Advanced Administration

Workflow Design and Management

Aras Corporation
300 Brickstone Sq, Suite 904
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 794-7643
www.aras.com

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2007 Aras Corporation

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Outline
1. Workflow Basic Concepts
2. Innovator Workflow Overview
a) Data Model
b) Permissions, Identities and Assignments

3. End-User Interface
4. Exercise 1 First Simple Workflow
5. How-To Workflow
6. Advanced Workflow Topics
a) Exercise 2
b) Exercise3
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Workflow Basic Concepts

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Why Workflow
Automate multi-step processes
Alert users when an action needs to be taken
Electronic approval signatures
Keep a permanent record of decisions made
Drive repeatable, predictable, business processes

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Workflow Engines
Models

Messaging based
Emails routing from one mailbox to next
Send and forget (no way to find current
location)
Database based
Emails are sent to engage
Current location stored in DB
Each action updates the DB
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Workflow Engines
Features

Serial steps - Parallel steps - Looping

Activities assigned to programs

Activities assigned to people

Activity Sub-Tasks

Microsoft Enterprise Open Source

Sub-Workflows (hierarchies)

Automatic Branching logic

Dynamic assignments

Group assignments (pooling)

Delegation / Escalation / Task Refusal

Voting logic {equal votes, veto votes, weighted voting}

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2007 Aras Corporation

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Outline
1. Workflow Basic Concepts
2. Innovator Workflow Overview
a) Data Model
b) Permissions, Identities and Assignments

3. End-User Interface
4. Exercise 1 First Simple Workflow
5. How-To Workflow
6. Advanced Workflow Topics
a) Exercise 2
b) Exercise3
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Innovator Workflow
Data Model

Workflow Item
ECR Process

Activity Item
Submit ECR Form

Path Item
Done

Activity Item
Review ECR Form

Path Item
OK

Activity Item
Approve ECR

Identity Items
CM I, Management

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Innovator Workflow
Data Model

Workflow Map
ItemType

ECR Process

ECR

ECR
Items
ECR 001
ECR 104
ECR 356

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Workflow
Processes
ECR 001
ECR 104
ECR 356

aras.com

ItemTypes & Workflow Maps

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WFL Process instance is created

Automatically with the Item Instance

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Identity Membership Management

Activity Item
Review ECR Form

Assignment

Virtual Identity
World

Group Identity2

Relationship

All Employees

Assignees
Engineers
Purchasing
Manager

Member
Group Identity1

Group Identity3

Engineers

Purchasing

Item

ECN 123

Member

Permission_i
d

User Identity

Property

Ron Regan

Permission Set
Engineers
Purchasing
Ron Regan
Creator
Owner
Manager
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G,U
G
G,U,D
G,U,D,C
G,U
G,U,C

Alias

Logon User
USC091

aras.com

Workflow - Lifecycle
People
Short Activities
Email Notifications

Workflow Process

ECN 123456
Description
Effectivity
Originator

Lifecycle Map

Permissions
Integration Events
CM Behaviors
Email Notification
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Outline
1. Workflow Basic Concepts
2. Innovator Workflow Overview
a) Data Model
b) Permissions, Identities and Assignments

3. End-User Interface
4. Exercise 1 First Simple Workflow
5. How-To Workflow
6. Advanced Workflow Topics
a) Exercise 2
b) Exercise3
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In Basket

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Graphic Process Monitoring

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Completing an Activity

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2007 Aras Corporation

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Outline
1. Workflow Basic Concepts
2. Innovator Workflow Overview
a) Data Model
b) Permissions, Identities and Assignments

3. End-User Interface
4. Exercise 1 First Simple Workflow
5. How-To Workflow
6. Advanced Workflow Topics
a) Exercise 2
b) Exercise3
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Exercise 1
Prototype Item Type

