Required Roles: Workspace Manager
Required Permissions: Workspace Settings access
Index
Overview
This article explains how custom document workflows work in Kivo and how to set one up from start to finish.
Custom workflows allow you to define the steps a document must pass through before it can be approved — such as collaboration, review, and e-signature. Once created, a workflow is assigned to a cabinet or folder, and all documents in that location will follow it automatically.
Custom Workflows are available in the Regulatory, Clinical, Quality, and Corporate modules.
Note: Custom Workflows are only available in the Mark 3 version of Kivo Go. To upgrade, contact Kivo Support or your Customer Success Manager.
Workflow Step Types
A custom workflow must contain at least two steps and must always include a Collaboration step and an Approval step. The available step types are:
Collaboration (required — must be first) — Users draft or edit the document, individually or in a real-time collaboration session. Every workflow must begin with this step.
Review Content — Users can review, modify, and edit the document content before it advances to the next step.
Review — Users preview the document and leave comments or annotations. Reviewers cannot edit the document content directly.
Approval (required — must be last) — Users approve the document. This step finalizes the document and records the approval in the audit trail. You can optionally enable E-Signature here to route approval through DocuSign.
Setting Up a Workflow (Step-by-Step)
Setting up a workflow is a two-part process.
Part 1 — Create the Workflow Template
Workflow templates are built in Settings → Workspace Settings → Workflows. Here you define the step sequence, step types, participant thresholds, and optional settings like due dates and metadata triggers.
For full steps, see: Creating a Workflow
Part 2 — Assign the Workflow to a Cabinet or Folder
Once the template is created, assign it to a location in Manager Mode. This is where you connect the template to a specific cabinet or folder and define which users or groups participate in each step.
Documents uploaded to a location with an assigned workflow will automatically enter the workflow upon creation.
For full steps, see: Adding a Workflow to a Cabinet
Modifying or Deleting a Workflow
To modify or delete a workflow, navigate to Settings → Workspace Settings → Workflows and select the workflow you want to edit. You can update the workflow name, add or remove steps, or delete the workflow using the bin icon.
Note: Modifying a workflow will not affect documents already in progress — changes apply to new workflow instances only.
For full steps, see: Creating a Workflow
Assigning a Workflow to a Cabinet or Folder
Workflows are assigned at the cabinet level in Manager Mode. Once assigned, you can also configure optional cabinet-level settings such as workflow bypass on upload and manual version override on upload.
Allow workflow bypass on upload — When uploading a document, a user can bypass the workflow and immediately approve it as version 1.0. If "reason for approval" is enabled, the user will be prompted to select a reason (e.g., "Approved prior to upload").
Allow manual version override on upload — When bypassing the workflow, a user can manually set the Kivo version number. Useful when uploading a document previously approved in another system (e.g., setting the version to 7.0 to match).
For full steps, see: Adding a Workflow to a Cabinet
Related Articles
Admin setup
Context
End-user experience
[Kivo Admin Guide] > [Document Management] > Configuring Workflows