Configure request management features in Benchling Workflows

Benchling’s request management features in Workflows—including Requests and Forms—make it easier to initiate and track work. These tools allow for better control of the work your team does and are built on top of a Workflow task to provide them a more customized experience. 

You can choose to configure Request templates or Forms for your team based on what your goal is: 

• Request templates provide a structured method for launching Tasks with clearly defined inputs and instructions
• Forms allow you to tailor the Task submission experience by controlling how fields are organized and labeled. 

Together, Requests and Forms help your team manage work more efficiently and reduce data entry errors. Before you configure a Request template or a Form, you will need to have the relevant Workflow Task schema(s) configured; see the linked article for more information on how to configure Workflows schemas.

Configure a Request template

Request templates are a configurable template tied to a Task schema that defines the structure of each request type and determines how it appears to users in the Request portal based on their role in the organization. 

• Requestors will see a list of the Request templates they have permission to use to create Requests
• Fulfillers will see a dashboard list of all Requests and their statuses

To create a Request template, navigate to the Request template tab at the top of the task schema page. In this tab you will find any existing Request templates and the option to create a new Request template. Requests is enabled in the Capability management of the Tenant Admin Console, if you don’t see the option for the Request template tab, enable the application for your org. For more information on capability management, see the linked article. 

Once in the Request template tab: 

1. Click Create to enter the create Request template modal
2. Fill out the Request template attributes by giving the template a descriptive name, a Request ID prefix, and choosing the Template Collection it should belong to
3. After completing all the fields in the modal, click Create 

Note: you can create a Request template as described above from the Task schema page, or from the Template Collection. If you create the Request template from the Task schema page, the Task schema field will already be populated. If you create the Request template from the Template Collection, you will need to define this. 

Build a Request template

Once you have created the template, an Entry with the Task table will appear. Upon creation, a Request template defaults to be fill-in only, you can change this if you desire. 

Configure the rest of the template by: 

• Adding formatted instructions and attachments as needed
• Inserting additional sections (text, structured tables, etc.) as needed
• Editing the Task table (lock or unlock columns, re-order columns, add calculations, etc.) as needed 

The template auto-saves as you edit and you can edit them after you create the template. However, you cannot change the Task schemas after the template is created. 

Permissions for Request templates

Access to Request Templates is controlled through Template Collections. This means users must be granted access to the relevant template collection to view and create requests. Admins can hide templates from certain users by omitting them from the collection. The table below summarizes the permissions needed to use Requests by role in the organization: 

Templates cannot be moved between collections after creation. For more about permissions for Template Collections, see the linked article. 

Configure a Form

Forms can be configured and saved in the Workflow Task schema or in the Template Collection. Forms are a tool that create a customizable form for users to create Tasks. When creating a Form, you will choose: which fields are visible, which fields are required, and if you’d like to create custom names or descriptions for a field. This can be useful when:

• You want to standardize task creation across different users or teams
• You need to enforce field requirements or input validation
• You want to streamline repeated task submission with consistent formatting
• You need to organize complex request inputs into multiple sections

To configure a Form, navigate to the Forms tab at the top of the Task schema page. In this tab you will find any existing Forms and the option to create a new Form.   

Once in the Forms tab:

1. Click Create to enter the create Form modal
2. Fill out the Form attributes by giving the Form a descriptive name and using the dropdown to confirm what Template Collection and Task schema the Form belongs to
3. Once you’ve completed all the fields in the modal, click Create 

Note: Alternatively, you can configure a Form directly in a Template Collection.

Build a Form

When it is initially created, a Form has one section and all fields selected. In order to make your form more intuitive for your team, you can create additional sections or choose to have only specific fields appear. 

To build your form: 

1. Optionally click + Add section to add a new shared section and use the text box to give the section a name and description if desired
2. Use the dropdown in the Fields to include table to define which section a field should appear, they will default to the repeatable section
3. Use the checkboxes in the Fields to include table to toggle which fields appear in the form
4. Click the gear icon next to the field name to adjust settings for any field, this includes:
   • Changing the display name of the field
   • Adding a description of the field
   • Making the field required in the Form
5. Preview the Form to the right, at any time click Create another task in the preview window to see what your team will see when they use the form
6. Once you’ve completed building your Form, click Create to save it  

Once created, the Forms can be directly edited and you must click Save to save any changes you make. Additionally, if needed, you can rename, move, archive, or export the Form using the … menu in the upper right corner of an existing Form. 

If you update a Form after it has been created, the updates will apply the next time the Form is used.

Comparing Forms and Requests

The table below outlines the key differences between Forms and Requests to help clarify when to use each.