Prototype Requisition Workflow Map

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New Workflow Map

Use Right
Mouse
menus to
Edit the Map

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Exercise 1 Steps
1. Create new Workflow Map
A. Add Activities with Assignees
B. Add Paths with Votes
C. Save
2. Edit the Prototype Itemtype
A. Set the new Workflow Map as an Allowed Workflow
B. Set the Default Flag (for auto-start)
3. Create a new Instance of Prototype and Save
4. Check your InBasket

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2007 Aras Corporation

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Outline
1. Workflow Basic Concepts
2. Innovator Workflow Overview
a) Data Model
b) Permissions, Identities and Assignments

3. End-User Interface
4. Exercise 1 First Simple Workflow
5. How-To Workflow
6. Advanced Workflow Topics
a) Exercise 2
b) Exercise3
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How-To Workflow
Gather data first
1. Process map the business process with users
eliminate Non Value Added work
build consensus
identify process owner

2. Complete a new Item worksheet for parent

Item, if needed
3. Complete a Workflow worksheet

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How-To Workflow
Worksheet

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How-To Workflow
Development
In Innovator
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

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Create required Identitys for assignments, members and groups

Create a new Workflow Map
Draw map with Activities and Paths
Make sure Path from Start is Automatic & Default
Add assignments to activities, voting weight at least100
Add Tasks to Activities
Save Workflow Map
Create new parent ItemType, if needed
Add Allowed Workflow, make it default
Save parent Item Type

2007 Aras Corporation

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How-To Workflow
Development

To test a new Workflow Map

Create a new instance of parent Item
Check that Workflow Process is created
Check that Assigned Identities have Assignments in their
InBasket
To inspect an active or closed Workflow Process
Open instance of parent Item
Views>>Workflow
Highlight process, right click, select Workflow Process
Double-click activities to drill down

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2007 Aras Corporation

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Outline
1. Workflow Basic Concepts
2. Innovator Workflow Overview
a) Data Model
b) Permissions, Identities and Assignments

3. End-User Interface
4. Exercise 1 First Simple Workflow
5. How-To Workflow
6. Advanced Workflow Topics
a) Exercise 2
b) Exercise3
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More Advanced
Activity Tasks
Emails
Assignment and Routing Logic
Dynamic Assignments with Methods

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Activity Task

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Email Notification
To Users email address, defined by Identity
All Assignments= all assigned to Process
Open Assignments= all open for Process
Closed Assignments= all closed for Process
From Identity only for Refuse/Delegate
To Identity only for Refuse/Delegate
Alternate = individual User

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Exercise 2 - Email
Configure an Email message on the first workflow
1. Edit the Workflow, and on the first Actity add an Email notification
a) Create Email Item with Variables
b) Select Event
2. Create a new instance of Prototype to test the Email Messages

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Assignment & Routing

Logic
Assign to Identity representing roles rather than
individuals
Assignees do the work, and vote on outcome
Three ways to create Parallism
Consider how the following action is to be decided
by one person alone
By any one person from a group
By a dispatcher who assigns work
By everyone in a group

Allocate properties accordingly

Required, For All Members, Voting weight

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Assignment & Routing

Logic
Activity level
Wait for all inputs = wait until all parallel paths have arrived
before completing
Wait for all votes = wait until all assignment votes are in before
completing
Voting weight 100+ for at least one path required to complete

Assignment level
Required = this Assignment must be voted to complete
For all Members = all members of assigned Identity share equal
voting weight
If not checked, any single member votes with assigned voting
weight

Voting weight set for each Assignment

Total voting weight can be >100

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Assignment & Routing

Logic

Delegate
Send to someone elses inBasket
Refuse
Send to Escalate To Identity or
Process Owner Identity if no escalate
Specific emails available for these votes

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Exercise 3
Using Workflow Methods for Dynamic Assignment
1. Download the Workflow Automation Package (good sample code)
2. Remove the Assignee from the 2nd Activity
3. Create a Server method on the OnActivate event
4. In the Method, Assign the Activity to yourself.
5. Save the Workflow Map
6. Create a new Instance of Prototype to test.

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2007 Aras Corporation

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