Visual Hierarchies form the backbone of the Process Navigator page, which provides a visually-navigated interface for users to find processes and supporting documents in Vault QualityDocs. Documents that support a process can be associated with one or many processes and can be viewed as a user browses their process hierarchy relevant to their role.
In order to use the Process Navigator page, you must first set up several Vault components. While the configuration steps outlined below describe setting up a navigator for business processes, similar steps can be taken to create interface pages for other hierarchical structures, such as document types. Once this configuration is complete, see Managing Visual Hierarchies for guidance on creating, arranging, and populating Visual Hierarchy records.
Feature Dependencies
Process Navigator does not require any other QualityDocs features to be enabled prior to its configuration and use.
However, we recommend the following when implementing Process Navigator:
- Process Navigator configuration requirements are clearest once your Vault’s document hierarchy and field requirements are fully implemented, along with their accompanying Vault Library documents. Process Navigator’s hierarchy structure and metadata frequently reflects these elements, and is most useful when there are documents in the Library to support it.
- Once configured, consider implementing hierarchies incrementally, beginning with the most mature processes your organization may have already built within Vault binders or an internal file sharing system. Process Navigator’s intuitive user interface allows process owners to quickly on-board new processes that users can immediately browse in the navigator.
- When building a hierarchy, prioritize the casual end-user and their day-to-day activities, both inside and outside of Vault. Process Navigator is primarily for these users to understand your organization’s business flows, as opposed to your Vault’s document hierarchy.
How Process Navigator Visual Hierarchies Work
The Process Navigator content and structure users and process owners see is supported by object types and records of the Visual Hierarchy object: Each configured Visual Hierarchy object type represents a process area (for example, “Quality”), and each Visual Hierarchy record of this type represents one of the following:
- A parent (root) process within the hierarchy (“Quality Processes”)
- A child process supporting a parent process (“Document Management & Control”)
- A child process supporting another child process (“Good Documentation Practices”)
Similarly, Hierarchy Document object records establish the relationship between a Visual Hierarchy record and the Vault Library document which supports it.
Once an Admin creates a hierarchy (a Visual Hierarchy object type) and completes other required configurations, process owners use the Process Navigator UI to create and arrange the Visual Hierarchy records for their area. As they work, Vault ensures the hierarchy structure remains within the limits while automatically creating and associating the underlying Visual Hierarchy and Hierarchy Document records.
Configuration Overview
Perform the following to set up a Visual Hierarchy for business processes in your Vault:
- Configure a Visual Hierarchy object type, fields, and page layout.
- Configure a Visual Hierarchy Configuration component.
- Add the Document field to the Hierarchy Document object page layout.
- Activate the Process Navigator (
hierarchies__v) standard tab. We recommend using the provided label, however you can update it to fit your organization’s requirements. - Optional: Configure the Process Navigator tab as the landing tab for applicable users.
- Optional: Create a custom tab for the Visual Hierarchy object. This step is optional when the Visual Hierarchy object is configured with the Display in Business Admin option, and process owner permission sets provide access to work with Visual Hierarchy records in Business Admin.
- Optional: To allow users to see only the latest steady state version of a given document in the process details page, select the Only display steady state documents when viewed in Process Navigator checkbox in Admin > Settings > Application Settings.
- Provide appropriate permissions to users and process owners to view and manage Process Navigator.
- Optional: By default, users are able to immediately view parent and associated child Visual Hierarchy records in Process Navigator as soon as they are created in the Active state. To create additional steps between record creation and its visibility to users, configure the Visual Hierarchy object lifecycle with workflows or user actions according to your organization’s requirements.
See also Managing Visual Hierarchies for Process Navigator use and hierarchy structure limitations which may impact your configuration requirements.
Once configured, process owners can create and manage Visual Hierarchy records to suit their area’s needs.
Visual Hierarchy Object Configuration
Perform the following object configuration changes on the Visual Hierarchy object.
Visual Hierarchy Object Types
Create one Visual Hierarchy object type for each hierarchy your organization plans to build. For example, a Quality hierarchy selected in Process Navigator corresponds to the Visual Hierarchy object’s Quality object type.
Visual Hierarchy Object Fields
Configure any custom informational fields to have available alongside supporting documents on the Visual Hierarchy object. For example, a Business Process hierarchy might include Process Owner and Process Owner Email fields to allow users to quickly contact the owner of a given process.
Note: Process Navigator is optimized with an intuitive user interface for creating and managing Visual Hierarchy records. When a Visual Hierarchy object type is configured with a custom field that is required upon record creation, Process Navigator cannot be used to create and manage that process, and owners must work with Visual Hierarchy records in Business Admin or in a custom tab.
Visual Hierarchy Object Page Layouts
Create one object detail page layout for each Visual Hierarchy object type and configure it with the following changes:
- Add any custom object fields.
