Workflow-backed software automates business tasks by encoding and enforcing business rules and processes, then electronically routing the right information to the right people at the right time. The membership workflow ensures that memberships move through well-defined membership processes before they are approved and become current, that applicants are notified when their membership applications are received and when bills are issued, and administrators are notified when membership applications are submitted for their approval. Automated membership workflow enhances visibility into the membership process throughout Kavi Members, including User Tools and Admin tools, member rosters and directors, reports and logs.

The membership workflow consists of states and transitions that define the membership process from the time a membership application or renewal request is submitted until the membership expires and is finally archived. The workflow is configurable, so approval may be gated by billing and moderation steps or other prerequisites, or the membership may be automatically approved, immediately passing through these steps.

Membership state information is used to gate user access and privileges throughout the organization's Kavi-hosted website. Workflow-backed scheduled email can go out to members and administrators throughout the membership lifecycle.

There is a basic, predefined workflow for processing new membership applications and membership renewals. Configuration options allow organizations to tailor how their memberships move through the process, but the workflow is common to all organizations. The basic workflow includes billing and moderation steps, but the Super Admin can configure the order in which these steps occur in the organization's memberships and whether each step is enforced in a specific membership type.

Figure 20.1. Standard Membership Workflow

This diagram shows the general order of states in the membership workflow. Each membership starts out in the 'New' state, passes through all other states and terminates in the 'Archived' state. The exception is a membership that is rejected by a moderator and immediately deleted.

Before a new or renewed membership becomes current, it has to pass a series of tests that gate approval. This includes checks to make sure the membership has been paid for and approved by organization moderators, and the scheduled start date has been reached. For each membership type, the organization can decide what kind of membership fee should apply and whether the membership should be moderated or not. If a membership type is neither billed nor moderated, memberships of this type automatically pass billing and moderation tests and move immediately into the 'Approved' state.

The organization also decides the order in which its memberships pass through the billing and moderation steps, and whether fee payment is required for a membership to go active or not. The workflow for renewed memberships is defined independently of the new membership workflow. This gives organizations a great deal of flexibility in defining their membership acquisition processes.

Once the membership acquisition and renewal processes are defined, Kavi Members workflow-backed technology ensures the defined process is always followed, transparently supporting organization staff in membership management, minimizing the risk of inadvertent deviations from organization membership rules.

The table below describes all the states in the standard membership workflow and the tests a membership must pass to move on to the next state.

Messages indicating membership state are displayed on the My Account and My Company pages, as well as Admin Area tools and reports. Here are some examples of end-user messages about membership state.