Managing Workflows

Workflows consist of series of tasks involving multiple participants and several stages in an organization. Organizations use workflows to coordinate tasks between people and synchronize data between systems, with the goal of improving organizational efficiency, responsiveness and profitability. Workflow may either be sequential, with each step dependent on the previous one, or parallel, with multiple steps occurring simultaneously.

You can use the Export to Excel option to export the details about the workflows, such as when and who last updated the workflow group, to an Excel workbook. You can use the Show Filter Row option to filter data by entering text in a column and the Show Find Panel option, which is available when you right-click a column header, to search for text in the Workflow List window. Also, you can right-click the column header and customize the columns that appear in the Workflow List window using the Column Chooser or Hide This Column option.

About Step Types

The step type determines whether the step is processed only when a user acts upon the step or whether the step can be automated. By automating the step, you free the users from having to know what to do when; you can set the step type to automatic run, error processing run, test run, or validate data governance rule run.

The different step types are as follows:

  • Normal Run(Manual Run): Indicates that the user must act on the workflow step for the workflow to move to the next step. A normal run step type can be followed by any other step type.
  • Start with previous step (parallel step): Indicates that the workflow step must be run in parallel with the previous workflow step or workflow steps. This step type is available only if the previous step type is Normal Run(Manual Run) or Start with previous step (parallel step). You can have any number of parallel workflow steps in a workflow. This type of workflow step is useful when two or more steps must occur concurrently; the outcome of the current step must not affect the outcome of the other current tasks. An example workflow definition shown in the following screenshot consists of both parallel and sequential steps.

    Steps 1, 2, and 3 of a workflow can be run in parallel. Similarly Steps 6, 7, 8, and 9 can be run in parallel. Steps 4, 5, and 6 require the completion of the previous steps. Step 3 has Post Step Action Type set, which defines that step 8 must be run on completion of step 3.

    As shown in the following image, user is running step 3. Based on settings of step 3, the run is moved to step 8 on the completion of step 3. In this scenario steps 4, 5, 6, and 7 are skipped and no action can be taken by the users who are assigned these steps. Steps 8 and 9 are available to users for further processing. Note that step 1 and 2 will be skipped if they are in pending state when step 3 is completed.

    PP1

     

    Steps 1, 2, and 3 of a workflow can be run in parallel. Similarly steps 6, 7, 8, and 9 can be run in parallel. Steps 4, 5, and 6 require the completion of the previous steps. Step 8 has Goto Step/ Custom code defined, which specifies that step 3 must be run on completion of step 8.

    As shown in the following image, user of step 8 is currently running the step. Users who have been assigned steps 1 to 7 have not yet begun working on their assigned workflow tasks. Based on settings of step 8, the run is moved to step 3 on completion of the current step. Note that steps 6 and 7 will be skipped if they are in pending state. Steps 4 and 5 will be available for processing after step 3 is completed. Steps 9, 1, and 2 of workflow will be skipped.  The skipped steps will not be available for processing.

    PP2
  • Auto Run (SAP): Indicates that the workflow step is run and the data gets posted to the SAP system. This step type is valid for all types of Process files.
  • Auto Error Processing Run (SAP): Indicates that the workflow step reprocesses only the errors that were found in the previous step type. For example, consider a workflow where step 1 is set to normal run, step 2 is set to auto run, and step 3 is set to auto error processing run. While running the workflow, if an incorrect value is entered in step 1, step 2 will be rejected and the workflow is moved to step 1 for correction. After the incorrect values are fixed in step 1, step 2 is skipped and the workflow will move directly to step 3. Auto Error Processing Run (SAP) is available only from the second step onwards and is valid only for Transaction and RFM/BAPI Process files. You can use the iteration count that is available in the custom code to help you determine the step to skip or process.
  • Auto Test Run (SAP): Indicates that the workflow step is run but the data does not get posted to the SAP system. This step type is valid for only Transaction Process file.
  • Auto Validate Data Governance Rule (ICP): Indicates that the workflow step is validated against the validation rules that are centrally stored in Control Panel. This step type is valid only for Transaction Process file. For this step type, in addition to the prerequisites listed in the Easy Workflow System Requirements, ensure that the following prerequisites are also met on the server computer where Easy Workflow service is installed:
    • License for SDK on the server computer on which Easy Workflow Service is installed with ControlPanel flag set to 1 or 2.
    • Place the Control Panel configuration file ControlPanelConfig.icf in the application folder of Easy Workflow Service, which by default is in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Innowera\Innowera Easy Workflow Service folder.
  • Auto Custom Action: Indicates that for this workflow step, you can write your own Visual Basic code to function automatically in background. No SAP action is involved in this workflow step. For example, you can use Auto Custom Action step type to export Easy Workflow reports.

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