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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-04-03
Steps: Configure Business Process Definitions

Steps: Configure Business Process Definitions

A
business process definition
 is the list of tasks that comprise a business process in addition to the roles responsible for completing each task. Depending on your scenario, you might want to set up additional configurations on your business process. Example: When your business process definition includes an
Approval
 step, you might want to configure a custom notification on the
Approval
 step so that Workday notifies approvers of their action.
  2. From the related actions menu of the business process, select
    Business Process
    Rule Based Calendar Configuration
    .
    Configure calendars and condition rules to determine which calendars Workday uses when you initiate a business process. When you select a work schedule and a holiday calendar, Workday considers holidays when calculating due dates.
    Security:
    Business Process Administration
     domain in the System functional area.
  4. From the related actions menu of a
    Consolidated Approval
     or
    Consolidated Approval Chain
     step, select
    Business Process
    Configure Consolidated Approval
    .
    Select the steps that you want to include on the approval page.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  5. From the related actions menu of a
    Mass Approval
     step, select
    Business Process
    Configure Mass Approval
    .
    Select
    Wait for All Events
     when you don't want the My Tasks notification to display until all prerequisite events are complete. When you leave this box unchecked, the approval notification displays immediately, but organizations with incomplete events display as
    In Progress
    .
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  6. (Optional) To require designated approvers to enter a comment before they can approve a step, from the related actions menu of an
    Approval
    ,
    Approval Chain
    ,
    Consolidated Approval
    , or
    Consolidated Approval Chain
     step, select
    Maintain Additional Step Configuration
    . Select the
    Require a Comment
     check box. This option also applies to the
    Bulk Approve
     task. Note that when the
    Disable Comments
     check box on the
    Edit Tenant Setup - Business Processes
     task is selected this
    Require a Comment
     setting is overridden.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  8. (Optional) From the related actions menu of an
    Action
     step, select
    Business Process
    Maintain Step Conditions
    .
    Select the
    Enable Validation Conditions for Add Approvers
     check box. If the
    Action
     step supports ad hoc approvers, Workday triggers validation conditions when reviewers add additional approvers on the business process step. To trigger validation conditions when a reviewer clicks
    Approve and Send to Approvers
     in the My Tasks item, there must be:
    • A security group for the
      Ad Hoc Approve
       action on the business process security policy.
    • At least 1 validation condition for the
      Action
       step.
    When you don't select the
    Enable Validation Conditions for Add Approvers
     check box on the step, and if reviewers add additional approvers on the business process step, Workday continues to add the approvers. Validation conditions won't trigger.
    The
    Enable Validation Conditions for Add Approvers
     check box isn't available for
    Action
     steps that initiate a subprocess.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  9. From the related actions menu of the business process step, select
    Business Process
    Maintain Step Delay
    .
    Configure the delay time for the step.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  11. From the related actions menu of the business process step, select
    Business Process
    Maintain Advanced Routing
    .
    Configure advanced routing options for the step.
    To route
    Approval Chain
     and
    Consolidated Approval Chain
     steps with an organization-based hierarchy instead of by management hierarchy (position-based routing), select the
    Organization-Based Routing
     check box.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  12. From the related actions menu of the business process, select
    Business Process
    Maintain Help Text
    .
    Select a step and enter the help text. Select a condition rule to display different help text to different audiences.
    To configure help text on a business process step, the functionality must be enabled on the business process. You can access the
    Business Process Configuration Options
     report and view the
    Allows Help Text
     column to determine if the business process allows configuring help text. You can configure help text on these business process step types:
    • Action
    • Approval
    • Approval Chain
    • Checklist
    • Consolidated Approval
    • Consolidated Approval Chain
    • Edit Additional Data
    • Initiation
    • Review Documents
    • Shared Participation
    • Tasks
    • To Do
    Security:
    Business Process Administration
     domain in the System functional area.
  14. From the related actions menu of a validation message, select
    Validation
    Configure Validation Message
    .
    Enter validation text to display to users. Validation messages only display on steps that have condition rules.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  15. Select either:
    1. Business Process
      Maintain Related Links by Definition
       from the related actions menu of the business process.
    2. Business Process Type
      Maintain Related Links
      from the related actions menu of the business process type.
    Configure related links. Include
    http://
     or
    https://
     in the URL.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  17. From the related actions menu of the business process step, select
    Business Process
    Maintain Step Label Override
    .
    Enter a new label for the step.
    Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Business Process Administration
    • Manage: Business Process Definitions
  18. Access the
    Maintain Business Process Definition Selection
     report.
    To change a subprocess effective date to the date the business process initiates the subprocess, select a business process and click
    Enable Subprocess Definition Selection
    . The subprocess effective date is the effective date of the parent business process by default.
    Security:
    Business Process Administration
     domain in the System functional area.
(Optional) To hide business process history details from the person associated with the business process, such as an internal employee, access the business process security policy and select the
Hide Process History from Person
 check box. Then, activate pending security policy changes.
The hide business process history functionality doesn't work with model component business processes that you create in Workday Extend.
Example: An HR partner wants to prevent internal employees from viewing information related to their performance review and the action managers may have taken on the business process. The business process administrator configures the
Start Performance Review
 business process to hide the business process history. When a step in the business process is awaiting the employee in
My Tasks
, Workday doesn't display the process history when the employee views the item.