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Workflows

Streamline Your Processes

Workflows

let you define custom processes through which records progress.

They help your team stay organised, automate repetitive actions, and provide a clear overview of a record's status - whether you're managing expenses, sales pipelines, or publishing processes.

What are workflows?

A workflow is a series of stages

that a record moves through in a collection . Each stage represents a phase in your process. For example:

  • Expense Approval: 'Submitted' → 'Needs Review' → 'Approved' → 'Paid'
  • Sales Funnel: 'New Lead' → 'Qualified' → Negotiation → 'Closed-Won'

Workflows not only track progress but also allow you to:

  • Automate Actions: Trigger notifications or create follow-up tasks .
  • Control Access: Limit who can move records between stages.
  • Collect Additional Data: Require input (like a reason for rejection) when transitioning between stages.

The benefits of workflows:

  • See at a glance where every record is in your process.
  • Automate routine steps and reduce manual errors.
  • Keep team members informed with notifications and assigned actions.
  • Bring greater control & specificity to your processes.
  • Adapt your workflows as your organisation's needs evolve.

How to Set Up a Workflow

1. Enable Workflows for a Collection

  • Open Collection Configuration:

    Right-click the desired collection in the sidebar and select Configure
    (or use the ⋯ options menu at the top-right).

  • Activate Workflows:

    Navigate to the Workflow tab and toggle Enable Workflows to turn on the feature.

2. Adding Workflow Stages

  • Add a Stage:

    In the Workflow tab, click Add Stage.

  • Name the Stage:

    Give it a descriptive name (e.g., 'Submitted', 'In Review', 'Approved').

  • Optional Colour:

    Choose a colour to visually distinguish the stage.

  • Repeat:

    Create additional stages as needed for your process.

For a sales pipeline, you might create stages like 'Interested', 'Qualified', and 'Closed-Won'.

3. Linking Stages with Actions

Actions allow records to move between stages:

  • Add an Action:

    Within a stage, click Add Action.

  • Configure the Action:

    • Select the Target Stage: Choose the stage that the record should move to when the action is triggered.
    • Name the Action: Provide a name (e.g., 'Approve' or 'Reject').
    • Choose a Colour: Assign a colour to the action button for easy identification.

  • Configure Advanced Action Parameters:

    Use the tabs to define your workflow action in more depth:
    • Permissions — who can perform this action (Everyone, By role, or Custom).
    • Fields — define the fields that need updating in this action. You can add additional fields here too.
    • Lists — assign lists (such as line items) that users can add entries to during the action.
    • Signatures — define whether signatures are required and from whom.
    • Validation — set rules that must pass before the action can be completed.
    • Notifications — define whether notifications are sent, to whom, and when.

  • Repeat:

    Create multiple actions if a stage can transition to different subsequent stages.

If one stage needs to progress in multiple ways, set up multiple actions (e.g., 'Approve' vs. 'Request Revision').

Multi-Page Workflow Forms

When a stage change requires more than a quick confirmation — for example filling in several fields, adding list entries, and collecting signatures — you can turn an action into a guided, multi-page form.

Setting Up a Multi-Page Form

  1. Open the collection's workflow settings and edit the stage action you want to enhance.
  2. In the action's General tab, tick Use multi-page form.
  3. Click Edit Form Layout to open the editor.
  4. Click Add Page to create your first page. Give it a title, an optional icon, and an optional description (shown as instructions at the top of the page).
  5. On each page, assign record fields, additional fields, and lists from the available options. Fields already assigned to another page are shown with a hint so you can see where everything sits.
  6. Save the action. Any enabled fields not yet assigned to a page will be flagged, and empty pages are removed automatically.

Note: You must select Fields to Update in the action's Fields tab before these appear as options to add to the form page.

How the Form Works for Users

When a team member triggers the action on a record, the multi-page form opens as a popup. A sidebar displays all pages to complete.

If the action includes signatures, a dedicated Signatures page appears at the end of the sidebar.

Users can navigate between pages freely, and a validation summary highlights any issues across all pages with clickable links that jump straight to the problem field. Automation previews show which automations will be triggered and what they will do, updating as fields are filled in.

