Workflow Rule - Set Status Outcome

Workflow Rules: How to Set a Record Status

Click here to check out other articles related to the Workflow Rules manager.

This article focuses on the ‘Set Status’ outcome. The Set Status outcome of Workflow Rules allows you to create rules to automatically set a record to a stage in the approval lifecycle.

This article covers:

• Before you get started
• Best Practice for setting up Workflow Rules
• Use ‘Set Status’ to automatically set a record to stage of the approval lifecycle
• Workflow Rules & Permissions: Which users can appear on the approver & archiver list

BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

The Set Status outcome of Workflow Rules allows you to create a rule which automatically sets a record to a specific Approval Stage.

Based on the triggers in the ‘When this happens’ section, you will be able to automate the approving or archiving of that record.

For example

• If you report a low severity near miss in the Incident Record module, you may not need it to go through a workflow process. You can create a rule which automatically approves this low severity near miss as soon as it is created. 
• Or, if you have an accident with no lost time you may assign this record for investigation. When the assignee submits the record a rule could automatically approve and then archive the record.

Before creating Workflow Rules in Assure we suggest you follow the below steps to plan the rules you need to set up. 

1. Define your approval process 
2. Review what the process should look like and which records are able to be set to approved or archived.
3. Ensure the approval system is enabled, including archive
4. Set your default approver in Assure (if required)  
   Check out this article to set default approvers
5. Communicate any changes you are making to your team, so they are aware of any automation of record status
6. Monitor execution of rules

BEST PRACTICE FOR SETTING UP WORKFLOW RULES

• Plan before you build: Think through all scenarios.
• Use a standard naming convention: Include org unit, criteria used and outcome.  The Name and description are searchable.
• Set up rules for create & edit if you want them to be applied when the criteria is updated during review.
• Set up rules for submitted and approved if you want to them be applied based on the workflow stage.

USE ‘SET STATUS’ TO AUTOMATIALLY SET A RECORD TO A STAGE IN THE APPROVAL LIFECYCLE. 

• Check out this article about how to create a workflow rule for a step by step guide to set up rules.

Decide what trigger/s you would like the rule to execute on.

• When a record is created:
  • As soon as the record is created (by any source except data import) workflow rules will be checked to see if criteria are met, and execute the outcome accordingly.
  • This can be used with when a record is edited.
  • This can be used with all outcomes.
• When a record is edited:
  • If a record is saved, the workflow rules will be checked to see if criteria are met, execute the outcome accordingly.
  • This can be used with when a record is created. 
  • This can be used with all outcomes.
• When a record is submitted:
  • As soon as the record is submitted in the workflow, workflow rules will be checked to see if criteria are met, and execute the outcome accordingly.
  • This can only be used with the outcome: ‘Set Status -  Approved’.
• When a record is approved:
  • As soon as the record is approved in the workflow, workflow rules will be checked to see if criteria are met, and execute the outcome accordingly.
  • This can only be used with the outcome: ‘Set Status - Archived’.

Once you have set your trigger and filter criteria select ‘Set Status’ in the outcome section and complete details.

• Select Status Approved: Create a rule to change the status of the record to Approved
• Set Approver to Default Approver: This is the user who will be displayed as the approver of the record. The Default Approver is set within the Organisational Unit settings.
• Set Approver to Record Editor / Creator: This is the user who will be displayed as the approver of the record. Depending on the event which triggers the rules (a record is created, or a record is edited) the user creating or editing that record will be displayed as the approver of the record.

• Set Approver to Select User: This is the user who will be displayed as the approver of the record.
• Select Status Archived: Create a rule to change the status of the record to Archived
• Set Archiver to Record Editor / Creator: This is the user who will be displayed as the Archiver of the record. Depending on the event which triggers the rules (a record is created, or a record is edited) the user creating or editing that record will show as the Archiver of the record.
• Set Archiver to Select User: This is the user who should be set as archiver of the record.

WORKFLOW RULES AND PERMISSIONS - WHICH USERS CAN APPEAR ON THE APPROVER & ARCHIVER LIST

Approver:

Users must have the ‘approve’ permission in their role for the module the rule applies to.

Users must have access to the org unit that the rule applies to.

If ‘Include Child Organisational Units’ is ticked, the users must have access to all Child Org units

Archiver:

Users must have the ‘archive’ permission in their role for the module the rule applies to.

 Users must have access to the org unit (including the child units)

If ‘Include Child Organisational Units’ is ticked, the users must have access to all Child Org units