Studio Workflow Tutorial

Introduction

Case Management Studio allows you to design workflows tailored to your needs, without relying on pre-built templates. These workflows can represent an entire case management process, which may feel complex and overwhelming at first. To help you get started with confidence, we've created this tutorial to guide you through setting up a workflow step by step. You'll set up tasks and task blocks, identify milestones, and configure all the parts that make up a complete workflow.

By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to create a workflow that integrates input from multiple teams, tracks progress, and ensures tasks are completed efficiently—no technical expertise required.

What is a workflow?

Workflows help organize and streamline tasks by breaking down complex processes into clear, actionable steps. They ensure that the right people are involved at the right time, helping teams collaborate efficiently and meet deadlines. Workflows are a critical part of managing cases, as they help track progress and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Basic workflow example

Think of a workflow like your morning routine—a series of tasks you complete to get your day started. Each step in the routine depends on what came before and prepares you for the next. For example:

1. Wake up: This starts the process. It signals the rest of your tasks to begin.
2. Make coffee: A key step that happens early in the routine. It helps you wake up and get energized.
3. Check your calendar: You need to know what's coming up for the day. This step gives you the information you need to prioritize the rest of your tasks.
4. Get dressed: Once you know your schedule, you can pick an outfit that fits your day.
5. Head out the door: With everything done, you're ready to leave and start your day.

A workflow in Case Management Studio works in the same way. It organizes tasks and steps in a sequence, so each one is completed in the right order. Just like your morning routine, some tasks might be dependent on others, and some might run in parallel. Workflows make sure that everyone involved knows what to do and when to do it, ensuring that the process moves smoothly from start to finish.

Common workflow use cases

Common use cases for using workflows in Case Management Studio typically revolve around managing and automating complex processes where multiple stakeholders, tasks, or decisions are involved. Some of the common use cases include:

• Customer service case resolution: Automatically assign customer service tickets, track progress, and escalate issues to the right departments. Workflows ensure that cases are handled efficiently, providing real-time status updates and allowing for collaboration across teams.
• Claims processing: Automate the processing of insurance claims by orchestrating steps like document submission, review, and approval. Case Management Studio workflows streamline handoffs between departments, ensuring faster and more consistent claims resolution.
• Assessment of proposed construction plans: Manage the review and approval process for construction or development proposals, ensuring they comply with local zoning regulations, land use policies, and community guidelines.
• Procurement and vendor management: Streamline procurement processes by managing the review and approval of purchase orders, vendor agreements, and contract negotiations. Workflows can trigger approvals, track contract renewals, and ensure compliance with procurement policies.

If you're interested in reading more about some common use cases, head over to the Studio Workflow Examples page for complete details. For this tutorial, we'll be using the Dispute process use case.

About this tutorial's workflow

In this tutorial, you'll set up a basic automated clearing house (ACH) dispute process. By the end, you'll have a workflow that manages disputes efficiently from submission to resolution, ensuring all parties are informed and the case is properly closed.

The basic configuration of this workflow is made up entirely of tasks. You can use advanced configuration of this workflow at the end of the tutorial to add automations, milestones, and task blocks.

Before you begin

Make sure you've set up a category and a case type. If a case type hasn't been set up, create a new Category called Financial Transactions and a case type named ACH Disputes.

Step-by-step guide: Configuring a basic ACH dispute workflow

To configure a basic ACH dispute workflow, complete the following steps:

• Step 1. Create tasks
• Step 2. Configure the workflow

Step 1. Create tasks

Tasks drive activity within case management applications by representing the work case workers perform. A workflow is a sequence of these tasks.

To create tasks directly from the Tasks page:

1. In the Tasks page, click TASKING > CREATE TASKS.
   Result: The Create Task dialog displays.

2. In the Create Task dialog, configure the following task properties.

   Property	Description
   Name	The name of the task.
   Task Type	The kind of activity the task represents. There are three task types available out-of-the-box: confirmation, decision, and document upload.
   Default Assigned Group	The group that is initially assigned this task, unless otherwise specified.
   Default SLA	The service level agreement to apply to the task, calculated in business (working) days.
   Question	The question for your users to answer. Questions are required for the Decision task type.
   Response Options	The optional responses for your users to choose from. Response options are required for the Decision task type.
   Description	Description of the task. This text box contains many text formatting options, so you can write the best description of the task, including instructions, for your users.

3. When you're done configuring the task, click CREATE.

To begin setting up your workflow, repeat these setup steps for each task detailed in the following tables. You will need all of these tasks for the ACH dispute workflow.

• Intake review
• ACH decision
• ACH processing
• Closure

Intake review tasks

Task Name	Default Group	Task Type	Description
Intake Review	Case Workers	Confirmation	Ensure incoming applications for completeness and initial compliance to ensure a smooth processing workflow. Responsibilities include verifying required documents, data entry, and communicating with applicants for missing or erroneous information.
Dispute Validity	Case Workers	Decision	Ensure the incoming dispute request aligns with specific technical or regulatory requirements for it to be a valid dispute request.

