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Benefits of ActiveFlowActiveFlow takes workflow a step further and offers the unique functions shown in the Real-world requirements table below. It is web-based, so the workflow participants can be anywhere in the world: on the corporate intranet, dispersed on the Internet, or a combination of the two. As an example, an electric company might use ActiveFlow to enable customers to apply for a new connection through the Internet. Customers could fill out an application form online over the Internet and optionally include a map (as an attached file). The application is sent automatically to the electric company head office where a clerk checks this information. The supply is approved on the corporate intranet via a corporate workflow process and result (including the connection time and other details if successful) is sent to the customer via the Internet, with an additional e-mail notification. This whole application could be built within hours with ActiveModeler and ActiveFlow, and ActiveFlow would provide the production workflow control. ActiveFlow is based entirely on the latest Microsoft technology and uses no proprietary forms or routing engine. The workflow model also conforms to the Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC) standards. This protects any investment you make in workflow today. We will move with future technology changes and you will not be locked into a proprietary system, as with many other workflow systems (which may be unsuitable for tomorrow’s technologies). We use the following components: Client
Client-side development
Real-world workflowsWe all know that Workflow is about moving documents and information between roles, and controlling and tracking that movement. However in the real world, simple movement from A to B to C is not sufficient. Many factors may arise to increase the complexity, and these need to be anticipated to enable smooth workflow operation. Here are some typical questions and requirements that come up daily. Of course there are many more and ActiveFlow helps you meet them.
Now let's move on to some of the features of ActiveFlow. Submitting a formSubmitting a form is easy. An authorized user logs in to ActiveFlow and sees a hierarchical list of workflow items that he is authorized to submit. Here are a few examples: Personnel Forms
Purchasing Forms
The user just fills in the form and presses the Submit button. The workflow designer creates the form, with any validation logic, using Microsoft Front Page. We discuss later in detail how special processing can be easily introduced to these forms. Normal approvalThe user logs in to ActiveFlow, checks the In-tray, and selects a form. If the user agrees with the contents, she presses the Accept button. That is all the user has to do. ActiveFlow automatically routes the form to the next stage of the authorization chain. RejectionA form has been sent to a user who decides not to authorize it. Some examples of rejection reasons are: The product is too expensive. There is not enough budget. The applicant has already exceeded the allotted number of holidays. The form designer includes a Reject button DTC (design-time control) in the Prepare Advertising Quote form to give the option of Rejection (as well as the approval button) .
In the above example, the Accounting Manager has rejected the advertising quotation because the Marketing Department does not have sufficient budget to cover the cost. ActiveFlow ends the workflow and sends an e-mail to notify all participants who have signed the form, including the maker. A reason for rejection is required with ActiveFlow and the reason given by the Accounting Manager is included in the e-mail. The form is archived and an audit trail record is also created regarding this event. RetractOnly the maker can retract a form and it must be done before final approval has been granted. In such a case the maker has submitted a form and a number of authorizers could have signed it already. The maker decides there is something wrong with the form (perhaps a wrong account code was used) and can retract the form before the final approval. The form designer would include a Retract button DTC (design-time control) in the Prepare Advertising Quote form to give the option to retract the form.
In the above example, the Maker retracts the form before the Accounting Manager can sign the advertising quotation. ActiveFlow ends the workflow and sends an e-mail to notify all participants who have signed the form, including the maker. The status of the workflow will be the same as before the form was made. A reason for retraction is required with ActiveFlow and the reason given by the Maker is included in the e-mail. An audit trail record is also created regarding this event. ReturnThis is a useful soft form of reject. Rather than rejecting a form outright, it is returned to either the previous signer or the maker, so that they can change the form and submit it again. For example, an authorizer notices a small error in a form: the maker gave a wrong account code. So the authorizer returns the form to the maker. In the case of a workflow adding value step-by-step, a return to previous would be better and the previous authorizer would change and resubmit the workflow The form designer includes a Return button DTC in the Prepare Advertising Quote form to give the option to Return the form.
