Portal and plug ins
Relay runs inside an online portal. The portal uses plugin modules to provide functionality, and Relay is a plugin for general work management.
Other plugins can be used instead of or as well as Relay. These are often variations of Relay that have been configured for more specialised work management.
Accounts
The portal supports multiple accounts. Accounts can be on the same server or on different servers. Where the portal is used across an organisation, the organisation has the account and sets up multiple users with it. Where the portal is being used by someone as an individual, an account is set up with just them in it.
Tasks
Work within the portal is broken down into tasks. Tasks are not just "to do" items, but each one supports a complete process for managing the task from start to finish. Processes are provided by modules, and the Relay module provides multiple processes for different types of task.
Some tasks are completed by the person who created them. Other tasks define work for another person, who we call the partner. The partner gets their own version of the task to complete the work in their own account, which is separate from the task owner's task. This means that the task owner and partner never actually share data or processing, but instead pass defined (and auditable) data from one to another, like you would in an email exchange. This makes the portal much more secure.
The task sent to the partner is self-contained, and the partner does not need to have the same module installed to use the task. This means that an organisation can use a custom module that supports their particular processes, and use those processes to work with business partners who do not have access to the custom module.
Tasks can be arranged into a hierarchy, with tasks broken down into many levels of sub tasks. At the lowest level, each task represents a single piece of work for a single partner. For example, if Alice wants Bob to write a document, and then wants Claire to check Bob's document, Alice could have three tasks: A task to ask Bob to write a document, a task for Claire to check what Bob has written, and a higher-level task to group the two together. This approach keeps work management simple, and you always know who is responsible for what.
Folders
Tasks are arranged in folders. In Relay, folders are called projects, which is appropriate for general work management. Folders can have many levels of sub folders, so you can structure the work how you like.
Connections
Each portal account maintains connections to other accounts, which represent the business relationships between organisations, or between individuals if individual accounts are used.
Connections are not just records of a relationship, but are the actual communication method through which data is passed from one account to another. You can create connections to any other portal account, even one provided by a different service provider.
Tasks are sent to partners through connections, and the partner task and owner task communicate through the connection to manage the overall task to completion.