Launched in April 2012, the procedure workflow system is a major new addition to our CollectionsIndex+ product. It allows configurable workflows to be defined that can lead the user step by step through sophisticated procedures for carrying out the daily tasks of managing your collection such as Acquisition, Loans and Rights Management.

This system underpins the V&A's award-winning collections practice mission to improve its management processes.

A procedure is defined as a series of steps, each of which can perform various types of task. Each step may be dependent on the completion of other steps and/or the answers given during the execution of those steps. Users will be guided through the series of steps currently available to them. User roles can be configured to determine who is authorised to carry out certain steps. Steps requiring particular roles may be assigned to appropriate users. You may be notified of steps assigned to you by email and they are also clearly displayed on your CollectionsIndex+ home page. When a step is completed the system automatically records who completed that step and when.

Some of the task types include:

• MESSAGE - present a simple message to the user (e.g. "I have received written confirmation of the loan agreement.")
• CHOOSE - allow the user to choose an option that may then determine which further steps become available (e.g. Acquisiton method: "Gift", "Purchase", "Other")
• CREATE - allow the user to create items (e.g. object records) associated with this procedure by filling in a specified set of fields
• EDIT - allow the user to edit data from either the procedure record or its associated items (e.g. to fill in condition information about the objects during an acquisition)
• VIEW - allow the user to view specified data from the procedure and/or its associated items (e.g. in order to review what's been recorded prior to approving a loan)
• REPORT - print out a report containing data from the procedure and/or its associated items
• ASSIGN - allow the user to assign one or more other steps to a different user (e.g. one that has the required user roles or perhaps back to the originating user once such steps have been completed)

Other features include:

• Milestones which can be used to update the current status of the procedure record and its associated items.
• Freezing of steps once certain milestones are reached to prevent subsequent alteration of previously entered information.
• Automatic assignment of fields in the procedure to constant values, results of expressions based on previously entered data, specially generated values such as temporary object numbers, etc.

Download the Workflow brochure here