29.10.2025
17:54
💡 Summary
Add a native “Freeze instance” / “Set On Hold” function that allows administrators (or authorized users) to pause a workflow instance — including all active sub-workflows — so that no tasks can be completed until the instance is released.
🧭 Current situation
In WEBCON BPS today, there is no built-in way to temporarily freeze an instance.
When a user mistakenly enters incorrect data or triggers sub-workflows, the process can move forward quickly before the error is discovered. Correcting this requires ad-hoc workarounds such as:
- Creating custom “On Hold” steps with no tasks,
- Adding complex path conditions or business rules, or
- Manually reassigning or closing tasks.
These solutions are difficult to maintain, especially in large applications with many steps and sub-workflows.
🚀 Proposed enhancement
Introduce a built-in “Set instance On Hold” capability with these behaviors:
- Freeze all user actions
Suspend all active tasks in the instance and its sub-workflows.
Prevent users from performing transitions or responding to tasks while On Hold.
- Display a visual warning
Show a banner or badge in the form header (e.g., “⚠ This workflow is currently On Hold”).
Optionally notify users who try to open tasks.
- Administrator control
Allow authorized roles to set or release On Hold status.
Optionally require a comment or reason.
- Automatic consistency across sub-workflows
Freezing the parent workflow automatically pauses all linked sub-workflows.
When the parent is resumed, sub-workflows are resumed as well.
- Audit visibility
Log “Set On Hold” and “Released” events in the workflow history for traceability.
✅ Benefits
- Prevents accidental progress on incorrect or incomplete data.
- Simplifies corrections without having to cancel or rebuild workflows.
- Reduces the need for custom “On Hold” steps, global paths, or path-rule maintenance.
- Improves user experience and administrative control in complex workflows.
