Workflows on Inventory Items

Overview

Inventory-based workflows let you trigger workflows directly from an inventory item and track every execution from the item detail page. This gives your team full visibility into what happened, when, and why — without leaving the item.

In this article, we'll be covering how to view, launch, manage, and automate inventory-based workflows in gaiia.

Understanding inventory-based workflows

Workflows in gaiia can be triggered from a number of objects — accounts, commercial accounts, properties, units, and now inventory items. Each object type has its own workflows tab, and inventory follows the same pattern you're already familiar with.

When a workflow is triggered from an inventory item, the full execution record lives on that item. Your team can see what ran, review inputs and outputs, and retry or cancel directly from the item detail page — no need to navigate to the workflow execution page or rely on workarounds.

Inventory-based workflows are designed for teams who need to standardize and audit how inventory moves through their operations — device assignments, equipment swaps, provisioning checks, and more.

Finding inventory workflows

1. Navigate to Inventory > Items and open an inventory item.
2. Select the Workflows tab alongside the Item History tab.
   

The Workflows tab is only visible to users with the Inventory > Items > Workflows permission. If you don't see it, contact your administrator.

Launching a workflow

1. From the Workflows tab, click Launch Workflow.
2. Select a workflow from the list. Only workflows configured for inventory objects will appear here.
3. Complete any required inputs and confirm.

Launching a workflow requires the Workflows > Launch sub-permission under Inventory > Items > Workflows.

Reviewing execution history

1. From the Workflows tab, select any past execution to open its details.
2. Review the execution status, inputs and outputs, and step-by-step history.
3. Optionally, add a comment to the activity log for context or follow-up.

Changes made through a workflow — such as a device reassignment — are also reflected in the Item History tab, giving you a complete audit trail in one place.

Retrying or canceling a workflow

1. From the Workflows tab, locate the execution you want to retry or cancel.
2. Click the three-dot menu on the execution row.
3. Select Retry or Cancel.

Retrying and cancelling workflows requires the Workflows > Edit sub-permission under Inventory > Items > Workflows. Contact your administrator if these options aren't available to you.

Automating inventory workflows with event triggers

If your team manages high-volume or time-sensitive inventory operations, you can combine event-based automation with inventory-based traceability — so workflows run automatically and every execution is recorded on the item.

We do this by separating the trigger from the work:

• Workflow A uses an event trigger (for example, inventory.assigned) to start automatically when something happens in the system.
• Workflow B is an inventory-based workflow (for example, Activate Device) that does the actual work and records the execution on the item.
• Workflow A calls Workflow B using a Start Workflow node.

The result: fully automated processes that your team can trace, audit, and retry from the inventory item — without any manual intervention under normal conditions.

Setting up this pattern requires access to the workflow builder. If you're interested in implementing it, reach out to your administrator or the workflows team.

Troubleshoot common issues

I don't see the Workflows tab on an inventory item

This tab is only visible to users with the Inventory > Items > Workflows permission. Contact your administrator to request access.

The workflow I'm looking for doesn't appear in the launcher

The launcher only shows workflows configured with an inventory item as the trigger object. If the workflow you need isn't listed, it may be configured for a different object type. Contact your administrator or the workflows team to update the workflow configuration.

Retry and Cancel aren't available in the three-dot menu

These actions require the Workflows > Edit sub-permission. Contact your administrator if you need access.

I launched a workflow but don't see it in the execution history

Try refreshing the page. If the execution still doesn't appear, check the Item History tab for any related changes, or contact the workflows team with the item details for further investigation.