Processes (Cases)

Power users define each kind of process with a process template. One template per kind of work: “Claim Review”, “Vendor Onboarding”, “Lease Renewal”, “Credit Application”.

Template settings

Setting	Purpose
Process Template	The template’s name. New processes take this name unless one is given.
Applies To	The type of record processes attach to, such as Contact, Organization, or another process.
Type and Status	Classify the template itself.
Types, Statuses, Open Reasons, Close Reasons	Standard or Custom. Custom lists are defined on the template, so each kind of process can have its own vocabulary.
Workflow	Which workflow a new process launches. See Choosing the workflow.
Ledger	Which cost ledger a new process creates. Works like Workflow: none, a fixed template, or a matrix.
Organizations, People, Clients	Collections that limit who can be assigned, as the organization, the person, and the client.

Every template also follows the shared template rules for statuses, types, and security. See Templates. Process templates always allow many processes per parent record; repeatability is not configurable for processes.

Choosing the workflow

The Workflow setting has four options:

Option	What happens when a process opens
None	No workflow is started.
Template	The chosen workflow template starts.
Matrix	A rules matrix chooses the workflow from the process’s data. The matrix must have an output named DecisionTemplate that returns a workflow template name. If the matrix returns nothing, the fixed template (if any) is used.
Collection	Lists the workflows users may launch on these processes. A collection on its own doesn’t start a workflow.

A matrix is how one kind of process gets different workflows by region, product, client, or any other data point, without multiplying process templates. The Ledger matrix works the same way with an output named LedgerTemplate, which returns the ledger template’s ID. Matrices are covered in Rules.

The workflow starts as of the process’s open date, and the process records it as its current workflow. Workflows themselves are configured on the Workflow page.

Tip

If a process was created before its template had a workflow or ledger, select the processes in search results and use EnsureChildren to create any missing workflow and ledger. Processes that already have them are left alone.

Closing rules

The template’s Behavior settings control what happens when a process reaches a final status or is closed:

Setting	Effect
Close process when entering a final status	Sets the closed date automatically when the process moves to a status marked as final.
Require a final status when process is closed	Rejects a close unless the process’s status is final.
Cancel workflows when closed	Do not cancel, Cancel current workflow, or Cancel all workflows that are still open on the process.
Close children when closed	Cancels open worklist items for the process’s tasks when the process closes.
Close children when entering a final status	Same, triggered by a final status rather than by closing.

Which statuses count as final is set in the status list (see Templates). The template’s State Diagram panel can also restrict which status changes are allowed.

Assignment and partner access

A process carries six assignment fields: assigned person and organization, vendor and vendor person, and client and client person. Each one grants that person or organization access to the process through row-level partner security, so an outside vendor or client sees the processes they are on and nothing else. The creator of a process can always see it.

When a template limits Organizations to a collection and that collection yields exactly one organization the user can access, new processes are assigned to it automatically. Your administrator can turn this off.

Contracts

A contract records an agreement between a client organization and a vendor organization: its Effective and Expires dates, when it was Sent and Received, and the process templates it covers. Use contracts to track which vendors are engaged for which kinds of work and when those engagements are in force.

Template tools

From a process template’s summary page you can:

• Copy the template to start a similar one.
• Manage its Matrix, custom Types, Statuses, and State Diagram panels.

Deleting a process template deletes its processes and their current workflows, cost ledgers, and steps. When a template with history needs to change significantly, copy it and stop using the original instead.