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 Visual Hierarchy Administration for guidance on creating, arranging, and populating Visual Hierarchy records.

How Visual Hierarchies Work

Vault primarily uses the Visual Hierarchy and Hierarchy Document objects to form the content structures that users will see when they arrive on their Process Navigator page. Visual Hierarchy object records make up the navigation nodes of the page, while Hierarchy Document object records establish the relationship between Visual Hierarchy object records and your business process Vault documents. Process owners can arrange these records to categorize and display collections of documents to best fit their needs.

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.
  • Create a custom tab for the Visual Hierarchy object.
  • Optional: Configure the Hierarchies page as the landing tab for applicable users. Note that you can rename this page as it suits your needs for example, Process Navigator.
  • Optional: Select the Only display steady state documents when viewed in Process Navigator checkbox in Admin > Settings > Application Settings if you want users to see only the latest steady state version of a given document in the process details page.
  • Provide appropriate permissions to users to manage and view the Process Navigator.

Once configured, process owners can create and manage Visual Hierarchy records to suit their needs.

Visual Hierarchy Object Configuration

Perform the following object configuration changes on the Visual Hierarchy object.

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.

Visual Hierarchy Object Types

Create a Business Process object type in the Visual Hierarchy object configuration. Visual Hierarchy object types comprise the top-most organizational level in the visual navigation. Vault displays all active Visual Hierarchy object types in a drop-down menu on the visual navigation landing page.

Visual Hierarchy Object Page Layouts

In the Visual Hierarchy object configuration, create an object detail page layout for the Business Process object type and configure it with the following changes:

  • 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. Under Filter Related List, filter by Visual Hierarchy Type > equals > Business Process. This filter ensures that users relating Visual Hierarchy records cannot choose a record of an inappropriate object type.

If you have additional Visual Hierarchy object types, you should configure an object detail page layout for each.

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.

Your Vault can also have one (1) configuration targeting the All object types without configuration option in the Object Type drop-down. This option can apply the same field display layout to several object types. This option is useful if you do not want to create a Visual Hierarchy Configuration for each Visual Hierarchy object type.

Create a Visual Hierarchy Configuration targeting the Business Process object type:

  • 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 Visual Hierarchy Image [1-3] 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.

In order to view the Process Navigator page, users require a permission set that includes Read permission to both the Hierarchy Document objects and to Visual Hierarchy objects or object types.

Process owners who create and manage business processes in Visual Hierarchies require a permission set that includes Create, Read, Edit, and Delete permissions to the Hierarchy Document and to the appropriate Visual Hierarchy object types. Ensure that process owners can access Visual Hierarchy object record creation through either a custom tab or access to the Business Admin page.

Users who create or manage Visual Hierarchy Configurations require a permission set that includes Create, Read, Edit, and Delete permissions for the Visual Hierarchy Configurations Admin component.

If you need 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 Parent, Position within Parent, Icon, Name, and Description fields on the Visual Hierarchy object via Atomic Security.