XN Lab is a visual diagram tool in CMP that maps the full step progression of any action type workflow. Use XN Lab to understand how steps connect, review every branching path, and export diagrams for reference or sharing. From within an action item, you can also open XN Lab to preview what will happen when you step the action, including who is notified, which templates send, any automated actions, and any charges that apply.
Contents
- Open XN Lab
- View Step Details
- Preview a Step Before You Take Action
- What the Preview Panel Shows
- Read the Diagram
- Step Cards
- Step Icons
- Connector Lines
- Looped Steps
- Adjust View Settings
- Export a Diagram
Open XN Lab
Open XN Lab from Settings > Action Types/Steps to see a configuration view of the full workflow. You can also open it from an action item to preview a step, covered in Preview a Step Before You Take Action.
The configuration view is available to users with Edit permission on Action Items.
- Navigate to Settings > Action Types/Steps.
- Click XN Lab on any action type.
The diagram opens and displays the full workflow from start to finish.
View Step Details
When you open XN Lab from Settings > Action Types/Steps, you can click any step card to see what happens at that step without leaving the diagram. The details are view-only, so you can review how a step is set up without changing anything.
- Navigate to Settings > Action Types/Steps.
- Click XN Lab on any action type.
- Click a step card in the diagram.
A panel opens with the step number and name at the top. - Review the step details.
- To look at another step, select it in the Go To Next Step list, and then click Go.
The panel shows the details for that step. - Click Close when you are done.
The panel groups information about the step:
- Step Summary: An automatically generated, plain-language summary of what the step does and where it can lead.
- Notifications Summary: How the step notifies people, the roles it sends to, and previews of the email or letter the step sends. Under Preview Communication, click Email or Letter to see the template. Any reports or attached documents the step includes are listed as well.
- Automated Actions Summary: Any automated actions tied to the step, such as automatically advancing to another step or holding until a follow-up date. This section appears only when the step has automated actions.
Note: Step details are view-only. To change how a step is configured, use the Action Types/Steps settings.
Preview a Step Before You Take Action
From within an action item, you can open XN Lab to preview what will happen before you step the action. The diagram opens anchored on your current step, and a preview panel on the right shows who will be notified, which templates send, any automated actions, and any charges that apply.
The Preview button appears anywhere you step action items: My Action Items, All Action Items, Homeowner Action Items, Association Action Items, Service Provider Action Items, the Action Center, and the Action Item screen. It is available to any user who can step the action item.
- Open any action item.
- Click Preview.
The Action Item Preview opens with the diagram anchored on your current step and the preview panel on the right. - Review the preview panel for the default next step.
- To use a different step as the next step, select it in the Simulate Next Step list, and then click Set as Next Step.
The preview closes, and the Next Step field in the window you opened Preview from changes to that step. Everything else you entered stays as it is. - If you do not want to change the next step, click Close when you are done.
Note: The preview is read-only. Reviewing a step here does not send notifications, post charges, or advance the action item. Set as Next Step only changes the Next Step field. To take the action, step the action item the way you normally would.
Important: Coming Soon. Action Item Preview includes a recipient list, warnings for missing contact information, a warning for roles with no recipients, step highlighting, and Preview from a new action item. These updates are rolling out gradually and may not be available to your account yet. For more information, see the "XN Lab: Action Item Preview Communications" article.
What the Preview Panel Shows
The preview panel groups information about the selected step:
- Step Summary: A plain-language summary of what the step does.
- Notifications Summary: Who will be notified and by which method, the recipient roles, a preview of the email or letter that will send, and any reports or attached documents the step includes. Coming Soon: Click See Recipients next to a role to review its recipient list. This update is rolling out gradually and may not be available to your account yet. For more information, see the "XN Lab: Action Item Preview Communications" article.
- Automated Actions Summary: Any automated actions tied to the step, such as automatically advancing to the next step or holding until a follow-up date.
- Charges: Any association charges the step will post, with a total.
Read the Diagram
Step Cards
Each step in the workflow appears as a card. Step cards show:
- Icons to indicate the function of the step (hover to see what it means)
- Step order and name
- Notification method
- Send To recipients
Step Icons
Icons on each step card indicate the step type or status:
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Auto-Step: Step advances automatically without user action.
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Decision Required: Hover over the step card to see which decision is required before the action item can advance.
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Closing Step: No connector lines appear beneath this step. Hover to confirm it is a closing step.
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Days to Remain: Hover to see the number of days before the action item auto-advances from this step.
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Warning: Indicates a missing template or a closing step missing a Next Step if Yes. Resolve in Action Types/Steps settings.
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Revenue Manager Contract: Identifies a step linked to a Revenue Manager contract. Hover the icon to see the tooltip "Used in Revenue Manager Contract." When a step has other icons, this one appears on the far right of the step card.
Connector Lines
Lines between step cards show how the workflow branches:
- Green lines indicate the next step when Yes
- Red lines indicate the next step when No
- Dotted lines represent optional paths
Looped Steps
When a workflow loops back to an earlier step, the diagram shows a simplified card instead of repeating the full step. The looped card displays the step number and name with a circular arrows icon on the left, indicating the workflow returns to a step already shown higher in the diagram. No connector lines continue from the looped card. The path continues from the original step card shown earlier.
For example in the following image, the Waiting for Estimate step loops back to Send to Service Provider for Estimate (if No).
Adjust View Settings
Click View Settings to control which connector lines display in the diagram. By default, Show Default Yes and Show Default No are enabled, displaying the primary path through the workflow. Toggle each option on or off to see more branching paths:
- Show Default Yes: Display the default Yes path for each decision step.
- Show Default No: Display the default No path for each decision step.
- Show All Yes: Display all Yes paths, including non-default branches.
- Show All No: Display all No paths, including non-default branches.
- Show No Decision: Display steps that have no decision branching.
Export a Diagram
- Click Export in the upper-right corner of XN Lab.
The export menu opens. - Select a format:
- Interactive Diagram: An HTML file of the diagram. Open it in any browser or embed it directly in a website.
- PNG: A static image of the diagram.
- SVG: A scalable vector image of the diagram.
- PDF: A PDF of the diagram.
The file downloads to your device.
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