1. © 2005 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Module 9 Workflows

2. 9-2 Workflows 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

3. 9-3 Workflows What is a Workflow? A workflow formalizes and automates a business process ­ For example: approval processes, document creation 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 Publish Author 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

4. 9-4 Workflows 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

5. 9-5 Workflows 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

6. 9-6 Workflows 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

7. 9-7 Workflows Workflow Manager Used to create Workflow Templates ­ Activities can be connected in sequence and/or in parallel Toolbar Palette Activity Flow Repository User Template State

8. 9-8 Workflows Palettes Palettes allow you to reuse existing activities and workflow templates in your templates ­ Click Change Palette to add other activities or templates from the repository

9. 9-9 Workflows 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

10. 9-10 Workflows 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

11. 9-11 Workflows The Performer tab provides the following options: Selection of manual or automatic activity Delegation Repeat the activity Electronic signoff The Performer Tab 1 1 3 3 4 4 2 2 1 1 3 3 4 4 2 2

12. 9-12 Workflows 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

13. 9-13 Workflows 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 1 1 3 3 2 2

14. 9-14 Workflows 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 1 1 2 2

15. 9-15 Workflows The Transition Tab The transition tab specifies which activities should follow the current activity For example, if the current activity has a forward and a reject path, the performer of the current task should choose only one of the subsequent activities forward reject

16. 9-16 Workflows The Display Tab Use this to specify how the activity looks in Workflow Manager 1 1 3 3 2 2

17. 9-17 Workflows 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

18. 9-18 Workflows Select Performer (2 of 2) 1 1 3 3 2 2

19. 9-19 Workflows 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

20. 9-20 Workflows Performer Tab- Automatic Activity Automatic activities are programs run on behalf of a performer 1 1 3 3 2 2

21. 9-21 Workflows 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

22. 9-22 Workflows Flow Inspector Double click on a Flow to bring up the Flow Inspector A Package must be defined for every Flow except the ending Flow ­ A package contains the content (documents or folder) involved with the workflow ­ Multiple packages can be defined for each flow ­ At run time, the task manager ensures that the packages contain the proper content (package type, version) before allowing the activity to complete

23. 9-23 Workflows 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

24. 9-24 Workflows 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

25. 9-25 Workflows 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 1 1 3 3 4 4 2 2

26. 9-26 Workflows 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 Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages Installation  Runtime

27. 9-27 Workflows The initiator then selects the appropriate workflow template Starting a Workflow (2 of 3)

28. 9-28 Workflows 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 Starting a Workflow (3 of 3)

29. 9-29 Workflows 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

30. 9-30 Workflows Workflow Reporting in Webtop

31. 9-31 Workflows 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

32. 9-32 Workflows 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 Activity perf2 reject 1 reject 2 initiateendperf1 initiateend perf2 perf1

33. 9-33 Workflows Quickflow in Webtop Provides Send To Distribution List functionality in Webtop

34. 9-34 Workflows 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

35. 9-35 Workflows Test Your Knowledge 1.True/False: A workflow emulates the structure of a business process only if the business process is linear. 2.True/False: There can be many workflow instances based on a single workflow template. 3.True/False: Activities can be reused in multiple workflow templates. 4.True/False: Activities can be automatically completed using server methods. 5.True/False: A package must be defined for every flow, except the final flow. Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages Installation Runtime Workflow Overview Workflow Templates Activities Performers Flows and Packages Installation Runtime

36. 9-36 Workflows Classroom Exercise: Lab 9 During the exercise, you will: ­ Use the Workflow Manager to design a workflow template ­ Create a document and attach it to your workflow template ­ Receive and forward workflow tasks Plan_Approval_x Activity 1=Author Activity 2=Review Activity 3=Publish studentx Projectx Working Docs Projectx New Plan 1.0