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Workflow

 

Parallel Gateways

With parallel gateways, Workflow Designer can create more efficient processes in which tasks can be done simultaneously by different people (or roles). For example: after a sales person initiates a new customer contract, review of the proposed draft by sales management and by the legal department can proceed at the same time, before sending an approved contract to the customer or returning a rejected draft to the initiator.
 
To create parallel branches in a process, insert a Parallel Split gateway by dragging from the Gateway menu in the Toolbox or by selection from the previous node's + menu.
 
From the Parallel Split gateway, draw whatever tasks are required on each branch. A branch can include any and all elements of a workflow—application tasks, service tasks, emails, XOR gates, and timer subflows for reminders. At the end of each branch, connect the last node to a single Parallel Join gateway. When all tasks on all branches are completed, the process will continue downstream from the Parallel Join gateway.
Parallel Gates

Re-assign and Reset

A task (or sequence of tasks in a lane) may need to be re-assigned to a different person for several reasons. For example, the assigned person is unavailable or does not have the necessary knowledge or authority. A task or lane may also need to be reset. For example, the assigned user started the task but is no longer available to complete it.
 
Workflow Session View now includes two new standard Actions, Reassign and Reset. Standard actions are created automatically; authors do not need to create them on the Actions tab of Workflow Designer. Like all Actions, the new ones are controlled by permissions.
 
If the user has appropriate permissions—as the currently assigned user, or as a workflow author/manager—clicking the Reassign Action will display a list of other users in the workflow to whom the task can be reassigned. The newly assigned user, as well as the previously assigned user, will receive a system-generated email informing them of the reassignment and providing a link to continue the task. Contents of the email can be customized for the workflow, or individually in the Reassign form.
 
In addition, the workflow author can include a re-assign link in an email, so the assigned user can make the reassignment without opening Session View.
 
With the Reset Action, a workflow author/manager can change the session state (Task A/In Progress, Task B/Completed, etc.) in order to move the workflow back one or more steps. Clicking the Reset Action will display a list of the tasks in the current lane to which the workflow can be reset, including the current task. After the reset task has been selected, the session state becomes Not Started at the task selected. For example, if the current state is Task B/In Progress, reset could return the state to Task A/Not Started.
 
As with Reassignment, Reset generates automatic emails, in this case to the users who have permission to execute tasks in the current lane.

Workflow Emails – Images and Conditional Text

Emails now can include images such as logos and icons from the Neota Asset Manager, and can include conditional text.

Workflow email

Other Workflow Improvements

 
Call Tasks, which enable a workflow to launch an external application (a Neota app on a different server, or a non-Neota app), can now set the URL of the called app using an NDM variable.
 
In Session View, the Actions column is displayed by default. Which Action links, if any, are displayed in the column is determined in the usual ways by user or group, by session state, and by lane conditions.
 
Workflow connector conditions, which control flow through the process, can now include expressions in the form Variable = Set (has any value). For example, a task may ask for a list of subsidiaries; a condition could branch the workflow one way if there are some subsidiaries (the variable is Set) and branch a different way if there are no subsidiaries (the variable was not Set).

Sessions View

New View by Default

In an earlier release, we introduced a beta version of Sessions View for testing and feedback. Based on customer feedback, 10.7 adds new features and improves the usability of Session View. As of 10.7 the new view is now standard.

New default view

Export Current View or All Data

You can now download data as configured in sessions view or, with permissions, download all available data.

 
Click the download arrow icon:
Export currrent view

This form will open:

Open form
Users with edit permissions will see the option "Download all available data," which downloads all the session data, without being restricted by what is currently in view or by filters.
 
Click the blue download button to initiate the download.

Edit Session Data

You can now edit session data all in the one location. Choose the session that you want to edit the data for by clicking the arrow in the left hand column, and that will open up a list of the columns currently shown in your session view. Select edit, make your changes, then click save. You can also toggle to ‘show all data fields’ if you want to edit data that is not currently in your sessions view.
 
Note: This applies to users with ‘edit session’ permissions.
Edit session data

Display WYSIWYG Text

If an application in the workflow is capturing text to which users can add formatting (for example, in a text variable set to ‘WYSIWYG’), you can now view this text with the formatting applied. Navigate to the column for the WYSIWYG variable and click on the contents to display it, like this:
Display WYSIWYG Text

Display MV Variables

For any variable that stores multiple values, you can view that data by clicking on the dropdown for that field.
Display MV Variables

Canvas

Canvas version 10.7 has an improved user experience for the formula node and a new multi-value (MV) list answer type for questions.

Formula node user experience refinement

Operators are coloured blue to distinguish them from operands:

Formula node 1

A ‘clear’ function streamlines how users can reset selections:

Formula node 2

An immediate warning is given when clicking ‘continue’ if the user has not created a valid Formula:

Formula node 3

Multi-value List Data Type

Canvas supports allowing the user to ask questions where they can select multiple values in a list. To create this type of question, select the ‘List - Multiple choice’ Answer type via the Ask node.

MV List 1

You can then populate the list with the available options for the user to select:

MV List 2

The result of a Rule with a multi-value list can also be set by selecting ‘List - Multiple-choice’ as the Result variable type:

MV List 3

And determining the available values for the logic to generate:

MV List 4

Finally, the Rules can be determined by using logic as follows:

MV List 5
MV List 6

Document Automation  

Importing a document

Document apps created with the Neota Word Toolbar can now be included in Canvas apps and Workflows. Once you have marked up your document using the Word Toolbar, simply import the Word -Template.docx file via this new option on the Workbench application import form.

