# Build a Workflow

Everything in Analytics starts with a workflow, which serves as the backbone of your data logic. Within minutes, the cards and dots located in the tool menu will allow you to quickly formulate your audit-testing logic into a visual representation.

Here's our Product Designer, building a workflow. You are welcome to follow along.

{% embed url="<https://auditboard-education-services.wistia.com/medias/7wsdo7f0he>" %}
Analytics, Build a Workflow
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### New workflow

From Automations, under the Workflows section, click 'New Workflow'. Instantly, you will be redirected to the canvas located within a new workflow file.

<figure><img src="https://1817223046-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5mI0ilekQtcGTXKGQ2EF%2Fuploads%2F7ln1kRYUq9U66KOtdjSB%2Fdocs_buildaworkflow_newworkflowcta%402x.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=babc8f89-5e89-40c3-b9b2-10510dadbf55" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Import your data

Every workflow must begin with a data source; drag and drop a tool from the [<mark style="color:blue;">**Import**</mark>](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/import) tool group onto the canvas.

<figure><img src="https://1817223046-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5mI0ilekQtcGTXKGQ2EF%2Fuploads%2FvWhpafNpX00edx9ISVGr%2F2024-01-04_13-29-20%20(1).gif?alt=media&#x26;token=e442f397-c80a-4709-8b53-2274485ddbee" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Most of the Import tools must be configured before they can be connected to subsequent tools. To do this, click on the tool and follow the prompts in the tool configuration.

{% hint style="info" %}
A wrench icon displayed atop a tool is indicative of the fact that it needs to be configured.
{% endhint %}

<details>

<summary>Upload XLSX and CSV with Import File</summary>

Flat files such as **CSV** and **XLSX** can be imported to the workflow canvas adding an [Import File](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/import/import-file) tool your workflow. In addition to these common tabular data files, the workflow canvas also accepts TSV, SAV, and HYPER files.

Dragging a file from your computer's desktop, directly to the canvas works too!

</details>

<details>

<summary>Copy &#x26; paste with New Table </summary>

Use the [New Table](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/import/new-table) tool to manually add in a few quick cell's worth of data. Or copy and paste records from another spreadsheet tool.

</details>

### Clean, merge, transform

Having imported data to your canvas, it's time to hone in on crafting a data-logic flow. Connect your input data to one (or numerous) of the following tool types: clean, merge, and transform. This is where your math, logic, and audit expertise will really shine.

<details>

<summary>Clean</summary>

Clean tools are ideal for cleaning and standardizing messy data before analysis. Utilize the [Text to Columns](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/clean/texttocolumns) feature, familiar to anyone who has worked with a spreadsheet. Alternatively, you can deploy the [Find Replace](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/clean/find-replace) functionality to substitute values from a specified column.

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<details>

<summary>Merge</summary>

Merge tools combine multiple downstream datasets. Connect multiple datasets to the [Append](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/merge/append) tool, for a seamless union of rows. Alternatively, join two datasets using the [Join](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/merge/join) tool, based on a shared column.

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<details>

<summary>Transform</summary>

Transform tools provide insight into data. The [Add Columns](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/transform/add-columns) tool possesses an [Expression Builder](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/workflows/expression-builder) in the style of a spreadsheet, allowing for the insertion of new calculations. Additionally, you can incorporate a [Pivot](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/transform/pivot) tool to total and aggregate data. The [Filter](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/transform/filter) tool is also useful for singling out rows based on a given criteria.

</details>

### Publish your results

Free your testing results from the workflow by publishing back out to your colleagues. Export any table in your workflow. Send audit testing scorecards back to Controls Management or OpsAudit. Automatically email a file each time your workflow runs.

<details>

<summary>Export tables from Tool Preview</summary>

Click any tool on the canvas once, to see the Tool Preview. This will provide an glance at the table or sheet being processed by that tool. Simply click the "Export" button in the bottom-right corner to download that table as a CSV or XLSX.

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<details>

<summary>Publish to Toolkit </summary>

Add the [Publish to Toolkit ](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/publish/publish-to-toolkit)tool to any workflow. Your workflow can now be triggered from Controls Management or OpsAudit. Any tables connect will be sent back to Optro as a file.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Email out a table</summary>

Use the [Publish via Email](https://docs.auditboardanalytics.com/tools/publish/publish-via-email) tool to send a table, as a file to any email address. Each time the workflow runs, the email is sent again.

</details>