Using Workflows

A workflow is a series of steps configured in Vault to align with a specific business process.

Note Beginning with 24R1 in April 2024 and for all subsequent releases, Vault Safety General Release Help content is moving to a new site. Test the new site using Limited Release content.

Note Depending on your Admin's configuration, object, field, and section labels, lifecycle states, and workflows may differ from the general information on this page. Refer to your organization's business processes for guidance.

About Workflows

A workflow is a series of steps configured in Vault to align with a specific business process. These steps are actions that occur on or in relation to an individual object record, such as a Case or an Aggregate Report. For example, there are workflows for Case Processing, Submissions, and preparing Aggregate Reports.

Workflows are specific to a single lifecycle, meaning that one workflow cannot apply to multiple object lifecycles. A single object record can only be in one workflow at a time.

Workflow Users

There are various types of users associated with a workflow.

User Description
Workflow Initiator The user who started the workflow.
Task Owner The user assigned to a specific task in the workflow. Note that license type and security profile restrictions may prevent some users from completing tasks.
Workflow Participants Depending on your Admin's configuration, users may be assigned to specific participant groups by the Workflow Initiator or by Case Access Group. If the object uses DAC, this assignment does not add users to the object record's Sharing Settings.

Start a Workflow

You can start workflows on documents and object records from the Workflow State Change (Workflow State Change) or All Actions (All Actions) menu. The workflow start option varies depending on the workflow.

Assign Users to Workflows

When assigning users as workflow participants, note that Vault does not check whether the users you select have access to the object record. It is possible to assign tasks to users who cannot complete them.

You can add participants to any existing participant groups defined for the workflow. You cannot add users to participant groups assigned to workflow steps that have already been completed.

If a participant group is constrained by a given role, you can only add users or groups currently in that role.

Add Workflow Participants

  1. Go to the case page.
  2. Expand Workflow Timeline.
  3. Beside the action that you want to add participants to, expand the edit-cell-button menu, and then select Add Participants.
    Manage Workflows
    Workflow Timeline
    The Add Participants window appears, where you can add participants to each workflow task.
  4. Under each workflow task, enter the names of one or more users or roles to add them as participants who can complete the task.
    You cannot remove any users already in participant group.
  5. Select Submit.

Result

Vault sends a notification and adds active tasks to the users’ Tasks view.

Cancelling Workflows

Sometimes it is necessary to stop an active workflow and remove all outstanding tasks from participants’ lists.

Cancel a Workflow

  1. Navigate to the Workflow Timeline section of the object record details page.
  2. Select the edit-cell-button menu and select Cancel Workflow.
  3. In the dialog, select Continue.

Cancelled Workflow State Change

When you cancel a workflow, the object record returns to the state it was in before the workflow started.


View and Manage Tasks
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