Workflow is the automated cycle of approvals from event creation to completion, including tasks and emails. In 25Live, the workflow that you use for your system is extremely customizable so that you can set it up for your specific needs.
Below we'll cover the different types of tasks and emails in 25Live, give tips on how to keep track of events, and show a couple of examples of how you could set up a basic out-of-the-box workflow or a more advanced workflow.
The Different Types of Tasks
There are three types of tasks in 25Live: Assignment Policy, Notification Policy & ToDos.
Assignment Policy
Assignment Policy controls whether an object is assigned to an event or not. It is managed by security group. Based on the relevant settings, different security groups are assigned to approve location and resource requests from other groups. Everyone in all the groups that have Approve rights will be issued a task. The task will always be complete once one person assigns or denies the request. Tasks are only generated if the person requesting the location/resource has Request permission. If the person requesting has Assign permission, no task is generated, and the item is immediately assigned to the event.
Notification Policy
Notification Policy solely records approval, but does not affect assignments. It is assigned to individual users by name. Each specific person named will get a task. You can specify whether one user can complete the task, or if all named users must complete the task. Notification tasks are ALWAYS generated when a location/resource is assigned, regardless of who assigns it.
To Dos
To Dos can be used to give reminders to users to perform specific tasks. ToDo tasks are assigned individually as one-offs when they're created. The user who creates a ToDo cannot change it once it's created - only the assignee can make changes.
Task Use and Behavior
Each kind of task has different results and different options for completing them.
Type of task | Who uses them? | Triggered by | Task due date | Completion actions in task list | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment policy - assign | People who control assignments for a location or resource. | Event is in Tentative or Confirmed state and location or resource is added by user with Request or Request/Unassign privileges | Immediately |
| Object is assigned to the event. Requested objects are saved as preferences until assigned through an assignment policy task |
| Assignment policy - unassign | People who control assignments for a location or resource. | Event in Tentative or Confirmed state and a user with Request privileges attempts to unassign a location or resource | Immediately |
| Object is unassigned from the event. |
| Notification policy - Authorization | People who need to rubber-stamp some aspect of an event. No actions are tied to approve or deny. Will not remove or add anything from an event. | Event is in Tentative or Confirmed state and...
| Relative to the current time; e.g. "2 days from now" |
| Approval or denial is noted on the event details in the Tasks view. Denial does not trigger any unassignment or further effect; it is purely informational. |
| Notification policy - FYI | People who need to be aware of an assignment on an event but do not need to take action on it. | Event is in Tentative or Confirmed state and...
| Relative to the current time; e.g. "2 days from now" |
| Acknowledgement is noted on the event details in the Tasks view. No other effect results. Note: For all other tasks, once the task is completed by one user, it's marked as complete for all users. However, Acknowledge tasks remain active so that each user can record receipt. |
| To Do | Anyone. | Created manually, either free-floating or associated with an event | Defined at creation |
| Task shows "complete" or "declined" on the event details in the Tasks view. If not associated with an event, the ToDo only appears in the main Tasks tab. |
| Cancel Request | People who want to cancel their events (note: they cannot be both the event Scheduler and Owner). | Request Cancellation action from the event details | Date of first event occurrence |
| Task shows "completed" or "ignored" on the event details in the Tasks view. A completed task changes the event state to Cancelled and releases any assigned locations and/or resources. |
Event state (Tentative/Confirmed) is independent of task approval.
Whether or not a location or resource is assigned or denied does not affect whether an event is Tentative or Confirmed.
As far as 25Live is concerned, there is no difference between the two event states, except whether your security group has permission to edit events in that state. The main difference between Tentative and Confirmed is whatever your business process defines it to be.
Tip: Confirming an Event Doesn't Complete All Event Tasks
If an event's Event State is changed to confirmed, the tasks in that event are not automatically completed (nor are they required to be completed in order to change the Event State).
The Different Types of Automated Emails
| Type of Email | Use it to... | Other Info | Setup is Located in... |
| Automated Email Notifications |
|
| Group Administration |
| Event Save Emails (ESE) |
| 25Live Pro System Settings > Event Form Settings | |
| Scheduled Reports |
| 25Live Reports > Reports Admin |
Keeping Track of Events That Need More Coordination
Consider the following options to keep track of events that need more coordination.
Setup To Do Reminders
Create from Tasks menu or More Actions on an event. Keep track of those you need to get into contact with, etc. These will show up as comments on the event's task tab.
Add a Scheduler to Events With Bulk Editing
Use an event search to identify events that will need a Scheduler, excluding events that already have a scheduler assigned. Then use bulk editing to assign a scheduler to all of these events at once.
Streamline the event form. Help people find resources. Cut down on emails by allowing silent save.
Custom attributes added with rules are always required
Requestors can request the cancellation of events if they don't have access to edit because of the event state and have the correct FLS. A task is then triggered and sent to the event scheduler. Approving the cancellation will change the event state.
Use the Tasks Menu lists to keep track. Easily filter through outstanding, overdue, and flagged tasks, as well as any tasks due today or this week.
Basic vs. Advanced Task Workflow
There are many ways to set up your workflow, but below we've included two of the most common examples.
Basic Task Workflow
This approach doesn’t require very much setup or customization. It is task-dependent and requestor-tracked. Use this workflow for groups that only need object approval, where event roles include Requestor and Approver. This method leverages assignment policy emails.
Requestor: The Requestor needs request rights on objects.
- Once a requestor has made a request, this will trigger a task to the approver group.
- It can also generate an assignment policy task email.
Approver: The Approver needs approve rights on objects.
- Once the task reaches the approver, they take action. This can potentially send an email back to the requestor indicating that the task(s) have been completed.
Advanced Task Workflow
This approach is event-state dependent and scheduler-managed. Use for groups that need a lot of asynchronous approvals, where event roles include Requestor, Approver/Authorizer, and Scheduler. This method leverages Event Save Emails (ESE) with a tentative event state criteria.
Requester: Needs assignment policy rights on objects
- Once a requestor has made a request, this will trigger a task to the approver group.
- It can also generate an assignment policy task email.
Approver: The Approver needs approve rights on objects.
- Once the task reaches the approver, they take action.
- They can have an email setup notifying this group that they have tasks.
- An Event state email with Tentative criteria goes to requestors to let them know that their request is being reviewed.
- We could also notify other groups of this change.
- Authorizers: To receive Notification Policy tasks and emails
- Schedulers: Keep this group in the loop by passing along an email.
Authorizer: Approver assignments trigger notification policy task and email for authorizers.
We can also keep the scheduler notified in this process.
Scheduler: This can be a default scheduler by security group or location OR you could assign schedulers as events come in.
- Makes sure tasks are completed, changes the event state to confirmed.
Requestor:
- Receives an email that the event is confirmed