Workflows
Every business record type in PALBONTradeFinance follows a workflow: the steps a record goes through, who may move it, under what condition, how many approvals are needed, how long each step may take, and what happens on entry. PALBONTradeFinance ships a workflow for each of 26 record types; System Managers change them, or design new ones, in the workflow designer.
To open: Administration › Workflows › Workflows (/palbon-trade-finance/processes).
1. Using a workflow on a record
The record page's workflow bar shows the current step and one button per action open to you (see Finding your way). The server checks every action: the role, the condition, the approvals, the required fields and four eyes. You can also act by voice or text, for example Approve the letter of credit LC-2026-00003.
- Administration › Workflows › Workflow Approvals: the approvals recorded for actions that need several.
- Administration › Workflows › Workflow History: every move of every record, with who, when, the comment and the time spent in the step.
- Administration › Workflows › Workflow Versions: every saved version of every workflow.
2. The workflow list
The list shows each record type with its workflow: Active, Inactive, Not set up or No workflow yet: a shipped template is ready, with the number of states and transitions and the version. Open one to design it.
3. The shipped workflows
| Record type | Steps (actions in the record's pages) | Approver roles |
|---|---|---|
| Trade | Draft → Pending Confirmation → Confirmed → In Execution → Shipped → Settled → Closed; Cancelled | Trade Finance Manager confirms; negative margin needs its own action |
| Trade Contract | Draft → Shared ⇄ Amendment Requested; Shared → Pending Deviation Approval → Shared; Shared → Finalized → Signed → Terminated | Legal Manager approves deviations, signs, terminates |
| Letter of Credit | Draft → Bank Quotes → Pending Issuance Approval → Approved for Issuance → Issued; Draft → Advised; Amendment Requested; Presented → Discrepant / Accepted → Paid → Closed; Cancelled | Trade Finance Manager approves issuance (separate action above 5 million) and waivers |
| LC Presentation | Received → Checking → Accepted / Discrepant → Waiver Requested → Accepted / Refused → Paid | Trade Finance Manager |
| SWIFT Message | Outgoing: Draft → Pending Release → Sent. Incoming: Draft → Parsed → Applied / Failed | Trade Finance Manager releases |
| Bank Facility | Draft → Pending Approval → Active ⇄ Suspended → Expired | Treasury Manager |
| Vessel, Port | Draft → Vetting → Approved ⇄ Blocked | Shipping Manager |
| Vessel Nomination | Draft → Pending Acceptance → Accepted / Rejected | Shipping Manager (Accept Clean Vessel or Accept Despite Checks) |
| Voyage | Nominated → Accepted → Proceeding to Load Port → At Load Port → Loading → Sailed → At Discharge Port → Discharging → Completed; Cancelled | Shipping Manager accepts |
| Laytime Rule Set | Draft → In Review → Approved → Retired | Shipping Manager |
| Laytime Calculation | Draft / Calculated → Pending Approval → Approved → Settled | Shipping Manager approves |
| Surveyor Work Order | Draft → Sent → Accepted → Completed; Cancelled | Documentation Executive |
| Document Instruction (Document Set) | Draft → Sent → Checking Drafts → Pending TF Approval → Pending Buyer Approval → Drafts Approved → Awaiting Finals → Documents Issued | Trade finance approves; the buyer's approval is recorded |
| Trade Document | Received → Checked → Approved / Rejected → Superseded | Trade Finance Executive or Manager |
| Commercial Settlement | Draft → Pending Approval → Approved → Invoiced → Paid; Cancelled | Trade Finance Manager (separate action above 10 million) |
| Contract Clause, Contract Template | Draft → In Review → Approved → Retired | Legal Manager |
| Price Formula, Discount Matrix | Draft → In Review → Approved → Retired | Trade Risk Manager |
| Counterparty Profile | New → KYC In Progress → Screening → Pending Risk Approval → Approved / Rejected / Blocked | Trade Risk Manager |
| Sanctions Screening | Screened → Cleared / Under Review → Cleared / Confirmed Match | Trade Risk Manager |
| Credit Assessment | Draft → Pending Approval → Approved / Rejected → Expired | Trade Risk Manager |
| Trade Alert | Open → Acknowledged → Closed | Trade Risk Manager |
| Funding Request | Draft → Sent → Offers Received → Awarded → Closed; Cancelled | Treasury Manager awards |
| Hedge Contract | Proposed → Pending Approval → Open → Settled; Cancelled | Treasury Manager books |
Each record type's page in this manual lists its actions, who may take each, and their conditions.
4. The workflow designer
Open a record type from the list. The designer has two views:
- Diagram: each state is a box. Drag a state to move it; drag its ● onto another state to add a transition; click a state or a transition to edit it; Delete removes the selection. Arrange automatically (Auto-layout) and Fit tidy the view. The first state is where new records start.
- Form: the same states and transitions as tables.
4.1 States
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Name, Colour, Description | How the step shows on the record |
| Document status | Draft (editable), Submitted or Cancelled |
| Final state | The workflow ends here |
| SLA (hours) | Time allowed in the step; the bar shows overdue after it |
| Remind before (hours) | A reminder to the notified roles before the SLA ends |
| Escalate to role / user | Who is told when the SLA is passed |
| Assign a to-do to role | Gives the step to a role as a to-do |
| Notify roles | Who is told when a record enters the step |
| Fields required to enter | Fields that must be filled before a record may enter |
| On entry | Set a field, notify, call a webhook or create a to-do when a record enters |
Reminders, escalations and timed transitions run every hour.
4.2 Transitions
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| From, Action (button label), To | The move and its button |
| Roles | Who may take it (at least one) |
| Condition | When it is offered, for example doc.max_amount > 5000000; date conditions work too |
| Approvals needed (N of M) | The move happens only when N different people have approved |
| A comment is required | The person must say why |
| Fields required first | Fields to fill before the move |
| Confirmation message | Shown before the move |
| Automatic after (hours) | The move happens by itself after this time in the step |
| Also set field | A field set on the move |
| Notify roles, Email the creator, Email the next approvers | Who is told |
Four eyes always applies to approval actions: the requester cannot approve their own request.
4.3 Test, version, share
- Simulate: pick a record and Me, with my roles or As role, to see the actions that person would get and why others are not offered.
- Analytics: the average time in each state, the moves of the last 30 days, and the states over their SLA.
- Versions: every save is kept with a note; restoring makes an old version current (as a new version).
- Export JSON / Import JSON: move a workflow between sites. An imported workflow is checked, then saved.
- Load shipped workflow: start again from PALBONTradeFinance's template.
- Active: whether records follow it.
5. Good practice
- Give every approval step at least two people who can approve.
- Keep amount thresholds in conditions (as the shipped issuance and settlement approvals do), so large items get their own action and can be routed differently.
- Use SLAs on steps where delay costs money: credit issuance, presentation examination, laytime approval.
- Simulate after every change, as each role.