Terminology

Basic terms that are used in workflow are defined below

ActionItem

An Action Item is an instance of a workflow defined by user. Members of the route may visualize it as a sequential performance of tasks. An ActionItem contains a message and can have attachments along with the message, just like in e-mails. ActionItem can be sent to any user of the group. When a user receives an ActionItem it is available in the user's In-Work. For smoother flow of information, the users can put additional notes and assign viewing rights on the notes. There can be two type of ActionItem either User defined ActionItem or Predefined ActionItem in the system.

Route

The route consists of an ordered set of users through which ActionItem will move. The users over the route will receive the ActionItem one by one, sequentially. User can define any set of routes while creating Action Item. While initiating Action Item user will select the Route through which ActionItem will move .Two type of routes are defined in the system. They are either Predefined route or Entry type of Route.

§ Predefined routes are defined at the time of creation, ActionItem will automatically move from one user to other, Users don’t have to remember or specify the next route member. The system will automatically forward the document as defined in the route slip. Incase the user wants to change the route slip; he can change to new route slip, before forwarding it. This action will send the ActionItem to the first member of the new route slip.

§ Flexible routes are created at the time of initiation, or forwarding ActionItem, the user can select the user name and can forward the ActionItem to him.

The users, while initiating, can either choose a predefined route or create a new route through which ActionItem will move.

Stage

State of the ActionItem is known as stage. Stages are basically of two types viz. Final and Non-Final. Any number of stages can be defined for each type. Each ActionItem should have at least two stages one for each type. It should have at least one final stage as ActionItem can be completed only in final stage.

Alarms and Reminders

Reminders can be set for the action item for informing the status to some specified users. Two types of reminders can be set for the ActionItem. While setting these reminders the name of the users are specified to which these reminders will go.

Untouched – The user is reminded if he doesn’t act upon that ActionItem for the specified duration

Completed - The user is reminded if the ActionItem is not completed by the defined due date.

Data Class

ActionItem is a data class that contains properties of ActionItem, but there is a facility that user can define additional fields that can be associated with ActionItem.

Acknowledgement - Whether the Initiator should be acknowledged when the ActionItem is completed. At the time of creation if this option is set then the initiator get two options when he receives the ActionItem, he can either Reinitiate it or acknowledge it.

InWork

It is a folder where ActionItem or documents received by mail are stored. Every user in the system has an inWork folder also referred to as user Inbox.

Work In Progress

It is a SentItem folder of the user. All ActionItems, which are in process, will remain in Work In Progress Folder of all route members or any user who has received the ActionItem till that point. When ActionItem is forwarded to next user a copy of it is added to the work In Progress folder. It remains in this folder until it is completed

Carbon Copy (CC)

Whenever an ActionItem moves ahead in the route, its carbon copy can be sent to any user in the system. The receiver of the CC cannot modify the ActionItem, cannot put notes, cannot return back the ActionItem to the sender or perform any other standard functions. He can only view the ActionItem.

Attachment

Any Document or folder attached with ActionItem is referred as Attachment. User can attach documents either from his machine or from the DMS application.

Form

Whenever an ActionItem is created an object can be associated with ActionItem, which can contain some visual data fields, which can be filled by users, when an ActionItem moves ahead in the route. For e.g. with Leave_record ActionItem can contain a form which includes number of days leave, reason for leave, date when user will join back etc.

Initiate ActionItem

Once the ActionItem is created it can be initiated by any user in the system. User who initiates the action item is known as initiator of the ActionItem. User can attach attachments, set importance for ActionItem, and assign values to user defined fields while initiating ActionItem. Every ActionItem can have a subject and forwarding message attached with it while initiating. When an ActionItem is initiated it goes to the InWork of First member in the route. User can also send a CC of it to some other users in the system.

View

Whenever an ActionItem is received in the User’s InWork folder, user can view the current status of ActionItem by viewing the ActionItem.

Forward

When an ActionItem is received in user’s Inbox, he can work on that ActionItem and then forward it to next member in the route. User can give his feedback through notes, data fields, and forwarding message.

Refer

The user can send the ActionItem to any other person in the system or work group, who is not a part of the route slip, for reference. This new user is a “reference user” who can modify the document and can put notes and post it back to the sender. The referred person cannot post the ActionItem to the next route member. He can further refer the Action Item to any other user in the work group or return the ActionItem back.

