Creating Route Templates

You can create a route template from the route templates page using the Create Route Template wizard.

Required access roles:

  • Baseline: Leader

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: View the list of route templates. See Route Templates Page.

Enter Basic Information for the Route Template

  1. Click Create New from the Actions menu or toolbar.

    The Specify Details page of the wizard opens.

  2. Enter these details:

    Field Name Description
    Name The name you want to use for the new route template, or select the AutoName check box to have the system assign a name. When a route template is auto-named, the system assigns a prefix and a sequential number for the name, such as R-000305.
    Description Indicates the route's purpose.
    Availability
    Important: Availability is no longer used to determine who can access the route template. The credentials of the route template (owning organization and collaborative space) determine if a route template displays in search results for a user. That is, the user must belong to the same organization and collaborative space to use a route template. Any value entered in this field does not affect whether a specific user can access the route template.
    Route Base Purpose Determines the kind of tasks included in the route.
    • Standard. The route can include tasks that require the assignee's approval or comment or tasks intended only for notification or information.
    • Approval. The route includes only tasks that require the assignee's approval.
    • Review. The route includes only tasks that require the assignee's comment.

    Users cannot change the base purpose for routes created from the template.
    Start Route On Completion Only available if you select Standard for the Route Base Purpose.

    Defines the route template to use to start a linked route when routes created from this route template complete. Click to select a route template. For more information, see Linking Route Templates.
    Start Route On Completion Action Only available if you select a template for Start Route On Completion.

    Defines the completion action for the route started when this one completes. You can choose one of these options:

    • Notify Only
    • Promote Connected Objects
    Scope Choose one of the following options to determine the kind of scope:
    • All. The route creator can add people from any company, including user groups.
    • Organization. The route creator can add only people from his or her own company.
    Route Task Edits Choose an option from the list to choose how people who create routes based on the template can edit the task list. For any option, users can edit these details for routes created from this template:
    • For the route: Name, Description, Route Base Purpose, Route Completion Action, Auto Stop On Rejection
    • For route tasks: Task Description, Task Action, Due Date/Time, Allow Delegation, Requires Owner Review

    Option Description
    Maintain Exact Task List People who create a route from this template must use the exact task list. They cannot add or remove tasks, and then cannot modify the Task Title, Assignees, or Order of any task.
    Extend Task List People who create a route from this template must use the exact task list, and can add tasks to an existing route task order or a new order number.

    The types of edits that can be made to tasks depends on if the task is created from the template or manually added to the route:

    • Tasks created from the template:
      • The route creator cannot remove the tasks or modify the Task Title, Assignees, or Order
      • The route creator cannot remove any route members who are assigned to template tasks
    • Tasks manually added to the route: the route creator can add, remove, and modify details (Title, Assignees, Order)

    Modify Task List People who create a route from this template can add new tasks.

    The types of edits that can be made to tasks depends on if the task is created from the template or manually added to the route:

    • Tasks created from the template:
      • The route creator cannot remove or modify the Task Title, but can change Assignees and Order
      • The route creator cannot remove any route members who are assigned to template tasks
    • Tasks manually added to the route: the route creator can add, remove, and modify details (Title, Assignees, Order)

    Modify/Delete Task List People who create a route from this template can add and remove tasks and modify the task list in any way. The route creator can add and remove route members, and can modify the Title, Assignees, and Order for all tasks.

    Auto Stop on Rejection Determines what happens when a task in the route is rejected:
    • Immediate. The route stops immediately.
    • Deferred. The route stops after other tasks at the current level are completed or rejected. This option is respected only if ALL is set in the Action Required field. If ANY is selected, then the route stops immediately. See Select Action Required for the Route Template for more information.

      On the Action Required page:

      • If you select Any, the route stops immediately.
      • If you select All, the route stops after all other tasks at the current level are completed or rejected.

