Templates

Working with templates

Templates are reusable blueprints that turn your business processes into self-driving workflows. Create once, use forever - that’s the power of Tallyfy templates.

Templates capture every step, decision point, and handoff in your workflows. When you launch a template, Tallyfy creates a live process that runs itself - assigning tasks, sending reminders, and tracking progress automatically. Update a template once and every future process gets the improvement.

The three-stage workflow approach

1. Document - Capture your process knowledge in smart templates
2. Run - Launch consistent, trackable processes every time
3. Improve - Optimize based on real data and feedback

You document what should happen, run it consistently to see what actually happens, and improve based on real-world insights.

Common workflow problems

Every time someone asks “How do we do this again?”, you’re losing money. Templates fix that permanently.

Without templates, companies face these expensive problems:

• Quality varies wildly - same process, different results depending on who does it
• Time bleeds away - people reinvent workflows daily instead of doing actual work
• Knowledge walks out the door - when Sarah leaves, her process expertise leaves too
• Onboarding takes weeks - new hires fumble through undocumented processes

Tallyfy templates solve this in one shot. They become your single source of truth - cutting training time by 75% and virtually eliminating process errors. Better yet? Fix the template once, and everyone benefits instantly.

Template vs. Blueprint

In the Tallyfy app, we call these Templates. If you use the Tallyfy API (for coding integrations), they are called Blueprints. It’s the same thing, just different names.

Templates work for small, repetitive tasks too. Client check-ins, expense approvals, content reviews - Tallyfy handles these “papercut” processes that eat up hours. Create a 5-step template in minutes, save 5 hours weekly.

Key benefits

• Same process, same quality - Every client gets your A-game service, not whoever’s version
• Create once, use 1000x - That onboarding template? Launch it for every new hire in seconds
• Zero interpretation needed - Clear steps mean no confusion, no “I thought you meant…”
• Scale without chaos - Handle 10x more work with the same team

The result? A 40% improvement in process completion time and 90% fewer questions about “how to do things.”

Document → Run → Improve cycle

Stage 1: Document (Build the template)

• Capture your best practices in a reusable template
• Define who does what, when, and how
• Add smart rules for different scenarios
• Build once, use thousands of times

Stage 2: Run (Launch processes)

• Start new processes from your template in seconds
• Track progress in real-time
• Ensure nothing falls through cracks
• Maintain consistency across all instances

Stage 3: Improve (Optimize continuously)

• Analyze completion times and bottlenecks
• Gather feedback from process participants
• Update the template based on insights
• Every future process benefits instantly

Template types

Tallyfy gives you two template types that cover every business need:

1. Procedure Templates: Your multi-step workflows that run from start to finish.
   • Sequential vs parallel execution: All tasks appear simultaneously by default (parallel) - multiple people work on different tasks at once, cutting completion time by 40%. Need sequential order? Use automation rules to show tasks only after previous steps complete
   • Add if-this-then-that rules (“If budget > $5000, add CFO approval”)
   • Auto-assign to people or job titles¹ - new hires get tasks immediately
   • Collect data with smart forms that validate entries
   • Connect to your other tools - no manual data entry
   • Real examples: Onboard employees in 5 days not 3 weeks, approve purchases in hours not days, publish content with zero missed steps

Use procedure templates when you need trackable multi-step workflows. Tasks run in parallel by default for speed, but you can enforce sequential order where dependencies exist.

Tallyfy approach vs. flowcharts

Instead of complex flowcharts, Tallyfy uses a simple checklist style for steps, combined with “if-this-then-that” rules. This makes processes easier for everyone to understand, build, and follow, while still handling decisions and different paths.

2. Document Templates: Smart forms and policies that update themselves.
   • Lock down sections that can’t change (legal disclaimers stay perfect)
   • Add fill-in fields for custom details - no more “[INSERT NAME HERE]” mistakes
   • Professional formatting every time - no wrestling with Word
   • Use snippets² - update once, flows to all documents instantly
   • Real examples: Employee handbooks ready in minutes, contracts that auto-populate client data, policies that track who’s read them

Use document templates for anything people need to reference or fill out - but don’t need step-by-step tracking.

