Designing Collaboration Processes

Users with the Collaboration Process Designer role can create Collaboration Processes that allow local and corporate marketers to collaborate on campaign content. For more information, see Collaboration Process--Overview.

You use the Collaboration Process Designer to create and publish processes. Learn more on Topliners about the Collaboration Process Designer.

Tips and Best Practices

For Distributed Content use, specify the same campaign or variable for the Contribute Content, Approve Content, Publish Campaign Content, and Launch Campaign steps.
All these steps should always work with the same campaign. In addition, this way the process launcher will need to pick only one campaign for all steps. Note that specifying different campaigns will not produce an error.
For Express Campaign use, specify the base campaign as a value.
Use the copied campaign variable in the Campaign property of the Configure Targeting, Contribute Content, Configure Schedule, and Publish Content steps as well. This ensures all these steps work on the copied campaign.
Use a timer Target Timer before a Launch Campaign step.
Using a Target Timer before launching a campaign ensures that the campaign is launched exactly at the time you want for each organizational unit to which the process is launched.
Processes use the targeting criteria specified during launch
Use variables for reusable processes.
For example, if you use a Campaign variable in the Contribute Content step, the process launcher can select a different campaign for each launch.
The organizational units selected during process launch define the organizational units for which recipients are targeted in that process launch.
Delete all unused variables.
All process variables are available during a process launch, and the process launcher must specify a value for each one. Variables that are not used in any step can potentially confuse process launchers.

Creating a Process

To create a process:

Tip: You can find pre-seeded sample processes in your Responsys account's System folder.

Click Actions on the side navigation bar, and select Create Process. (Not seeing this choice? Refer to the Side navigation bar changes topic.)
The Create Collaboration Process dialog opens.
Enter a unique title, select a folder, and, optionally, enter a description.
Click Create.
The process is created and the Collaboration Process Designer opens.
Create process variables as needed.
Drag process steps from the palette onto the canvas.
For descriptions of process steps, see Process Steps.
Draw connectors between steps to create the process path flow.
Double-click a step to set its properties.
For descriptions of step properties, see About Step Properties.
Click Save.
Specify settings and publish the process to make it available for launching.

Specifying Process Settings

Use the settings dialog to change the process name and location, set organizational access control, and specify process variables.

To specify settings:

Click Settings.
Do any of the following:
- In the General section, change the name, folder, and description.
- In the Access control section, select the organizations to which the process is available. This selection controls access for Collaboration Process Launcher and Collaboration Process Designer roles.
  Tip: Click to search for an organization.
- In the Variables section, click Create new variable to create a variable, click to edit a variable, or click to delete a variable.
- In the Launch control section, specify the number of process instances to create at launch time for the selected organizational units based on your needs.
- Create one process instance per value of the above variable
  Use this option for Distributed Content Collaboration, when content contribution is expected from every organizational unit for which the process is launched.
- Create one instance for all values of above variable
  Use this option for Express Campaigns, when a marketer needs to create one copy of the campaign and work on it to target the recipients belonging to his organizational units.
Click Done.

Creating Variables

Tip: For more information about variables, see About Process Variables.

Click Settings.
Expand the Variables section and click Create new variable.
Type the Variable Name and select a Type.
Optionally, type a Description to help identify the variable.
Click Create.

Publishing a Process

Publishing a process makes is available for launching.

After the process is published, users with the Collaboration Process Launcher role in the applicable organizational units will be able to launch it by selecting Start Process from the Collaboration menu.

Before you can publish a process, you must validate it to ensure that it is constructed correctly.

When you attempt to publish a process, it is automatically validated. You can also validate a process while designing it. To do this, click Validate on the Design tab.

If there are any validation errors, a message will notify you that all errors must be fixed before the process can be published. To fix the errors, click Fix on the message.

Elements with validation errors are highlighted on the canvas and the errors are listed in the right pane. Click Validate as many times as needed until all errors are cleared.

To publish a process:

Click Publish.
A confirmation message opens.
Click Yes.
- If the process is error free, it is published and a notification message opens.
- If the process contains errors, click Fix on the notification message, fix the errors, then repeat steps 1 and 2.

About Step Properties

In addition to the properties described below, each step includes a Stage label and an optional Description properties. By default, the Stage label is the step type. These properties are visible only on the canvas and can help you identify the step in the future.

All properties described below are required.

