Understanding Workflow Actions

Workflow Actions

Approval actions are based on approval role access.

How to Complete Workflow Tasks Associated with a Scenario?

Admin users can configure this feature directly from the Planful application. Please note that once this functionality is enabled within the production environment, it cannot be disabled.

When a workflow process is started, tasks are created for users for every workflow step. You can view these tasks in Task Manager grouped under each scenario.

To complete the workflow tasks (created by Admin users) associated with a scenario complete the following steps:

1. Go to the Task Manager page. A new task is available for the same scenario that has been assigned to you.

2. Click the Expand icon near the Scenario Code to view all the tasks associated with that scenario.
   
   

3. For the Forward task associated with the required budget entity/template, under the Actions column, click Forward. The budget entity/template is forwarded and the Status of the task changes to Completed.

   • Complete the workflow actions from either the Task Manager, Planning Control Panel, Template Input pages or from the Offline Planning Template.
   • Perform workflow actions in one place, and the changes are reflected in all other areas. For example, if a Forward task is completed from the Task Manager page, the budget entity/template status will be changed in the Planning Control Panel, and vice-versa.
   • Use the Planning Control Panel link to navigate to the budget entity/template on the Planning Control Panel page.
     

4. With access to Approve privileges, another task for Approve will appear. For the Approve task, under the Actions column, click Approvals. A list of options appears. Perform any of the following actions:
   • Click Approve. The approval of the budget entity/template is completed and the Status of the task changes to Completed.
   • If the task is associated with a template, all the workflow tasks for that template are completed. If the task is associated with a budget entity, a new Final Approve task is created if the Final Approve action is enabled.
   • To send a task back to the previous state, click Send Back. The Approve task is deleted from the list of tasks and the status of the Forward task for the budget entity/template changes back to In Progress.

5. For the Final Approvetask associated with a budget entity, perform any of the following actions:
   • Click Final Approve. The final approval of the Entity is completed and the Status of the task changes to Completed.
   • To send the budget entity back to the previous state, click Send Back. The Final Approve task is deleted from the list of tasks and the status of the Approve task for the Entity changes back to In Progress.
     Note:

     After the final stage of an associated budget entity/template has been completed from the Task Manager page, it cannot be sent back. However, this action can be performed on the Planning Control Panel page.

Recalling Templates/Budget Entities after Forwarding, Approval, and Final Approval

The Recall option is only available for users who have performed an action on a template/entity until the template/entity has been approved. Once the Template has been approved, the recall function is no longer available.

For example, if a Workforce Planning template has been forwarded and the user wishes to make some changes, they can recall it as long as it has not been approved. Once the Workforce Planning template has been approved, it can no longer be recalled.

How to Recall Templates?

1. Navigate to Structured Planning to open the Planning Control Panel 
2. Select a scenario, a budget hierarchy entity member, and a template that you have forwarded.
3. Click Recall.

4. The template is moved to an In progress state.

   Notes:

   • When an entity is recalled, this action is a “smart” undo; because this action truly reverses the action that you previously performed. Consider an example where you selected an entity that has 5 templates within it; templates 1, 2, and 3 have been forwarded by another user. If you then Forward the entity, this action will forward the remaining templates (4 and 5). If you perform a Recall action, only the entity and templates 4 and 5 are moved back to an In Progress state. The state of templates 1, 2, and 3 (which were forwarded by another user before you performed the Recall action) will not be changed.

   • The Recall option is also applicable for approved/final approved entities and for approved templates.

Send Back and Recall options for users

This table lists the availability of Send Back and Recall options for users who have the following approval actions for a budget entity.