HighGear FAQs | Automation Workflow Software

Licensing

How is HighGear Licensed?

HighGear is licensed by “Contributors,” everyone else is free. You can assign up to 5 open tasks to anyone without needing a license. A “Contributor” is a user that will have more than 5 open tasks assigned to them at any one time. If they close two tasks, you can assign two more; the limit only applies to open tasks. Contributors are those who are actually doing the work. Everyone else can have a HighGear account and use it to request tasks, run reports or access any other features you want to give them – without requiring a license. HighGear is free for those who run reports and watch the actual work being done.

Workflow Automation

You say no code, but is it really?

When we say no code, we mean it. When you design your processes, you will be pointing and clicking and dragging and dropping for all of the design and automation. The closest you could get to “coding” is typing a formula for a workflow calculation (think MS Excel calculations). Don’t get us wrong, if you want to code, we have a fully integrated API suite available to solve your custom needs too.

If I make a change to a Workflow (or Form, or Field, etc), how long does it take to “go live”?

HighGear allows you to make a change and have it instantly available to your users, although you can customize HighGear based on your own Change Management practices.

Can I have a Request route to one person/team vs another person/team based on criteria?

Absolutely yes! Our robust workflow engine allows you to easily configure your process to make decisions based on simple to very complex logic and route your projects/tasks as you need them to be routed. In addition, you can ensure that the party receiving the project/task receives a notification that they were just given a project/task to work on.

Can I Develop a Process in One System and Transfer it to Another?

Yes! Our recommendations would have you creating your process in a Development environment and then using the HighGear Configuration Synchronization feature to pass it to your Staging and Production environments when ready. There is no need to touch the database or server, this “sync” can be done from the Administration section of HighGear.

How can I get help with HighGear?

We’ve got you covered! HighGear provides a comprehensive Help File, Training Videos, monthly Administrator Webinars, Customer Success program, along with our outstanding Support team.

Enterprise Task Management

Can I assign more than one person to a task?

Yes, multiple people or teams can be assigned to projects/tasks.

Is there an easy way to create tasks that repeat?

Yes. Using HighGear’s Recurring Tasks feature you can create a recurring task, based on a dynamic schedule. For example, a task can be scheduled to occur the 3rd business day of each month or the first Monday of every quarter. HighGear provides many recurrence pattern options!

Can I easily see where my team’s tasks are and who’s actively working on tasks?

Yes. The Activity Stream feature displays your team’s live active changes while the Task List allows you to filter and display the data that’s important to you. You can even save your filters to use again later.

Can my users be notified when they receive a request or when a request goes past due?

Yes to both cases. Not only can you ensure that users are notified in HighGear, the system can be configured to send e-mail notifications as well. Notifications can also be configured based on specific workflow criteria, such as:

“If this task is being performed for a member of ‘HighGear Maintenance Requesters,’ notify management if the task is not completed within 4 business hours of the due date.”

Can the system record multiple stage approvals?

Yes. Any number of approvals can be recorded.

Can you attach files to a project/task? How large can the files be?

Yes. Files can be attached to a project/task. Also, multiple files can be uploaded at the same time and to attach 1 or more files, it’s as simple as drag and drop. File size bounds can be managed based on your needs, meaning you have the option to set how large files can be when attached.

Can the system capture email conversations?

Yes. Information within email conversations can be stored automatically within the system.

If a Task goes past due, can it be escalated to a manager?

Yes. Our powerful workflow engine allows you to easily identify if a task has gone past due, escalate the alert to management or even proactively sent an alert based on custom-defined criteria.

Can HighGear calculate SLA values?

Yes. Not only can HighGear calculate SLA values, but it can also help you stay ahead of them by configuring your processes to easily manage your SLAs.

Can I have a Request route to one person/team vs another person/team based on criteria?

Absolutely yes! Our robust workflow engine allows you to easily configure your process to make decisions based on simple to very complex logic and route your projects/tasks as you need them to be routed. In addition, you can ensure that the party receiving the project/task receives a notification that they were just given a project/task to work on.

Can HighGear show me how utilized my team is?

Yes. HighGear’s Resource Utilization tool shows you how utilized an individual, team or teams, or even the company based on each individual’s work schedule and the Work Estimate of the tasks.

Can I do asset management in HighGear?

Yes you can. Design your different types of assets and start tracking your data! Projects and Tasks can even update Assets allowing you to know when an asset was last used, or maybe how many man hours were used.

Can I configure portals for external users?

Yes. HighGear enables you to configure a portal in about 30 minutes that can be deployed easily and securely. Portals can be utilized by external users including contractors, clients, and other users as needed.

What Functionality is Available in HighGear Mobile?

HighGear Mobile is a lightweight, easy-to-use alternative for on-the-go users who need rapid and secure access to their tasks and projects. Mobile users can quickly access their upcoming tasks and appointments in the mobile optimized Agenda view, can look up contact information from the HighGear server, and can quickly access their complete task list. In addition, mobile users can start, pause, and stop task timers, create and edit tasks and appointments and even download and view attached files.

Setup and Installation

Is HighGear cloud-based or installed on my server?

HighGear is available on-premise or in the cloud.

Can I Run HighGear On-Premise?

Yes, we license HighGear workflow software in 3 ways:

Permanent On-Prem License with Optional Annual Maintenance (1st year required): You can run the software on any server you want. Some Editions come with additional non-production licenses for development and staging, etc.
Annual On-Prem Subscription: This all-inclusive model gives you a one year license (maintenance is already included) to run the software on any server you want. Some Editions come with additional non-production licenses for development and staging, etc.
SaaS (Software as a Service): This all-inclusive, hosted model runs from our secure data center, and includes the web server(s), database platform, disk space, support and maintenance services you will need to run HighGear from anywhere. There is a 3-month minimum commitment and you can migrate to an on-prem system at any time.

Who configures the system?

You may choose to configure the system yourself or engage HighGear’s Professional Services Team.

Is the administration of the system web-based or client-based?

All functions within the system, including administration, are web based.

Do end users need to install any special software on their desktop, laptop, or iPad?

No, users need only a web browser.

Does the system’s reporting engine prevent users from seeing data they are not allowed to see?

Yes. When reports are generated, the user will only see records and fields for which they have permission to view.

Can legacy data be uploaded into the system?

Yes. Work records, contacts, assets and queues can be imported from CSV files.

Integration

Does the system provide no-code integrations using Zapier or Microsoft's Power Platform?

Yes, HighGear provides integration with over 6,000 applications through Zapier and Microsoft Power Platform.

Does the system support integration through a web services API?

Yes.

Does HighGear support Active Directory integration?

Yes.

Can the system be integrated with document management solutions?

Yes.

Can legacy data be uploaded into the system?

Yes. Work records, contacts, assets and queues can be imported from CSV files.

Am I able to get my data out of HighGear?

Yes. From within HighGear you can export your Projects, Tasks, Contacts, etc. at any time. Export options include CSV, Excel, Word, PDF, and XML.