Drafts

Progress is saved automatically to the browser. If the page is refreshed or accidentally closed, the partially completed form is restored when the user returns.

Portal Experience

In the Portal, multi-page forms open as a full-screen page rather than a modal. The sidebar includes a progress bar and step counter (e.g., "Step 2 of 5"), and the layout is optimised for mobile devices. Draft saving and validation work the same way.

Advanced Workflow Features

Our workflows have some advanced features that help streamline your internal operations and bring greater clarity and control to your processes.

See below for how you can get the most out of workflows:

Custom Permissions

Sometimes you only want specific roles or people to be able to transition a workflow stage — for example, approving a purchase or project.

  • In the Workflow tab, click the Edit button next to a stage, then open the Permissions tab.
  • Decide if an action is available to Everyone, specific Roles , or Individual Users.
  • Optionally, add conditional logic (e.g., actions over £200 require a Manager's approval).

Workflow Notifications

When records transition between workflow stages, you can set notifications to be sent to your colleagues.

  • Within a stage, select Edit and then go to the Notifications tab.
  • Set conditions for when notifications are sent (e.g., when a record enters 'Needs Review') and who receives them.

Signature Approvals

You can set signature requirements for stage transitions in a workflow for a sign-off step.

  1. To require a signature for an action, click the Edit button next to the action.
  2. In the Signatures tab, toggle Require users to sign before completing this action and add optional instructions.
  3. To add extra signatures, click + Add signature in the Signatures tab:
    • Give the signature a label.
    • Define who needs to sign.
    • Define whether it is required or optional.
    • Optionally, add instructions for the signer.
  4. Signatures are stored in the Activities tab with a timestamp.

Mandatory Fields

Missing key information slows decisions and causes confusion. You can set mandatory fields — or demand a brand-new value — whenever a record moves to the next workflow stage, so every hand-off arrives complete.

  1. Open collection configuration and edit your desired workflow action.
  2. Switch to the Fields tab and tick the desired field. Use the down chevron to open field options.
  3. Field validation options:
    • Use the Required toggle to make a field mandatory.
    • Use the Require new value toggle to force users to enter new information for that field.
    • You can also set max/min limits for numerical and date field types.
  4. Click Confirm on the workflow action and Save the workflow changes.

Now when someone uses that workflow action, Kinabase validates the record and ensures the right information has been provided. If not, Kinabase will block the workflow change until all rules pass.

Adding Additional Fields on Actions

Use additional fields during stage transitions to confirm key information and collect more data. This prompts the user for extra information when an action is performed (e.g., 'Reason for Rejection' or 'Reviewer Comments').

  1. In the workflow tab, click the Edit button next to a stage, then click Edit Action for the desired action.
  2. Go to the Fields tab and click Add Field.
  3. Define the field name and type, then save.

Hiding Specific Workflow Stages

Some workflow stages might not be appropriate to show in your usual collection list — you can hide these easily. For example, Opportunity records at stage 'Lost'.

  • In the Workflow tab, click the three dots ⋯ next to the stage and click Hide in Lists (or Show in Lists to reverse this change).

Best Practices

Workflows can be very powerful, but can become overly complicated if you're not careful. Follow the guidance below to get the most out of them:

Gradually add advanced features

Start with the essential stages and actions, then gradually add advanced features as your processes mature.

Test your workflows

Run a test record through your workflow to ensure each stage and action works as expected.

Check authorisations

Regularly check that only authorised users can perform critical transitions and take actions.

Bring your team along

Make sure your team knows the defined stages and actions, so everyone understands the workflow.


Utilising these advanced features enables you to get the most out of Kinabase and out of your team. All while ensuring you have encoded your Quality Management System into your Kinabase workflows so that you retain complete control of your business proceses.

Workflows empower you to transform your data into actionable processes that drive efficiency and accountability in your organisation. Customising workflow stages, linking them with specific actions, and using advanced features like notifications and signatures, ensures that every record moves through its specific process seamlessly.

If you have questions or need further assistance, please reach out to your System Admin or further guides in our Support Hub.

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