CommsFlow Administration

Administering Flows​

With Blameless' CommsFlow, organizations can centrally define and automate their overall communication strategies for incident response.

The following tools, and their instructions, help deliver highly customizable and information-rich announcements and updates, automatically at any specific transition of your incident flows or as reminders. Use these tools to “nudge” on-call teams and subject matter experts in order to progress and complete specific tasks or actions.

Identifying the flow within the list​

When you open CommsFlow, the list of existing flows appears. You can determine the flow type by the icon that appears between the "Activate" slider and the Flow title.

Administration Tools​

Activating or Deactivating a CommsFlow​

At any point, you can activate or deactivate a flow from two locations once it has been saved:

• Flows landing page: Activate via the slider on the card title.

• Flows Summary page: Activate via the “Active” slide on the “Flow Name” line.

At any point, you can return to the flows landing page, with the list of existing flows, by clicking on the “Flows” link on the left side of the screen under “CommsFlow”.

At the top of the CommsFlow Landing page, above the list of existing flows, are the following features:

• Filter

• Sort by

• Direction

• Advanced Filtering

Filter​

You can now Filter by flow name. Start typing to auto-fill the results.

Sorting​

Customers can now sort the Flows:

• Created at (default)

• Last Sent

• Last Updated

• Number (#) of sends

• CommsFlow Name

They can also be sorted by:

• Ascending

• Descending

Advanced Filtering​

CommsFlow expands the feature by providing the following advanced filter options:

• Trigger type

• Event type

• Message providers

• Incident severities

• Incident statuses

• Retrospective status

• Created by

Select filters (Slack / Microsoft Teams CommsFlow)​

1. Click on the “Advanced Filter” button to open the option list. The Filter options window opens.

2. Select the desired filters. The “Apply Filters” button becomes active.

3. Click the “Apply” button.

Updating a CommsFlow​

There are two ways to edit the communication flow:

1. Click on the name of the flow in the flow card in the Landing page.

2. Click on the ellipse (three dots) and select the “Edit flow” option.

You have three options under the ellipse:

• Edit a flow

• Duplicate a flow

• Delete a flow

Both methods open the flow wizard for the selected flow.

Editing a Flow: Pencil vs. Chain Link​

When the window opens, you will see the Flow Summary page. On that page, on the right side of the Section title, there is either a “pencil” icon or a “chain” link icon.

1. If you click on the “Pencil” icon: The “Edit Tags” window opens. Edit your tag values and press the “Save” button when done.

2. If you click on the “Chain link” icon: The communications flow manager will take you to the Section associated with the link (i.e., “Recipient” link to the “Recipient” section).

3. Edit your field values and press the “Save” button when done.

Duplicating a Flow​

As an extra convenience for users to not have to start a new communication flow from scratch, the communications flow manager allows you to duplicate a flow.

1. Click on the ellipse (three dots) and select the “Duplicate flow” option. A new copy of the Communication flow opens.

2. Modify the fields you wish to change.

3. If, for example, you want to add or change the communications method (i.e., Add Slack user(s) or channel(s), make the adjustment and click the “Save” button.

4. If you wish to adjust the triggers, you have two methods available:

   • Click on the “Next” button to advance to the Triggers section

   • Click on the “Triggers” dot in the status bar at the top of the window

5. Make your adjustments and click on the “Save” button.

6. Enter the new “flow name”.

7. Click on the “Save” button.

8. Click on the “Finish” button when you are done.

Delete a Flow​

1. Return to the CommsFlows landing page.

2. Click on the ellipse (three dots) and select the “Delete flow” option. The Communications flow manager will open a warning window that you are about to delete the flow permanently.

3. Click on either the “Cancel” button or the “Delete” button to continue.