Return

Whenever an ActionItem is send back to the previous member in the route it is referred as “Return”. If the first user in the route returns it then the ActionItem goes to the initiator and he can re initiate it again.

Divert

The route of the ActionItem can be modified in case any route member is not available or there is change in responsibilities. Only the coordinator of the route can make the modifications. He can modify the route from person X to Y for a specified time period on current, expired or future ActionItem. The coordinator revert the ActionItem, incase the original route member returns before the time specified.

Revert

The coordinator can take diverted ActionItem back before the specified time elapses; such process is known as revert. This is the case when original member return before the specified time.

Complete

Only the last user on the route can complete the ActionItem. On completing the ActionItem the initiator gets a reference into his inbox. If the Acknowledge option has been enabled the initiator have two options: Either Reinitiate it or acknowledge it. On Reinitiating the action is again initiated and follows the same path as defined on the route. If the Acknowledge option is not set then the initiator has no such option. When the initiator acknowledges it its reference is removed from everywhere. Once the ActionItem is completed it can be filed as a normal folder in document cabinet for future use.

Notes

Any extra information or comments about the ActionItem or attachments can be associated with the help of Notes. When the user is viewing the ActionItem or it's attachment, he can see all the notes with the author’s name, provided the author of the note has given rights to user who is viewing it

Secure Note

Note attached with ActionItem or attachment can be shared among the users of the system or not. Such notes are called secure notes.

Note Sheet

Note Sheet gives a comprehensive view of the entire note sequence on ActionItem and attachments. Note Sheet is the integral part of every ActionItem.

Track Sheet

Track Sheet is a sequence of record of all actions that are performed on ActionItem. It contains information about who is the initiator, when was the ActionItem initiated, when was it posted to the next route member, who had added notes on it etc. The track contains following five fields:

Date: The date on which the particular operation was done on the action item.

Time: The time on which the operation was done.

Action: The Operation performed over the action item. The Action is basically of the following types.

Initiated	The Action document Initiated
Notes Added	On adding a note to the Work Item
Forwarded	On forwarding the Work Item
Returned	On returning the Work Item
Referred	On referring the Work Item to some one else
Completed	On completing the Work Item
Response	On Adding a Response
Re-Initiated	Work Item Reinitiated
Viewed	On viewing the Work Item, by someone
Acknowledged	On Acknowledging the Work Item
Attachment Viewed	On viewing any attachment through the Viewer
Closed	On closing the Action item
Attachment Added	On Adding an Attachment
Stage Changed	On changing the Stage of the Work Item
Copy sent	On sending a copy to someone.
Route Changed	On changing the Route
Annotation Added	On Adding annotation over the Attachments through the Viewer
By	Name of the user who performed the operation.
Description	A Brief description of the operation.

Search

Any user in the system can search for any ActionItem. User can search for ActionItem on start date or end date of the ActionItem, Track Number, Subject, stage, route, User with which ActionItem is currently with, user who has initiated the action item, or ActionItem, which are completed etc.

Response

When a user forwards an action item the forwarding message can be made as a response for the ActionItem. With every ActionItem there can be any number of notes, forwarding message but there can be only one response. When a user makes any forwarding message a response, previous response becomes a note.

Statistics

This feature displays some vital statistics (useful data) about the ActionItem such as how much time has a user taken to process the ActionItem, whether the ActionItem is pending or completed. It is a tool for monitoring the activities of the work group members.

Importance

Every ActionItem in the system has some priority known as Importance of the ActionItem. There are three priorities defined in OmniDocs system, they are High, Low, Normal.

Track Number

It is a unique number, which can be used to track the ActionItem.

Forwarding Message

Whenever a user forwards, initiate, refer or return an ActionItem to another user, he can attach a message with the ActionItem known as forwarding message.

Subject

Short description of ActionItem defined by the user is known as the subject of the ActionItem. It is defined by user while initiating it. User can search ActionItem on the basis of subject within the system.

Save Draft

Whenever a user is working on any ActionItem, at any stage he can save the state of ActionItem and work on that copy after some time. This saved copy is known as draft.