1. Team center Unified ILP Training
Topic: Workflow
TCS Internal 1 1

2. What is Workflow ?
The automation of a business process, in part or whole, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for action, according to a set of procedural rules
A workflow consists of a sequence of connected steps. It is a depiction of a sequence of operations, declared as work of a person, a group of persons, an organization of staff, or one or more simple or complex mechanisms
A workflow is a model to represent real work for further assessment.
Workflow normally comprises a number of logical steps, each of which is known as an activity. An activity can involve manual interaction with a user or workflow participant, or the activity might be executed using machine resources. 2

3. Workflow Definitions Process Template
Is a blueprint for a workflow process.
Describes the individual task templates and the task template sequence required to model the workflow process
Task Template
is the fundamental building block used to construct a process template. Each task template defines a set of actions, rules and resources used to accomplish that task
When workflow process templates are used in run time, the workflow process moves through actions and states.
Actions
Transition a task from one state to another and the ultimate goal of every task is to reach the completed state
States
Control and coordinate the execution of each individual task in a workflow
process 3

4. Workflow Definitions Job Release Status Quorum
is an instance of a process template, which has been initiated by a user
Release Status
Is a property of an object that informs you about the function or purpose of the data
Includes Status name and Released data
Quorum
Number of users who must vote to approve a task for that task to be approved.

5. Workflow In TCUA Components of Teamcenter Workflow: Workflow Designer
Workflow Viewer
My Worklist
Workflow process templates are created by a system administrator in Workflow Designer.
Users then choose which workflow process to initiate against Teamcenter objects in My Teamcenter.
User then user Workflow Viewer to View status(in process or completed) of any initiated workflow process
User can check the task assigned from My Worklist. 5

6. Workflow Perspectives in TCUA
My Worklist
Workflow
Designer
Workflow
Viewer 6

7. Workflow Designer Interface
Process Template Box
Lists either all process templates or all task templates
2. Task hierarchy tree
Displays hierarchical relationship of all tasks in the selected workflow process template or of all subtasks contained within the selected task template
3. Process flow pane
Displays a graphical representation of all tasks in the selected workflow process template or of all subtasks within a selected task template
Template manager pane
Contains elements related to managing the
selected workflow process template or task
template. The elements displayed depend on
the status and configuration of the selected
template.

8. Basic tasks using Workflow Designer
To design and maintain workflow processes, user can perform the following actions:
Create templates.
Add tasks to templates.
Link tasks.
View templates.
Modify task behavior.
Import and export workflow templates.

9. Creating a process Template
1. Choose File-New Root Template. The New Root Template dialog box appears.
2. In the New Root Template Name box, type a template name. The box can contain a maximum of 32 characters.
3. Select Process or Task for the template type.
4. From the Based On Root Template list, select an existing template or empty template on which to base the new template.
5. Click OK and Apply to create the template and close the dialog box.

10. Add tasks to templates
An empty process template must contain a Start and Finish task.
User can add different kind of tasks template depending on the required tasks to be performed in process.
On the Workflow Designer toolbar click on the required task icon
Double-click between the Start and Finish tasks in the process flow pane to insert the new task
User can rename the task by selecting the task in Task hierarchy tree and typing the name in Name box 10

11. Type of Task templates Task Do Task
Allows the definition of a custom task
Requires the definition of a custom form for the user to complete when the work is assigned
Do Task
Allows work to be assigned to a user which he must then tick as complete before the workflow may proceed 11

12. Type of Task templates Review Task Resource Pool
Incorporates embedded select-signoff-team and perform-signoffs tasks
Signoff team may be groups, roles or resource pools
May automatically assign a specific user to a signoff or assign at run-time
Additional signoffs may be assigned at run-time – ad-hoc signoffs
Signoff Profiles and Quorum can be set at the task template or can be set run time
Resource Pool
A is a Group, Role, or Role in a Group, which can be assigned tasks the same way an individual User is assigned tasks
Using the resource pool option user can choose
either Any Member or All Members of the
signoff team to perform the review task.

