Automated Workflows

Summary: One of the most valuable features of the Ziflow Business & Enterprise editions application is automated workflows. This feature simplifies the review and approval process by eliminating steps you would otherwise need to do manually.

Available for: Standard, Pro, Business Legacy & Enterprise editions only.

1. Setting up Automated Workflows
2. Deadlines in Automated Workflow
3. Additional information
How does it work?

Decision-based stage triggers are available on Standard, Pro, Business Legacy & Enterprise Editions.

Once the proof is uploaded, it's time to set up the stages. You can configure them individually or take advantage of another great feature on the Enterprise Edition - workflow templates.
For now, let's set up the stages one by one.

Click on Stage 1 to change the name to something more fitting to your workflow, such as Internal Review.

Configure the Internal Review stage settings: deadline, final status calculation, lock stage, allow comments, and others. Once you've established the settings, add the reviewers for the Internal Review stage. You will also be setting up their email notification preferences.

Please see our Creating a New Proof article for more detailed information on stage configuration.

After setting up the Internal Review stage, you can add Stage 2. Let's call it a Client Review and add some reviewers there.

Let's assume you want the Client Review stage to start when Internal Review is Approved. Click the drop-down menu next to the Trigger field and select Starts when - Internal Review - is Approved.

Once the Internal Review stage is approved, the Client Review will automatically start, and the system will notify the reviewers.

There are a few other types of triggers that you can choose from to automate the proof workflow:

You can continue to add stages if you need to. You can implement various types of workflow configurations.

Deadlines in Automated Workflows

Deadline -based stage triggers are available on Standard, Pro, Business Legacy & Enterprise Editions.
The automatic deadline recalculation is based on business days and does not include Saturdays and Sundays.

Deadlines in Automated Workflows give a unique possibility to set specific time limits for each stage added to the proof. There are a few different options that allow proof owners to narrow down project timelines according to business requirements.

With a stage starting immediately, you can pick a specific date and hour of the deadline.

If you are building a multi-stage workflow with dependencies between stages, you can add more advanced deadlines.

The stage start day option allows you to set a deadline that will effectively work at a particular hour or a deadline per hour.

The business days option lets you set a deadline that will work at a specific time after a certain amount of business days pass or a deadline per hour.

Additional information:
- You may add only two stages inside the workflow in the Business edition.
- The Enterprise edition allows adding as many stages as required.
Supporting material:
1. Setting up Automated Workflows
2. Deadlines in Automated Workflow
3. Additional information
How does it work?

Decision-based stage triggers are available on Standard, Pro, Business Legacy & Enterprise Editions.

Once the proof is uploaded, it's time to set up the stages. You can choose to configure them one by one, or you can take advantage of another great feature on the Enterprise Edition - workflow templates.

For now, let's set up the stages one by one.

Click on Stage 1 to change the name to something more fitting to your workflow, such as Internal Review.

Then click on the arrow next to No deadline, and this will drop down more options (displayed in the screenshot below). Once you've established the settings, add the reviewers for the Internal Review stage. You will also be setting up their email notification preferences.

Please see our Creating a New Proof article for more detailed information on stage configuration.

After setting up the Internal Review stage, you can add Stage 2. Let's call it a Client Review and add some reviewers there.

Let's assume you want the Client Review stage to start when Internal Review is Approved. Click the drop-down menu next to the Trigger field and select Starts when - Internal Review - is Approved.

Once the Internal Review stage is approved, the Client Review will automatically start, and the system will send the notification to the reviewers.

There are a few other types of triggers that you can choose from to automate proof workflow:

You can continue to add stages as needed. There are various types of workflow configurations you can implement.

Deadlines in Automated Workflows

Deadline-based stage triggers are available on Standard, Pro & Enterprise Editions.

Deadlines in Automated Workflows give a unique possibility to set specific time limits for each stage added to the proof. There are a few different options that allow proof owners to narrow down project timelines according to business requirements.

With a stage starting immediately, you can pick a specific date and hour of the deadline.

If you are building a multi-stage workflow with dependencies between stages, you can add more advanced deadlines.

The stage start day option allows you to set a deadline that will effectively work at a particular hour or a deadline per hour.

The business days option lets you set a deadline that will work at a specific time after a certain amount of business days pass or a deadline per hour.

Additional information:
- You can add up to two stages in the Standard & Business Legacy edition or three stages in the Pro edition's workflow.
- The Enterprise edition allows adding as many stages as required.
Supporting material: