Credential Request: Access Card & Mobile Credential

Use Case Overview

The credential request workflow offers a choice between the mobile credential and physical access card. It supports multiple card types, allowing the approver to select a card type accordingly.

For access cards, the workflow provides the option to assign a specific card number or automatically select the next available one. It also enables users to choose how the card will be collected, such as pickup in person, delivery to a branch, or mailing to an address.

Cardholders requesting a credential must already be registered in the Command Centre.

Creating Active vs. Inactive Credentials

The process is designed to create both active and inactive physical credentials, depending on the delivery method selected by the requester. For non-in-person collection methods, the card is generated as inactive in Command Centre. If the card is collected in person, an active credential is created.

Prerequisites Configuration

Before configuring this template, ensure the required system entities, such as lists or approver groups, are already set up. This includes pre-configuring the following elements:

Approver Group

An Approver Group is a set of individuals responsible for reviewing credential requests and deciding whether to approve, amend, or deny them. This group must be preconfigured for use in the workflow.

Command Centre PDF List

Import the Personal Data Fields list from Command Centre. This lets AccessNow use cardholder details in the workflow. For example, it can look up the requester cardholder and display relevant details to the requester or approvers.

You only need to import the Command Centre PDF List once. If you already imported it for another workflow, you can skip this step.

Command Centre Card Type List

Import the Card Type list from Command Centre. This list defines the physical and mobile credential types available in the workflow. Examples include staff cards, student cards, and digital credentials. These types determine which credentials the workflow can manage.

You only need to import the Command Centre Card Type List once. If you already imported it for another workflow, you can skip this step.

Notification Email Templates

The workflow automatically sends notification emails at configured points, such as notifying approvers when an approval task is created or informing a requester when a request needs an update or is completed. Email templates for these notifications should be predefined. Some templates are workflow-specific, while others are reusable. The emails use variables to personalise the content and ensure tailored messages.

Create a New Workflow

To create a workflow from a template, first manually create an empty workflow.

Import a Template

Download the template you want to customize and import it into the empty workflow created earlier. After that, you can start customizing your template.

Once the workflow is imported, steps and fields needing configuration are highlighted in red and are also mentioned in the validation messages. Follow the instructions below to configure these steps.

Step configuration: Data Initialisation

Open the workflow in edit mode and find the Data Initialisation step. This step configures all necessary fields and values required for the workflow before the process runs.

The Data Initialisation step is where you link the workflow template to the prerequisite elements you configured in the previous steps. Learn more about Data Initialisation step configuration.

Data Setup tab

Click on the step. It displays the step's configuration in the side panel.

Find the step's Data Setup tab. Steps and fields that need configuration are highlighted in red and are also mentioned in the validation message. Follow the instructions in the table below to configure the required fields. Remember to always Save your changes.

To learn how to reference the Command Centre PDF IDs and Card IDs in AccessNow, follow these instructions: Command Centre PDF & Card Type IDs

Field Name

Value type

Value

ApproverGroups

Group

Select the approver groups that review these access card requests.

UniqueUserPdf

Select Command Centre PDF List

Select the PDF that uniquely identifies the cardholder, such as Email.

ReadPDFsFromCC

Select Command Centre PDF List

Select the PDFs that contain the cardholder details shown to approvers, such as Department, Phone, or Role.

CardholderImageKey

Select Command Centre PDF List

Select the image PDF used for the cardholder profile photo, such as Profile Picture.

MobileCredentialRef

Select Command Centre Card Type List

Select the Mobile Credential card type from the Card Type List.

CardTypesList

List

Select the list that contains the Command Centre card types imported into AccessNow.

BranchLocationList

List

Select the list that contains the available branch pickup locations for physical credentials.

NotifyApproverEmail

Email Template

Select the email template sent when an approval task is created.

RequestCompletedEmail

Email Template

Select the email template sent when the request is completed.

RequestFailedEmail

Email Template

Select the email template sent when the request fails because of a system error.

RequestRejectedEmail

Email Template

Select the email template sent when the request is rejected.

RequestAmendmentEmail

Email Template

Select the email template sent when the requester must amend the request.

Remember to Save your changes.

