Standard Processes

A Process is a collection of tasks which are normally performed together in a predetermined sequence.  When a matter is opened in the workflow system, it must have a Process associated with it.  For example, if a matter is opened for foreclosure, we would choose the foreclosure Process when opening the matter.  Each of the tasks that constitute the foreclosure Process would be added to the matter.  On the other hand, if a matter is opened for bankruptcy, we would choose the bankruptcy Process when opening the matter, and the bankruptcy related tasks would be added to the matter.

Multiple Processes

In some cases, matters may go through more than one Process.  For example, if we have a matter opened for foreclosure that later proceeds to bankruptcy, we can add the bankruptcy Process from the Matter Processes screen.  The tasks associated with the foreclosure Process will be accessed by clicking on the Foreclosure Process, and the tasks associated with the bankruptcy Process will be accessed by clicking on the Bankruptcy Process.  Note the following:

Processes are merely common groupings of tasks, intended to simplify the addition and tracking of tasks for a matter.  If the foreclosure Process comprised 25 tasks, it would be tedious to have to add 25 tasks individually to a matter.  By grouping these tasks into a Process and adding the Process to a matter, we have saved data entry time.  Having multiple distinct Processes associated with a matter (e.g. foreclosure and bankruptcy) will help you divide and more efficiently manage your workflow.

Exception Processes

Occasionally, a matter is subjected to a series of tasks within a Process.  For example, a matter in foreclosure may require that a series of related eviction tasks be added.  In this case, there is no need to track a seperate Eviction Process (with seperate tasks, etc.); we simply want to allow the user to added a small group of tasks to an existing Process.  This is referred to as an "exception Process".   You create an exception Process precisely as you create any other Process; add it from the Process Search screen, and then added the appropriate tasks.  The difference is in how the Process is used.  Rather than adding a new Process from the matter Process screen, the user adds it from the Process Task list (or Current Task list) screen.  This causes each task in the Process to be added to the existing Process (e.g. 5 eviction tasks are added to the list of 25 foreclosure tasks).  The user may definate at which point in the list of foreclosure tasks to add the eviction tasks, but they will be added sequentially.   This simply enables the user to avoid adding 5 tasks individually each time a matter requires eviction.

Process Design

Processes are collections of related tasks.  For example, if a matter going through foreclosure typically steps through 25 different tasks, each of those 25 tasks may be included in a foreclosure Process.  When deciding whether or not to include a task with a Process, estimate how often the task is performed for all of the matters you deal with.  If the answer is 50% or more, it generally makes sense to include the task in a Process.  If you decide to exclude a task from a Process, a user may add it manually to an individual matter.  Likewise, if you decide to include a task in a Process, a user may delete it manually from an individual matter (with the appropriate permissions, of course).

Each Process generally contains two or more tasks.  A task may belong to one or more Processes.  For example, the matter Opened task may belong to the foreclosure and bankruptcy tasks, while the Bankruptcy matterd task might belong only to the bankruptcy Process.

Tasks included in a Process may have triggering relationships determined.  For example, the tasks matter Opened and Client Letter Mailed have no inherent relationship.   However, if they each belong to the Foreclosure Process, you may decide that the Client Letter Mailed should be completed 1 day after the matter Opened task is completed.   On the other hand, you may decide that in the Bankruptcy Process, the Client Letter Mailed should be complete 2 days after the matter Opened task is completed.   These relationships are determined in the Process Task Update screen.

Changing a Process After Matters Have Been Entered

Once the workflow system is in production, if you decide that a task should be added to or deleted from a Process, you may do so from the Administration system.  Such an action WILL NOT impact any current matters.  For example, if you add a Title Ordered task to the Foreclosure Process, any matters which already have a foreclosure Process will not have the Title Ordered task added to them.  Likewise, if Client Letter Mailed is deleted from a Process, any matters which have a Client Letter Mailed task already in them will keep the task.  If you need to change existing matters, that must be done manually.  If you change the Bankruptcy Process, and then add a new matter for bankruptcy, or add the entire Bankruptcy Process to an existing matter, these matters will reflect the latest changes to the bankruptcy Process. 

A summary of the impact of changing an existing Process follows:

Add a task to a Process
  • Existing Processes remain the same.
  • New Processes added include the new task.
  • New Processes added include the new task.
Delete a task from a Process
  • Existing Processes remain the same.
  • New Processes added do not include the deleted task.
  • New Processes added do not include the deleted task.
Change the triggering between tasks.
  • Tasks which have an actual date set do not inherit the new tigger.
  • Tasks which have a projected date set do not inherit the new tigger.
  • Tasks which have only an estimated date set do inherit the new tigger.
  • All tasks inherit the new trigger.
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