An overview of processes

What is a process in Tallyfy?

A process is a running instance of a template - it’s your Tallyfy workflow in action. Here’s the key difference:

• A Template is like a master recipe or blueprint for a standard workflow task (e.g., the steps for onboarding a new employee)
• A Process is a single time you execute that template for a specific case (e.g., the actual onboarding process for Jane Doe that you started today)

Can’t find where you added a task?

Added a task but it disappeared? You probably added it to a running process, not the template:

• Tasks added to a running process only exist in that specific instance
• Tasks added to a template will appear in all future processes launched from it
• To update the template itself: Go to Templates tab → Edit your template → Add the task there
• To add a task to just one process: Open that specific process → Use “Add Task” for one-off additions

Think of it like this: Editing a recipe card (template) changes all future meals. Adding extra spice to tonight’s dinner (process) only affects that one meal.

Why are workflow processes essential for business operations?

Processes are the heart of getting actual work done in Tallyfy - they transform your templates into real, trackable workflows.

Templates tell you how work should be done. Processes? They’re the actual work happening right now. Understanding this distinction matters because:

• Processes are what you track daily
• Processes are where team members collaborate
• Processes are how you measure real progress

Clear processes with unique identities help prevent confusion, enable proper tracking, and provide valuable data for continuous improvements.

Every time you need to execute the work defined in a template, you launch that template to create a new, unique process instance that you can track.

This workflow approach applies to any repeatable business process, big or small.

How should I name workflow processes?

Give each launched process a unique, descriptive name so you can differentiate them (e.g., “Onboard Jane Doe”, “Onboard John Smith”). This takes seconds but saves hours of confusion later.

Want to save even more time? Set up auto-naming in Tallyfy template settings (Settings > Summary > Auto-naming). This feature automatically creates process names based on information entered in required kick-off form fields - the project names pull directly from the data users enter during process launch.

Auto-naming rules

• Auto-naming only uses required kick-off form fields.
• The generated name cannot be longer than 550 characters.
• This dynamic project naming from field inputs ensures consistent, meaningful process names without manual effort.

What are the key characteristics of Tallyfy processes?

• A process is a copy of its template at the moment it was launched. Later template changes? They won’t touch processes already running

Template updates don’t affect running processes

Critical limitation: When you update a template, existing processes continue with their original version. This is by design due to three technical challenges:

1. State determination: No way to know where to insert new steps in a partially-complete process
2. Relevance: New steps might not apply to processes started under different conditions
3. Step removal: Can’t safely remove completed steps that hold important data

Workaround for long-running processes (like 6+ month sales cycles):

• Use the “Add Task” feature to manually add new steps to running processes
• Consider shorter process cycles with handoffs between templates
• For major changes, complete existing processes and launch new ones

This ensures data integrity but requires planning for processes that may need mid-flight updates.

• You can launch many processes from the same template
• A process can be based on a procedure template (with workflow steps) or a document template (like a fillable form)
• You can add extra one-off tasks to a running process if needed
• Each process has its own unique activity log (audit trail) for compliance tracking

Adding extra tasks

If something unexpected comes up, you can add new tasks (regular, approval, email, etc.) directly to a running process without changing the original template. See Add tasks to active processes.

Template vs. Blueprint

Reminder: In the Tallyfy app, we say Template. In the technical API documentation, it’s called a Blueprint.

What happens when a process is completed?

Completed processes remain visible in your Tracker view by default. Here’s how to clean up your active views while preserving the data:

• Archive processes: Click the three-dot menu (…) on any process card in the Tracker view
• View archived processes: Filter by “Status = Archived” in the Tracker view
• Restore processes: Unarchive them anytime if you need to reference them again

Need step-by-step instructions? See how to archive and unarchive processes.

Archive vs. Delete

Archiving: Removes processes from active views but preserves all data for future reference and audit trails. Archived processes can be restored anytime.

Deleting: Permanently removes the process and all associated data. This action cannot be undone. To delete a process completely, archive it first, then go to the archived view and select the permanent delete option. Use deletion sparingly - archiving is usually the better choice for maintaining historical records.

• Commenting processes
• Edit processes
• Export process to CSV
• Process lifecycle management
• Share a process

What should I learn next?

You’ve got the basics of Tallyfy processes down. Ready to put them to work? Check out the Tracker view to monitor workflow progress in real-time.

Need to modify processes after launch? Learn how to add tasks to active processes for maximum flexibility.

Related articles

Pro > Launching

Tallyfy’s process launching feature transforms reusable workflow templates into active trackable instances with specific assignments and deadlines that operate independently through multiple launch methods including manual API webhooks forms email triggers and magic links while allowing customization during launch and protecting running processes from template changes.

Launching > Launch manually

Manual process launching in Tallyfy allows you to initiate workflow instances from templates with complete control over timing and customization by selecting a template naming the instance and clicking launch to create an active trackable process.

Processes > Process lifecycle management

Tallyfy process lifecycle management involves five phases - create templates with logical organization and detailed instructions, launch customized instances with proper context, execute tasks sequentially, monitor progress through tracker views to catch issues early, and complete processes while analyzing data for continuous improvement.

Tutorials > Launch a process

This tutorial demonstrates launching workflow processes in Tallyfy by selecting templates from the sidebar completing optional kick-off forms naming the process instance and clicking launch to create active trackable workflows with automatic notifications and progress monitoring.