Workflows

For this article we will implement a simple system for dividing up tasks between a group of users, based on the following principles:
1) The task will go to the user with the least amount of tasks
2) If multiple users are tied for the fewest number of tasks, one of them is randomly assigned the task
3) There is a limit to how many tasks a user can have
4) Once all users of the group have reached this limit, tasks will be placed in a queue
5) Queued tasks will be assigned to somebody as soon as they are no longer at their task cap

The purpose is to split up the workload between users equally and not overwhelm individual users with too many tasks.

To personalize your WEBCON BPS Portal appearance you can change the logo and color scheme of the user interface.. The global system administrator has the ability to modify these elements of the site. This article describes how to add logo to Portal – and replace the WEBCON logo in the top left corner. In the previous versions of the system, setting a custom logo required copying the graphic file to the server and providing a link to it in the site settings. In 2020.1.3. there is the ability to add the graphic file directly from a file on your computer.

The term “Related processes” refers to processes that interact with an application, but whose definition is originally in a different application. This feature can be useful in situations where you need to use the same process across multiple applications – once created in one application, it can be linked and used as a related process in others. Being in a different application does not exclude it from being used in presentation elements – related processes can be referenced in presentation configuration like any native process.

WEBCON BPS Standalone is what we call an installation of the system that operates without SharePoint. It was already possible to synchronize groups and individual users into the system by using the designated Portal interface. In version 2020.1.3., a new functionality for managing BPS groups and users has been added to supplement this process. The “Synchronization mode” parameter defines whether the action is to wait for the synchronization process to complete. Both synchronization modes are described in the context help in the system under the “F1” button.

WEBCON BPS can be extensively integrated with Microsoft SharePoint Online. This article describes how to start a workflow by using a standard SharePoint list with advanced column formatting.

In the presented scenario, the SharePoint list will be used to start the workflow of inviting people to the conference – after entering the name and surname, a marketing workflow will be started. The current status of the task can be checked in the SharePoint list column.

There are situations in which, after going through a path, you will need to go back to one of the previous steps of the workflow e.g. when the form has been incorrectly completed or you forgot to add an attachment to the instance. The article describes two basic configuration methods: Moving back an instance to the defined step and Moving back an instance to the previous step using the “Back to the previous step” predefined option. Using using more advanced types of configuration e.g. using the system step where, on the appropriate condition, the instance moves back to the defined step – you can create intricate combinations specifically tailored to your scenario.

One of the methods to start a bpm workflow in WEBCON BPS is to use REST API BPS. It can be especially useful in situations such as:

1) Data exchange between different WEBCON BPS instances – e.g., there is an internal application for your organization and a public application available for your clients.
2) Data exchange with external systems e.g., CRM, ERP.

To give you an idea of how you can use it, let us show you how the REST API can be used to start a workflow in the design process.

WEBCON BPS allows you to start workflows in several ways. In addition to a manual start by the user, instances can also be launched by the system using dedicated actions. The "Start a subworkflow" action allows you to start a workflow within the same application. By using them you can start only one workflow instance – in this case it will be creating an additional task in the Design process. The "Start a subworkflow (SQL) action allows you to start a workflow instance(s) within the same BPS application and differs from the previous with its “Data” tab, and in that it is not possible to save and store the IDs of started workflow instances in form fields.

WEBCON BPS allows us to manage our company and streamline the assignment of tasks by design workflows. A workflow is a sequence of steps that an instance of the workflow must complete in order to fulfill its business goal. Such a workflow facilitates and optimizes work by clearly specifying the order in which steps must be completed and who they must be completed by. In Designer Studio, a workflow consists of steps and transition paths connecting individual steps.

WEBCON BPS gives a wide range of possibilities when it comes to assigning tasks. The task for users can be created based on the value of a form field, SQL/CAML query, directly indicating the users/groups or by selecting one of the predefined options. This article describes the predefined options of task assignment. The predefined task assignment allows configuring a business application based only on its logic without having to assign tasks to the specific users/groups. The predefined task assignment options allow you to easily handle many scenarios by simplifying the configuration process. However, remember to make sure that the selected option meets the requirements of the created process.