Step	Properties	Additional Information
Start	N/A	This must be the first step in the process. A process can include only one Start step.
Create Campaign	Description: An optional description or notes for the step. Role: Read-only field that shows which role that has permissions to work on the campaign. Instructions (to user): Any instructions for the Express Email Content Manager. Duration: Number of days the Express Email Content Manager has to complete this task. Base Campaign: Campaign that the Express Email Content Manager can select when working on the process. You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name. Copied Campaign: The variable to map. This variable holds details of the copied campaign that can be referenced in other steps.	This task will be assigned to all users with the Content Contributor role in the applicable organizational units. The process creates a copy of the base campaign, and each Express Email Content Manager works on their own copy.
Configure Schedule	Description: An optional description or notes for the step. Role: Read-only field that shows which role that has permissions to work on the campaign. Instructions (to user): Any instructions for the Express Email Content Manager. Duration: Number of days the Express Email Content Manager has to complete this task. Campaign: The campaign or campaign variable to use. Scheduling Options: The scheduling options available to the marketer during launch.	This step allows the marketer to specify the date and time for the campaign launch, based on the specified scheduling options (either immediately or on specific days).
Configure Targeting	Description: An optional description or notes for the step. Role: Read-only field that shows which role that has permissions to work on the campaign. Instructions (to user): Any instructions for the Express Email Content Manager. Duration: Number of days the Express Email Content Manager has to complete this task. Campaign: You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name. Specify Targeting: Select the Audience and/or filters to use.	If you are using Organizational Access Control, the audience/filter must be assigned to the applicable organizational units. This ensures that the audience/ filter is available for selection to the marketer. When you add this step, the variable ‘Launch_Organization_Units’ is automatically created for the process.
Contribute Content	Description: An optional description or notes for the step. Role: Read-only field that shows which role that has permissions to work on the campaign. Duration: Number of days the Express Email Content Manager has to complete this task. Campaign: Campaign for which to contribute content. You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name.	Tip: You can find the sample Contribute Content process in your Responsys account's System folder. This task will be assigned to all users with the Content Contributor role in the applicable organizational units. Regardless of the specified duration, the task will be available for the duration of all process steps. In users' workspace, this task will be displayed in red after its due date. When you add this step, the variable ‘Launch_Organization_Units’ is automatically created for the process.
Approve Content	Duration: Number of days that the Content Approver has to complete this task. You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name. Campaign: Campaign to approve. You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name.	Tip: You can find the sample Contribute Content With Approval process in your Responsys account's System folder. This task will be assigned to all users with the Content Approver role in the applicable organizational units. Regardless of the specified duration, the task will be available for the duration of all process steps. In users' workspace, this task will be displayed in red after its due date. When you add this step, the variable ‘Launch_Organization_Units’ is automatically created for the process.
Send Proof & Approve	Duration: Number of days that the Express Email Campaign Manager has to complete this task. You can create a variable of type number or specify a value in number of days to complete the task. Campaign: Campaign to approve. You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name. Proof Targeting: Select the Profile List and Proof List to use.	Tip: You can find the sample Express Campaign with Send Proof Sample process in your Responsys account's System folder. This task will be assigned to users with the Express Email Campaign manager role in the applicable organizational units. This allows users to initiate proof emails and to record their approval/rejection of the proof email. Note: The Configure Targeting step and the Send Proof & Approve step need to have the same profile list if both steps are used in the same Collaboration Process.
Publish Campaign Content	Campaign: Campaign to publish. You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name.	When you add this step, the variable ‘Launch_Organization_Units’ is automatically created for the process.
Launch Campaign	Campaign: Campaign to launch. You can specify a variable of type Campaign or a campaign name.	Tip: You can find the sample Contribute Content Direct Launch process in your Responsys account's System folder. Using this step ensures that the campaign launches exactly at the time you choose. To launch a campaign for all organizational units at the same time, use a Target Timer before the Launch Campaign step. Otherwise, the campaign is launched for each organizational unit as it becomes available for that unit. The campaign will be launched according to your Targeting by Organization policy. When you add this step, the variable ‘Launch_Organization_Units’ is automatically created for the process.
Raise Event	Collaboration Event: Collaboration event to raise in Program. You can specify a variable of type Event or an existing collaboration event.	For more information, see Raise Event. When you add this step, the variable ‘Launch_Organization_Units’ is automatically created for the process.
Decision Node	Data Conditions: Condition for each path. You can specify a variable of type Number or Text, content approval state, or content rejection reason.	At least two paths are required.
Target Timer	Date and time: Date and time until the step must be paused. You can specify a variable of type Date and time or actual date and time.	We recommend using a Target Timer before the Launch Campaign step. This ensures that the campaign launches exactly at the time you choose. The timer uses the default timezone of your account.
End	N/A	You can add more than one End step. This must be the last step in the process.

Modifying a Published Process

Modifying a published process creates a draft version with your changes. The published version is not interrupted and can still be launched. You have two options for the draft version:

Publish the draft to replace the currently published version.
Note: Saving your changes does not replace the published version. You may work on your changes over time while the currently published version continues to run.
Revert to the published version by abandoning your changes.

To replace a published process with the draft version:

Click Publish.
A confirmation message opens.
Click Yes.
Your draft version is published.

To open an existing process:

Click Folders on the side navigation bar.
The Folders page opens.
Select the folder where the process is located from the Folders list.
Tip: You can find pre-seeded sample processes in your Responsys account's System folder.
Select Collaboration Process from the Contents list.
Click the process you want.

To delete a process:

When you delete a process, the campaign content is not deleted, but the process tasks will not be available.

Click Folders on the side navigation bar.
The Folders page opens.
Select the folder where the process is located from the Folders list.
Select Collaboration Process from the Contents list.
Click and select Delete.
Click Yes in the confirmation message.