13. Type of Task templates Signoff Profiles: Review Quorum:
Profile specifies the required group and role of the user to be selected to perform the review task.
User can optionally set the signoff profiles to restrict the group and role of reviewers .
Review Quorum:
A “Quorum” specifies the minimum number of people who must signoff for the review task to proceed.
The default review quorum is ALL

14. Type of Task templates Add Status Task Or Task Acknowledge Task
Used to assign release status to target objects
Status values must first be defined in BMIDE
Or Task
Continues the workflow process when any one of its multiple task predecessors is completed or promoted
Joining without an Or Task is implicitly AND therefore requires all predecessor tasks to complete before continuing
Acknowledge Task
Requires all signoffs to acknowledge receipt before continuing
Does not require approval, only acknowledgement 14

15. Type of Task templates Condition Task Route Task Sync Task
Forces branching of the workflow based on a condition (true or false)‏
Only able to branch in to two different paths, but multiple conditions allow the creation of multiple paths
Route Task
Incorporates embedded Review, Acknowledge and Notify tasks
All must complete before workflow may continue
Sync Task
Provides inter-process synchronization
Task does not start until another dependent task has finished 15

16. Type of Task templates Impact Analysis Task Prepare ECO Task
Provides an Impact Analysis for a User to complete for the associated EC Revision
Prepare ECO Task
Provides EC Requests or EC Orders for a User to complete
Checklist Task
Provides a checklist for a User to complete 16

17. Link tasks
Linking the tasks of a process template establishes the sequence in the execution of the tasks
Steps:
Click the task node you want to be the predecessor task.
Do not click the title bar of the task node.
Drag your cursor to the task node you want to be the successor task.
Release the mouse button.
A link arrow connects the predecessor and successor nodes.

18. Sample Process Template18

19. View templates
When a process template is in the process of being designed the under construction symbol is shown to the left of the template name
To make process template available to all the user Select Set Stage to Available in the lower-left panel . The under construction symbol will be removed.

20. View templates
User can define which workflow process templates display in the Process Templates menu based on the group of the initiating user and the object that is selected as the target object.
The Process Template Filter allows user to associate templates with a designated group and target type.

21. Modify task behavior
User can modify the behavior of a task within a workflow process template by using:
Attributes
Handlers
Attributes :Allows user to set requirements and/or restrictions on a task. Possible task
attributes are:
Named ACL
Template name
Signoff quorum
Release status
Icons

22. Workflow Handlers Handlers:
Small ITK programs or functions. Use handlers to extend and customized tasks.
Following is a list of the types of functions you can add to a task:
Set protections
Assign Reviewers
Demote a task
Perform a signoff
Change a status 22

23. Workflow Handlers There are two kinds of handlers: Action Handlers
Used to extend or customize task actions
E.g. notifying users, exporting data
Rule Handlers
Used to integrate business rules into workflow processes at the task level. Rule handlers attach conditions to an action
E.g. Validations 23

24. Editing Existing Workflow Templates
Existing workflow process templates can be edited by selecting the template to be edited and clicking the Edit button.
You can edit any aspect of the workflow process template, including:
• Changing the template name
• Adding and removing tasks
• Adding, deleting, redrawing, and resetting flow paths
• Adding, deleting, and resetting handlers, attributes, task attributes, and attachments
Offline editing prevents users from accessing the workflow template while you edit. Use this option when you do not want the old version of the workflow template available for use until your edits are complete
Online editing allows users to initiate workflows based on the old version of the workflow template while you edit a copy of the same workflow template. When you switch the edited version to the Available stage, the older copy is overwritten. 24

25. Importing and exporting workflow templates
Importing and exporting workflow process and task templates from the Teamcenter database is useful for transferring workflow templates between different Teamcenter sites.
Importing Templates: User can import workflow templates.The importing templates must first be exported from a Teamcenter database into an export file.
Exporting Templates:
User can export workflow process and task templates from the Teamcenter database in XML format, storing the templates in a single export file.