ACH decision tasks

Task Name	Default Group	Task Type	Description
Dispute Rejected	Case Managers	Confirmation	The dispute is invalid and was rejected. The customer will be notified of this decision.
ACH Dispute Decision	Case Managers	Decision	The issuer decides if the case is clearly won by the customer or the merchant.
Customer Wins Dispute	Case Managers	Confirmation	The customer who filed the dispute has won. The funds will be taken from the merchant, routed through the card network, and returned to the customer.
Merchant Wins Dispute	Case Managers	Confirmation	The merchant has won the dispute. The customer will not receive a refund of the disputed funds.

ACH processing tasks

Task Name	Default Group	Task Type	Description
ACH Network Validity	Case Workers	Decision	Ensure the ACH dispute that was filed is handled within the ACH Network system.
Inform ACH Network	ACH Operators	Confirmation	Send the dispute updates to all relevant parties: the ACH Network, the Originating Depository Financial Institution (ODFI), the Receiving Depository Financial Institution (RDFI), and the merchant.

Closure task

Task Name	Default Group	Task Type	Description
Notify Customer	Case Workers	Confirmation	Email the customer about the dispute's outcome.

Step 2. Configure the workflow

Now that your tasks are in place, let's transform them into a streamlined workflow.

1. From the Details tab of a case category, click the case type to which you want to add a workflow.
   Result: The Details tab for the case type displays.
   
   

   

2. Click the Workflow tab.
   Result: The Workflow tab displays.
   
   

   

3. Click CONFIGURE WORKFLOW.
   Result: The Configure workflow window displays.
   
   

   

4. Click ADD TASKS.
   Result: The Add Tasks window displays. The Add Tasks window is divided into two main sections:
   
   • Tasks Library: This section allows you to browse or search for predefined tasks. You can use the search bar to quickly find specific tasks or filter tasks by type using the dropdown menu.
     
   • Selected Tasks: This pane displays the tasks you have chosen to add to your workflow. As you select tasks from the Tasks Library, they will appear in this area, providing a clear overview of what you have included before finalizing your choices.
   

   

5. Select the checkboxes next to all of the tasks you created in Step 1. Create tasks then click ADD.
   Result: The Configure workflow window displays again with all of the tasks that you added displaying in the left panel.
   

   

6. Select a task from the list to see and configure its details. Refer to the configuration information provided in this table:

   Task	Details
   Start	Click ADD DEPENDENT and select Intake Review
   Intake Review	In the Workflow Settings, select: Dispute Validity (Yes Response) Notify Customer (No Response)
   Dispute Validity	In the Workflow Settings, select: ACH Network Validity (Yes Response) Dispute Rejected (No Response)
   ACH Network Validity	In the Workflow Settings, select: ACH Dispute Decision (Yes Response) Inform ACH Network (Yes Response) A No Response automatically leads to End
   ACH Dispute Decision	In the Workflow Settings, select: Customer Wins Dispute (Yes, customer won) Merchant Wins Dispute (Yes, merchant won)
   Customer Wins Dispute	Click ADD DEPENDENT and select Notify Customer
   Merchant Wins Dispute	Click ADD DEPENDENT and select Notify Customer
   Dispute Rejected	Click ADD DEPENDENT and select Notify Customer
   Inform ACH Network	Click ADD DEPENDENT and select End

7. Click UPDATE.

When you're complete, the workflow should look similar to this:

Congratulations! You've just set up your first workflow. If you're ready to fine-tune your workflow, check out the next section for some advanced configuration options.

Advanced configuration

In this section, we'll show you how to enhance your workflow by adding some additional tasks, creating milestones, and using task blocks. These additions can help you manage more complex scenarios, like handling dispute challenges and tracking ongoing cases, while organizing key stages of your workflow. Task blocks, which group tasks into sequences, add even more efficiency since they can be used as a template when configuring new case workflows.

Add additional dispute activities to your workflow

In this tutorial, we've kept things simple to make it easy to follow and learn. However, you'll probably want to add more advanced tasks to handle dispute challenges, upload documents, and track ongoing dispute statuses. Here are some tasks and automations that we recommend adding when you're ready:

Task Name	Default Group	Activity Type	Description
Merchant Dispute Challenge	ACH Operators	Decision Task Type	Merchants can choose to challenge the disputes when they feel the disputes are wrongly raised.
Re-evaluate Dispute	ACH Operators	Document Upload Task Type	Allows merchants to upload supporting documents to defend their case against the dispute.
Dispute Ongoing?	-	Automation	Evaluates the status of a dispute to automatically verify whether a dispute is still in progress or has been revoked/rejected by any party.

