Workstreams
Workstreams are the highest level of your hierarchy. They represent broad operational areas or channels.
What Makes a Good Workstream?
A workstream should be:
- Distinct: Clearly different from other workstreams
- Broad: Covers a significant area of operations
- Logical: Makes sense as a grouping to your team
Examples by Industry
Customer Support
- Inbound Support Chat
- Inbound Support Email
- Outbound Follow-ups
- Self-Service (Background)
Sales
- Lead Qualification
- Product Inquiries
- Pricing Discussions
- Renewal Conversations
- Employee Questions
- Benefits Inquiries
- Policy Questions
- Onboarding Support
- Technical Support
- Access Requests
- Hardware Issues
- Software Problems
Creating a Workstream
- Navigate to Context Engineering > Workstreams
- Click Create Workstream
- Enter the required information:
Name
A clear, descriptive name:
- “Customer Support Chat” ✓
- “Support” ✗ (too vague)
- “Q4 2024 Holiday Chat Support Initiative” ✗ (too specific)
Type
Select the type that matches the workstream’s nature:
| Type | Description |
|---|
| Inbound | Incoming contacts initiated by customers/users |
| Outbound | Proactive outreach initiated by your team |
| Background | Automated or behind-the-scenes processes |
Channel (Optional)
The communication channel:
- Chat
- Email
- Voice
- Messaging
- Social
The system used:
- Zendesk
- Intercom
- Gladly
- Salesforce
- Custom
How Many Workstreams?
Guidelines:
| Scale | Typical Workstreams |
|---|
| Small | 1-3 |
| Medium | 3-6 |
| Large | 6-12 |
| Enterprise | 10+ |
More isn’t always better. Too many workstreams can fragment your knowledge. Start with fewer and split later if needed.
Organizing Workstreams
By Channel
One workstream per channel:
- Customer Support - Chat
- Customer Support - Email
- Customer Support - Phone
Pros: Clean separation, channel-specific procedures
Cons: Duplicate scenarios across channels
By Function
One workstream per function:
- Sales Support
- Technical Support
- Billing Support
Pros: Expertise-based grouping
Cons: May span multiple channels
Hybrid
Combine approaches:
- Inbound Support (all channels)
- Sales Inquiries
- Technical Escalations
Pros: Flexible, practical
Cons: Requires clear boundaries
Managing Workstreams
Editing
- Open the workstream
- Click Edit or use the dropdown menu
- Update details
- Save changes
Deactivating
When a workstream is no longer needed:
- Deactivate keeps history, hides from active views
- Delete removes permanently (not recommended)
Next Steps
With workstreams created:
- Add Contact Drivers
- Define Scenarios
