Introduction

Workflows are a critical component of FBO One, and a clear understanding of their purpose and usage is essential to effectively utilizing the platform. A workflow is a sequence of connected steps, where each step immediately follows the preceding one and concludes just prior to the next step commencing.

Workflows serve to establish an exact sequence or flow of the steps required to accomplish a task, such as processing a handling order or fulfilling a fuel order. Each step can lead to subsequent steps in the workflow, and the events or conditions that trigger these transitions are known as workflow transitions. To gain a better understanding of how workflows function, it's recommended to observe one in action. Therefore, let's examine the creation of a workflow for a handling order.

A handling order workflow

The first step in creating a workflow is to gain a thorough understanding of how your business operates. Without this understanding, you will need to seek out someone who does or conduct interviews with individuals who currently perform the handling order. Alternatively, working alongside these individuals and observing their actions can provide valuable insight. Once you have gathered this information, you can create a workflow diagram based on their actions.

Creating a workflow diagram involves two main components: blocks that represent workflow states, and the conditions or events that describe the transition between these states. For instance, a handling order may progress from the "Requested" state to the "Confirmed" state once a confirmation message is received. It's important to identify all possible states and transitions in order to ensure that the workflow is comprehensive.

To create a workflow diagram, begin by drawing a block for each workflow state and connect them with lines and arrows to indicate transitions. Label each block with the name of the corresponding workflow state, and add the name of the transition next to the connecting lines. Workflows are typically drawn from top to bottom, to reflect the flow of work. After creating the diagram, it's advisable to share it with colleagues for feedback and to ensure that nothing was missed.

As an example, let's consider creating a workflow for an arrival-only handling order. The identified workflow states are: Requested, Confirmed, Arrived, Crew Picked Up, Handled, and Cancelled. To simplify the process of mapping out the transitions between these states, you can create a table (also called a matrix) and fill it out accordingly. List all workflow states along the top row and first column, excluding the first cell. Using the same order for each list, fill in the intersections with the name of the transition that moves from the row state to the column state. You should end up with a table that looks like this:

We have also added the word 'from' to all workflow states in the columns and the word 'to' to the workflow states in the top row.
You probably already figured out what to do next: enter the workflow state transitions in the empty spots of the table. You will end up with something like this:

Notice how this table is a great help in considering all possible state transitions. From this table it is easy to create the workflow diagram:

Note that this workflow includes two end states, represented by purple blocks. Additionally, there is a single start transition indicated by the green circle labeled "new arrival only order." It's important to keep in mind that workflows can only be initiated using a start transition and must have at least one. However, they can also have multiple start transitions.

Workflows in FBO One

In FBO One, workflows are utilized in several areas, with the most prominent being when creating and working with handling orders. The handling order workflow outlines the specific steps involved in processing an order, and users will move through the workflow states as they progress through the order. However, workflows in FBO One are not limited to handling orders. Different areas of the system use different types of workflows, each with a specific purpose. It's important to differentiate between these types of workflows, which include: 

• Order
• Service
• Invoice
• Entry
• Stock taking
• Stock mutation
• Entry period
• Bulletin board message
• Online payment
• Price agreement
• Screen

Here is an example of a service workflow. This one is used for a catering service, it has a single start transition and two end states:

Notice that once the catering is placed in the cooler, the only possible transition is to board the catering. However, what happens if the aircraft has already departed? The catering can no longer be boarded, but the current workflow does not account for this situation. In such cases, the FBO One operator can only move to the Boarded state by pretending that the catering has boarded and then entering a note describing that the boarding has not taken place in reality. This is not ideal.

A better alternative would be to extend this workflow by adding another transition to the Cancelled state. This would enable the FBO One operator to cancel the catering if the aircraft has already departed, and avoid any confusion or incorrect information in the system. By including a Cancelled state, the workflow can accurately reflect the actual state of the catering, and prevent any errors or miscommunications.

Workflow transitions and action screens 

Workflow transitions are triggered by events, which can originate from either another system or an operator using FBO One. For example, an event may be sent to FBO One when a flight arrives at the airport. If this happens, FBO One will automatically activate the corresponding workflow transition, causing the handling order to move from its current state to the state indicated by the transition.

Alternatively, if an operator using FBO One receives an event, they will need to manually activate the corresponding transition. This could occur via email, telephone, radio, or another communication channel. In practice, activating a workflow transition in FBO One is as simple as clicking a link.

For example, below you see a handling order in the 'Requested' workflow state. By selecting the dropdown menu, the user can see the available transition links. In this case, the links are "Confirm handling" and "Cancel handling".

Now when the FBO One operator receives an email that confirms the handling request, he presses the 'Confirm handling' link to activate the transition that moves the handling order from the current state to state Confirmed.  What happens next is that FBO One presents the user with the following screen:

This screen allows FBO One operators to supply extra information about the confirmation, send confirmation emails, and more. Only when the operator presses OK, the transition will be performed and the flight will be in the 'Confirmed' state. If the operator presses Cancel, the order will stay in the 'Requested' state.

What is important to understand is that each workflow transition can be associated with an action screen. When the transition is activated, the associated action screen is presented to the users allowing them to enter additional information or perform other actions. Only when this action screen is successfully closed, the workflow transition is performed.

In the context of workflows, the type of workflow used determines the available action screens that can be associated with a transition. For instance, a handling order confirmation action screen is only applicable to handling orders and not other situations.

FBO One has defined a wide range of action screens to cover various needs, and these screens can be configured to suit specific situations. However, if a particular action screen is missing, operators can contact FBO One support to request it.

In cases where no action screen is specified, operators will still be prompted to enter a remark when they activate a transition. This is what the no-action screen looks like: 

Action Screens

Action screens are associated with workflow types because they only make sense for particular workflows. Search the help center articles fro "transition action" to see what actions are available for each Workflow type.