Master Workflow Visualization in SharePoint: A Complete Guide to Process Steps

Are you struggling to visualize workflows in SharePoint?

If you’ve tried using out-of-the-box tools, you’ve likely run into frustrating limitations.

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SharePoint’s native features make it nearly impossible to create a workflow visualization that always shows the current process step or status of an item without resorting to buggy workarounds. These solutions are often difficult to customize, time-consuming to update, and leave users confused about where they stand in the process.

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This blog post introduces the skybow Process Steps control — a powerful, intuitive tool designed to eliminate those pain points. With this control, you can create clear, dynamic visualizations that make it easy for users to see exactly where they are and what comes next in any workflow.

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Why Visualizing Workflows in SharePoint Matters

Visualizing workflows in SharePoint is more than just a nice-to-have feature — it’s essential for improving efficiency and user experience. In complex processes, users often struggle to understand their role or what comes next, especially when workflows are presented in a static, text-heavy format.

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A well-visualized workflow provides clear, intuitive guidance, helping users quickly grasp their position in the process and the steps ahead. This not only reduces confusion but also minimizes delays caused by unnecessary back-and-forth communication. Moreover, visualized workflows boost transparency, ensuring everyone involved can see progress at a glance.

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When workflows are visually engaging and easy to follow, users are more likely to adopt the system, ultimately leading to higher productivity and better compliance with organizational procedures. In SharePoint, where native tools fall short in providing these capabilities, effective visualization becomes even more critical.

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When to Use Workflow Visualization in SharePoint

Workflow visualization in SharePoint is most beneficial when dealing with processes that have multiple steps and involve several participants. For simpler workflows — like those with only two statuses — a basic dropdown menu or text field may be sufficient to keep things clear and manageable.

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However, as soon as a process becomes more complex, with multiple phases, conditional approvals, or input from different stakeholders, the risk of losing oversight increases dramatically. This is where workflow visualization becomes invaluable.

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For example, consider these types of processes:

• Expense Approval Workflow: Multiple phases such as submission, line manager approval, and final approval by finance, each requiring clear visibility.
• Leave Request Workflow: Tracking requests through statuses like "Requested," "Reviewed," and "Approved/Declined" can quickly overwhelm static lists.
• Product Development Process: From ideation to design, testing, production, a visualized workflow ensures every member knows what stage a product is in.
• Construction Projects: With numerous steps like planning, approval, execution, and inspection, visualizing workflows helps coordinate between teams.
• HR Onboarding Process: Tracking new hires through stages like document submission, training, and team integration benefits from a clear, visual structure.
• Content Approval in Marketing: Moving content from draft to review, revision, and publishing is much smoother with visual cues.

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When workflows are visualized, users can instantly see where the process stands, who is responsible, and what comes next, making collaboration more effective and reducing delays caused by miscommunication or confusion. This makes workflow visualization a game-changer for any complex, multi-step process.

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Key Features of Process Steps

The Process Steps feature of skybow makes it possible to visualise workflows in SharePoint on Display, Edit and New Forms. No programming knowledge is required for this. The feature is completely configurable using a low-code wizard.

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The visualization can be completely adapted to the CI of the company and the requirements of the process. It is customizable down to the smallest detail.

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Here's an overview of the most important key features:

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1. Three Layouts to Choose From

• Boxed layouts with phases and statuses.
• Linear or flowchart-style visualizations.
• Customizable layouts to suit different processes.

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2. Dynamic Styling

• Change styles using theme colors or custom colors.
• Distinguish between steps (e.g., active, completed, or skipped) with specific colors or icons.

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3. Visibility Rules

• Use a powerful expression language to show or hide steps dynamically.
• Tailor visibility based on the workflow’s current phase or user role.

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4. Descriptions and Icons

• Add static or dynamic descriptions for each step.
• Represent steps with icons, numbers, or both.

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5. Integration with Choice Columns

• Process Steps relies on SharePoint choice columns for configuration.
• Customize phases and statuses based on predefined column values.

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If you would like more insights into Process Steps Control on a technical level, you will find everything you need to know here in our skybow portal.

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Step-by-Step Guide: Configuring Process Steps

In this video you will find detailed follow along instructions on how to configure the process steps control on your SharePoint forms in order to visualize your workflow. Matthias will also show you various application options and how to customize the control to your exact needs. The steps are also listed below the video in text form.

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1. Add the Control

• Go to the Display, Edit or New Form and select "Process Steps" from the available controls.
• Add it to the form and start customizing.

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2. Choose a Base Column

• Select the choice column to base your workflow steps on (e.g., "Phase" or "Status").
• Configure steps directly from the column values.

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3. Select a Layout

• Choose one of the three pre configured layouts.
• You can make adjustments to the layout or colours later. This is about the basic presentation first.

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4. Configure Individual Steps

• For each step:
  • Define its connection to the choice column.
  • Add an optional custom display name.
  • Set descriptions (static or dynamic).
  • Specify visibility expressions to control when the step appears.

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5. Style Your Workflow

• Customize step colors and icons to indicate:
  • Active steps (e.g., green for current).
  • Completed steps (e.g., checkmarks or grayed out).
  • Skipped or declined steps (e.g., red or grayed out).

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6. Add Dynamic Descriptions

• Use the Expression Builder to create dynamic descriptions based on real-time data (e.g., current status or assigned user).

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Tips for Effective Workflow Visualization

Last but not least, a few of our expert tips for good workflow visualisation. Because this should also be done correctly so that it is also effective.

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If you follow these points, nothing can go wrong:

• Simplify complex workflows: Use colors and icons to make stages obvious.
• Use visibility rules: Hide irrelevant steps to reduce clutter.
• Leverage dynamic descriptions: Show real-time data where it matters most.
• Test layouts: Experiment with different layouts to find what works best for your team.