Doc Auto 1

Enter a name for the document app, click Next, and an application will be automatically created from your Template document. API Names for all variables in the document app are also created automatically. The application can then be used in a Workflow task node or a Canvas service node.

Doc Auto 2

Adding a Document Application to a Canvas Application

To use a document app in a Canvas application, select the new Service Node via the Canvas toolbox. The Service Node enables Canvas apps to call any Neota application. Here, we will be calling the document app imported as above. (In this screenshot, the Service Node shows an error because it has not yet been configured, as detailed below.)

Doc Auto 3
On the Canvas Service Node properties pane, select the document app as the Service Application. Then map inputs to the document (service) app under the heading Inputs to Service App:
 
1. On the Canvas Service Node properties pane, select the document app as the Service Application.
2. Map inputs to the document (service) app under the heading Inputs to Service App:
3. On the right, select the upstream Canvas variable that corresponds to the Service App variable.
For example, in the document (service) app created from the Word Template, there may be a variable “Company Name” to be inserted in the output document. In the Canvas app, in an Ask node, create a question and variable “Company Name,” then map it to the document app variable of the same name.
 
Under Outputs From Service app, map outputs from the document (service) app back to the Canvas app. Typically the output from the document (service) app will be only a mime variable containing the generated document. Canvas will by default assign the name of the output variable taken from the document (service) app; the Canvas author can change the name.
 
If the document (service) app fails for any reason, it can be configured to return an error to alert the user there was a problem generating the document.
Doc Auto 4

Adding a Document App to a Workflow

Note: In release 10.7, the document app created upon import to Workbench is not automatically synchronized to Neota Data Manager (NDM), which is usually needed for any application that is a Participant App in a workflow. Follow the User Manual instructions on setting up NDM for an app.
 
Once the document app has been generated (and synched to NDM), it is then available to be added as a participant application via Workflow Designer.
 
To add a Participant, click Add an Application, then search by name. Search scope is all apps on the current site for which the workflow author has edit permissions.
 
You can then add the document app as an application task node.
 
An application task node (like most nodes) can be created in two ways:
  1. Click on Tasks in the Toolbox, select Application Task on the extension menu, and drag to the graph.
  2. Click + on the context menu of a preceding node, select Tasks / Application Task.
To workflow
To name the node, click the pencil to open properties, enter a name. The name will appear in the node on the graph. An application link is not required, though of course the workflow won't work until an application is linked.
 
To link an application to the node, on the properties tab search for the app by name, then select it.
 
When the workflow reaches that step, the document app will be launched, the user will enter the data requested, and a document will be generated and saved to an NDM mime variable. The document mime variable can be used in a downstream email node or application task.
To workflow 2

Neota Library

Product Templates are designed to jumpstart your own solutions, providing the key workflow elements and structure to streamline your work.

What's the Difference Between a Building Block and a Product Template?

Building Blocks provide functions such as integration with SharePoint and DocuSign. Building Blocks are available on the Library tab of Workbench. This release adds Product Templates.
 
Building Blocks are complete solutions for specific functions such as an integration with DocuSign, and can be used easily in any application or workflow. Product Templates are skeleton versions of Products (fully built runnable digital solutions), which customers can customize or extend. Product Templates come with step-by-step instructions. Product Templates can also serve as inspiration or a reference for your own Workflow.

New Product Template: Master Services Agreement

This release includes a template for a Master Services Agreement (MSA). The template workflow enables users to create an MSA, negotiate it with a customer, and have both parties sign online using DocuSign. It also includes the ability to add subsequent schedules to the MSA and have both parties to sign.
 
Use the Word Toolbar to mark up the text of your own MSA. We provide step-by-step instructions to add your text into our pre-configured workflow, which uses the Open Negotiation and DocuSign building blocks.
MSA
What if I have a different type of document?
The MSA template can be used for any type of agreement that includes a master agreement and sub-agreements or schedules. The template workflow enables the user to generate a document of any kind, and take it through the negotiation and e-signature process. The workflow also enables creating sub-agreements and orchestrating signatures by both parties.
 
If a sub-agreement is not needed, that aspect of the workflow can be removed easily.

Assets

Rename on Import

When working with multiple sites, e.g., production and Release Candidate (RC), it is often necessary to export and import applications across sites. Import includes assets associated with an application, such as any images or documents. Sometimes the to-be-imported assets have the same names as assets already existing on the target site.

 
With Release 10.7, you will be warned of the name conflict and given an opportunity to rename the imported assets. Until this release, existing assets would be replaced by your new asset; however this is not always desired.
 
On import you will see a ‘rename’ option next to the asset. Click rename, enter in a new name, save it, and continue.
Assets 1
Assets 2

Assets Listed on Workflow Import

When importing a Workflow you will now be shown a list of the assets you are importing, just as when importing an application.

Assets 3

Statistics

Note: only site administrators can access the statistics tab.

Trends Graph

The new trends graph provides insights into your applications and workflows. Navigate to the Workbench statistics tab to see key data points such as the number of applications created, users logged in, and sessions run. Filter by date to narrow down the information and uncover trends to help gain insight into how solutions are being used.

Trend Graph

Download data

In the Statistics tab on Workbench you can now export data into an XLSX file so you can use Excel to analyze data with pivot tables, charts, and other tools.. Navigate to the Workflows or Application Activity tabs in the Statistics view, and select the download option.

Download data