Dashboard in Web-based Workflow Designer

The dashboad in the Workflow Designer is the starting point for creating and editing a workflow. All workflow configurations of your organization are listed here.

To keep track and control all workflows, the dashboard offers sections with the following functions:

1. Select file cabinet

2. Edit workflows

3. See version overview

4. Export and import workflow configurations

1. Select file cabinet

All workflows are based on a document or a data record, which belong to a file cabinet. The number next to the file cabinet name shows how many workflows are connected with that file cabinet.

You see here all file cabinets and workflows of your DocuWare organization.

Click on a file cabinet to see its workflow configurations listed in a card view.

2. Edit workflows

A workflow is based on a configuration. You define in a workflow configuration, for example, the trigger, the tasks and other actions.  

After completing a configuration, the workflow can be published. Only a published workflow can be triggered.  

Each time a published workflow is triggered and executed, the workflow configuration will be applied and a workflow instance is created automatically.

For editing, creating, duplicating and deleting a workflow configuration, you need the Designer permission.  

• A workflow can only be deleted if there are no active instances.

• Each workflow configuration has a unique number (GUID). This is useful when you need to access a workflow via API, for example.

• The workflow name must be unique in the organization. Users will see this name in the Web Client in two places:

  • in the workflow history

    

  • and in the task section:  

    

    Workflow name as entry in the task list in the Web Client  

3. See version overview

In the Version section all versions of a workflow configuration are listed.

Multiple versions can be used as a workflow development history - to keep track with the changes. Also you may switch back to the previous version.

When you edit a workflow configuration, the changed configuration will be automatically stored as different version.

Examples:

• The first time you create and publish a workflow configuration, version one of that workflow is created.

• Later, you want to assign the workflow configuration to a different user. You open the workflow configuration, edit it, and save it. This is how the second version of the workflow is created.

You can edit or view a workflow configuration. The view mode is useful, for example, if you want to check how the process was structured at an earlier point in time. Only the current workflow version is opened in edit mode.

The Edit as version button allows you to edit an unpublished version, which will then replace the current version.

Publish the second version of a workflow, if you want it to be applied. If you don’t publish it, the first version will be executed, when the user triggers the workflow.

Workflow instances

Each start of a workflow will create a new instance of a workflow. As an example, each time an employee requests the approval of a new invoice, a new instance of this workflow is created. The number “5” below “Instances” would mean that the workflow was triggered five times and the related workflows have still not been completed.

A workflow may only be deleted when all instances of this workflow have been stopped.

Do not start more than 100 documents in one workflow instance

Each time a workflow is executed, a workflow instance is created.

For example, if you add ten documents with the same trigger conditions, ten instances will be started. Once the workflow reaches its end, the instance is also completed. Ongoing instances are unaffected by changes to the workflow configuration.

Workflow instances can only be started for up to 100 documents per scheduled start in order to ensure optimal performance of the DocuWare system. You can change this number by opening the file

C:\Program Files (x86)\DocuWare\Background Process Server\DocuWare.BackgroundProcessService.LongLiving.GenericProcess.x86.exe.config

and changing the value ("100") in the following line:

<add key="ScheduledWorkflowMaxDocumentCount" value="100" />s here

4. Export and import workflows

Workflow configurations might be exported and imported as JSON files. This is useful, for example, if an administrator needs to create the same workflow in a different DocuWare system.

To export and import workflows, follow these steps:

1. Select one or multiple workflow configurations.
   

2. Click Export
   

3. Specify a storage location.
   

4. Import a workflow configuration by selecting the JSON file.
   If you have chosen a file with more than one workflow, you will be asked for each workflow how to proceed:

   1. Import as new workflow: The workflow will be added to the list of the chosen file cabinet

   2. Import as a version of an existing workflow:

      1. If the existing workflow is published, a new version of this workflow will be created automatically.

      2. If the existing workflow is not published, the last version (the current one) will be overwritten by the import.
         

5. Enter the credentials for the workflows.