Ensuring your workflow operates without a hitch is essential for maintaining seamless business operations. Typically, documents like invoices move smoothly through the various steps defined in your workflow configuration. But what happens when something goes wrong?
Imagine an invoice approval process hitting a snag due to missing data. The workflow stops, delaying the payment and potentially causing further complications.
For potential blockages in DocuWare workflows, two main reasons can be identified:
Decision maker does not respond: The person assigned to a task is unavailable or out of office. To prevent a pause you define the Behavior of a task.
Action failure: An automated step, such as data assignment, is not working as expected. For this case you specify the Error handling of the action.
In the web-based Workflow Designer, you may configure options to handle unexpected interruptions, ensuring that the blockage is noticed and preventing an endless loop.
Here is how:
Decision maker does not respond
In a workflow, a task is an action that requires user interaction to keep the document moving through the workflow. If the decision maker doesn't respond within the specified time frame, the workflow comes to a standstill.
There are three options to prevent an interruption of the workflow:
A reminder email notifies the decision maker of the delay.
Configuration:
Go to the action of type Task or Parallel task.
Click on Task or Parallel Task.
In the tab Behavior choose Remind decision maker.
In the next dialog, the default setting is Remind after 3 Working Days.
UseSchedule to define a time period
Variable for a a specific date
Enter a message for the reminder.
Click Done.
Escalation levels set deadlines for the completion of tasks and determine what should happen if a task is in a location for too long without being processed.
Configuration:
Go to the action of type Task/Parallel task.
In the tab Behavior choose Reassign after inactivity.
The default setting is Remind after 5 Working Days.
UseSchedule to define a time period
Variable for a a specific date
Enter a message the reminder.
Use routing to assign the task to a different employee to complete the task.
Click Done.
In addition to a user or role, a task may also be assigned to a substitution rule. A substitution rule can assign responsibilities for abstract jobs such as cost centers, which include a group of people. The task will be automatically routed to the first employees who is shown as "in the office." This means that each workflow proceeds to completion, regardless of whether a particular person is present.
Configuration:
Go to the action of type Task/Parallel task.
Assign as decision maker a substitution rule.
Substitution rules and -lists are created in DocuWare Configuration > User Management.In the tab Behavior choose Out of office.
Define if the task is reassigned to the next user immediately or only if the current task would become overdue before before the decision maker returns from their out-of-office period.
Click Done.
Action failure
Actions like Condition, Assign Data, Email, and Web Service help route documents and enrich their index data.
If - for example - the automated data assignment fails because the CRM is down, you can configure the workflow to direct the document to another automated action, such as sending an email notification to request to manual enter the missing information.
Route the document in case of an interruption
Go to the automated action of type your choice - for example Assign data
Click on the name of the action like Assign data
In the tab Errors four options are shown:
no error handling
restart workflow
end workflow
go to step
Choose the option Go to step.
Click Done.
Connect the Error output port with the input port of the workflow item you want the document to be routed to, for example, with a Send mail action to notify the IT department.
Alternatively, you may also restart or end the workflow.