Quick answer: A status workflow automatically changes a record's status — for a sample, complaint, piece of equipment, or anything else — when a specific condition is met, so nobody has to update it by hand. It's built the same way as a notification workflow, but instead of sending a message, it uses a Result Transfer to write the new status back onto the record.
When would you use this?
| Use case | Without the workflow | With the workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Putting equipment into maintenance | Someone manually sets the status to "Maintenance required" after a request comes in | AlisQI sets the status automatically as soon as the maintenance request is submitted |
| Moving a complaint to "In Progress" | Someone manually changes the status from New to In Progress | AlisQI changes the status automatically once the required action is completed |
| Moving a sample through stages (Received → In Testing → Completed) | Users have to remember to update the status at every stage | AlisQI updates the status automatically as each stage's action is completed |
Before you start
Make sure you have the following ready:
- A separate section per testing group on your form — e.g. production tests and laboratory tests each in their own section.
- A status field, set to field type Selection list. Ensuring Each stage required is entered.
- Clear stages already defined in that selection list — decide what status each testing group's completion should set.
- Any supporting fields the workflow needs — e.g. a checkbox marking the end of a stage.
- A unique, mandatory field — such as a serial number or batch field. This is required: it's what the workflow uses to match the result it should update.
- Permission to manage workflows in AlisQI.
- Edit permission on the Analysis set you're working with.
Important: you'll need a separate workflow for each stage switch. If a sample moves through Received → In Testing → Completed, that's two workflows (one per transition).
Step-by-step: building the workflow
This walkthrough uses the sample-stages example:
Production finishes its checks, checks a box, and the sample's status automatically changes from ''In production'' to "Testing by laboratory."
- From the menu bar, go to the results overview of the relevant Analysis set.
- On the right side of the screen, click More > Workflows.
- Click + New workflow. A new panel opens on the right.
- In the panel, click Add filters. A window opens to configure them.
- Open the field list and select the field that should trigger the workflow — in this example, a checkbox field.
- Set the condition that should trigger the workflow. For a checkbox, select Yes to trigger when it's checked. For a selection-list field, choose from that list's options instead.
- Click Add field if you need additional conditions on another field.
- Once all conditions are set, click Apply.
- Select which action(s) should trigger the workflow. In this example, select both Entry and Modification — Entry covers completing all checks at once, Modification covers completing some now and the rest later.
- If someone should be notified of the stage switch, select a user or enter an email address here.
- Click Result transfer to configure the status change. A Result Transfer sends data to an Analysis set — here, you're using it to write the new status.
- Open the Target set list and select the Analysis set to write to — in this example, the same set you're already working in. More fields appear once you select it.
- Open Report errors to and select who should be notified if the Result Transfer fails.
- Set Edit result to Yes, since you're editing an existing result rather than creating a new one. A new field appears below.
- Open Identify results based on and select the unique field used to match results — e.g. Batch. This makes sure only the specific record you're working on (say, batch 8911) gets updated, not any other.
- Set Only edit existing results to Yes. This prevents the workflow from creating a new result if the identifying value (e.g. batch number) isn't recognized.
- Leave Forward user to created or updated result set to No. Setting this to Yes would redirect the triggering user to the updated result — in this case, the one they're already working on.
- Select the fields to be entered or updated — the Batch field is already selected (it's your matching field), and you'll also select Status, since that's what you're updating.
- Click Calculations. New fields appear that need a variable or a fixed value.
- Click Variables to see the variable (field ID) for each field.
- Copy the variable for your unique field — in this example, Batch.
- Click Result transfer again and paste that variable into the field under Batch. A checkmark confirms the value was accepted. [
- Enter the value for the Status field — in this example, "Testing by laboratory." A checkmark confirms it's accepted.
Important:
- Fixed values must be written between quotes.
- If the field is a selection-list field, the value must exactly match an option in that list — AlisQI warns you if it doesn't. [
- Click Result transfer again to close it.
- Enter a Subject and Message. [
Important:
- Subject and message are always required.
- Write them to reflect what the Result Transfer actually does — if something goes wrong later, this description is what helps you (or a colleague) understand the configuration.
- If you set a recipient in step 10, make sure the subject and message make sense to them too.
- Choose whether the result should be added as a table (only relevant if you set a recipient). If checked, the result and any attachments are included in the message; if not, only the message and a link are sent.
How to test it
Trigger the workflow:
- Add a new result to the Analysis set the workflow is set up for.
- Enter the result, making sure the conditions are met — in this example, a unique Batch number is entered and Production tests completed is checked.
- Save the result.
Confirm it worked:
- Go to the results overview of the Analysis set.
- Confirm the result now shows the correct status.
- Check the result's history: open the result and click the clock icon.
A window shows the change history, including the status change and confirmation that it was made by a workflow, attributed to AlisQI System. 
If the workflow doesn't trigger — or sets the wrong status
Check for an error report first. If you set a recipient in step 13, check whether they received an error report:
- Go to your profile and click Messages.
- Check the inbox for a message — for example, one stating a status value is required but wasn't entered, which usually points to an invalid value entered in step 23.
If there's no error report, check these causes:
- The trigger conditions weren't fully met. Review the workflow's filters and confirm the field values match the conditions exactly, then test again.
- The variable or fixed value is incorrect. Double-check step 23 — fixed values need quotes, and selection-list values must exactly match an existing option.
- The identifying field isn't actually unique. If the batch (or other identifying) number already exists on an earlier result, the workflow may update the wrong record. Check the results overview to confirm every result has a unique value in that field.
Key terms used in this article
- Result transfer – the action that writes data (here, a status change) into an Analysis set.
- Identify results based on – the unique field used to match the workflow's Result Transfer to the correct existing record.
- Report errors to – the user notified if a Result Transfer fails to execute.
- Calculations / Variables – where you supply the value (fixed or a field's variable) that gets written into a target field.
- Selection list field – a field whose value must be one of a predefined set of options; a Result Transfer value must match one exactly.