FieldFX Status Workflows

With FieldFX you can use workflows to track the status for these objects:

Introduction

Status Workflow in FieldFX from ServiceMax, a PTC Technology, defines the sequence of statuses a record of a certain record type can follow.

The Status determines when:

  • The record is available in FX Back Office (formerly labeled "Console")

  • The record is available in FX Mobile

  • The record is available in Customer Self Service (referred to as "Admin Portal")

The Workflow determines what the next available status can be for a record.

The Status Workflow Admin Tool provides a visual way to view the flow. With this, you can easily manage and understand the flow of FieldFX records.

Prerequisites

To setup and use status workflows, you need to:

Have these user licenses Have these permissions Complete these tasks
and review these topics
before continuing

  • FX Invoicing minimum permissions
    (if setting up workflows for FX Invoicing)

  • System permissions:

    • Customize Application

    • Manage Sharing

    • View Setup and Configuration

Considerations

An initial status must exist for a new record in both Back Office and Mobile for that record to enter the status flow. A status should be Read Only in both Back Office and Mobile.

How Status Workflows Work

The Status Workflow shows all available statuses for the selected object and record type. Arrows indicate how a record can change from one status to another. The Workflow automatically updates as you make changes.

Here are some key advantages:

Predefined Statuses

Each FieldFX record type has a set of statuses representing different workflow stages. Examples could be:

The specific workflow in your org may vary.

Ticket Statuses:

Draft → Submitted → Approved → Invoiced → Closed

Quote Statuses:

Draft → Pending → Approval → Accepted → Rejected

Transition
Rules

Status workflows define which status a record can move to based on its current status.

Examples:

  • A ticket in Draft can only move to Submitted and not directly to Invoiced

  • A quote in Pending Approval must be approved before it can be accepted

Automation
& Validation

  • You can automate some transitions like moving a ticket to Invoiced when it’s included in an invoice

  • Others may require manual approval or validation where correct steps need to be followed before proceeding

Permissions
& User Roles

  • Specific users or roles may be restricted from certain transitions

  • Example: Only managers may approve a quote and only finance team can mark an invoice as paid

Custom
Workflows

  • You can configure custom status workflows that align with how your company operates

  • Your customizations ensure that records align with the correct approval, billing, and completion sequence

The Status Workflow Admin Tool is shown as follows:

Example of a Status Workflow for a Quote
Figure 1. Status Workflow Layout

Application to Specific FieldFX Modules

Status workflows in multiple modules for efficient management of different business processes.

Job Scheduling
Dispatch

Use this to manage the job lifecycle from scheduling to completion.

These statuses may be different depending on your business needs.

Job Status
Workflow

These statuses are typically used:

  • Draft: The job is created but not assigned yet Scheduled: The job has been assigned to a field crew In Progress: Work has started on the job Completed: Work has been finished Closed: The job is finalized and all documentation is complete

JSD Workflow
Enforcement

  • You can’t move a job to Scheduled until all required resources are assigned

  • You can’t move a job to Completed until all field personnel have logged their time and activities

  • When the job is Closed, no more changes can be made

Back Office

You can use status workflows here to handle approvals, invoicing, and financial reconciliation.

These are typical workflows and could vary depending on the specific needs in your organization:

Ticket Workflow
Status

These statuses are typically used:

  • Draft: This status is for initial entry and may be incomplete

  • Submitted: The ticket has been submitted for review

  • Approved: The ticket has been validated for accuracy

  • Invoiced: The ticket is included in an invoice

  • Closed: This ticket is finalized and there can be no further changes

Back Office
Workflow
Enforcement

  • You can’t include draft tickets in invoices

  • Approval is required before a ticket can move to invoicing

  • Once a ticket is closed, it can’t be modified

Mobile

Using FX Mobile or the new FieldFX Mobile App, mobile users can capture and update job and ticket details in real time.

Field Ticket
Workflow
in Mobile

These statuses are typically used:

  • Draft: A field user creates a ticket

  • Submitted: The field user submits the ticket for office review

  • Approved: The ticket is approved by the office triggering further processed

  • Invoiced: The ticket is included in an invoice

  • Closed: The ticket is locked and archived

Mobile
Workflow
Enforcement

  • Field users can’t approve tickets which is done in Back Office

  • A ticket can’t revert to draft once its submitted without admin intervention

  • Special permissions are required to make changes after invoicing

Admin Dashboard Status Workflow Tool

Layout

After opening the admin tool and selecting an object and Record Type, the window divides into two panels.

Screenshot of entire screen with callouts
Callout Description Image

1

Use icons on the screen to zoom in, zoom out, reset zoom to show whole workflow, or filter the view.

Screenshot of the icons available at the top of the screen for zooming into the workflow

2

Status Workflow displays a graphical view of the selected record type’s workflow.

Example of just the workflow panel of the screen

3

Use the left panel to make entries and edits to the selected status or transition.

Screenshot of the the left panel of the Status Workflow tool

Step-by-Step Guides

With Status Workflows, you can:
You can add a workflow rule by following the steps in Add a Workflow Rule.