In the above example, the Accounting Manager decides to return the form and has two choices: return either to the previous authorizer or to the maker. ActiveFlow returns the form to the previous authorizer or to the maker and sends an e-mail to notify all participants who have already signed the form (including the maker for the return to maker case). A reason for return is required with ActiveFlow and the reason given is included in the e-mail. An audit trail record is also created regarding this event. DelegationAn authorized signer will be away from the office and wishes to delegate the signing responsibility to somebody else. The user logs in to the ActiveFlow, then in the administration area chooses Delegation. An organization tree control appears, and the user chooses who will be the delegate. This can be someone in a higher or lower position, and not necessarily in the same department. All work will then be routed to the delegate. If a user forgets to set delegation before leaving the office, it can be set up by a user who has admin rights. While this delegation is in force, an e-mail will be sent to notify the original user about all work items authorized by the delegate. When the user returns, she can easily see which work has been authorized, and can switch off the delegation, again in the administration forms area of ActiveFlow. Users who are frequently away from the office and want to nominate the same delegate can keep that delegate permanently assigned, then switch the delegation on and off. For details, see Delegation in the Workflow constructs section. Emergency actionThis is a useful feature in the real world of workflow. With the Emergency action function you can select the In-tray of users within the same department and for one level below the logged-in user. An e-mail is sent to the original user to explain what happened while they were absent. For details, see Emergency action in the Workflow constructs section. Bubble-upWhen you define a workflow it may not be convenient to define all workflow paths explicitly. A holiday application form, for example, can be filled in by any member of staff in any department. Defining all departments and all roles would be a long job. ActiveFlow works as follows: for a specific department or a department defined as a General Department, only one activity is defined in ActiveModeler. But a bubble-up option is added to it (right-click on the department line to define this option). The bubble-up option means that starting from the maker, the authorization path will follow the chain of hierarchy automatically within the department. That is the default or primary path. An optional secondary bubble-up path can be set because some workflows might need a different workflow chain in a department. For example, holiday forms might be handled differently from expense forms. The hierarchy itself (who is the boss of whom) is handled in the candidate database. Normally a workflow would bubble-up in the maker department, then go on a fixed route (such as from the maker department to accounting, then to the financial controller), but ActiveFlow allows multiple bubble-up processes in a process map. Details on setting this functional and flexible feature are in Bubble-up in a department in the Process maps section. Searching for a formIt is important to be able to track each form to check who has it, whether it has been approved, and so on. ActiveFlow offers the following views:
See the Reports section for details. This brings us to the difference between Forms waiting for approval and Pending forms.
In the case of a parallel route as above, the President will not receive a form for approval until both the Finance Manager and the Marketing Department Manager have authorized it. But the President can use Pending form search to see the form, who has signed it, and who has yet to sign it (for example, all six engineering managers in the plant might need to sign as part of the parallel route). After everyone has approved, the President receives the form as a Form waiting for approval. Note that a simple workflow chain has no Pending forms, just those waiting for approval. Where to use ActiveFlowThe range of both the industries and the applications themselves is limited only by the imagination. We are always being surprised by the ways in which the combination of ActiveModeler and ActiveFlow is being used in the field. Here are just a few of the areas in which ActiveFlow can be used.
