Knowledge Base Creating & Run Flows
Chapter 3 of 5

Creating & Running Service Flows

A running workflow template is called an Instance. Let's look at how to start a workflow, enter data step-by-step, and understand how access control protects data integrity.

Instance CRUD Operations & Search Filters

Once workflow instances are launched, you can track them on the main Service Flows board. Below are the available CRUD buttons and filter options:

Action / Filter Button / Field Who Can Use? Function Description
Create (C) + Create Service Flow Staff, Admin Launches modal to initialize a new instance.
Read (R) Open in App / Open in New Tab All Roles Views current step details, active fields, progress bar, and logs.
Update (U) Save Draft / Request Review Assigned Step Owner Updates inputs inside the step fields form.
Delete (D) Delete icon Admin Only Deletes instance. Permitted only if the instance is in Draft or cancelled state.
Keyword Search Search… Input All Roles Filters rows in real-time by Reference ID or Customer Name.
Status Filter Status Dropdown All Roles Filters rows to show only IN_PROGRESS, COMPLETED, or DRAFT flows.

Step 1: Starting a Flow (Create Instance)

To start a new service flow:

  1. Navigate to the Service Flows tab on your dashboard.
  2. Click + Create Service Flow.
  3. Select the Template (e.g. "Residential Fiber Installation").
  4. Select the Customer and the Field Agent.
  5. Select the Initial Approver (who will review your first step).
  6. Click Create. A unique Reference ID (e.g., SF-20260519-0001) will be generated.
Successfully Created Service Flow Instance

Step 2: Entering Step Fields & Groups

Once the flow starts, it is placed in the first step. Open the flow details page to enter data:

Field Groupings

To make complex data entries readable, fields are often grouped in blocks (like "Company Details" or "Billing Details"). Each group has a title and holds fields that belong together.

Service Flow Data Entry Form

Step 3: Form Access Control & Edit Permissions

A crucial part of the Service Flow engine is data integrity. Whether a step's form fields and "Save" buttons are editable depends strictly on a combination of the Flow Status, Step Status, and your User Role.

Condition System Behavior & Logic
Global Flow Status
Completed or Cancelled		 If the overall Service Flow is marked as COMPLETED or CANCELLED, the entire instance is locked. No fields or save buttons are available for any user, regardless of their role.
Closed Step Status
Approved or Rejected		 If a specific Step has been APPROVED or REJECTED, its fields are permanently frozen. The "Save" and "Request Review" buttons are hidden for all users.
Open Step Status
Draft or In Progress		 When a step is DRAFT or IN_PROGRESS, its form is unlocked, but only for Authorized Users. If an unauthorized user views it, the fields remain read-only.
Authorized Users
Actors & Roles		 You can edit an open step's fields if you meet either of these criteria:
  • Actors: You are the Author, Field Agent, Requestor, or assigned Approver.
  • Roles: You have system-wide privileges as a Manager or Admin.

Step 4: Saving and Requesting Approval

As you work on the fields, you can save your progress by clicking Save Draft. When all mandatory fields are complete, click Request Review to freeze your inputs and generate a pending approval task for the approver.

Backend Validation & Trigger Calculations

When you click Request Review, the backend executes the following checks and triggers:

  • Lenient Drafts vs. Strict Submit: Click Save Draft to skip validations. But Request Review performs strict field validation — if a required field is empty, the submission is rejected.
  • Progress Rate Calculation: Progress % = (Completed Steps / Total Steps) * 100 Recalculated in real-time by a database model trigger on every sign-off.
  • Auto-Complete Transition: When the final step is approved, the system transitions the instance status to COMPLETED and flags all inputs as permanently read-only.

Table Filter Reference

The Service Flows dashboard includes powerful filters to search through all running or completed workflow instances:

  • Template Flow: Filters instances initiated from a specific template.
  • Customer: Limits the list to a selected customer profile.
  • Author / Agent: View instances started by a specific user or assigned to a specific field agent.
  • Status: Filter by Draft, In Progress, Completed, or All.
  • Search Term: Real-time lookup matching Reference ID or Customer Name.