Access the Admin Portal

When working inside FieldFX Back Office, the Admin Dashboard tab accesses the FieldFX Admin Portal.
Click to expand

  1. Access the Admin Portal either by:

    1. Open a browser tab to admin.fieldfx.com and log into the org with your system credentials.

    2. In FieldFX Back Office,

      • Click on Launcher icon and type admin.

      • Select Admin Dashboard.

        The Admin Dashboard tab appears along the top of the nav bar as the last item.

    3. Click Add X Nav Item(s).

    4. Move the newly added nav item by clicking on the item and dragging the move icon up or down on the list. If you want to add more items, repeat the steps above.

    5. When in position, click Save.

      A browser toast message appears that the nav item was added.

  2. To save the Admin Dashboard tab as a permanent tab,

    1. click Pencil icon to open the navigation items edit box.

      The name in the title differs depending on the FieldFX module you are in. If you switch FieldFX modules, the nav item won’t appear. Repeat these steps to add the Admin Dashboard tab to the FieldFX module you are in.

    2. Click Add More Items.

    3. Click Available Items > All

    4. Click Admin Dashboard.

      A green check appears next to Admin Dashboard item and a "Admin Dashboard" pill appears below the search field. The number of items selected is also displayed.

      Add Top Nav Item selection

Add a New Workflow

Benefits of customizing a Workflow

  • Reduce Errors: This ensures approvals before invoicing

  • Improved efficiency: You can automate status transitions

  • Ensures compliance: Unauthorized changes are prevented

  • Increases visibility: You can track progress and accountability

  1. Access the Admin Portal and choose to login to a Production or Sandbox org.

  2. Enter the appropriate credentials to login to the desired org.

  3. Select Status Workflow from the Admin Portal’s Dashboard.

  4. Choose an sObject from the dropdown field.

    For custom objects in a status workflow, you can use Salesforce Paths.

  5. If available, choose a Record Type.

  6. If this is the very first workflow for the object, a dialog box prompts to create a new workflow based on standard defaults.

    Example of the Create New Workflow dialog

  7. If the workflow is for a ticket, you can optionally click the Transition requires signature checkbox.

    Status Workflow TransitionRequiresSignature Checkbox

    This checkbox prompts the field employee and/or customer rep to add a digital signature to a ticket report before the transition can occur.

  8. Click Create.

    If desired, you can create a workflow from scratch by changing Create Default Workflow to Create Single Status.

    However, you must use care when creating a flow from scratch. FieldFX strongly recommends starting with a default and modifying to suit the business needs.

Back to list of possible tasks

Add a Status for a Workflow

  1. Access the Admin Portal and choose to login to a Production or Sandbox org.

  2. Enter the appropriate credentials to login to the desired org.

  3. Select Status Workflow from the Admin Portal’s Dashboard.

  4. Choose an sObject from the dropdown field.

    For custom objects in a status workflow, you can use Salesforce Paths.

  5. If available, choose a Record Type.

    The workflow displays.

  6. On the workflow, select the status that should precede the new status.

  7. Click the Create options button.

    Screenshot of the cursor hovering over the Create options plus button

  8. Click Create a link to a new status.

  9. Enter a Status Name, then click Preview.

    The workflow updates with the new status.

  10. Make changes if necessary, then click Create.

  11. Make the following entries as needed:

    Entry Description

    Read Only:

    Select the application where the record in this status should be Read Only

    Do not select both Back Office and Mobile

    Initial Status:

    Select an application if this is the first status for a record created in that interface

    Do not select an application if it was already selected as Read Only.

    Prevent Report:

    Select if a report cannot be attached to a record in this status

    Show to Customer:

    Select if a record in this status should be available in Customer Self Service

    Sync:

    Select if a record in this status should sync to mobile devices

  12. If the status can transition to another status, make the following entries:

    Entry Description

    Application:

    Select where the transition from this status should occur

    For example, if an In Progress status should only change on a mobile device, select Mobile for that status.

    Sequence Number:

    Specify the sequence number for the status,

    Sequence Numbers determine the order of the status in lists.

    Help Text:

    Message to display to user when hovering over the command button

    Command Text:

    Enter the label for the button users select to transition from this status to another status

    Confirmation Text:

    Message to display to users when transitioning a record from this status to another status

  13. Click Save Changes.

    A Workflow does not update for users until it is Deployed.

Back to list of possible tasks

Add a Transition to an Existing Status

  1. Access the Admin Portal and choose to login to a Production or Sandbox org.

  2. Enter the appropriate credentials to login to the desired org.

  3. Select Status Workflow from the Admin Portal’s Dashboard.

  4. Choose an sObject from the dropdown field.

    For custom objects in a status workflow, you can use Salesforce Paths.