    Revert User Group(s) Assignment Define what happens when restarting or resuming a route when a person from a user group has accepted a task:

    Option Description
    Retain person assigned when restarting/resuming a Route The same person who accepted the task is assigned the task when the route continues.
    Reset to the original User Group(s) when restarting/resuming a Route The task is reassigned to the user group and can be accepted by any one in that user group.

    If you change Select User(s) from User Group(s) to Yes, this field is set to "Retain person assigned when restarting/resuming a Route " and cannot be changed.
    Select User(s) from User Group(s)

    When a user group is a task assignee, determines if anyone in the user group can complete tasks, or if a specific person (or multiple people) from the user group must be selected as the task assignee. When set to Yes for the template, you can unselect the option for specific tasks. The setting cannot be changed in routes created from this template.

    Option Description
    No The user group can be a task assignee when the route is started.
    Yes A specific person must be selected from the people in the assigned user group as the task assignee prior to starting the route.

    Approval With Signature

    Mandates the use of e-signature authentication for routes created using this route template.

    Notes:
    • If your Business Administrator allows the use of e-signature option from the route template in the Collaborative Spaces Configuration Center, and if you select Standard or Approval in the Route Base Purpose field, this field is shown with selectable options.
    • If your Business Administrator mandates the use of e-signature for all approval tasks in the Collaborative Spaces Configuration Center, this field is shown deactivated with the Yes option selected.
    Option Description
    No E-signature authentication is not required for task approvals for routes created using this route template.
    Yes E-signature authentication is required for task approvals for routes created using this route template.

  3. Click Next.

Add Members and Define Access

  1. Complete the steps above. The Select Route Members page of the wizard opens.

    This page is identical to the Add Members and Define Access page for a route. See Add Members and Define Access for details.

  2. Click Next.

Define Tasks for the Route Template

  1. Complete the steps above. The Define Route Tasks page of the wizard opens.

    One task is included for each person and user group added in the previous page.

  2. For each task, specify these details:

    Field Name Description
    Title Enter a short name to let the assignee know what the task is about.
    Action What you want the task assignee to perform. The action does not affect the person's access to the route's content.

    • Approve. In addition to filling in the Comment box, the task recipient must choose an approval status: Approve, Reject, or Abstain. If the task assignee chooses Approve or Abstain and then completes the task, the route continues as usual. If the task assignee chooses Reject and then completes the task, the route is stopped and the route creator is notified. The system does not create the next task in the route until the route creator resumes the route.

    • Comment. The recipient must enter a comment before completing the task.
    • Notify Only. If you choose this option, the task is automatically completed without the recipient taking any actions.
    Order A number to define the order in which you want the tasks to be performed. If tasks can be performed concurrently (do not depend on the completion of other tasks), choose the same order number for each task.

    For example, suppose that you want one person to complete a task and then you want two people to work on a task simultaneously. You choose an order number of 1 for the first task. The other two tasks choose the order number 2.

    Assignee & Instructions Choose the person or user group who will receive the task from the list. You can leave the task unassigned until you are ready to start the route.

    If you assign a user group to a task, the system notifies all people in the user group when the task is created. The first person to accept the task is then assigned to the task and is the only person who can complete it.

    You can choose Ask Route Owner for task assignment to allow the person who creates the route from this template to specify an assignee based on the current resource availability. When the route is created, the task is assigned to the route owner, who can then reassign the task to an available resource. If you select this option, the dialog box adds the Assignment Scope field.

    You can use the assignment scope to restrict the potential task assignees to a specific user group. Only members of the selected user group can be assigned to the route task. If you select this option, click to search for and select the required user group. You do not need to define an assignment scope for the route template.

    You cannot select Ask Route Owner for task assignment if the action is set to Notify Only.

    Important: Ask Route Owner for task assignment as an assignee is supported for routes created using Route Management; it is not supported for routes created using Collaboration and Approvals.

    Provide a detailed description of what the person needs to do to complete the task. For example, you may want to indicate which file or section they need to review or comment on.