Template lifecycle

1. Template Creation: Get templates up and running in under 10 minutes:

• From scratch: Drag-drop interface for custom workflows
• AI-powered: Describe your process, Tallyfy writes the template in 60 seconds
• Upload existing docs: Turn that Word SOP into a live workflow instantly
• Import from anywhere: Moving from another tool? Bring your workflows
• Clone and tweak: Love your invoice process? Copy it for purchase orders

2. Template Management: Find any template in 3 seconds:

• Smart folders: Organize by team, client type, or frequency
• Tag everything: Filter by “customer-facing” or “compliance” instantly
• Lock it down: Control who sees and edits each template
• Clear ownership: Template Owners get alerts about needed updates
• Archive outdated templates: Remove templates from active view without deleting

3. Template Launch: From template to running process in one click:

• Quick setup: Fill a short form, Tallyfy handles the rest
• Smart assignments: Tallyfy assigns based on workload and skills
• Live tracking: See exactly where every process stands - clients love this

Template vs. Process: Building Analogy

A template is like the master blueprint for a house. It defines the standard design.

When you use that blueprint to build a specific house, that’s like launching a process. Each house built (each running process) is unique, even if based on the same blueprint. Each needs its own unique name or address (like “123 Main St Build” or “Job #567”) so you can track that specific project separately.

Measurable results

• 95% fewer errors: Everyone follows the same proven steps
• Onboard 3x faster: New hires productive in days, not weeks
• Instant improvements: Fix a template Monday, everyone benefits Tuesday
• Knowledge stays forever: When Bob retires, his expertise lives on in templates
• Audit-ready always: Every step tracked, every decision documented

Can I move a template inside another template?

Yes, Tallyfy offers two powerful ways to move a template inside another template:

1. Content embedding: Use snippets to embed template links and reusable content within task descriptions for reference and guidance.

2. Runtime injection: Use the “launch another process” feature with “inject tasks into existing process” to automatically add entire template workflows into running processes based on conditions.

Both approaches let you build modular, reusable workflow components that can be combined dynamically.

• Acknowledgement of changes
• Automations
• Configure your template
• Convert BPMN into templates
• Create templates
• Duplicate a template
• Edit a template
• Import a template
• Insert media
• Organizing templates
• Print or export templates
• Publish a template
• Sample templates
• Snippets
• Tags
• Template tools
• Templates vs. processes
• Thinking in unit terms
• Track activity
• Using folders for templates
• Variables

Template organization

Templates not placed in folders appear in the Uncategorized view in your Templates section. This helps keep your templates organized as it grows - we recommend creating folders to group related templates for easier navigation.

Important: The Uncategorized folder is a system folder that cannot be deleted. It serves as the default location for templates that haven’t been organized into custom folders.

To organize templates:

1. Navigate to Templates and select Uncategorized
2. Click the folder icon next to any template
3. Choose Move to folder and select or create a destination folder

Note: The Templates view shows recent template activity, making it easy to see what has changed recently. While you cannot delete the Uncategorized folder, you can keep it empty by organizing all templates into custom folders.

Next steps

Learn how to create a template in 10 minutes. Most users have their first process running within an hour.

Related articles

Pro > Essentials

Tallyfy transforms static business documentation into live workflows through three template types - Procedure Templates for sequential processes Document Templates for reusable formatted content and Form Templates for data collection - ensuring consistent execution with real-time tracking and continuous improvement capabilities.

Introduction

Tallyfy transforms business processes into self-driving workflows without coding using AI to create templates that automatically assign tasks track progress and delegate work to people or automation while solving workflow inefficiencies that waste 20-40% of work time.

Templates > Create templates

Tallyfy offers three template creation methods including starting from scratch using AI assistance or uploading existing documents with templates serving as reusable blueprints that can reduce process time by 40% while AI optimization restructures content for better digital execution and exact import options preserve compliance requirements.

Templates > Templates vs. processes

Tallyfy’s master templates serve as single sources of truth that generate customized process instances while maintaining version independence and enabling continuous improvement through feedback loops.

Footnotes

1. Role-based assignments that auto-update when someone changes positions or joins the team ↩

2. Reusable content blocks that auto-sync across all templates when updated once ↩