Feature Deep Dive: Workflows

Summary

Scholarly Software's workflow engine is purpose-built for the faculty lifecycle, streamlining processes such as annual reviews, promotion and tenure cases, leaves of absence, and conflict-of-interest disclosures. The platform offers flexible, customizable workflows that adapt to institutional needs, providing administrators with real-time, color-coded overviews and powerful case management tools. Features include configurable reviewer assignments (including committees), one-click data exports, seamless external reviewer management with institution-branded communications, and a reviewer interface designed for efficiency. Building and launching new workflows is measured in minutes, not months, making it easy to automate and scale academic processes. Scholarly emphasizes security, data-driven insights, and a user-friendly experience to improve the lives of faculty and administrators.

What types of faculty processes can Scholarly's workflow engine handle? * Scholarly supports annual activity reporting, promotion and tenure workflows, leave of absence applications, conflict-of-interest submissions, and other custom, form-based processes (source).
How does Scholarly help administrators track and manage workflows? * Administrators receive instant, color-coded infographics and can drill down to see detailed progress for every case, send reminders, adjust deadlines, or export all artifacts with a single click.
Can reviewer assignments be customized for each workflow? * Yes, Scholarly allows for zero, one, or multiple reviewers per step, supports both ad-hoc and standing committees, and enables person-by-person assignment overrides without rebuilding committees.
How are external reviewers managed in Scholarly? * The platform handles the entire external letter process, from nomination to secure, login-free dossier links, with automatic conflict-of-interest checks and institution-branded communications to ensure trust and compliance.
How quickly can new workflows be built and deployed? * New workflows can be configured in minutes, allowing institutions to define steps, forms, and assignees and launch processes rapidly.

"Unlock the power of your data, automate your workflows, and improve the lives of your faculty." – Scholarly Software, Inc.

Ready to experience streamlined faculty workflows? Book a personalized demo with Scholarly today.

Apr 30, 2025

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Why a Flexible Workflow Engine Matters

Annual evaluations, promotion reviews, tenure cases, leaves of absence, conflict-of-interest disclosures—each one follows its own path, yet they all rely on the same core steps: collect information, route it to the right people, and keep things moving. Scholarly’s workflow engine does exactly that, at any scale, without forcing you into a rigid “one-size-fits-all” template.

Scholarly's workflow engine is built specific for the faculty life cycle. Using Scholarly, customers are currently running:

Annual activity reporting & performance reviews
Promotion and tenure workflows (complete with external letters)
Leave of absence applications and approvals
Conflict-of-interest submissions and follow-ups
Other custom, form-based processes

A Bird’s-Eye View for Admins

Institution and department admins get an instant snapshot of every workflow in flight—even when thousands of faculty are participating at once. Color-coded infographics show exactly how many people are at each step, so you can spot roadblocks before they become delays.

Drill-Down into Case Management

Click into a department (or any custom grouping) to see detailed progress for every individual. Need to nudge a lagging reviewer or adjust a deadline? One click is all it takes to send reminders, change due dates, or download every artifact as a single ZIP.

Committees & Custom Assignees

Assign zero, one, or many reviewers to any step. Assign ad-hoc or standing committees, with the ability to swap out individual committee members for single cases without needing to rebuild the committee from scratch. Scholarly even lets you override assignments on a person-by-person basis.

One Click Exports and Data

Grid View: Tabular snapshots of every answer collected in the workflow
Chart View: Visualize the quantitative output of a given workflow, surfacing things like grant dollars awarded, merit scores, h-indices, or citation counts.
Point Calculations: Assign formula-driven workload points and surface equity insights instantly
One-Click Exports: Download PDFs, CSVs, or Excel files for deeper analysis—or let your BI tool do the heavy lifting

External Reviewers, Handled End-to-End

From nominating reviewers to sending secure, login-free dossier links, Scholarly keeps the entire external-letter process in one place. Automatic conflict-of-interest checks ensure reviewers stay independent, and real-time status tracking shows exactly who has opened, accepted, or submitted a letter.

Emails from Scholarly can be sent from your institution's email domain. Landing pages for the external reviewer experience have your institution's branding, so the external reviewer knows it's coming from a trusted source.

Lightning-Fast Reviews for Chairs, Deans, and Committees

A simple “Next Review” button guides busy reviewers through their queue—displaying the faculty submission on the left and the review form on the right. Whether you collect merit scores, narrative feedback, or file uploads, each form is fully configurable to your institution’s rubric.

Configurable in Minutes (Really)

Behind the scenes, building a new workflow is measured in minutes, not months. Define steps, forms, and assignees—then roll it out when you’re ready.

Ready to See More?

If you’d like a personalized walkthrough—or have questions about integrating Scholarly with your existing systems—just request a demo. We’d love to show you how painless faculty workflows can be.