    Due Date Choose one of the following options:

    Option Steps
    Number of days
    1. Select the top option in the Advanced section.
    2. Enter a number of days.
    3. Select Route Start Date or Prior Task or Now if first from the list.

    If you select Prior Task or Now if First, the due date for the task is that number of days from the completion of the prior task. For the first task in the route, there are no prior tasks so the due date is the number of days from when the task route is started.

    When calculating the due date, the system includes weekends and holidays so factor that into the number of days you enter. The maximum number of days is 365. For example, if you want to give the task assignee 10 working days to complete the task, enter 14 from the Task Create Date because it's likely there would be 4 weekend days within a 10-day working period. If you want the task to be complete 30 calendar days following the start of the route, enter 30 days from Route Start Date.

    Assignee-Set Due Date Select the second option in the Advanced section. This option lets the task assignee enter a due date, although the system does not require one. If no due date is entered, the system does not display a status for the task.

    If the assignee does not complete the task by the due date/time, the task is marked as late (red) and the route's status is changed from green to yellow. For subroutes, the system makes sure none of the task due dates are later than the parent task's due date. If they are, you must make the due dates earlier.

    Allow Delegation

    If a task allows delegation, the assignee can delegate the task to another member to complete. See Reassigning (Delegating) a Task to Someone Else. The delegate will temporarily inherit all accesses that the assignee has for the route and its content. The system may also delegate the task automatically if the recipient receives the task during a defined absence period and the person has designated an Absence Delegate on the person profile. When the system automatically delegates a task, it also notifies the route owner.

    The Tasks page will show a Delegate icon for the tasks.

    When a task is automatically delegated by the system, it will not be automatically delegated back to the initial recipient if the defined absence period changes. In this case, the delegated assignee can manually reassign the task to the original assignee if appropriate.

    Requires Owner Review Check if you want to review a task after the assignee completes it.

    After the assignee completes the task, the system notifies you. After reviewing the task, you must enter a review comment and then either promote the task to indicate approval or demote it to indicate rejection. The system does not create the next task in the route until you promote the task. Demoting the task changes its state back to Assigned and the assignee must redo the task based on your comments. When demoting the task, you can reassign it to someone else to work on.

    The Tasks page will show a Requires Owner Review icon for the task.

    Select User(s) from User Group(s) Only shows if you selected Select User(s) from User Group(s) in the details for the template and a user group is chosen as the task assignee.

    Clear the check box if you want the task to be assigned to the user group (and anyone in the group can complete the task), or select the check box if you want to require that the route creater select a specific person from the user group as the task assignee.

  3. To assign multiple tasks to a single individual (or user group):
    1. Check the required tasks.
    2. Click Assign Selected from the Actions menu or toolbar.
    3. Select the person or user group.
    4. Click Done.
  4. To assign one member to several tasks, check those tasks and click Assign Selected from the Actions menu or toolbar. Then choose the member from the Assign Tasks page and click Done.
  5. Use the page Actions menu or toolbar to work with tasks:

    • Add Task. Define additional tasks. A new task row is added. Repeat steps 2 through 6 to define the task.
    • Remove Selected. Remove a checked task.
    • Sort Task List. Sort the list of tasks based on ascending order number and then by task name.

  6. Click Next.

Select Action Required for the Route Template

  1. Complete the steps above. The Action Required page of the wizard opens.

    If there are no concurrent tasks in the route, the Action Required column is empty.

  2. For each set of concurrent tasks, choose whether any or all must be completed before the next set of tasks becomes pending.

    • Any. When one person completes a task in a set of concurrent tasks, the task or tasks in the next order level become pending and the remaining incomplete tasks in the current order level are deleted. For example, if you assign three concurrent tasks to three people to approve a document in the route, but you only need one person to approve one task, as soon as one of them completes the task, either approves or rejects the task, the other tasks are deleted and the next task in the route proceeds.
    • All. All tasks in the set of concurrent tasks must complete before the next order level tasks can proceed.

  3. Click Done.