Using Workflows

16.1 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, and by displaying a workflow notification icon in the banner next to their user name.

16.2 Workflow Types

From a workflow participant's point of view, there are two types of workflows:

A basic workflow defines the review process for specific content items, and must be initiated manually.
In a criteria workflow, a file enters the workflow automatically upon check‐in when its metadata matches predefined criteria.

16.3 Entering a File to a Workflow

If you have been assigned as a contributor to a basic workflow, it notifies you that you have an item in workflow both by e-mail and by notification flag on the banner of the WebCenter Content home page. To start the workflow, you must check in the designated files as the first step.

To check in a file to begin a basic workflow:

Click the Items in Workflow notification icon () on the home page banner to display a listing of all workflow items assigned to you.
Do one of the following:
- Right-click on the item in the result list to check in and select Check In from the contextual menu.
- Select the item in the result list to check in and click the Check In icon () in the toolbar.
- Open the document in the View Documents page to display the document properties and click Check In.
  
  Note:
  
  Document properties of workflow items also link to workflow details and subsequently to workflow history. From the document properties tab in the View Documents page you can also approve, reject, or check in workflow items assigned to you. You can access document properties in a number of ways, including right-clicking an item in a result list and selecting Properties from the contextual menu.
Select a destination and profile to use and click Continue.
For detailed information about checking in a file, see Uploading Documents from a Web Browser.
Select a file to check in and fill in the check-in form, then click Upload, noting the following:
- By default, Submit document to workflow is enabled and any item checked in moves to the next step in the workflow.
- Disabling Submit document to workflow and clicking Upload checks in the file but keeps it in edit status. It does not move to the next step in the workflow.

16.4 Reviewing Workflow Items Assigned to You

When you are assigned to the current step in a workflow, you receive an e-mail message and a notification flag on the banner of the WebCenter Content home page. When the required number of reviewers approve the revision, the content item goes to the next step in the workflow.

To review a file in a workflow:

Click the Items in Workflow notification icon () on the home page banner to display a listing of all workflow items assigned to you. Workflow items are assigned to you when you have a responsibility to check in or review the item.
Select one of the following options pertaining to workflow items on the listing toolbar when an item is selected, or on the summary tab of the document properties on the View Documents page:
- Approve : Approves the item in a review step. There are three types of review steps: review, review/edit revision, and review/new revision. Once the required number of reviewers approves the item, it moves to the next step in the workflow. The option to approve is not available for an item in a contribution step.
- Reject : Rejects the item in a review step and returns it to the most recent review step that allows editing. If there is no previous review step that allows editing, then it returns to the original contribution step.
- Check In : Uploads a revised document for an item in a review or contribution step. If you check in a document in a review/new revision step, the revision number increments with each check in. This allows you to manage changed revisions to a document throughout the workflow process.
  
  If you check in a document in a review/edit revision step, then the revision number stays the same throughout the step. If it is the final step in the workflow, it stays at that revision even when the document is released at the end of the workflow. This allows you or others to change the document several times and only manage approved and released revisions.
  
  Note that you have the option to approve the document when you check it in.
- Remove From Your Assignments: Removes the document from the Content in Workflow list results when the Assigned to you filter is applied. Selecting this option does not change the document's workflow status or the operations you can perform on the document. If a subsequent workflow step assigns the document to you, it will again appear in the list generated by the Assigned to you filter. This option is available only if the Assigned to you filter is applied.
  
  Note:
  
  If you remove a workflow from your assignments but need to contribute to the workflow, you can find the workflow by browsing the Content In Workflow system library without the Assigned to you filter applied.

Figure 16-1 Summary Tab Showing Workflow Options in Document Properties

Summary tab of document properties showing workflow options

16.5 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:

16.5.1 How do I view a list of my workflow assignments?

To view a list of workflows that require action from you, do one of the following:

Click the Items in Workflow notification icon () on the home page banner to display a listing of all workflow items, filtered by default to those assigned to you.
Navigate to the Content in Workflow system library:
1. Click Browse in the side bar.
2. Select the System Libraries filter from the Library type list in the search box to filter the library results list so that only system libraries are displayed.
3. Click Content in Workflow in the result list. By default, only those workflow items assigned to you are displayed.

16.5.2 How do I view a list of all documents in active workflows?

To view a list of all active workflows in the system, follow the steps in How do I view a list of my workflow assignments? to view all items assigned to you, then expand the results to include all active workflows by clearing the Assigned to you filter in the search box.

16.5.3 How do I view a list of documents in a specific workflow?

To view a list of documents within a specific workflow, first view a list of all documents in active workflows (see How do I view a list of all documents in active workflows?) and select the workflow name from the filter list of the search box.

16.5.4 How do I view workflow details and history?

Workflow details are accessed from the properties page of a document in workflow by clicking the View workflow details link under the properties summary tab or by selecting it from the More menu on the View Documents page. Workflow details include information about the current step and any completed steps in the workflow. This option is available only if the document is currently in a workflow.

Workflow history lists the workflows that a document has been part of and provides details about the steps and actions in each workflow. Workflow history is available on any document whether or not it is in an active workflow. For documents in an active workflow, access workflow history by clicking the View Workflow Details in the document properties summary section and then View Workflow History on the Workflow Details page. For documents not in an active workflow, access workflow history by selecting View Workflow History from the More menu of the View Documents page.