Core Concepts

Before diving into kikuflow, understanding these four core concepts will save you a lot of confusion later.

The four core concepts

1. Workflow

A workflow is a template that defines how a type of request gets handled. For example, a "Purchase Request Workflow" specifies:

1. Employee fills out a purchase form
2. Direct manager reviews
3. Finance confirms the amount
4. Done

A workflow doesn't "run" on its own — it only runs when someone submits a request, which creates a workflow instance.

Important: Once published, a workflow cannot be modified (to protect in-progress requests). To make changes, publish a new version.

2. Workflow Instance

Every time someone submits a request, a workflow instance is created — one execution of the workflow template. Multiple instances can run simultaneously (e.g., Alice's purchase request and Bob's purchase request are separate, independent instances).

3. Group

A group is the basic unit for task assignment. In a workflow, a task can be assigned to a group, and any member of that group can handle it.

For example: the "Finance Review" node is assigned to the "Finance Team" group — anyone in that group can process it and the workflow moves forward.

4. Department

A department represents the organizational hierarchy (org chart) — it records who reports to whom.

When a workflow has a "manager-level approval" node (e.g., amounts over $50,000 need a higher-level manager), the system uses the department structure to find the right manager.

Groups vs. Departments

This is the most commonly confused pair of concepts. For the full explanation, see 📌 Departments vs. Groups.

Quick rule:

• Group = a pool of people who can all handle a task
• Department = the org chart showing who is whose manager

Example Workflow: Purchase Request

Here's a purchase request workflow with branching, showing how each node is assigned:

【 Start 】
 │
 ▼
① 【 Submit Purchase Request 】
   Assigned to: Initiator (any employee submits themselves)
 │
 ▼
② 【 Direct Manager Review 】
   Assignment method: Manager (system automatically routes to the previous node handler's manager)
   ├─ [Reject] ──→ Workflow ends, request returned to initiator
   └─ [Approve] ──→ Continue
                     │
                     ▼
                 ③ 【 Finance Verification 】
                    Assignment method: Group; 
                    Assigned to: Finance Team (any member can handle)
                    ├─ Amount ≤ $50K ──→ ⑤ Done
                    └─ Amount > $50K ──→ Continue
                                          │
                                          ▼
                                      ④ 【 VP Approval 】
                                         Assignment method: Group; 
                                         Assigned to: Senior Management group
                                          │
                                          ▼
                                      ⑤ 【 Done 】

Core concepts used in each node:

Node	Assignment method	Assigned to
① Submit	—	Initiator themselves
② Manager Review	Manager	The previous handler's manager
③ Finance Verification	Group	Finance Team
④ VP Approval	Group	Senior Management group

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