26. Importing Templates 1. Choose Tools->Import.
The system displays the Import Workflow Templates dialog box.
2. Type the path to the directory containing the export file in the Import File box or click the Browse button to locate the directory.
3. If you want the system to continue the transfer if one or more workflow templates fail to transfer, select the Continue On Error check box
4. If you want the system to overwrite any workflow template of the same name that already exists in the database, select the Overwrite Duplicate Templates check box

27. Exporting Templates 1. Choose Tools->Export.
The Export Workflow Templates dialog box appears.
2. Type the path to the directory containing the objects you want to export in the Export Directory box, or click the Browse button to locate the directory.
3. Specify the name of the export file in the File Name box.
4. In the Templates section of the dialog box, select the templates you want to export.
5. Add the selected templates to the Selected Templates list. These are the templates the system exports.
6. If you want the system to continue the transfer if one or more templates fail to transfer, select Continue On Error.
7. Click OK to export the templates in the Selected Templates list and close the dialog box. 27

28. Initiating a New Process
The New Process Dialog Appears
The process will be initiated on the selected object
Select the required process template from the Process Template list and click ok
Select the object and Go to File-> New->Workflow Process from My Teamcenter 28

29. My Worklist Task to Perform Lists all tasks that you need to perform
Task to Track
Lists all tasks you assigned to other users for processes you have initiated
Task View
gives you a focused view of the selected task
Process View
gives you a graphical display of the overall process as it moves through the different states of release 29

30. Workflow Viewer Interface
Task hierarchy tree
Displays the root-level workflow process, along with its tasks and subtasks, in a hierarchical
listing. Task precedence in the task hierarchy tree is based on the order in which the tasks
were created.
2. Template manager pane.
Displays the name and description of the selected task
3. Process flow pane
Displays graphical views of the different levels of a workflow process. You can view all the
tasks in an entire workflow process, or the subtasks in a task, or the subtasks.
Workflow Viewer uses the standard Teamcenter rich client interface. There are some panes, buttons, menus, and menu commands that are specific to Workflow Viewer.

31. Basic tasks using Workflow Viewer
Viewing workflows
Modifying active workflow processes
Performing tasks
Overriding task actions

32. Viewing Workflows
Workflow Viewer allows user to view the progress of a workflow process. process.
As long as the user has read privileges for the workflow process data, user can view any workflow process in the database, whether it is currently in process or has already achieved its final status

33. Viewing a workflow sub process in Workflow
From a parent workflow process displaying the sub process button , open a sub process using one of the following methods:
– Click the sub process button to display the list of associated sub process. Click a sub process in the list.
– Double-click the sub process button. The first sub process in the list is opened. The parent process closes and the selected sub process appears in the process

34. Modifying active workflow processes
Workflow Viewer allows privileged users to modify active workflow processes.
Privileged users can add, remove, rearrange and modify tasks, flow paths, handlers, and other elements of the workflow process template while workflow processes based on the template are running.
Adding or deleting tasks from a workflow process while it is active is called ad hoc modification.
To modify a task template, it must be in one of the following states:
Unassigned
Pending
To modify a task, it cannot be in any of the following states:
Aborted
Completed
Failed
Skipped
Started
Suspended

35. Workflow Task States:
Task states are displayed in the upper left-hand corner of each task.
Started :
The task is now active and action can be taken upon the task.
Pending :
The task has not yet started. A task cannot start until the previous release level has completed.
Completed :
The required actions have been performed. A Completed state for a Review task means that all signoffs have been performed and the number of approvals are equal to that specified in the quorum for the task.

36. Workflow Task States: Skipped :
The task has been skipped by a privileged user. If this is a Review task, all signoff subtasks show the No Decision image, indicating the release task was skipped, rather than completed.
Suspended :
The task has been suspended. If this is a Review task, all signoff tasks are removed from the Worklist.
Failed:
A task’s state is set to Failed if the task is configured with a failure path and if the failure conditions are met.
The Failed state does not appear on the Actions menu, because it can only be triggered internally.

