Configuring defining criteria for a workflow

Defining criteria are the set of conditions that determines which workflow is used for a record (such as a ticket). You can create several workflows for a state field such as Status.

For example, a ticket concerning work to be done on hardware might have one workflow to manage the work effort and another for managing financial approvals. The work-related Status values might be "scheduled", "pending approval", and so on. The financial-related Status values might be "approved", "denied", and so on.

Whether you have one workflow or multiple workflows, the system will move records into the first workflow that matches the values on the record. Newly created records may enter a workflow at any state which has a transition connection from the initial Start state. When using multiple workflows, you must be especially careful when defining criteria so the different workflows do not conflict. However, if you do not define any criteria for records to enter a workflow, then every record will go through the workflow.

If a record is updated after it has entered a workflow, and the changes cause the record to no longer match that workflow, it will be removed from that workflow. The system searches for another matching workflow and does either of the following:

• If the current value for the State field is present in the new matching workflow, the record moves to the new workflow starting from this state, that is, it jumps into the middle of the new workflow.
• If the current value for the State field is not present in the new matching workflow, the record moves to the state which is defined as the workflow Default state. 

When you create a business rule from the workflow graph, triggers are important. If you select the On Exit trigger for a state and then add an On Transition trigger to a transition line, the workflow exits the state, uses that transition, and may possibly fire a rule as well.

After upgrading to FootPrints version 12.01.03, the workflow criteria or business rules that contain fields which have the permission set as No for user roles might not work as as it did previously. The field data can be secured completely only by assigning the No field permission for user roles to whom the system administrator does not want to show the field or expose field data. For more information, see the Support Article.

To configure defining criteria for a workflow

1. Open the container and item that contains the workflow process that you want to modify:
   1. Click the Administration tab.
   2. In the appropriate section, click the container name or click Manage to open the container Administration page. Then double-click the container.
      The container details page appears.
   3. In the left pane, click the item link (such as Record Definitions in workspaces).
      The Items page appears.
   4. Double-click the item.
      The items details page appears. 
   5. In the left pane, click Workflow Processes.
   6. Double-click the Workflow Process.
      the Workflow Process details page appears. 
2. In the left pane, select Defining Criteria, then click Add.
   

   The Business Rules Properties: Defining Criteria page appears.

3. In the Criteria section, create any applicable conditions for this workflow.
   
4. Click Save.
5. In the breadcrumb trail, click the Workflow Process link.
   The Workflow Process details page appears. 
6. Publish the container to implement your changes:
   1. In the breadcrumb trail, click the container link.

   2. Click Save and Publish.
      A confirmation message appears.

   3. Click Yes.

      The Publication Succeeded message appears, showing the number of errors and warnings.

Next step

Test your workflow criteria to verify it works as you expected. In the container where you configured the workflow, create a record that matches the defining criteria and click the field for which the workflow was created. Only the designated values should appear.

Related topic

Configuring workflow processes