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Workflow example

This example describes the steps required to create a four stage Workflow.


Actions

The actions required for this workflow are:


Table 1. Actions

Action Description
Publish Makes a document visible as a published document on the Web site.
Scheduled Move This scheduled move action detects when a document has passed its expire date and moves the document into the Expired stage.
Expire Stops a document from being visible on the Web site.
E-mail Sends e-mails to selected users. In this example, you select "E-mail Stage Approvers".


Stages

The following stages make up the Workflow:


Table 2. Stages

Workflow Stage Actions on Entering Description
Stage 1, Draft   All content will begin the Workflow in this Stage. All content authors will be authorized to use the Draft stage.
Stage 2, Review E-mail Content will require a review stage before being published.

A small group of people will be authorized to approve content in this stage and move it to the Publish stage. The e-mail action will send an e-mail to each approver.

Stage 3, Publish Publish

Scheduled Move

This is the stage where content from the workflow is published. The Publish action is triggered when the Publish Date is reached. At this point the content will be visible on the Web site. The Scheduled Move action will also be triggered when the Expire Date is reached.
Stage 4, Expired Expire The Scheduled Move action will move the content into this stage, where the Expire action will stop the document from being visible on the Web site.


Progressing through the workflow


Table 3. Progressing through the workflow

Process Stage Status
An item is first created and saved: Stage 1, Draft Draft
Once the Item Creator is happy with the item, they move it to the next stage: Stage 2, Review Draft
An Approver would then access the document and review it. If Approved, the item would be moved to the next stage.

The Status is Draft pending Published. This is because the time specified in the Publish Date field of the item has not yet been reached.

Stage 3, Publish Draft pending Published
Once the Publish Date is reached, the item's Status changes to Published The item is still in Stage 3, Publish Only its Status has changed. Stage 3, Publish Published
Once the Expire Date is reached, the document is moved to the final stage.

As both the Scheduled Move and Expire Actions are using the Expired date in this example, the item's Status immediately changes to Expired If the Scheduled Moved Action used a General Date prior to the Expire Date, then the item's Status would remain as Published pending Expire until the Expire Date was reached even though it had entered Stage 4, Expire

Stage 4, Expire Expired

Using workflows and access to workflow items

Users do not require access to a workflow's actions or stages to participate in a workflow. Actions are performed using system access and are not determined by the access of the user who approved/rejected the item.


Parent topic:

Manage items in a workflow