After adding these activities, your workflow will be more flexible and ready to handle complex situations. The extra decision points and document handling features will help your team manage disputes involving merchant challenges and multiple reviews more smoothly.

Adding a workflow automation for ongoing disputes

Workflow automations are configurable activities completed by the system with rules and conditions that specify how to move forward in a workflow. Use automations for activities that don't need a user to act on it, like evaluating the status of a dispute.

For this workflow, it would be helpful to add an automation to automatically validate if a dispute is ongoing and route it to the correct path, so that no disputes fall through the cracks.

To do this, we'll set up an automation with rules and conditions that evaluate the status data field. The automation will send all disputes with an open or in-progress status to the Merchant Dispute Challenge task, and send all disputes with a closed status to the Notify Customer step.

To create this workflow automation:

1. On the Workflow tab, click Update next to the Activities heading.
2. Click ADD AUTOMATION.
3. In Name, enter a name for the automation, such as Dispute Ongoing?.
4. In the Rules section of the automation, click ADD CONDITIONS.
5. In the first condition of the automation rule, select the Status field.
6. Set the operator to Equal to and the value to Open.
7. Click ADD CONDITION and set the operator between the conditions to OR.
8. Use the same field and operator as the first condition and set the value to In Progress.
   Result
   
   

   

9. Click Add.
10. For Go To, select Merchant Dispute Challenge. This directs all open and in progress disputes to the Merchant Dispute Challenge task.
11. Add another rule. Set the same field and operator as the earlier conditions. Set the value to Closed.
12. Click Add.
13. For Go To, select Notify Customer. This directs all closed disputes to the Notify Customer task.
    Result
    
    

    

14. Since all disputes must have one of these three statuses, leave the If no rule is met, go to field empty.
15. Click Update to save changes to your workflow.

Add milestones

Milestones, which are color-coded and labeled, help you organize tasks visually. They are specific to each case type and can be managed exclusively within the Workflow page of that particular case type.

The following milestones each represent a crucial phase in the ACH dispute process. While we didn't set up milestones immediately, you can add them as part of the setup process when you're adding your tasks.

Milestone	Description
Intake review	This milestone marks the beginning of the dispute process, where disputes are initially submitted and assessed for validity. It includes gathering necessary information from the customer through an intake form and initial verification of the details against ACH network criteria.
ACH decision	At this milestone, the workflow focuses on making key decisions based on the information gathered. This includes determining whether the dispute should be escalated for further processing or resolved based on existing data, and may involve reevaluating the initial information if new details emerge.
ACH processing	This milestone handles the core processing of the dispute, involving more detailed investigation and interactions with other parties, such as merchants. Tasks may include ongoing reviews, merchant challenges, and final decisions on the dispute, depending on the complexity and nature of the case.
Closure	The final milestone in the workflow where the dispute is formally resolved. This includes notifying all parties involved of the outcome and closing out the case in the system. It ensures that all necessary documentation is completed and that the resolution is recorded for future reference.

To add milestones to your workflow, complete the following steps:

1. On the Workflow tab, click Update next to the Milestone heading.
   Result: The Milestone screen displays.
   
2. Add the following milestones by clicking ADD MILESTONE for each new row.
   • Intake review
   • ACH decision
   • ACH processing
   • Closure
3. Click Update.
4. Click Update next to the Tasks heading.
   Result: The Configure Workflow screen displays.

5. Select a task from the list to see and configure its details. Refer to the milestone information provided in this table:

   Task	Milestone
   Intake Review	Intake review
   Dispute Validity	Intake review
   ACH Network Validity	ACH processing
   ACH Dispute Decision	ACH decision
   Customer Wins Dispute	ACH decision
   Merchant Wins Dispute	ACH decision
   Dispute Rejected	ACH decision
   Inform ACH Network	ACH processing
   Notify Customer	Closure

6. Click Update.

Your milestones are now set and show up in the Milestones section, linked to their respective tasks. The workflow visualization updates automatically, giving you a clear view of how everything fits together.

Task blocks

Task blocks are groups of tasks that are chained together in a sequence to create flexible pathways within a workflow. Task blocks aren't specific to a case type.

To create a task block:

1. In the TASK BLOCKS page, click CREATE TASK BLOCK.
2. Enter a name and description. Click NEXT.
3. Click Add Tasks.
4. Select the tasks you want to include in the task block.
5. (Optional) Re-order the sequence of tasks in your task block using the up and down arrows in each block.
6. Click ADD DEPENDENT to add dependents to each task. This sets the chronological order in which the tasks are done by selecting the task that should directly follow the current task.
7. Click CREATE.

Note that task blocks can only be created and edited from the TASK BLOCKS page.

Congratulations!

Congratulations on completing the tutorial! You've learned how to build a robust ACH dispute workflow from start to finish.

If you're ready to take your knowledge further, dive into task forms or learn how to configure custom task types and workflow automations to save even more time by automating repetitive steps in your workflows.

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