Workflow defines the process, steps, and actions that get your work done. This article shows examples of the types of workflows available and resources for adding them to your apps.
In Knack, workflow is what turns your static data into dynamic processes designed to impact your business: it moves jobs to the right employee, it alerts customers when an order is ready, and it requests approvals from a manager.
Knack doesn’t have one specific workflow feature. Instead, workflow is included in many features throughout the Knack platform.
Pipeline
A pipeline is a defined progression with a common start and a common end point. Each record starts at the beginning and through a series of actions progresses through the pipeline.
The most common example is a sales or customer pipeline. The potential customer may begin as a “lead” and follow a specific path on the way to becoming a "customer." Here's how that works in our CRM sample app:
Learn More:
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See it in action with the Custom CRM sample app
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Create a Button or Link That Updates a Field to a Custom Value
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About the Data Source: Only Show Records With a Specific Field Value
Stages
When working through stages in a process, you want to highlight the most useful information for the stage you're currently in.
A great example is a project management app. The project may begin with sales and budget information in the planning stage and then focus on milestones and tasks in the production stage. Here’s how that can work in our Project Management sample app:
Learn More:
- See this in action with the Project Management sample app
- How to Add Stages to Your App
- Using Display Rules
- About Page Rules
Approvals
Approvals require information to be reviewed in order to move through a process with defined stages. Each user will see their pending approvals and next steps.
A basic example is approving events before posting them to an event calendar. All events start out with a status of “Pending” until managers have reviewed them and either approved or rejected them.
Here’s how that works in our Event Calendar sample app:
Learn More:
- See it in action with the Event Calendar sample app
- How to Approve New Records Before They Are Displayed
- About Users
- How to Send Emails
Assignments
Users can be assigned to individual records. Records assigned (connected) to a user can then be made viewable to only that user.
Users can also be assigned to user roles. Those roles can then be used to specify what information and functionality users have access to.
A common example of assignments is a mobile workforce sample app where supervisors and employees perform different actions and view different sets of information. Here’s how that works in our Mobile Workforce sample app:
Learn More:
- See it in action with the Mobile Workforce sample app
- About Users
- How to Show Records Connected to the Logged-in User
Status Indicators
Status indicators help you quickly gauge which processes are on track and which ones are in need of attention.
A great example is tracking inventory levels. There needs to be a quick way to see which inventory items are running low and need to be re-ordered.
Here’s how that can work in our Inventory Manager sample app:
Learn More:
- See it in action with the Inventory Manager sample app.
- How to Add Status Indicators to Your App
Notifications & Reminders
Notifications and reminders keep your users automatically updated of any workflows. You can send customized emails at any step of the process.
A common example is sending a customer an email notification letting them know that they need to pay an invoice.
Here’s how that can work in our Customer Portal sample app:
Learn More:
Create Your Own Unique Workflows
These examples provide a glimpse into the various workflows you can incorporate into your apps.
Explore our selection of commonly used features to create your own distinctive and personalized workflows here: Workflow Tools