How to Import a Workflow – Quality Management (Essentials)

Who is this article for?
Ideagen Quality Management administrators importing workflows.

Admin access is required.

Best in class workflows are pre-made workflows that you can import into your Workflow module.

Each download file includes the *.qtwf and *.qtwd files needed to import the workflow as well as an image demonstrating the workflow.

This article outlines the process to import a workflow and also provides some guidance on configuring the workflow after it has been imported.

To make this process easier to follow, this article has been split into the following sections:

How to Import a Workflow
Attach Workflow Diagram
Configure & Edit Workflow
Further Reading

1. How to Import a Workflow

Note: The steps below assume you have a workflow file ready to import. You can download best in class workflows at the Best-In-Class Workflow Download Center.

To import a Workflow:

Go to Administration in the Navigation Menu.
Select Workflows.
Click Import.
Drag and drop a Workflow to the pop up.
Alternatively, click Choose File to browse to it.
Give your Workflow a Title.
Add optional Field Prefix.
Choose whether to Use Existing Fields When Field Titles Match.
Click Import.

2. Attach Workflow Diagram

Open the Workflow Designer XML file in the Workflow Designer tool.
Click on Edit, and then Preferences.
Update/confirm your system URL and login name.
Click on the Attach Diagram to Workflow icon.
Select the appropriate workflow from the drop-down list
Select “JPEG” from the Type drop-down
Click Attach.
Click OK.

3. Configure & Edit Workflow

After importing the Best-in-Class Workflow there are some configuration steps to complete before you
can put the workflow online.

Note: Each workflow may have additional configuration recommendations that will be outlined in the relevant article.

3.1. Add the Workflow Diagram to the Footer

Log in to the system.
Click on Administration, and then Workflows.
Open the workflow you need to edit.
Browse to the "HTML Headers and Footers" section.
Click Open Options.
Change the workflow ID embedded in the Footer field to the ID of the selected workflow.
Click Save Changes.

Note: The workflow ID is visible at the top of the workflow definition.

3.2 Configure Automation Steps

Some Best-in-Class Workflows include automation steps. These automations may include Workflow Launcher, Data Copier, and Wait on Workflow. Each automation results in connections and interactions
between workflows and each must be configured after you import the workflow.

Important Note: Workflows cannot be activated if there is an automation step that has not been
configured. If you do not plan to use an automation you will need to edit the workflow to
remove the automation step.

3.3. Update Responsible Parties

While all steps have identified Responsible Parties by default, these defaults will not fully align with your
needs. Please review the default Responsible Parties for all steps in the selected workflow and update
as needed.

Note: A list of default Responsible Parties and recommendations for update is available for each
Best-in-Class Workflow.

Tip! Use Groups as Responsible Parties wherever possible, rather than assigning individual Users as Responsible Parties. Using Groups as Responsible Parties means that you can manage changes to your Responsible Parties without taking the workflow offline and without requiring updates to multiple steps, etc.

3.4. Update List Fields

Most list fields used in Best-in-Class Workflows do not include list options by default. It is important that
you add your own list options to these list fields, to ensure that they align with your organization needs.
List options can be added in the Custom Fields Admin area of Ideagen Quality Management.

3.5. Additional Workflow Edits

Remember, a workflow should reflect your processes! We recommend doing a full review of the steps,
routes, and fields in use in each workflow. This is the perfect time to add, remove, or update anything
you need to make the Best-in-Class Workflow an even better fit for you.

Best-in-Class workflows also include default Email Actions. These are associated with each route and
will generate an email each time the route is selected, notifying the person responsible for the next
step. Email Actions are configurable, however, so consider whether you would like to add additional
Email Actions or adjust the defaults to your needs. Existing Email Actions can be accessed by selecting
the route in Workflows Admin or by clicking on Administration, then Email Actions.

Finally, don’t forget that you can limit the list of users available to select in a Personnel custom field to
only those users in selected group(s) (rather than all users). You can also configure a Personnel custom
field to only allow the selection of groups rather than individual users. Both updates can be
done by editing the field in Administration Custom Fields.

A full breakdown of the changes are outlined in each article below:

3.6. Put Workflow Online

Once you’ve made all desired edits and updates to the workflow remember to put it online! Simply click
the “Put Online” button when viewing the workflow admin pages. The system will provide information on
errors; minor errors will appear in green and are corrected automatically - no further action is needed! Errors that require your attention will appear in red and must be corrected before the workflow can be put online.

4. Further Reading

Best-In-Class Workflow Download Center