Step configuration: Credential Details

The purpose of this step is to collect request details from the requester using a preconfigured input form. Depending on whether mobile, physical, or both credential types were selected in the previous step, this form will request details such as photo upload and device name choice for mobile credential assignment, as well as delivery method for physical credentials.

Learn more about the Input Step configuration.

Form Fields tab > Select branch location > Data Source

Click on the step. It displays the step's configuration in the side panel.

For physical credentials, the collection method must be chosen. The default methods are: in person, from a branch, or via postage. If choosing a branch, a list of branch locations must be provided.

Locate the step's Form Fields tab > Select branch location field

Create the list of the credential pick up branches using the Custom List in AccessNow. Once ready link the list in the Data Source section under the List Reference drop-down.

Step configuration: Find Cardholder in Command Centre

This step locates the requester cardholder record in Command Center using the unique ID (UniqueUserPdfForRequester) provided during the Data Initialization step. It can also be used to retrieve additional cardholder information, such as Department, Phone, Role, Date of Birth, etc., if available in the Command Center. The template allows for use of up to four PDFs. This information is then displayed to the approver.

Learn more about the Process Step configuration.

Process tab > Output Map parameters

Click on the step. It displays the step's configuration in the side panel.

Locate the step's Process tab > Output Map

In the Data Initialisation step, while setting the value of ReadPDFsFromCC, you identified the Personal Data fields (PDFs) for lookup in the Command Centre and to be displayed in AccessNow. This process step facilitates that task.

However, it is essential to configure the labels of the Command Centre PDFs. These are the expected Command Centre label names and should be specified in the Process tab under the Output Map as parameters (see the below screen-shot).

Output Map fields before configuration:

Output Map fields after configuration. Note in this example, we choose to delete two fields that were not used. Save your changes.

Step configuration: Approval for New Credential Request

This step creates an approval task for the relevant approver group.

You can learn more about this type of step in the Process Task Step section

Input Fields tab > Requester Details

It is recommended to update the labels on the displayed Command Centre PDF information, even though configuring the Input Fields tab does not trigger a validation error. The Requester details form field uses the UserCard that displays the user information as shown in the example below.

Go to Input Fields > Requester Details > UserCard Details

The UserCard is an interface element designed to display user details. Its configuration includes definitions for the data to be displayed, such as First Name and Last Name, which are selected and configured by default.

You can configure additional fields labeled as Pdf_1, Pdf_2, and Pdf_3 as shown in the screenshot below.

These fields need to be configured based on how many you want to display and what information you wish to extract from Command Centre as declared in the Data Initialisation and than in Find Requester in Command Centre and Find OnBehalf User in Command Centre.

In our example, we've chosen to retrieve Role and Department details from the Command Centre for both the Requester and Recipient.

To ensure that the labels in the UserCard align with the Command Centre information, untick the fields you are not using and update the field labels as shown in the screenshot below. Save your changes.

Input Fields tab > Recipient Details

Repeat the same steps for the Input Fields tab > Recipient Details > UserCard Details form field. Remember to Save your changes.

Email tab > Contact Email Template

Requesters can contact the approver group by clicking the Contact our team link (highlighted in the screenshot). It allows users to type a custom message and send it to the approval team.The additional custom configuration required for that step involves an email template used for sending emails to the approvers.

To configure the email template, navigate to the Email tab. From the Contact Email Template dropdown, select the desired email template to be used when a requester contacts.

Remember to Save your changes.

Step configuration: Action Required for Credential Request Amendment

This step returns the request to the requester when the credential review identifies required amendments, such as uploading a new photo. This is essentially a task for the requester to complete, which is why it uses the Process Task step.

You can learn more about this type of step in the Process Task Step section.

Input Form tab > Select branch location > Data source

Click on the step. It displays the step's configuration in the side panel.

At this point, the requester can amend the details of their request, including the pickup method. Therefore, it is necessary to refer to the pickup locations list in case the branch collection method is selected.

Locate the step's Form Fields tab > Select branch location field

Select the same list of credential pickup branches as used in the Credential Details Step configuration. Link the list in the Data Source section under the List Reference dropdown.

Save your changes.