Pipelines and stages

Pipelines define the path an application follows in Edmissa. Stages define the steps inside that path, from first review to the final outcome.

This is usually the first configuration to review because pipelines shape how counsellors, application officers, managers, and admins work with applications every day.

What this guide helps you set up

Use this guide to create or review an application pipeline before your team starts managing live applications.

The setup has five parts:

Decide which application journey the pipeline represents.
Create the pipeline in Settings.
Add the stages your team will use.
Configure stage requirements, access, approvals, and notifications.
Test the pipeline with a sample application before the team uses it for live work.

Before you start

Confirm these items before changing pipelines:

Item	Why it matters
Admin access	You need permission to manage pipeline settings.
Application journey	The pipeline should match how the team actually works.
Roles and users	Stage access and approval settings depend on the right roles.
Document types	Stages can require specific documents before work continues.
Fields	Stages can require important application details before progress.
Checklists	Stages can guide counsellors and application officers through required work.

If these settings are not ready, create a simple pipeline first. You can add more requirements after the base workflow is clear.

Open Pipeline Management

Go to Settings, then Pipelines.

The page title is Pipeline Management. The subtitle is Manage your workflows and application processing stages.

At the top of the page, admins can use:

Control	What it does
Templates button	Opens the template view for reusable pipeline setups.
Create Pipeline	Opens the Create Pipeline screen.
Active Pipelines	Shows active pipelines that users can work with.
Templates tab	Shows pipelines saved as templates.
Archived	Shows pipelines that are no longer active.
Search pipelines...	Filters the pipeline list by search text.

Each pipeline appears as a card. A card can show the pipeline name, stage count, description, role access, usage stats, and badges such as Default, Template, or Archived.

To work with an existing pipeline, use the three-dot menu on the pipeline card. The menu can include Edit, Clone, Manage Forms, Application Fields, Archive, Restore, and Delete Permanently. Pipeline cards are not opened by clicking the card itself.

Example pipeline: Student Visa Processing

Use Student Visa Processing as the first example pipeline. It gives the team a clear path for a student visa application, from the first counselling conversation to pre-departure support.

Stage	Purpose
Initial Consultation	Counsellor confirms the student's goals, destination, intake, study level, budget, and basic fit.
Document Collection	Team collects and checks the files needed for university and visa work.
University Application	Application officer prepares and submits the university application.
Acceptance Received	Team records the offer or acceptance and confirms the next actions with the student.
Visa Application	Team prepares the visa application, forms, financial documents, and submission details.
Interview Preparation	Counsellor or application officer helps the student prepare for the visa interview when needed.
Visa Approved	The visa outcome is successful and the team can prepare the final handover steps.
Pre-Departure	Team supports travel, enrollment, arrival, and any final student guidance.

This example is a starting point. Keep it if your agency handles student visa work in one connected workflow. Adjust it if your agency separates admissions, visa work, enrollment, payments, or partner review into different workflows.

If Student Visa Processing is already loaded in your workspace, open Active Pipelines and find its card. The card should show eight stages. If it is the main workflow for new applications, it may also show the Default badge.

Edit the loaded pipeline

Use this path when Student Visa Processing already exists:

Open Settings.
Go to Pipelines.
Stay on Active Pipelines.
Find Student Visa Processing.
Open the three-dot menu on the pipeline card.
Select Edit.
Review the Edit Pipeline screen.
Select Save Changes after making updates.

The Edit Pipeline screen has the title Edit Pipeline and the subtitle Update pipeline configuration and stages. The top actions are Cancel and Save Changes.

Create the pipeline

Use this path when the pipeline does not exist yet:

Open Settings.
Go to Pipelines.
Select Create Pipeline.
Enter a clear pipeline name, such as Student Visa Processing.
Add a short description that explains when the team should use this pipeline.
Choose a color if your team uses visual labels to scan pipelines.
Choose whether this pipeline should be the default for new applications.
Choose whether every role can access the pipeline or only selected roles.
Save the pipeline after the basic details and stages are ready.

Use a template or clone an existing pipeline when you need a similar workflow with small differences. This is usually cleaner than rebuilding every stage by hand.

Fill the pipeline form

The Create Pipeline and Edit Pipeline screens use the same main form.

In Basic Information, review:

Field or setting	How to use it
Pipeline Name	Enter the name users will recognize in daily work.
Description	Explain when this pipeline should be used.
Color	Choose the color shown on the pipeline card and stage views.

In Pipeline Settings, review:

Setting	How to use it
Allow Skip Stages	Let users skip stages that are not required.
Prevent Backward Movement	Stop applications from moving backward in the pipeline.
Auto Progression	Let the system move applications through stages automatically when configured work allows it.
Is Template	Save the pipeline as a reusable setup instead of a normal active workflow.
Default Pipeline	Use this pipeline as the default for new applications where the product supports a default.

In Role Access Control, choose one option:

Option	What it means
Available to all roles	All users with the right permissions can access the pipeline.
Available to selected roles only	Only selected roles can access the pipeline.

When you choose Available to selected roles only, use Select Allowed Roles to choose the roles that can use the pipeline.

Configure stages

Stages should describe the work happening right now. Use names your team says in daily work, not internal shorthand.

Use Pipeline Stages to manage the stage list. The screen includes Expand All, Collapse All, and Add Stage.

Each stage appears as a stage card. A collapsed stage card shows the stage number, stage name, stage type, and badges such as Approval. Use the drag handle to reorder stages. Expand a stage card to edit its details.

