© 2005 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Module 9 Workflows.

© 2005 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Module 9

Workflows

9-2Workflows

Module Objectives

• List the benefits of workflows

• Create a workflow template

• Create activities using the Activity Inspector

• List workflow performer options

• Describe the benefit of aliases with workflow templates

• Add flows and packages to workflow templates

• Start, execute and monitor workflow instances

9-3Workflows

What is a Workflow?

• A workflow formalizes and automates a business process

For example: approval processes, documentcreation

• It defines who performs what and in what order

• The structure of a workflow matches the complexity of the business process being emulated

Engineer Project Team

Review

Automated

PublishAuthor

approve

reject

Program Manager

Initiator

Workflow Overview• Workflow Templates• Activities• Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

Workflow Overview• Workflow Templates• Activities• Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

9-4Workflows

Benefits of Workflows

• Efficiency

Automates paper-based business processes

Formalizes ad hoc business processes

Minimizes human/process error

Automatic task delegation

Reduces business process completion time

• Management

Enterprise scalability

Real time access to process status

Provides auditability

9-5Workflows

What is a Workflow Template?

• Defines a workflow in terms of activities that must be performed by specific participants in the order specified by the template designer

• Created with Workflow Manager and installed in the repository

• When executed, initiates a workflow

Many workflow instances can be generated from the workflow template

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates• Activities• Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates• Activities• Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

9-6Workflows

Launching Workflow Manager

• To launch Workflow Manager from the Start menu:

Click Start > Programs > Documentum > Workflow Manager

• To launch the Workflow Manager from Webtop:

In Classic view, click File > New > Workflow Template

In Streamline view, click the New Workflow Template link

• To launch Workflow Manager from Desktop:

Browse to /System/Desktop Client/Workflow Templates

Right-click and select New > Workflow Template

9-7Workflows

Workflow Manager

• Used to create Workflow Templates

Activities can be connected in sequence and/or in parallel

ToolbarToolbar

PalettePalette

ActivityActivity

FlowFlow

Repository User Template State

9-8Workflows

Palettes

• Palettes allow you to reuse existing activities and workflow templates in your templates

Click Change Palette to add other activities ortemplates from the repository

9-9Workflows

Activities

• Activities represent the tasks that comprise the business process The runtime representation of activities

are “tasks”• Activities define what is needed to do for the task to finish

Create document Append content Review document Approve

• Activities may be: Manual

• notification arrives in a user’s inbox • Activity’s work done using the task manager

Automatic- performed by a program on behalf of a user

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities• Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities• Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

9-10Workflows

• Double click on an activity in Workflow Manager to display the Activity Inspector

• The Activity Inspector specifies: The messages displayed to

task performers Who performs the task Whether the task is manual

or automatic Whether the task can be forwarded

and/or delegated Whether the task requires electronic signoff The conditions for the task to start The conditions for the task to complete Whether notifications should be sent to the workflow supervisor (owner) The task’s priority (mainly for automated tasks)

The Activity Inspector

9-11Workflows

• The Performer tab provides the following options:

Selection of manual or automatic activity

Delegation

Repeat the activity

Electronic signoff

The Performer Tab

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9-12Workflows

The Definition Tab

• The Definition tab is used for the following:

Set the priority of the activity (mostly used for automatic activities)

Set the task subject (not shown in task manager)

Specify instructions for the task task manager at runtime

9-13Workflows

The Trigger Tab

• The trigger tab specifies when the activity starts This can occur when any

combination of the previous tasks complete

Can also require an event to be sent to the workflow programmatically

• Note that activities can occur more than once in a workflow

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9-14Workflows

The Notification Tab

• Each workflow instance has a workflow supervisor

The supervisor is usually the initiator

• The supervisor can be notified if the tasks are not being completed in a timely manner

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9-15Workflows

The Transition Tab

• The transition tab specifies which activities should follow the current activity

• For example, if the currentactivity has a forward and a reject path, the performerof the current task should choose only one of the subsequent activities

forward

reject

9-16Workflows

The Display Tab

• Use this to specify how the activity looks in Workflow Manager

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9-17Workflows

Select Performer (1 of 2) Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers• Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

9-18Workflows

Select Performer (2 of 2)

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9-19Workflows

When the Performer is Determined

• Assign performers at design time Hard-coding users and groups is the least flexible option

• Assign performers at runtime Let the workflow initiator pick the performer(s) Have performer(s) of a previous activity pick the

performer(s) (the performer is resolving the alias) Let the server pick the performer by resolving aliases

