Process Designer

Process Designer enables you to customize the Process used in a given Smart Project or Smart Quote. If your project requires a non-standard combination of Step Types, Process Designer is there to help you. 

Note that you won't be changing the Process Template itself, but the process in a particular project or quote. To access the Process Designer, go to the 'Process' card of the project or quote in question and click the Edit Process button.

The Process Designer display consists of the following elements:

1. The Process Designer name panel,
2. The Process panel,
3. The Steps to be Used in Process panel,
4. The Step Sidebar menu.

The above-listed elements are described below.

Process Designer name panel

• Apply Changes - saves your modifications and closes the Process Designer
• Cancel - closes the Process Designer without saving any modifications

Process panel

The Delete Step button in the upper-right part of the panel removes the selected Step. It is visible only after selecting one of the Steps.

Steps to be Used in Process panel

The Steps to be Used in Process panel is located in the right-hand side of the Process Designer. It contains all active Step Types available in the Home Portal. The Step Types are grouped in the following sections:

• CAT Tool (groups memoQ-integration Step Types)
• Manual File Delivery (groups "regular" Step Types)
• Manual File Verification (groups Step Types for which Verified or Needs Corrections status can be assigned)
• Script (groups scripted Steps)

The real-time search in the top part of the panel facilitates locating appropriate Step Types.

At the bottom of the panel, the Configure Steps button opens a Steps configuration menu.

Step Sidebar Menu

The Step Sidebar Menu slides in from the right-hand side of the screen after selecting one of the Steps in the Process panel. The very top part of the menu provides information about the Jobs in this Step of the process. Then, the Step Sidebar menu is divided into the following sections:

• Automatically Start Job when - here you can set up Job auto-starting strategy for the selected Step;
• Default Vendor - here you can configure Automatic Vendor Assignments automation for the specific Job in the project;
• Work Files for Vendor - here you can configure what file categories will be provided to the assigned vendor as work files (learn more about setting the file flow);
• Reference Files for Vendor - here you can configure what file categories will be provided to the assigned vendor as reference files (learn more about setting the file flow);
• Files to be Delivered by Vendor - here you can determine what kind of files are sent to the next Step in the Process (learn more about setting the file flow);
• memoQ Integration - here you can configure memoQ integration behaviour for the selected Step;
• Scheduling - here you can set up Minimum Job Duration for the selected Step (see also the related article on Automatic Job Dates);
• Evaluation - here you can set up Vendor evaluation via Vendor Portal [TODO] (available only for Manual File Verification Step Types)
• Step information - here you can see basic information about the selected Step and the associated Job Type.

Editing Process used in the Process Template

To modify the process used in a Process Template:

1. Open the configuration display of the Template in question.
2. Go to the Process panel.
3. To add a Step to the Process, drag the desired Step Type from the Steps to be Used in Process panel, and drop it onto one of the highlighted slots in the Process panel.
4. To remove a Step from the Process, select it and then click Delete Step button in the upper-right part of the Process panel.
5. Repeat steps 3 and/or 4 as many times as needed.
6. All changes are saved automatically.

Note

Please note that certain conditions prevent any changes in the process. Those conditions involve:

• the status of the project being set to Closed;
• the status of the project being set to Cancelled;
• at least one job being already invoiced, regardless of the project's status.

Note

You can't change the order of the Steps in the Process after you have added them. To achieve this, you need to delete the Step you want to move, and then drag-and-drop it again from the Steps to be Used in Process panal onto the right slot.

File Flow in modified Processes

Process modifications involve algorithms that automate changes necessary to maintain the proper utility of the whole process. The mechanisms governing those algorithms are explained below.

Adding a Step to the Process

Adding a step to the process implicates a number of automatic reactions for all three file flow operations:

1. Work Files for Vendor:
   • the newly added Step now receives files from the previous Step, unless it is added as the first Step in the process;
   • if available, the subsequent Step now receives the files from the newly added Step.
2. Reference Files for Vendor:
   • the newly added Step now receives the initial files and the files from the previous Step;
   • if the newly added Step is now the first Step in the Process, then the subsequent Step now receives both initial files and files to be delivered by the newly added Step;
   • if the newly added step is not the first Step in the Process, then the subsequent Step now receives the files sent by the newly added Step;
3. Files to be Delivered by Vendor:
   • the newly added Step now sends files to the subsequent Step.

Note

Adding Steps to the Process is possible even if the consecutive Steps are marked as Accepted, Started, Ready, or Canceled. However, such modifications may disrupt the file flow, about which you are informed with appropriate pop-up notifications.

Removing a Step from the Process

Removing a step from the process implicates an automatic reaction for two file flow operations:

• For the Work and Reference Files for Vendor operations, the subsequent Step now receives the files from the Step that preceded the deleted one.

memoQ Integrated Process

The memoQ CAT tool software utilizes a process consisting of three steps: Translation, Review 1, and Review 2. XTRF Platform developed a method that allows to automatically replace the memoQ Steps with those available in the Home Portal. For example, in the (memoQ) Translation → Review 1 process, the Review 1 step type is treated as the Proofreading type, and the Review 2 step type is omitted.

Note

Algorithms controlling changes in the Process Templates facilitate any modifications a lot, yet they are unable to control everything. Therefore a Project Manager should always be aware that they need to double-check whether the configuration is set appropriately.