Workflows
Define the job once. Run it the same way.
Workflows is the part of MLNetworks where your team defines the steps, approvals and hand-offs of a job once, and runs it the same way at every site.
Draw the stages, approvals and hand-offs of a job on a canvas. Every work order of that type then follows the same path.
Talk to an ExpertSite power incident to field work
Ridgeview RDG-0417 · v3
Canvas
Incident approved
INC_APPROVED
Dispatch approval
DISPATCH_APPROVAL
Raise work order
WO_RAISED
Inspection
INSPECTION
Done
DONE
Reject -> End
From a drawing to a working process
01
Draw the stages on a canvas
Drag work, wait and approval stages onto the studio canvas and join them. A workflow needs one start, an end and at least one transition before it can be published.
WorkflowsStudioPalette
Drag a stage onto the canvas.
Flow control
Start
Entry point
Done
Completed state
End
Terminal state
Work stages
Action
Work to be performed
Inspection
On-site inspection
Repair
Fix or replace
Handover
Transfer ownership
Wait stages
Wait
Pause for event
Scheduling
Schedule appointment
Approval stages
Approval
Requires sign-off
Verification
Verify completion
02
Say what starts it and who approves
Each transition has a trigger, an owner and the roles allowed to take it. It can require a comment, an attachment or a condition.
WorkflowsStudioTransition
Dispatch approval -> Raise work order
Name
Approve dispatch
Button Label
Approve
Trigger Type
Manual
Owner Type
Human
Allowed Roles
Operations lead
- Requires CommentOn
- Requires EvidenceOff
- ActiveOn
03
Raise the work order and track it
A stage can create the work order, notify people, and assign or dispatch it. The work order shows each stage it entered.
WorkflowsStudioWO-7718
Inspect generator start circuit
Ridgeview RDG-0417
Timeline
Incident approved
03:10From INC-2041
Dispatch approval
03:14Approved with comment
Raise work order
03:14WO-7718 created
Inspection
PendingWaiting for the field team
What can start a workflow
Integration scope is defined for each deployment, and each source is validated with your team before it is named as supported.
- Events from the platform
- Schedules
- Webhooks from other systems
- People, from a button on a stage
Rules on every transition
Event
Event Name: incident.approved
Scheduled
Cron-based trigger
Webhook
HTTP webhook trigger
Event Source: Incident queue
Start on an event, a schedule or a webhook
A workflow can start when an event arrives, on a cron schedule, or from a webhook. A transition can also wait for a person to press its button.
Conditions
- Field ValueEqualsGenerator
- Role CheckInOperations lead
- Evidence CollectedGreater Than0
Actions on entering the stage: Raise work order
- Create Work Order
- Notification
- Dispatch
Conditions and actions on a transition
Conditions check a field, a role, elapsed time, an attachment or SLA status. Actions create a work order, notify, assign or dispatch.
From the workflow to the technician
A workflow sets how a work order is dispatched: nearest technician, least busy or by hand, with the skills and certifications the job needs. Scheduling takes it from there.
Workforce & SchedulingDispatch rules
Inspect generator start circuit
WO-7718
Method
- Manual
- Round Robin
- Nearest
- Least Busy
- Required Skills
- Generator maintenance
- Required Certifications
- Electrical safety
- Required Region
- Ridgeview area
- Fallback
- Escalate after 30 minutes
Built for repeatable work
The same path every time
Work moves through the stages you drew. Each transition can be limited to the roles allowed to take it.
Checks before publishing
The studio checks for one start stage, an end, at least two stages and a transition before a workflow can be published.
People keep the approval
An approval stage waits for a person. A transition can require a comment or an attachment from them.
FAQ
Common questions
What can a workflow describe?
The stages a piece of work moves through, such as a work order, with the transitions, approvals, conditions and actions between them. It is not a general-purpose automation tool.
Does a workflow act on its own?
Only where you set it up to. An approval stage waits for a person, and a transition can be limited to named roles. Which steps run automatically is your choice, for each workflow.
Can we see what happened on a run?
Each work order shows the stages it entered. There is no separate run log; whether one is available depends on the deployment, so we confirm it with your team.
What starts a workflow?
An event, a schedule, a webhook, or a person pressing a transition button. Which events and systems are connected is defined for each deployment.
Can we change a workflow that is already in use?
The studio warns that changes affect work orders in progress, SLA timers and automated actions. Review the change with your team before you publish it.
Workflows
Which process should run the same way at every site?
Bring a real case. An MLNetworks expert will walk through it with you.
Talk to an ExpertMore of the platform
Every part uses the same sites and assets. Start where the need is greatest and add the next when you are ready.