications will you see?

    • Step Completed
    • It's Your Turn!
    • Step Rejected
    • Workflow Started
    • Workflow Completed
    • Conversation Closed
    • Observer Added
    • Observer Unsubscribed

    Clicking on a notification will take you to the thread that the item is about, where you can take action if necessary.

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