Workflow example
This example describes the steps required to create a four stage Workflow.
Actions
The actions required for this workflow are:
Action Description Publish Makes a document visible as a published document on the website. 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. Sends emails to selected users. In this example, we select "Email Stage Approvers".
Stages
The following stages make up the Workflow:
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 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 email action will send an email 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 website. 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 website.
Progressing through the workflow
Process Stage Status An item is first created and saved: Stage 1, Draft Draft Once the Item Creator is ready, 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, but the 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 Use 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: Workflow stages and actions
Related:
Workflow stages
Workflow actions
Access Items during a workflow
Joint approval