9-20Workflows

Performer Tab- Automatic Activity

• Automatic activities are programs run on behalf of a performer

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9-21Workflows

Flows

• Activities are connected using flows

• To create a flow, select an icon (straight line, segmented, reject) from the Workflow Manager toolbar and connect two activities

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages• Installation• Runtime

9-22Workflows

Flow Inspector

• Double click on a Flow to bring up the Flow Inspector

• A Package must be defined for every Flow except theending Flow A package contains the content (documents or folder)

involved with the workflow Multiple packages

can be defined for eachflow

At run time, the taskmanager ensures thatthe packages containthe proper content (package type, version)before allowingthe activity to complete

9-23Workflows

Package Example

• The first flow contains a package named “Plan”, which in this case is an empty project plan

The initiator of the workflow is required to attach a document before the workflow can start

• The remaining flows all have a package named “Plan” associated with them

The author edits the plan before sending it for review

9-24Workflows

Template Properties

• Select File > Template Properties to set properties for the entire template

Change the template owner

Specify the default alias set

Turn on auditing

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages Installation• Runtime

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages Installation• Runtime

9-25Workflows

Workflow Template States

• Workflow templates can be in one of three states:

Draft- The state while developing the template• Must save the template in the repository before it can be validated

Validated- The Workflow Template has no process definition errors

Installed- The Workflow Templates can be instantiated as workflows

• Must uninstall the template before modifying it

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9-26Workflows

• In Webtop, the initiator can start a workflow without selecting content first (you will add content to the package(s) later)

• Or they can select the initial content, then select Start Attachments

Starting a Workflow (1 of 3)

streamline classic

Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages Installation Runtime


9-27Workflows

• The initiator then selects the appropriate workflow template


9-28Workflows

• The initiator provides some required information for the workflow The textbox is for a description seen on all subsequent tasks The package is filled with content if the workflow was started

using Start Attachments, otherwise it must be added If performers need to be

assigned, there will also be a Performers tab

The Comments tab is used to assign a comment specific to this workflow instance

Clicking Finish sends tasks to the performers of the first activities


9-29Workflows

• Here is the author’s task shown in Webtop

The author sees the content added by the initiator

Clicking on Finish completes the task

The Task Manager

9-30Workflows

Workflow Reporting in Webtop

9-31Workflows

Designating a Proxy

• You can designate a proxy to manage your workflow tasks

• A proxy is someone who acts on your behalf

• To designate a proxy in Documentum Webtop

In Classic view, click the, I am available link

On the Workflow Tasks page, check I am currently unavailable and click edit to select the user to whom tasks will be forwarded

• To designate a proxy in Documentum Desktop

From the menu, select Tools > Workflow Availability

Select the user to whom tasks will be forwarded when you are not available to receive them

9-32Workflows

Send To Distribution List Workflow

An ad-hoc workflow started from menu options in Webtop and Desktop by specifying

Performers at workflow initiation

If performers receive a task • In parallel • Sequentially

If performer should sign off

Priority: Low, Medium or High

Instructions for performers

Sequential Activityperf2

reject 1reject 2

initiate endperf1

initiate end

perf2

perf1

9-33Workflows

Quickflow in Webtop

• Provides Send To Distribution List functionality in Webtop

9-34Workflows

Workflows vs. BPM

• Basic workflow (included with the core license) Workflow Manager for designing workflows Tasks exposed through Documentum clients Notifications sent through email

• Business Process Management (BPM) Similar interface to Workflow Manager Extends workflows outside of the enterprise

• Using protocols like email, Web Services, HTTP

Connects to enterprise applications inside or outside the firewall

Incorporates XML forms (XForms) in workflow tasks Handles high volume workflow tasks using workqueues

9-35Workflows

Test Your Knowledge

1. True/False: A workflow emulates the structureof a business process only if the businessprocess is linear.

2. True/False: There can be many workflow instancesbased on a single workflow template.

3. True/False: Activities can be reused in multipleworkflow templates.

4. True/False: Activities can be automatically completedusing server methods.

5. True/False: A package must be defined for every flow, except the final flow.



9-36Workflows

Classroom Exercise: Lab 9

• During the exercise, you will:

Use the Workflow Managerto design a workflow template

Create a document and attachit to your workflow template

Receive and forwardworkflow tasks

Plan_Approval_x

Activity 1 = AuthorActivity 2 = ReviewActivity 3 = Publish

studentx

Projectx

Working Docs

Projectx New Plan 1.0

© 2005 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Module 9 Workflows.

Documents

workflows workflow manager

new workflow template

monitor workflow instances

new workflow template

tasks activities

existing activities

terms of activities

repository slide