- Remove the Icon and Parent standard fields from the layout, and add the Icon Selector, Parent Selector, and Lineage fields. These fields have additional functionality when viewed on an object record detail page, allowing users to view and select options within a Visual Hierarchy record.
- Add a related object section for Hierarchy Documents, allowing users to relate their business process documents to Visual Hierarchy records.
- Add a related object section for Child Visual Hierarchies, allowing users to relate and arrange Visual Hierarchy records to suit their business process structure. When creating the section, you can optionally:
- Enter Criteria VQL to ensure users relating Visual Hierarchy records cannot choose a record of an inappropriate object type. For example,
object_type__vr.api_name__v = ‘quality__c’criteria VQL only allows users to view and create child hierarchy records under the Visual Hierarchy object’s Quality object type. - Along with the above, select the Apply on Create checkbox. When selected, the object type selector does not appear when users click + Create and they must create a record of the configured object type.
- Enter Criteria VQL to ensure users relating Visual Hierarchy records cannot choose a record of an inappropriate object type. For example,
Visual Hierarchy Configurations
The Visual Hierarchy Configuration component, accessible in Admin > Configuration > Visual Hierarchy Configurations, determines which fields are available for display on Visual Hierarchy detail pages. You can configure one (1) Visual Hierarchy Configuration for each Visual Hierarchy object type in your Vault.
Additionally, you can also create one configuration with the All object types without configuration option selected as the Object Type. This option applies the same field display layout to one or more object types and is useful if you do not want to create individual Visual Hierarchy Configurations for each Visual Hierarchy object type.
When creating or updating a Visual Hierarchy Configuration:
- Use the Fields To Display in Overview Section selector to choose up to 15 fields to display on the process detail page and as columns in the default Favorites view. The first five (5) fields, including the default Name and Description fields, will be displayed on the main process detail page. Any additional fields will be available in an information dialog if a user clicks View more fields. To enable images to display in this section, choose the any of the Visual Hierarchy Image fields in the selector.
- Use the Fields To Display in Documents Section selector to choose fields and the order of those fields in the Documents section of the process detail and Favorites pages. Choose whether to allow the user to edit the default column view with the Allow User to Override the Default Fields radio button.
Limitations
See Managing Visual Hierarchies for Process Navigator use and hierarchy structure limitations.
Related Permissions
Users who create or manage Visual Hierarchy Configurations must be assigned a permission set with Read, Create, Edit, and Delete permissions for the Visual Hierarchy Configurations component, found under the permission set’s Admin tab.
Vault users consuming Process Navigator content and process owners managing Visual Hierarchy records require permissions per the sections below.
Vault User Permissions
In order to view the Process Navigator page, users must be assigned a permission set with the below permissions.
| Permission Set Label | Permission |
|---|---|
| Objects: Visual Hierarchy | Read |
| Objects: Visual Hierarchy: Object Field Permissions: Description, Icon, Name, Parent, and Position within Parent fields | Read |
| Objects: Visual Hierarchy: [All relevant Visual Hierarchy object types] | Read |
| Objects: Hierarchy Document | Read |
| Tabs: Process Navigator | View Note: This permission refers to the hierarchies__v Visual Navigation Landing Page tab. If configured within a Tab Collection, users must also have View access to that collection. |
| Pages: Visual Navigation Detail Page | View |
| Pages: Visual Navigation Landing Page | View |
To restrict users’ views at the individual record level, you can enable matching sharing rules (Dynamic Access Control) on the Visual Hierarchy object, and configure the Visual Hierarchy Lifecycle with lifecycle states as suits your organization’s needs. If using this method, it is still recommended that users are provided Read permission to the Description, Icon, Name, Parent, and Position within Parent fields on the Visual Hierarchy object via Atomic Security.
Process Owner Permissions
Process owners creating and managing Visual Hierarchies must be assigned a permission set with the below permissions.
| Permission Set Label | Permission |
|---|---|
| Admin: Business Admin Objects | Read Note: The Visual Hierarchy object must also be configured with the Display in Business Admin option. This configuration and permission is optional if you configured a custom tab for process owners to work with Visual Hierarchy records. |
| Objects: Visual Hierarchy | Read, Create, Edit, Delete |
| Objects: Visual Hierarchy: Object Permissions: [All relevant Visual Hierarchy object types] | Read, Create, Edit, Delete |
| Objects: Visual Hierarchy: Object Control Permissions: Icon Selector, Lineage, and Parent Selector | View |
| Objects: Hierarchy Document | Read, Create, Edit, Delete |
| Tabs: Process Navigator | View Note: This permission refers to the hierarchies__v Visual Navigation Landing Page tab. If configured within a Tab Collection, users must also have View access to that collection. |
| Pages: Visual Navigation Detail Page | View |
| Pages: Visual Navigation Landing Page | View |