A workflow tool for Discourse!
A plugin which provides a secure workflow framework for Topics which are passed along a customisable set of steps until the worklfow is complete. Some branching and looping is supported.
To leverage the Discourse platform as is as much as possible I've created a simple framework that uses many existing features of the platform.
Each Workflow swim-lane is a Category (or Sub-Category).
As an instance of a workflow continues along its journey it moves between Categories in a customisable but pre-defined journey.
A single instance of a workflow (e.g. a ticket) is a Topic. You can add tags to a Topic to highlight its priority or other meta-data. You cannot amend its Category once it has begun its journey other than by taking workflow actions upon the Topic.
Any Group which has Topic creation access to a Category can act upon the topics in that Category.
Those that have Reply access can comment on the Workflow item just as they can for a normal Topic.
You can hide Topics within a Category from specific groups in the normal way.
These are defined for each step when setting up the Workflow. Actors can choose to take any available action as each Option is presented as a button on the Topic.
Actions on a Topic are captured in a Small Action Post to help users understand the journey of the Topic.
A new Topic Discovery filter "Workflows" on the homepage gives a list of Workflow instances (special workflow topics)
You should keep Workflow Categories and ideally tags distinct, so you can also use those to filter for all wofklow instances that are at a particular stage, or have a specific tag.
A bundled Data Explorer query provides a basic audit report of journey a worklfow instance has taken.
Because Data Explorer queries can be exposed to user beyond Admin, you can choose who to show them to.
There is a button on each workflow Topic that allows you to bring up a a visualisation of where the Topic is in its workflow
This is also accessible from the workflow fields on the Workflow Discovery Dashboard.
- you can't create a new Topic in a Category that's beyond the first step of a workflow
- you can't change the Category of a Topic that is within a workflow
- only "Creators" can act upon a Topic in a Workflow.
The workflow plugin is not bundled with a Workflow, you have to create one.
The screens to create one are in the Admin -> Plugins -> Discourse Workflow.
First create a new Workflow by hitting the button, save it, then populate it with Steps by Editing the workflow. Each Step, once created, can be Edited to add Options, taken from a list of pre-defined Options.
You can change the label of an Option in Admin -> Customize -> Text.
I've seeded the system with a good range of Options, but if you wish to change the text on each one, go ahead.
- Consider making all worklow steps for a particular workflow a Subcategory within a single Category. Whilst this isn't necessary it will allow you to simply filter for that Category using existing Discourse Category drop-down in the Discovery list to see all the workflow instances for that specific workflow.
- In the new Workflow Discovery list you can click on Workflow Name, Position or Step to visualise where that instance is along its path.
You can leverage AI to handle a step. You need a valid Open AI key added to Workflow settings. You must enable AI on the step. You must also write a prompt that must include {{options}} to let the AI know what options it has and {{topic}} to include the content.
Example prompt:
"your options are {{options}}. if the following text states it is delicious, please accept, otherwise reject. {{topic}} answer with one word from those options"