Creating a workflow template

REQUIREMENTS
Permission	Operation administrator and higher
Connectivity	Online and partial offline

This document describes how to create a new workflow in the InfoEx system.

Background

A workflow links together user-specified tasks into a logical order so that users can repeatedly move through the same steps. See Workflow overview for more background information on this feature of the InfoEx application.

Creating a workflow template consists of three main steps:

1. Creating a workflow template and choosing its general features
2. Adding steps to the workflow template
3. Saving the workflow template

Step-by-step description

Creating a workflow template and choosing its general features

1.	Fig. 1: Managing a workflow Click on WORKFLOWS in the main menu and select ‘Manage workflow definitions’. This will take you to the ‘Manage Workflows’ page of the InfoEx application (Fig. 1).
2.	Fig. 2: Workflow settings Under the column heading 'Workflows' you will see a list of existing workflows (if any) and an Add New Workflow button. Clicking this button begins creation of a new workflow and open the central panel of the screen with the title 'Workflow Settings' (Fig. 2). This is the area where you specify the general settings of your workflow.
4.	Enter a meaningful name for the workflow into the 'Name of Workflow' field.
5.	If you are planning to include any workflow modules that involve data submission (Observations module, Snowpack module, Hazard assessment module, Hazard comment module), you need to associate your workflow to a location. Enter one or multiple locations into the 'Locations for Workflow' field by clicking on it and start typing. The dropdown list will show your location catalog filtered to what matches your typing. NOTE The location(s) associated with workflow are used in two ways: They are the location associated with the data submitted from the Snowpack module, the Hazard assessment module, and the Hazard comment module. They determine that previously entered & shared observations are pulled into the workflow in the Observations module. Only previously entered and shared observation that fall under the hierarchy of the specified location(s) are shown within a workflow. NOTE For the majority of users, associating their workflows with their entire operation area (the top parent of your Location hierarchy) will be the best setup. Only operations with multiple, distinct forecast regions (e.g., consulting companies, highway and railway forecasting operations) will find it meaningful to associate workflows with forecast areas or operating zones.

Adding steps to the workflow template

1.	Fig 3: Select step type To add a step to your workflow template, select one of the available modules from the dropdown list under the 'Workflow Steps' section title (Fig. 3). The currently available workflow modules include: Modules involving data entry and submission Observation Snowpack module Hazard assessment module Hazard comment module Modules for viewing information Report module Website module NOTE To ensure meaningful workflows, the following restrictions have been placed on the design of workflow templates: Only one Snowpack module step is allowed per workflow template Only one Hazard assessment module or Hazard comment module step is allowed per workflow template. These two modules were intended as high- and low-tech alternatives for supporting avalanche hazard assessment.
2.	Click on Add New Step add a step of the chosen workflow module to your workflow (Fig. 3). This will add A new step label under the 'Workflow Steps' section title Open the right panel of the screen with the title 'Step Settings'
3.	Specify the module-specific settings for the workflow step. See the documentation on the individual workflow modules for more information on the available settings: Modules involving data entry and submission Observation Snowpack module Hazard assessment module Hazard comment module Modules for viewing information Report module Website module
4.	Fig 4: Save step settings Click on Save Step to save the module-specific settings for the step that you just added to your workflow.
5.	Repeat steps 1 to 4 until you have created your entire workflow. NOTE A Context module is automatically added at the beginning of a workflow that includes any data submitting modules.
6.	To change the order of steps in your workflow, click on the label of your step under the 'Workflow Steps' section title and drag it up or down to the desired location within your workflow.
7.	You can specify whether the steps in your workflow need to be completed in strict order (i.e., no skipping steps) by checking the checkbox provided as the last item under the 'Workflow Settings' column. NOTE Once the workflow steps have been completed in order once you can review and edit steps in any order.

Saving the workflow template

1.	Fig 5: Save workflow steps and settings Click on Save Workflow to save your workflow.

Details of: Types of workflow steps and the information required to set them up

Context:	Fig. 2: Workflow 'context' settings A 'context' step provides information about the workflow itself and offers a place to record the following information: The name of the context step (frequently 'Context for [workflow name]'). This provides a name for this step as the user moves through the workflow. The type of workflow. Only two selections are possible: Nowcast (the context refers to conditions at the present moment); Forecast (the context refers to future conditions). The date of validity (This is the future date that the workflow is valid until). The default future date is selected by the person who creates the workflow and applies to all workflows of this type. The time of vailidity (This is the time of day on the future date that the workflow is valid until.) The default time is selected by the person who creates the workflow. NOTE All context steps will automatically provide a field to record when the workflow was run and who attended the workflow session. NOTE The date and time of validity can be changed when the workflow is run.
Webpage:	Fig. 3: Workflow 'webpage' settings A 'webpage' step allows the workflow user to view a stored webpage without leaving the application. The following information is required to set it up: A box is provided so you can set the name of the website step. This provides a meaningful name for this step as the user moves through the workflow. The url of the website to visit NOTE Currently you cannot use Google websites. This includes Google Search and YouTube
Snowpack:	A 'snowpack' step allows the workflow user to add a snowpack description in narrative form. The following information is required to set it up: A box is provided so you can set the name of the snowpack step. NOTE A snowpack description is not the same as a snowpack observation. Snowpack descriptions are narrative interpretations of snowpack structure. Snowpack descriptions are not visible in the infoex report until you specify their inclusion. See Specifying the tables to be included in an InfoEx report.
Observation:	Fig. 4: Workflow 'observation' settings An 'observation' step allows you to fill out a customized observation as part of the workflow. The following information is required to set it up: A box is provided so you can set the name of the observation step. A list of 'observation types to include' is provided. Select the desired combination of options for the observation you want to make as part of the workflow. Select the 'time constraint on observations to include'. You can submit all unsubmitted observations for the operation, or limit submission to today's observations only. NOTE You may wish to limit submissions to today's date if there is a possibility that a saved workflow has stale data from a previous day
Reports:	A 'report' step allows you to view a customized infoex report as part of the workflow. The following information is required to set it up. A box is provided so you can set the name of the Report step. A dropdown list provides the list of predefined reports that you may select for viewing. NOTE You can select from three generic reports that have been previously defined, or created custom reports. See: [Customizing reports]
Hazard Comment:	A 'hazard comment' step allows you to create and add a comment about avalanche hazard in narrative form to your workflow. The following information is required to set it up: A box is provided so you can set the name of the hazard comment step.
Hazard Assessment:	Fig. 5: Workflow 'hazard assessment' settings A 'hazard assessment step allows you to create and add a hazard assessment to your workflow. The following information is required to set it up: A box is provided so you can set the name of the 'hazard assessment' step. You may select to assess hazard for one or three elevation bands. You may choose to rate stability, hazard, both, or neither.

Related documents

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Functionality tested by

• Date: Nov. 15, 2013 / John Kelly / QA Server / Version 3.0.0