Best Practices for Building a Workflow
Starting the Workflow
A Workflow may begin a few different ways within CA PPM.
Always Start from the Home Page
Assume user is starting the flow from the Home page and create the flows from there. On the Home page, the start element may vary according to the task that is to be accomplished through the Workflow.
Select Tab
Start from Home page may also be with the Tabs.
Keep it to Fifteen (15) Steps or Less
Workflows with more than 15 steps result in a significant drop off in the completion rate.
Identify the end goal of the Workflow and focus on getting users there in the simplest way possible. Look for opportunities to use fewer balloons.
Element Selection
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Use 'Expand Selection' and 'Narrow Selection' when element cannot be parsed with mouse pointer.
- Make sure the "selected" element to which the balloon points is not hidden behind any other element.
Keep Balloon Text Short and Simple
Content in balloons should be direct and actionable. Include Rich text in the content. Avoid overloading the user with information. If you need to convey a lot of information at once, use Tooltips to provide In-place help or link users to a document that provides more details.
Make sure Scroll to is On
When the user is on a page, consider an element hiding behind the view. Then the balloon will pop up at that next element further on the page.
Entry Points
- Make sure to mark the step as an Entry point where ever necessary. Generally, The first step on a new page(URL) is treated as an Entry Point (recommended).
- Add more than three(3) anchor points that are unique on the page. Sometimes the combination of elements(anchors) also make the page unique.
- After the anchors are added to the entry points, make sure to validate if the points selected remain unique in different user scenarios.
Minimize the Number of User Clicks with the Balloons
Make Sure the Entry Point is Not Optional
Ensure the first step on the page is not optional.
Tips for Advance On Options
Advance On - Next
- When you are not sure if the user will take an action on some element or in Form pages, when there are no required fields, use a Next button trigger to make it optional.
- If the drop down fields have a value selected by default (which user desires to select), avoid Change in element. Instead, use Next to check and skip the step.
- For a text field, if there is a format for the input to be entered that is mentioned in the content of the balloon, then use Next button trigger.
Other Tips
Validations & Tooltips
- After the 6th step of a Workflow, the user is 50% likely to not finish the process. After the 10th step, 70% of users will drop. Rely less on long workflows and use Tooltips to add guidance or In-Place help and Validations for in-line contextual assistance.
Launchers
- Launchers with Workflows can be made use of, by placing a launcher at a step nearer to the end of the workflow to make sure the user is availed with proper guidance till the end.
Make sure the balloon does not cover the help icons