In many of the above examples, attachments will be necessary. The Attachments part of the Workflow forms section describes how these are used. Steps to making a workflowHow are workflows developed? Usually there is already a business process being performed manually or that is a paper-based flow. A workflow aims to replace the paper, the manual controls, and human thought processes with an automatic and reproducible system. The entire manual process can be reproduced to form the new workflow or it can be rationalized to produce an optimal flow. This is where the linkage to our strong ActiveModeler modeler product becomes a real asset. Many other workflow products have a weak modeling component; unlike the strong coupling of ActiveModeler and ActiveFlow. Model a business functionTo model a business function we use our ActiveModeler product. The ActiveModeler User’s Guide describes the main functions in detail. Enhanced functions or functions related exclusively to workflow are described in associated online documentation. A tutorial in the ActiveModeler User’s Guide describes how to model the making of a baseball cap as a way of getting you started in modeling. As a workflow example, let’s examine a Purchase Requisition workflow. These are popular in Japan, the origin of KAISHA-Tec Co. In Japan, many people have to approve a plan before anything can be finalized. Please remember that a workflow may come from a larger business model, such as a corporate or departmental model, or may be specifically developed for the workflow system. Purchase Requisition example Brief A company requires rapid deployment of an automated Purchase Requisition system to replace their paper-based system. The main problem with the current system is the tracking of paper forms (knowing who has got what) and the time taken to obtain approval from all parties This problem is especially severe because there are six branch offices remote from the main office, and the paper forms have to be sent around by mail. High-level requirements
The following routing rules dictate who should approve the expense:
You can see the completed map above. The submission process is as follows:
When the form is successfully submitted by the maker, the form bubbles-up through the hierarchy of the maker department. For flexibility, there is a choice of two routings: a primary and a secondary route. This means that for some forms a special bubble-up route could take place (for example only including a certain technical manager in some circumstances). After that the form follows the predefined route shown on the map. In our example the standard primary route will be adopted (right-click on the General Department line to select primary or secondary routing). Design the formsForms enable work to be passed between users. ActiveFlow forms are designed with Microsoft FrontPage, part of the Microsoft Office 2000 package. In this way, we use a standard and commonly used design tool rather than our own proprietary forms designer. There are many good books available which can get you up to speed quickly with Microsoft FrontPage. The starting point for the design of a workflow form will often be a paper-based form which is already in use. Taking this form as a base we can transform it into an attractive electronic form. For example, the forms below were originally on paper in a set of personnel forms.
After designing, the forms must be defined to ActiveModeler. To do this, go to the workflow process map and right-click on the activity where the form is used. A menu appears. Choose Process Documentation and add the URL of the form in the Associated Documentation column first row. Those are the required steps, but you may also want to define or code special business logic as described below. Add the business logicThe business flow is defined by the map, but there are usually additional requirements for the business logic as follows: Basic Form Validation Process Logic
The code for these checks would be put in ActiveModeler in the On Transition Condition handling associated with the activity. The code for this is simple and can be seen in the Workflow Examples section. If (Value>2000) Then This shows that if the amount is greater than $2000, link L3 is chosen, otherwise the link is not chosen and the workflow process is ended. Database Lookup related to form data
In both cases the form is submitted only if the Account database check is satisfied. Run the Workflow WizardAfter the designer has completed work on the forms, defined them to ActiveModeler and written the business logic in the Workflow rules, it is time to run the Workflow Wizard to create the Workflow. From the ActiveModeler map, the designer right-clicks the map itself. The Workflow Wizard dialog box shown below appears. The designer completes the required information about the workflow to be generated and presses the Complete button. ActiveModeler generates the complete workflow including validation and business logic requirements.
Test the systemAs with any system, an ActiveFlow workflow must be tested properly before it becomes a production system. A test plan needs to be produced to test all functions and validation logic. In fact, most of these tests can be made on a local PC using the Microsoft Personal Web Server product. This can be used to test both an Microsoft Access or SQL Server system. When problems have been corrected, the Workflow Wizard must be run again to update ActiveFlow with the changes. Two things cannot be tested locally: concurrent user access tests and any external connectivity that relies on the workflow server. After all local tests are completed, the workflow is defined to the workflow server for final testing. Introduce the systemAfter the system has been through the local and workflow server tests, it should be ready for production. It is good practice to try out a system in a limited pilot at first, perhaps for one department rather than for the whole company. Any problems will be smaller and easier to control. The pilot will effectively be an extension of the workflow server test. The steps to introduction of the pilot are:
After a successful pilot the workflow can be put into full production. A full candidate list can be an easy way of doing this rather than another physical restriction method. We hope your Workflow succeeds in making your business more efficient!
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