25 Using Workflows

Learn how to participate in and manage the workflows to which you belong.

This chapter has the following topics:

• About Workflows

• Entering a File to a Workflow

• Reviewing Revisions in a Workflow

• Working with a Rejected Revision

• Viewing Workflow Information

25.1 About Workflows

A workflow specifies how to route content for review and approval before it is released to the system. The workflow notifies users by e-mail when they have a file to review. For information about workflow types and uses, see Understanding Document Workflows.

25.2 Entering a File to a Workflow

When a basic workflow starts, it sends an e-mail message to the contributors, who must check in the designated files as the first step in the workflow.

To check in a file to begin a basic workflow:

1. Read the Workflow Started Notification message.
2. On the Workflow Content Items page, click the Review Workflow Content link.
3. Choose Check Out from the contextual menu in the Actions column.
4. On the Check-Out Confirmation page, check the content item into the system using one of the following methods:

   • If the check-out confirmation page is still displayed, click Check In.

   • Choose Check In from the contextual menu in the Actions column on the Workflow Content Items page.

   • Open the Content Management tray, click Active Workflows, click the name of the workflow, then choose Check In from the contextual menu in the Actions column on the Workflow Content Items page.

5. Fill in the content check-in form.

   • If you select the Revision Finished Editing check box, the revision moves from Edit status to GenWWW status and goes to the next step in the workflow.

   • If you leave the Revision Finished Editing check box unselected, the file is checked in but remains in Edit status instead of moving to GenWWW status. Return to Step 3 to check out the file and check it back in.

     Note:

     If a document included in a workflow fails to convert in the check-in process, the content item is set to Edit status automatically. For this reason, include documents in the workflow that are valid for conversion.

6. Click Check In and provide user credentials if prompted.

25.3 Reviewing Revisions in a Workflow

When the next step in a workflow is a review step, the reviewers receive an e-mail message. When the appropriate number of reviewers approve the revision, the content item goes to the next step in the workflow.

To review a file in a workflow:

1. Read the Workflow Review Notification Message.
2. Click the Review Workflow Item link.

   Note:

   For a reviewer step, you can choose to Sign and Approve, Approve or Reject the content item. For a reviewer/contributor step, you can choose to Check Out, Approve, or Reject the content item.

3. On the Workflow Review page:

   • Review the file in the area to the right of the Workflow Review panel.

   • Click the Web Viewable link to see a version of the content in your browser.

   • Click the Native File link to save a copy of the file in its original format.

   • Click the HTML Rendition link to view the file as HTML in your browser.

4. If you have reviewer/contributor permission and you would like to edit the file, click the Check out link in the Workflow Review panel to check out the content item for editing. Otherwise, continue with Step 12.
5. On the Check-Out Confirmation page, get a copy of the original file and edit it.
6. Check the content item back in to the system using one of the following methods:

   • If the check-out confirmation page is still displayed, click Check In.

   • Choose Check In from the contextual menu in the Actions column on the Workflow Content Items page.

   • Open the Content Management tray, click Active Workflows, click the name of the workflow, then choose Check In from the contextual menu in the Actions column on the Workflow Content Items page.

7. Fill in the Checked-Out Content page.

   • If you select the Approve Revision box, the revision moves from Edit status to GenWWW status and goes to the next step in the workflow when the required number of reviewers approve. Step 8 is not required.

   • If you leave the Approve Revision box unselected, the revision is checked in but remains in Review status instead of moving to GenWWW status. You must still approve or reject the revision.

8. Click Check In.
9. To reject the revision, click the Reject link in the Workflow Review panel.
10. On the Reject Content Item page, enter a message explaining the reason for rejecting the content item. When you reject a content item, it is sent back to the most recent workflow step that permitted contribution.
11. To approve the revision, click the Approve or the Sign and Approve link in the Workflow Review panel.
12. If you click Sign and Approve, on the Sign Workflow Content Item page, specify your password and any additional metadata values and click Sign and Approve.
13. Review the information in the confirmation window and click Close Window.

25.4 Working with a Rejected Revision

When a revision is rejected, the users assigned to the most recent contribution step receive an e-mail message.

To edit a rejected file:

1. Read the Workflow Content Item Reject Notification message.
2. Click the Review Workflow Content link.
3. On the Workflow Content Items page, choose Check Out from the contextual menu in the Actions column.
4. On the Check-Out Confirmation page, get a copy of the original file and edit it.
5. Check the content item back into the system using one of the following methods:

   • If the check-out confirmation page is still displayed, click Check In.

   • Choose Check In from the contextual menu in the Actions column on the Workflow Content Items page.

   • Open the Content Management tray, click Active Workflows, click the name of the workflow, and then choose Check In from the contextual menu in the Actions column on the Workflow Content Items page.

6. Fill in the Checked-Out Content page.

   • If you select the Revision Finished Editing box, the file moves from Review status to GenWWW status and goes to the next step in the workflow.

   • If you leave the Revision Finished Editing box unselected, the file is checked in but remains in Review status instead of moving to GenWWW status. You must still approve the file.

7. Click Check In.

25.5 Viewing Workflow Information

There are several ways to view information about a content item in a workflow. With links between workflow pages you can perform the following tasks:

• Viewing a List of Active Workflows

• Viewing a List of Your Workflows

• Viewing Workflow History and Information About a Workflow Step

• Viewing Content Information

25.5.1 Viewing a List of Active Workflows

To view a list of all active workflows in the system:

1. Open the Content Management tray.
2. Click Active Workflows.

   The Active Workflows page opens.

25.5.2 Viewing a List of Your Workflows

To view a list of workflows that require action from you:

1. Open the My Content Server tray.
2. Click My Workflow Assignments.
3. To remove content items from the Workflow in Queue page, choose Remove from Queue from the contextual menu in the Actions column. (The content item is not deleted from the workflow.)

25.5.3 Viewing Workflow History and Information About a Workflow Step

To view workflow history and information about a workflow step:

1. Display either the Workflow Content Items page or the Workflow in Queue page.
2. Choose Workflow Info from the contextual menu in the Actions column.

   The Workflow Info for Item page opens.

25.5.4 Viewing Content Information

To view content information for a revision in a workflow:

1. Open the My Content Server tray.
2. Click My Workflow Assignments.
3. On the Workflow in Queue page, choose Content Info from the contextual menu in the Actions column.

   The Content Information page opens.