Get Started with Project Request Workflows

Overview

Project Request Workflows are used to stage submitted project requests through a series of steps in which they can be reviewed, evaluated, and approved or rejected. Workflow steps are created and defined in the Workflow Template section of Portfolio Planning.

Submitted project requests can either be automatically assigned to a workflow via an automation rule or manually by opening the request in Work Management.

In this article:

• Create Portfolio Planning Workflow
• Configure Workflow Steps
  • Workflow Step Options
  • Editing the General Information of a Portfolio Planning Workflow
• Frequently Asked Questions

What materials do I need?

• Internet connectivity
• Web browser
• ESM Project Application Administrator, or ESM Enterprise Administrator role

Create Project Request Workflow

To create a new workflow.

1. In TDWorkManagement, click View Applications.
2. Click the name of the desired project application.
3. In the project application, click the settings (i.e. sprocket icon) button.
4. Click Admin.
5. Click Workflows.
6. Click Project Request Workflows.
7. Click +New button, and a New Workfow form will be displayed.
   1. In the Name field, enter a concise name(e.g. 'UAA IT Initiative Project Review', 'UAF NTS Initiative Project Review', etc.).
   2. In the Description or Purpose field, enter general overview as to the intent of the workflow.
   3. Click Save.

A new screen will display, in which you can:

• Edit the workflow’s general information.
• Add/configure workflow steps. Note that all previously created workflow steps in the Workflow Template will automatically be added to a new workflow, where they can be configured and activated as required for the particular workflow.

The following sections describe the configuration of workflows and workflow steps in detail.

Configure Workflow Steps

When a new project request workflow has been created, all steps in the workflow template at that time will be automatically added to the workflow, in an inactive and unconfigured state. Enterprise Administrators should work with the requesting department/group can determine which steps will be active in a particular workflow, and how the actions in those steps will be configured.

To configure a workflow step:

1. In TDWorkManagement, click View Applications.
2. Click the name of the desired project application.
3. In the project application, click the settings (i.e. sprocket icon) button.
4. Click Admin.
5. Click Workflows.
6. Click Project Request Workflows.
7. Click the Name of the desired workflow.
8. Click the Steps tab.
9. Click Edit to configure the relevant step.

Workflow Step Options

The below fields can be used to customize what actions are available when a workflow step is active:

• Active – Whether the workflow step is active.
• Approve Request – Indicates if the project request can be approved at this step, i.e. a fast track that will skip all remaining steps and mark the request Request Approved.
• Reject Request – Indicates if the project request can be rejected at this step, i.e. a fast track that will skip all remaining steps and mark the request Request Declined.
• Return to Requestor – Whether the request can be sent back to the requestor during this step. If this action is available, the request will be marked Unsubmitted and sent back to the requestor to edit and/or provide more information through the Client Portal.
• Reject Step – Indicates if an approver can reject the workflow step.
• Forward – Whether the request can be forwarded during the step. This allows another user to access and contribute to this workflow step. The user to whom this project request is forwarded will have the same permissions on this project request as the reviewers/approvers do. Once this step is completed, that user will no longer have those permissions. Project requests can only be forwarded to another TeamDynamix user that has access to the Portfolio Planning application.
• Edit – Whether the request can be edited during the step. If this is disabled, required sections cannot be enforced for this step.
• Sections – When the Edit action is available, a Sections link will appear in the Sections column. Click on this link to see a list of project request sections that can be made editable and/or required. Select the appropriate sections and click Save.
• Assignments – The list of default reviewers/approvers for the workflow step.
• Assignment Options – The list of people who may be selected as reviewers/approvers for the step upon approval of the previous step.
  Important

  The Assignments and Assignment Options columns cannot both be blank because workflow steps require responsibility. If nothing is supplied for Assignments, then the approver is required to select an item from Options upon step approval. If there are no Assignment Options, then the approver cannot be changed. If both are provided, then the step has default responsibility that can optionally modified.
• Scorecard – Allows for a specific scorecard to be selected and associated with the workflow step.

Editing the General Information of a Project Request Workflow

To edit a project request workflow:

1. In TDWorkManagement, click View Applications.
2. Click the name of the desired project application.
3. In the project application, click the settings (i.e. sprocket icon) button.
4. Click Admin.
5. Click Workflows.
6. Click the Name of the desired workflow. The detail page will open to the General tab.
7. To change the active status of a workflow, the Activate/Deactivate button in the toolbar can be used.
8. Click the Edit button and modify the Name or Description of the workflow.
9. Edit the Active status.
   Important

   In order for a workflow to be active:

   • At least one step must be active.
   • A Ready for Reporting step must be selected, and this step must also be active.
   • At least one active step must allow Reject Request.
   • At least one active step must allow Approve Request.
10. Select the Ready for Reporting step to specify that requests using this workflow will be included in reports after the selected field has been completed. In many workflows, the Ready for Reporting step is first, so that when it advances to the second step, planning and other project management activities can start to take place.
11. Click Save.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why do workflow template steps work the way they do?

A. Each workflow template step creates a status for a project request. The same step may be used for several workflows, and you may want to report on all the project requests in a certain step across workflows. This is why template steps are created separately from workflows. However, once you have created the workflow, that workflow "locks in" the steps available when it was created, so the workflow won't be modified/changed after its creation.

Q. What does "Ready for Reporting" mean?

A. "Ready for Reporting" means that, after that workflow step, the project request should start showing up in the capacity planner and other parts of TeamDynamix. The idea is that the request now has "correct" information in it, and that information is whatever is needed for making a decision. The idea behind "Ready for Reporting" is that people should not make decisions about project requests before the request's information is accurate.

Need additional help or have issues

For support, requests may be submitted anytime using the appropriate Enterprise Service Management form. Requests generate a Ticket which will be worked in order received and urgency by IT Employees with the knowledge and permissions to assist with the request.

For immediate assistance please review the Contact Us page for the appropriate support group.