Workflow Automation Guide
On this page
Introduction to Workflows
Ademero's workflow automation engine helps you streamline business processes, ensure compliance, and improve efficiency.
What are Workflows?
Workflows are automated sequences of tasks that route documents through approval processes, trigger actions, and notify stakeholders.
Benefits
Reduce manual tasks by 80%, ensure consistent processes, maintain audit trails, and accelerate decision-making.
Workflow Components
Understanding the building blocks of workflows.
Triggers
Events that start a workflow:
Actions
Tasks performed during workflow execution:
Conditions
Logic that determines workflow paths:
// Example condition logic
if (document.type === "Invoice" && document.amount > 10000) {route.to("CFO_Approval");} else if (document.amount > 5000) {
route.to("Manager_Approval");} else {
route.to("Auto_Approved");}Creating Your First Workflow
Step-by-step guide to building a basic approval workflow.
- Navigate to Workflows > Create New
- Name your workflow (e.g., "Invoice Approval")
- Select trigger type (e.g., "Document Upload")
- Add conditions (e.g., "If invoice amount > $5000")
- Add approval step with approvers
- Configure notifications
- Set completion actions
- Test and activate workflow
Visual Workflow Designer
Use the drag-and-drop designer to create workflows visually. Connect nodes to define process flow.
Common Workflow Patterns
Pre-built templates for common business processes.
Invoice Approval
Multi-level approval based on amount thresholds.
| Amount | Approver | SLA |
|---|---|---|
| < $1,000 | Auto-approved | Instant |
| $1,000 - $5,000 | Department Manager | 24 hours |
| $5,000 - $25,000 | Finance Director | 48 hours |
| > $25,000 | CFO | 72 hours |
Document Review
Collaborative review process with parallel approvals and version control.
Employee Onboarding
Sequential tasks across HR, IT, and department managers with automatic document generation.
Contract Management
Legal review, negotiation tracking, and signature collection with deadline monitoring.
Advanced Workflow Features
Leverage powerful features for complex processes.
Parallel Processing
Send documents to multiple approvers simultaneously and configure completion rules (all must approve, first response, majority).
Escalations
Automatically escalate overdue tasks to managers or reassign to delegates.
// Escalation rule example
{
"condition": "overdue > 24 hours","action": "escalate_to_manager","notification": "email_and_sms"
}Dynamic Routing
Route documents based on metadata, user attributes, or external data sources.
Sub-workflows
Nest workflows within workflows for modular process design.
Notifications and Alerts
Keep stakeholders informed throughout the process.
Notification Types
Configure email, SMS, in-app, and webhook notifications for different workflow events.
Smart Notifications
Use templates with dynamic content, digest summaries, and user preferences for notification frequency.
Workflow Analytics
Monitor and optimize workflow performance.
Key Metrics
Track completion times, bottlenecks, approval rates, and SLA compliance.
Optimization
Use analytics to identify inefficiencies and refine workflows for better performance.
Integration with External Systems
Connect workflows to other business applications.
API Integration
Use REST APIs to trigger workflows from external systems or update external systems from workflows.
Pre-built Connectors
Native integrations with popular business applications:
Best Practices
Guidelines for effective workflow automation:
- Start simple and iterate
- Document workflow logic clearly
- Test thoroughly before deployment
- Monitor performance regularly
- Gather user feedback
- Plan for exceptions and edge cases
- Maintain workflow documentation
- Regular review and optimization
- Consider compliance requirements
- Build in flexibility for changes
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about workflow automation implementation and management.
How long does it take to implement a workflow?
Simple workflows can be created and deployed in minutes using our visual designer. For basic approval workflows with 2-3 steps, expect 15-30 minutes from design to testing. Complex workflows involving multiple integrations, conditional routing, and parallel processing typically require 2-4 hours for initial setup and thorough testing. Enterprise-level workflows with extensive business rules and compliance requirements may take several days to design, validate, and deploy. Our pre-built templates can reduce implementation time by 60-70% for standard business processes like invoice approval, contract management, and employee onboarding.
Can workflows be modified after deployment?
Yes, workflows can be modified at any time through the workflow designer. Changes can be saved as drafts and tested in a sandbox environment before going live. When modifying active workflows, you can choose to apply changes only to new instances or update running instances. Version control tracks all workflow modifications with complete audit trails showing who made changes and when. Best practice is to test modifications thoroughly before applying to production workflows, especially for mission-critical processes. You can also duplicate existing workflows to create variations without affecting the original.
What happens if an approver is unavailable?
Ademero provides several mechanisms to handle unavailable approvers. Escalation rules automatically route tasks to designated delegates after specified time periods, typically 24-48 hours depending on urgency. Users can set up vacation responders that automatically reassign tasks to backups during planned absences. For critical workflows, you can configure parallel approval paths where multiple people can act, or set up approval hierarchies that automatically elevate to higher-level approvers. Notification systems send reminders at configurable intervals before escalation occurs. Emergency override capabilities allow administrators to manually reassign or approve tasks when necessary, with all actions logged in the audit trail for compliance purposes.
How do workflows handle errors or exceptions?
The workflow engine includes comprehensive error handling and exception management. When errors occur, workflows can be configured to pause and notify administrators, retry failed actions automatically with exponential backoff, or route to alternative paths. Exception queues capture failed tasks for manual review and reprocessing. All errors are logged with detailed diagnostic information including timestamps, error messages, and system state. Administrators can define custom error handlers for specific scenarios. For integration failures with external systems, workflows can implement circuit breaker patterns to prevent cascading failures. The system maintains transaction integrity by rolling back partial changes when workflow steps fail, ensuring data consistency across all connected systems.