37. Workflow Task States: Unassigned :
The signoff team for a Review task is not yet assigned.
Aborted :
The task is canceled and the workflow process is exited without

38. Workflow Audit records
If Audit Manager is enabled (the TC_AUDIT_MANAGER preference is set to ON) ,audit records are written whenever the mode is changed in Workflow Viewer.
Audit records are also produced whenever template modifications are made and/or canceled

39. Performing Workflow tasks
User can perform workflow tasks assigned to him/her from two different locations within Teamcenter:
My Worklist in the My Teamcenter view
Workflow Viewer
Using My Worklist is the streamlined method for performing workflow tasks. It is
the method one typically use to perform tasks assigned to you.
A privileged user can promote, demote, or delegate workflow tasks assigned to other users. These actions must be performed in Workflow Viewer

40. Performing Review Task
Review Task is a Task template that includes the select-signoff-team and perform-signoffs subtasks.
Each subtask contains a unique dialog box for executing the process.
Select Signoff task is responsible for selecting the reviewers from required Groups with required roles.
Perform- signoff task is assigned to reviewer to approve/reject the object to be reviewed.

41. Reassigning workflow task
Responsible Party(person responsible for performing the task) can reassign the workflow task to other user.

42. Overriding task actions
Workflow Actions are used to transition a task from one state to another. All tasks are transitioned by one or more of the following defined actions:
Abort
Assign
Complete
Perform
Resume
Skip
Start
Suspend
Undo
Failed
When a task’s template is created in Workflow Designer, one or more actions become part of the task’s definition.
However, there are some situations where it is necessary to override the task’s defined actions.

43. Overriding task actions
Starting a paused task
Right click on the paused task and go to Actions -> Start
Suspending or resuming a task
Right click on the paused task and go to Actions->Suspend
Resume a task
Right click on the paused task and go to Actions->Resume
Demoting or promoting a task
Right click on the task and go to Actions->Promote
Right click on the task and go to Actions->Demote

44. Workflow Advanced Features in TCUA
TC UA has some major workflow features
Out of office assistant
Workflow Surrogate
Process Assignment List

45. Out of Office Assistant
TC UA has Out of Office Assistant feature.
The Out of Office Assistant forwards one user’s tasks to another user’s inbox while the first user is out of office.
User can set out of office beginning and ending dates.

46. Workflow Surrogate TCUA has the facility to define surrogate users.
One user can define list of surrogate users who can perform his/her workflow tasks.
Surrogate users can perform workflow tasks when the user to whom the task was originally assigned is out of the office or is unable to perform the task.

47. Process Assignment List
Lets you create and edit assignment lists, assign an in-process object to a user or user list, and replace old group members with new group members.
When you create a new assignment list, you can name the list, select a process template, provide a description, assign resources, and examine the process view.

48. Workflow Example Problem:
One item should be Released with release status just after initiating the process on it.
Solution:
Create a process template called “Quick_release” that will contain one add status task.
Initiate the process template on the item to be released.

49. Solution Description Design a workflow template that will
Go to workflow Designer and create a New Root Template from File- >New Root Template

50. Solution Description The New Root Dialog appears.
Type Quick_release in the New Root Template Name box.
Select Template Type as Process.
Click on OK.

51. Solution Description New Empty template will be created .
The new template will be in Under construction state.

52. Solution Description
Click on the Add Status task icon on the workflow menu bar and double click between start and Finish Task.
The Add Status task will be added.

53. Solution Description Select the Add Status Task
Click the handler Icon to check
The handler attached to it.
Make sure create status and
Add status handler is attached to
Start and Complete action
Respectively.
In the Create Status argument
“Released” should be written
Indicating that the status name
will be “Released”.

54. Solution Description
Connect the Add Status task with Start and Finish task.
Select Set stage available to
make the template visible to
All users.

55. Solution Description Select the Item in MY Teamcenter.
Go File->New->Workflow Process..
New workflow process dialogue will
Appear
Select Quick_release from the process list
Click ok.

56. Solution Description
The Item will have one flag beside it indicating that the item got released.
The name of the status
can be checked from the
Properties of the item.

57. Thank You 57