The workflow editor
You build and change workflows in Workflows. You need the Change workflows permission to edit, and Publish workflows to make a workflow live. The Workflow manager and Admin roles have both.
The workflows list
Each workflow shows where its mail comes from, what it creates in MCS, and its status:
| Status | Means |
|---|---|
| On | Published and taking mail |
| Off | Published but switched off |
| Draft, not published | Never published |
| Changes waiting | Live, with draft changes not yet published |
Creating a workflow
- Select New workflow.
- Under Start from, choose Blank ("No steps yet. Add them yourself."), or one of MCS's standard workflows if any are listed. Either way it is your own copy to change.
- Enter a Name and select Create workflow.
The new workflow is a draft until you publish it.
Four tabs
| Tab | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Steps | The steps, in order, with their settings |
| Fields | The information the workflow works with. Steps can only use fields listed here |
| Test | Run the draft on real emails and see what would have happened |
| Versions | Every version, comparing with the live one, and making an earlier one live again |
Fields
On the Fields tab:
- Add a field searches the field library.
- Add a document's fields adds every field of a document type, such as Invoice.
- Tick Required on a field the workflow must have, or Remove it.
Picking a document type in a Read the documents step adds its fields for you.
Steps
- Add a step, or the + between steps, opens Choose a step. See step types.
- Select a step to see its settings. Pickers only offer fields of a suitable type.
- Give a step a Title to say what it does in this workflow.
- Move up and Move down reorder steps. Remove step removes one.
- Steps inside a choice are indented.
Problems
The editor checks the workflow as you go. The top shows, for example, "2 to fix, 1 to consider", with Show me for each. Publish is switched off until everything "to fix" is fixed. Things "to consider" do not block publishing. When there are none, it says Ready to publish. See safety rules.
Saving
Drafts save automatically. If someone else changes the same draft, you are asked to Reload to see their changes.
Discard changes throws away everything changed since the last published version, after asking. The published version stays live.