The Prepare Document toolbox item lets you create a prepared document in the system. Details on how to configure document templates can be found here - Authoring documents using the word plugin.
The toolbox item creates a Prepare Document task, which is usually linked to a pre-defined template.
Common uses
Creating documents is a common part of many processes. Whether it is a legal process that includes drafting a lease, a project that requires a report to be generated or an insurance claim that requires a liability report. Rich document templating capabilities allow data captured in the system to be inserted into documents. Document content can be smartly created based on the context of a piece of work.
The Prepare Document toolbox item initiates the creation of a document using a predefined document template.
Pre-requisites
- Configure Template - if the Prepare Document task should link to a specific template, the template must be configured before the workflow is developed.
- Workitem ID - to use the notification toolbox item, you need to have captured the work item ID of the work item for which you want to create the document.
- Document parties - you need to have captured the ID of the organisation or team to which you wish to send the document, and the ID of the user or team to whom the Prepare Document task should be assigned. The ID is placed into a variable of type ODS Entity Identifier. This can be populated by loading ODS data, loading work item data, or using an allocation rule.
- Variables - any of the fields on the configuration that show the </> icon allow you to insert a variable into the text. Before you set these fields, you need to set up your variable on the data tab and retrieve and insert the information you want to use into the variable.
- Step - To use this item from the toolbox, you need to have a step on your canvas to drag it into.
Configuring Prepare Document
- Select the toolbox tab of your workflow canvas.
- Select the Prepare Document option and drag it onto the step where you wish to place it.
- Select the Prepare Document item you have dragged onto the canvas to add in the configuration.
- Enter the configuration for the toolbox item.
| Action Name | Give the action a meaningful name, e.g. Lease. |
| Parent Work Item |
The ID of the work item to which you want to link this Prepare Document task. Note: This should also match the context of the document template. |
| Task Type |
Select the task type you wish to create. This will normally be Prepare Document unless you have a custom Prepare Document type. |
| Task Title | Enter the name of the task as it will appear in the user's worklist. You can use variables here to insert data if required. |
| Tag | Specify the tag that will be attached to the task. A common use of this is to group together common tasks in a worklist. |
| Due after how many days |
Indicates after how many calendar days the task will be due. Note: In the current tool, you are not able to set the due date as an offset of another date. To do this, you must create the prepare document task first and then use the update due date tool to set the due date. |
| Assign To |
Indicate the user or team to which the Prepare Document task should be assigned. It is good practice to use allocation rules to assign tasks as it ensures there is always a fallback position for the task. |
| Document Template |
Select the document template that you want to use in the workflow. The field also accepts a variable that holds a template's system name. See Dynamic template selection below. |
| Recipient |
Indicate the ODS ID to whom the document should be assigned. Note: that if your template has a role specified against it, e.g client case handler, and there is only one of that party on the work item, then the document will auto-populate even if this is not set. |
| Regarding |
Indicate the person or organisation about whom the document is being sent. Note: this is not a mandatory field and is usually used in specialist circumstances. |
| Add action plan |
Add an action plan to the Prepare Document. |
| Phase Outlets |
Switching on a phase outlet means that when the task reaches that specific phase, you are able to link to another step in the workflow. A common example is that when the document is set to Issued (i.e. the document has been sent out), then the next step of the workflow will fire. |
Dynamic template selection
The Document Template field accepts either a template that you select directly or a variable that holds a template's system name. When a variable holds the system name, a single Prepare Document action can produce a different document each run.
Without a variable, a workflow that produces multiple versions of a document requires a separate Prepare Document action for each branch. A variable reduces those branches to a single action and removes the template choice from the end user.
Setting the template system name
Derive the system name earlier in the workflow, then insert the variable into the Document Template field. You must set the variable before the Prepare Document action runs.
- If action - use conditional logic to choose between a small number of templates. See Using IF in a workflow.
- JavaScript action - map data to a template system name, where the rule is more complex. See Using the JavaScript toolbox item to call ShareDo APIs.
- Calculated field - derive the system name from data held on the work item, without workflow logic. See Calculated Fields.
Example: select a contract by property tenure
A property transfer needs either a freehold contract or a leasehold contract, depending on the tenure recorded against the matter. Instead of splitting the workflow into two Prepare Document actions, evaluate the tenure and pass the result to a single action.
The variable must hold the template's system name, not the template's display name.
- On the data tab, create a variable to hold the template system name, for example
templateSystemName. - Add a Load work item data action to load the tenure value into a variable. See Load work item data.
- Add an IF action that tests the tenure value, for example
ctx.freeholdLeaseholdValue.includes("Leasehold"). - On each output of the IF action, set
templateSystemNameto the system name of the matching template. - In the Prepare Document action, select the
</>icon on Document Template, then inserttemplateSystemName.
When the workflow runs, Clio Operate retrieves the template whose system name matches the value held in the variable.
Using a FormEvo template in a Visual Workflow Prepare Document step
Legal Form templates are treated as forms in Clio Operate, so they are not listed as a choice when you select a document template. To use a Legal Form template, enter the FormEvo template system name in the Document Template field, either by typing it or by inserting a variable. This entry uses the same support for system names that is described in Dynamic template selection above.
You must then change the type to reflect the Legal Form work type in line with your configuration. The core type is Prepare Document - Electronic Form.
A note on approvals
In many scenarios, documents need to be approved before they can be sent out. Although this can be configured with the workflow modeller, the best practice for this is to configure the Approval Workflow against the document template. For more information, see Working with Approvals.
