Overview: Workflow categories (Console)

This article provides overview of workflow categories, which drives which workflow modules are available to you in the Workflows editor.

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Overview

In Console, Workflows is a no-code automation tool that lets you design customer experiences (what is referred to as a ‘workflow’) without the need for extensive IT knowledge or resources. In short, a workflow is a powerful automation. 

The complexity of a workflow can vary from very simple to very complex. You define the automation’s complexity by assigning the workflow a category. The workflow’s category drives the workflow modules available to you in the workflow module library. You’ll either get access to some or all the workflow modules based on the workflow’s category. 

There are three types of workflow categories available in Workflows: Auto Attendant, Function, and Customer Engagement. 

Workflow categories

Workflow categories are the automation complexity levels for Workflows. 

The workflow’s category drives which workflow modules are available to you when building the workflow.

For example, if you want to create a simple IVR experience, then you’ll create an event workflow and assign it the ‘auto-attendant’ category. This category gives you access to only a few workflow modules. These are the workflow modules that make sense for workflows assigned this category, like the Say module, the Time Control workflow module, etc. So, by assigning the workflow a category, you’re distilling the workflow module library down to just the workflow modules that make sense for the type of workflow that you’re building. 

You’ll assign a workflow category for any type of workflow, whether it’s an event workflow, a scheduled workflow, or a subroutine workflow. All workflows will be assigned a category.

There are three workflow categories:

• Auto Attendant

• Function

• Customer Engagement

Once you assign a workflow category, you can’t change it. It’s always that type of workflow category.

Auto Attendant workflow category

The Auto Attendant workflow category is for simple or basic workflows. For example, a main IVR that routes customer phone calls based on when your business is open is an example of a workflow that would be assigned this category.

There’s a very simplified workflow module library for workflows assigned this category. There are only a few workflow modules available for each of these workflow module groups: Engagement, Manipulating Data, External Communication, and Analyzing Data.

Auto Attendant category workflow modules

Function workflow category

The Function workflow category is for moderately complex workflows. These workflows might execute simple data lookups or updates alongside routing customers based on time parameters. For example, a post-call workflow that runs to trigger a customer satisfaction email and updates your CRM based on data collected during the interaction would be an example of a workflow assigned this category.

There’s a large amount of workflow modules available for workflows assigned this category. There are workflow modules available for each workflow module library group.

Function category workflow modules

Customer Engagement workflow category

The Customer Engagement workflow category is for the most advanced and complex workflows. These workflows conduct self-service routing based on conversational AI, leverage machine learning, and other intelligent tools. For example, an IVA automatic payment workflow that has customers interact with a smart bot to securely collect credit information during an interaction would be an example of a workflow assigned this category.

Workflows assigned this category have access to the full workflow module library.

Customer Engagement category workflow modules

The Customer Engagement category includes all workflow modules.

Read more

• Overview: Workflows (Console)

• Overview: Workflow workspaces (Console)

• Workflow modules

• Create a workflow (Console)

• Rename a workflow (Console)

• Make a workflow version the current version (Console)