Record Workflow
This article will provide an overview on the Record Workflows within the Ideagen Safe Food platform. All Records have a structured workflow to allow the User to complete work in a logical and phased manner. Work is completed in manageable stages and different Users can complete different sections of the workflow. However, please note Users cannot work in the same Record at the same time as it could cause an error with one User’s work being saved.
Please see below some information on the open/closed workflow stages and buttons you will see throughout the Records on the platform.
Image: Example Record Overview
1. In-Progress Record Stage: Displays the active stage of the workflow. This stage must be completed before moving on to the next stage of the Record.
Note: In the Business Process module only, you can make changes to subsequent workflow stages and save them, but you cannot save and submit until the previous workflow stage is save and submit.
2. Action Buttons: There are three essential buttons to guide your progress within the Record:
- Save: The ‘Save’ button saves the workflow stage content but does not close the Record or progress you to the next workflow stage. This is useful when you want to save a draft of the Record.
Note: For some modules it may be mandatory to add data to some fields before you can Save. If you try to save and fields are mandatory, these fields may be highlighted in red to show you that the field will need to be completed.
- Save & Submit: This button submits the stage you are completing which means you will progress either to the next workflow stage and the saved & submitted stage will toggle out of view or if the current stage is the final one, the Record will be closed out and all stages of the Record will be fully displayed on the screen. The Record will move to the ‘Complete’ tab in this case.
Note: For some modules it may be mandatory to add data to some fields before you can save and submit. If you try to save and submit and fields are mandatory, these fields may be highlighted in red to show you that the field will need to be completed.
- Cancel: This will cancel your current activity and return you either back to the ‘Plan’ or ‘Actions’ tab of the module, depending on where you began with your Record. The content entered will not be saved.
3. Upcoming Record Stage(s): The inactive sections that remain collapsed in each workflow are displayed so that Users are aware of what is upcoming. This helps to provide and maintain the structure and to ensure that each section of the workflow is completed as intended so that the flow of the Record is clear and can be understood.
As each workflow stage of a Record is completed, the preceding workflow stage remains in an editable but 'Saved & Submitted' state. A completed workflow stage can be modified by opening the workflow stage using the arrow dropdown and selecting the 'Edit' button.
Once you have edited 'Saved & Submitted' workflow stage, you will click the 'Save & Submit' button again. A 'Reason for Change' pop up will appear, where you will be required to enter the reason for the edits, and click 'Confirm' to complete the edits.
The 'Reason for Change' will be noted in the Audit Log and the User can then continue to complete the rest of the workflow stages.
Image: 'Edit' button
Image: 'Reason for Change' Pop Up
Once all the workflow stages of a Record have been 'Saved and Submitted', the Record will be marked as 'Complete' and move to the Complete Tab. However, all workflow stages can be edited if needed using the 'Edit' button.
Note: If a 'Completed' Records workflow stages are 'Edited', this will not result in the 'Completed' Record being marked as 'Open' again and moved back to the Actions Tab. The 'Completed' Record will always stay in the Completed Tab.
Image: Completed Record
Note: A workflow stage within a Record may be greyed out and inaccessible. As the completion of that workflow stage may not have been necessary due to the answers provided in the previous workflow stages. Workflow stages seen in grey have been bypassed, and the Record has automatically moved to the next relevant workflow stage.
Image: Greyed Workflow Stage
Where Records are not 'Closed/Complete' and remain 'Incomplete/Open', the ‘Action Required’ column of the ‘Actions’ tab will show the specific workflow stage that is awaiting completion. By clicking on the relevant ‘Action Required’, which is the link in blue, you will be brought to that workflow stage, where you can view, amend, or close/complete that workflow stage.
Image: Example of Nonconformance Module Actions Tab
Every Record will display its 'Status' at the top left hand side of the Record. The 'Status' will always correspond to the open workflow stage awaiting completion.
Image: Record Status
