Kuali Build: Workflow Best Practices

Getting Started
Customize step labels to easily keep track of the steps in your workflow.

Update your Submitter
Use notification steps to update your submitter as their submission goes through the workflow process. Example:

• • Use a notification step right after submission to let the submitter know their submission has been received
  • Use a notification step after an approval step to let the submitter know their submission has been approved
  • When sending a notification, customize the email by using “Add Variable” in the body. This lets you use data collected from the form in your email. Review this Kuali Build knowledge article for more details on notification steps.

Customize your Approvals & Acknowledge Steps

Instead of sending the default approval email that comes from Kuali, you can customize the subject line and email content. Providing this additional information helps approvers quickly and easily identify the form and process that needs to be approved. 

• After adding an Approval or Acknowledge step to your workflow, toggle Customize Email Notification

• You can use the Add Variable option to customize the Email Subject or Email Body with information collected on the form

Including Denials
A denial does not have to be the end of your workflow

• • Use a notification step to update others on the denial
  • Use an acknowledgment step instead of an approval step if you need to let someone know rather than approve

Integrations Save Time
Use integrations to control where your form submissions go. Integration steps can be used to forward form data to other systems. Review this Kuali Build knowledge article for more details on integration steps.

Steps can be Skipped
Build workflows for the ideal scenario, but remember that if you need to, as a form admin you can choose to skip steps that a form is caught on (ie someone is out of office). 

• Go to the Documents page of the form that needs to skip a step
• Under Actions select the eye icon
• Toggle to Status
• Select Skip under the step that needs to be skipped

Branching Keeps Workflows Comprehensive
Most business processes have optional pathways or steps depending on certain conditions contained in the form. Use Branch steps to control what happens to the form based on specific fields in the form. Review this Kuali Build knowledge article for more details on branching steps. 

Customize How Much an Approver or Acknowledger Can See on a Form

If your form includes sensitive information that a reviewer does not need to see, then you can restrict which sections are visible in an Approval or Acknowledge step. 

• After placing an Approval or Acknowledge step in your workflow, toggle Make individual form sections at this step hidden or view only

• Use the list of sections to select which ones should be visible

Test your Workflow
We recommend testing using the workflow simulator before publishing to identify changes or errors in the workflow. Data will not be changed and users will not be emailed during the test.

• Move the toggle from Design to Test  
• Run test   

Manage Errors
Kuali Build has the ability to help you identify errors in your apps and specifically in your workflows. Any errors will be identified in the workflow builder, documents list, or by checking the document status. Review this Kuali Build knowledge article for more details on managing errors.

Learn more at Kuali Build: An Introduction