For each stage, review these settings:

Setting	How to use it
Stage name	Use a short, clear name that the whole team understands.
Stage type	Choose the meaning of the stage, such as new work, active work, paused work, successful outcome, withdrawn work, failed work, or lost work.
Description	Explain what should happen while the application is in this stage.
Color and icon	Help users recognize the stage quickly in lists and boards.
Required fields	Ask for important details before the application can move forward.
Required documents	Ask for files that must be collected or reviewed at that point.
Checklists	Add the actions a counsellor or application officer must complete.
Expected duration	Set how long the application normally stays in the stage.
Maximum duration	Mark when the application has stayed too long and needs attention.
Notifications	Notify the right roles when an application enters a stage or is delayed.
Approval settings	Require review before progress when the stage needs manager or officer approval.
Stage access	Limit stage work to the roles that should handle it.
Movement rules	Control whether users can move applications backward from or through the stage.

Only add a requirement when it helps the team work better. Too many required items can slow users down and make the workflow harder to maintain.

Inside an expanded stage card, the main labels are Stage Name, Stage Type, Stage Color, Description, Expected Duration (days), and Max Duration (days). When Max Duration is set, the screen also shows When Duration Exceeded, where you can choose Do Nothing (notify only), Archive Application, or Move to Another Stage.

Stage Requirements includes Required Stage and Requires Approval. If approvals are enabled, the stage can also show Approval Roles, Require Approver Verification, Approval Actions, and Revision Limits.

Stage Access Control includes Access Type and Allowed Roles. Use this when only specific roles should work on a stage.

Stage notifications include Notify on Entry, Notify on Delay, Entry Notification Roles, and Delay Notification Roles. Use these settings only when the right team members need a clear prompt at that stage.

Apply settings to the example stages

The Student Visa Processing pipeline becomes useful when each stage tells the team what must happen next.

Stage	Useful configuration
Initial Consultation	Require core student details, destination interest, intake, study level, and assigned counsellor.
Document Collection	Require identity, academic, financial, and language documents that apply to the student's destination.
University Application	Require program, institution, intake, deadline, and application submission details.
Acceptance Received	Require the acceptance or offer document, then notify the counsellor and application officer.
Visa Application	Require visa form details, acceptance document, financial evidence, and payment or submission notes where needed.
Interview Preparation	Add checklist items for appointment booking, mock interview, document pack review, and student guidance.
Visa Approved	Notify the team and confirm the successful outcome is recorded clearly.
Pre-Departure	Add checklist items for travel guidance, enrollment reminders, arrival notes, and final student support.

Do not force every stage to have the same amount of configuration. Some stages only need a clear name and description. Other stages need required documents, checklists, approvals, and notifications.

Choose stage types carefully

Stage type gives Edmissa the meaning behind the stage. The name can match your agency language, but the type should match the actual outcome.

Stage type	Use it when
New	The application has just entered the pipeline.
In progress	Work is actively happening.
On hold	The team is waiting for the student, institution, partner, payment, or result.
Completed	The application reached a successful final outcome.
Withdrawn	The student stopped the process.
Failed	The application reached an unsuccessful final outcome.
Lost	The student chose another path before the agency completed the process.

Be careful with final stage types. Completed, withdrawn, failed, and lost can affect how applications are reported and reviewed later.

In the Student Visa Processing example, Visa Approved can represent the successful visa outcome, while Pre-Departure keeps the after-approval work visible for teams that support students until travel or arrival.

Set access and approvals

Use access settings when different teams handle different parts of the process.

Examples:

Counsellors can work on counselling and document collection stages.
Application officers can work on review and submission stages.
Branch managers can approve sensitive stage changes.
Admins can update the pipeline structure.

Use approvals for moments where a second person needs to check the work before the application moves forward. For example, an application review stage may need approval before the team submits it to an institution.

Manage stage forms

Use Manage Forms from the pipeline card menu when different stages or roles need different forms.

The form management screen is called Pipeline Form Management. It includes:

Area	What it does
Stage Form Rules	Defines which form template each role sees at each pipeline stage.
Available Form Templates	Shows the form templates that can be assigned.
Application Fields	Opens the field settings used by application forms.
Edit Pipeline	Returns to the pipeline configuration screen.
Back to Pipelines	Returns to Pipeline Management.

Use stage form rules only when the form needs to change by stage or role. If the same form works for everyone, keep the rule setup simple.

Test before the team uses it

Before using a new pipeline for live work:

Create a sample application.
Move it through each stage.
Confirm required fields appear at the right time.
Confirm required documents match the stage.
Confirm checklist items make sense for the user doing the work.
Confirm approvals and notifications go to the right roles.
Confirm reports show the expected stage and outcome.

Ask one counsellor and one application officer to review the sample workflow if both roles will use the pipeline.

What happens next

After a pipeline is active, users can place applications into that pipeline and move applications through its stages. If the pipeline is marked as default, new applications can use it automatically where the product supports a default pipeline.

Changing a pipeline can affect how users see and process active applications. When a pipeline is already in use, review the change with the team before renaming stages, removing requirements, changing final stage types, or limiting access.

Archive a pipeline when the agency no longer uses it but still needs historical application records to remain understandable.

Good pipeline habits

Start with the smallest workflow that reflects real work.
Use one stage for one clear work state.
Avoid creating separate pipelines for tiny differences.
Use fields, document types, checklists, and country or region configuration for details that change by market.
Keep final stages clear so reports are easy to understand.
Review pipeline performance after the team has used it for a few weeks.

On this page