MOSS Workflows Workflow Technologies Overview November 15, 2007 Sogeti USA

Agenda About Sogeti Workflow Overview MOSS Workflow Technologies Overview >MOSS Out of the Box Workflows >SharePoint Workflow Designer >Windows Workflow Foundation >K2 Black Pearl Question and Answer Session SWAG Agenda

Sogeti’s MOSS Qualifications Number of MOSS engagements >175+ nationally >17 MS certified MOSS consultants Scope of engagements >Quick POC’s to global, $MM projects >Migrations, Upgrades, Intranets, Extranets, Internet presence, application development, BPIO, etc. >Currently leading 2 nd largest MOSS deployment in the world (global pharma)

Workflow – Overview Wikipedia >A workflow is a reliably repeatable pattern of activity enabled by a systematic organization of resources, defined roles and mass, energy and information flows, into a work process that can be documented and learned...blah, blah, blah Sogetipedia >Automation of a business process (BP) >A. K. A.: Business Process Management (BPM)

Workflow – Why it matters Ability to Improve Business Processes >Most BPs are manual or require human interactions -not efficient, less reliable >BPs often lack visibility >Lack of escalation >Most BPs are not clearly defined Good Opportunities to Leverage Workflow >Better and more robust tools available >Necessary infrastructure exists >Increased integration

Workflow – Integration with MS Outlook >Receive Notifications and Tasks Word, Power Point, Excel, IP >Start and Participate in Workflows SharePoint Designer >Create and Customize Workflows MOSS >Start, Participate, Customize and Track Workflows

MOSS Workflow Technologies Overview Robustness Complexity

Workflow – Out of the Box Workflows Out of the box workflows >Approval, Collect Feedback, Collect Signatures, Disposition Approval, Group Approval, Translation Management, Three State (issue tracking)

Workflow - Out of the Box Workflows (cont)

SharePoint Designer Workflows - Overview Wizard-based approach No coding  web designers Out of the box workflows >Building blocks >Events >Actions (parallel/serial) >Conditions Output: XOML file

SharePoint Designer Workflows – Features Sounds great, but… >Workflow is data-bound at design time >Can’t author against a content type >No step-by-step debugging >Only sequential workflows >No cross site interaction between lists So when do I use it? >You’re not a developer >Need to create a less complex WF for an application for a site >Basically, when it makes sense to

SharePoint Workflow Designer – Demo User goes to MOSS site User fills out PTO eForm Item assigned to Boss alert sent to Boss notification of denied request notification of approved request HR Notification Store in HR PTO library Set appropriate policies on item Approved Denied ♠ Sogeti

Windows Workflow Foundation - Overview Overview >Microsoft.NET 3.0 technology >Define, create, execute and manage workflows >Supported by set of VS 2005 extensions Visual workflow designer enables workflow design, debugging and compiling

Windows Workflow Foundation – Design Requirements Design Requirements >Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 >VS 2005, with VS 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation >Enterprise Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Starter Kit

Windows Workflow Foundation - Features WF Advantages >Extremely robust, complete control over solution >Free if you already have VS 2005 WF Disadvantages >Complicated configuration steps, especially in regards to deployment >Learning curve very steep >Developer needs to be involved every time the workflow changes >Even simple workflows take significant time to develop

Windows Workflow Foundation – How To Quick How To >Install all the proper extensions for VS 2005 >Open VS and create a WF project >Create and Code the Workflow

Windows Workflow Foundation – How To (cont) Quick How To (cont) >Edit multiple configurations in files such as feature.xml >Deploy workflow as a feature through stsadm command line utility >Associate Workflow with a MOSS list

K2.Net Black Pearl - Overview Application used to design and create WF workflows Empowerment of the Business User

K2.Net Black Pearl - Features K2 Advantages >Create robust workflows quicker and more efficiently Wizard driven interoperability –Site, Library and List, Document Manipulation, List Item, Records Management, Event Process Publishing, User Management, Workflow Integration >Easy deployment >Multiple Design Tools >Reporting Capabilities Standard reports leveraging MS SQL Reporting Services K2 Report Designer for custom reporting

K2.Net Black Pearl – Design Tools K2 Studio Designer K2 Web Designer Visio

K2.Net Black Pearl - Features K2 Disadvantages >Licenses can be costly Implementations can easily cost as much as $40k >Solution still new and sometimes unstable Release due which is suppose to fix a large number of bugs

K2.Net Black Pearl - Demo User goes to MOSS site User fills out PTO eForm Item assigned to Boss alert sent to Boss notification of denied request notification of approved request HR Notification Store in HR PTO library Set appropriate policies on item Approved Denied ♠ Sogeti

Questions

SWAG Name some of the MOSS OOB workflows Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of using SPD Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of WF Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of K2 Name the 3 K2 design tools

MOSS Workflows Workflow Technologies Overview November 15, 2007 Sogeti USA

Workflow Technologies Comparison Matrix – Appendix A SharePoint Designer Visual StudioBlack Pearl Supported WF Hosts WSS/SharePoint Server WSS/SharePoint Server/Others Development Model Wizard-basedGraphical Designer Types of Workflows Supported SequentialSequential and State Workflow Type Markup only; markup file, rules and supporting files are not compiled Markup with code behind compiled into an assembly Code Behind NoYes Activities Built-in and use custom Built-in, use and develop custom Forms Technology Auto-generated, customizable ASP.NET Forms Design forms in any technology including ASP.NET or Microsoft Office InfoPath Association Associated automatically with a single list at design time. No other associations possible. Can be associated with multiple content types, lists, and document libraries Initiation Initiation forms are supported Modification Cannot modify workflow using modification forms Can modify workflows Tasks Supports custom task forms Deployment Constructed in live environment Must build package and deploy workflow using SharePoint feature technology Deployment with one click of a button Debugging No DebuggingVisual Studio DebuggingK2 Designer Debugging