  5. If available, choose a Record Type.

  6. Select the Status the record changes from.

  7. In the left bar, select Create a link to an existing status.

    Example of the options for creating a new status link to an existing status

  8. In the Statuses dropdown, select the existing status the record can change to, then click Preview.

  9. Confirm the workflow appears as desired, then click Create.

    If necessary, select a different Existing Status, then click Preview again.

  10. Make the following entries about the transition:

    Entry Description

    Read Only:

    Select the application where the record in this status should be Read Only

    Do not select both Back Office and Mobile.

    Initial Status:

    Select an application if this is the first status for a record created in that interface

    Do not select an application if it was already selected as Read Only.

    Prevent Report:

    Select if a report cannot be attached to a record in this status

    Show to Customer:

    Select if a record in this status should be available in Customer Self Service

    Sync:

    Select if a record in this status should sync to mobile devices

    Application:

    Select where the transition from this status should occur

    For example, if an In Progress status should only change on a mobile device, select Mobile for that status.

    Sequence Number:

    Specify the sequence number for the status

    Sequence Numbers determine the order of the status in lists.

    Help Text:

    Command Text:

    Enter the label for the button users select to transition from this status to another status

    Confirmation Text:

    Message to display to users when transitioning a record from this status to another status

  11. Click Save Changes.

    This saves the work in progress for the current session. However, the workflow is not saved or available to end users until it is Deployed.

You can also Create a link to a new status.

Select that option instead, then add the status as described above.

Back to list of possible tasks

Delete a Transition Between Statuses

  1. Access the Admin Portal and choose to login to a Production or Sandbox org.

  2. Enter the appropriate credentials to login to the desired org.

  3. Select Status Workflow from the Admin Portal’s Dashboard.

  4. Choose an sObject from the dropdown field.

    For custom objects in a status workflow, you can use Salesforce Paths.

  5. If available, choose a Record Type.

  6. Select the beginning status of the transition.

  7. If the selected status can transition to more than one other status, select the status you want to delete from the drop down in the top left.

    Selecting the status to which you want to remove the transition

    The transition arrow highlights in the Status Workflow workspace.

    You can select the transition arrow on the workspace directly.

  8. Select the Delete options trashcan icon.

    Cursor hovering over the trash can icon used to delete the transition

  9. Select the Delete the Transition…​ option, then click the Delete button.

Back to list of possible tasks

Filter Workflow

Filter the statuses that display in the workflow to focus on a subset of statuses.

For example, show only statuses that sync to mobile or statuses that change from the Back Office.

Applicable statuses remain in full color. Other statuses continue to show in a lighter color.

  1. Access the Admin Portal and choose to login to a Production or Sandbox org.

  2. Enter the appropriate credentials to login to the desired org.

  3. Select Status Workflow from the Admin Portal’s Dashboard.

  4. Choose an sObject and Record Type from the dropdown fields.

    For custom objects in a status workflow, you can use Salesforce Paths.

  5. Click the Filter your workflow icon.

    Screenshot of a cursor hovering over the filter icon

  6. Select one or more options:

    • Read Only Apps: Highlight statuses that are read only in the selected app(s).

    • Application: Highlight statuses that transition from the selected app.

    • Prevent Report: Highlight statuses that are marked to prevent report attachments.

    • Show to Customer: Highlight statuses that display to customers in Customer Self Service.

    • Sync: Highlight statuses that sync to mobile devices.

      Screenshot of the options available for filtering

  7. Click Apply Filters.

Back to list of possible tasks

Deploy a Workflow

Deploying a Workflow saves the workflow and makes it available for users.

  1. Access the Admin Portal and choose to login to a Production or Sandbox org.

  2. Enter the appropriate credentials to login to the desired org.

  3. Select Status Workflow from the Admin Portal’s Dashboard.

  4. Choose an sObject and Record Type from the dropdown fields.

    For custom objects in a status workflow, you can use Salesforce Paths.

  5. Make and save any changes to the workflow.

    See step by step instructions above.

  6. Click Deploy.

    Screenshot of the cursor hovering over the Deploy button in the workflow screen

  7. Confirm launching the workflow for users by clicking Deploy Workflow.

    Screenshot of the confirmation message to finalize deploying the workflow

Reset Workflow to Current Live Version

  • After making changes, it may be necessary to revert all changes and reset the workflow to what is currently in use.

  • This clears all changes since the last Deploy of the workflow and resets the workspace.

  • Click the Revert button on the workspace to reset.

    Screenshot of the cursor over the Revert button on the workflow screen

Back to list of possible tasks

Workflow Warnings

  • Status Workflow runs validations on the workflow.

  • When errors are identified, a warning icon displays.

    Example of a warning icon indicating one message

  • Statuses with errors highlight with an orange border in the workspace.

    Example status with the orange border indicating a warning applies

  • After selecting the status, the entries with errors highlight in an orange border in the left panel.

    A warning icon also displays.

    Warning icon in the left panel of the workspace

  • Hover over the entry’s warning icon to display the reason for the warning.

    Left panel with the warning icon and the message displayed

Back to list of possible tasks

Recommended Reading

  • Read more about Record Types

  • Read more about Workflows