When you use Workflow Manager, a previously created configuration is always run, creating a new instance of the workflow each time. Among other things, which task is to be completed and which decisions are to be made in it are specified in a workflow configuration. 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 then automatically goes to the first of these employees who is shown as "in the office." This means that each workflow successfully proceeds to completion, regardless of whether a particular person is present. 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.
Among other things, rights management includes a designer and a controller. The controller has an overview of all tasks which a participant still has open, and can take control. The designer can additionally design, edit, and delete workflows.
The complete DocuWare Workflow Manager is part of every DocuWare Cloud license. If you use DocuWare as a locally installed system, DocuWare Workflow Manager is available as an add-on module.
Installing Workflow Designer as Desktop app
Workflow Designer is a desktop app that is installed locally on the PC. You call up the installation wizard in DocuWare Client via the main menu and Install Desktop Apps.
The Tasks tab in DocuWare Client is displayed by default (the tab is only not displayed with the use of the Read-Only Flat license).
Configuring Workflows with Workflow Designer
Create and edit your workflow configurations with Workflow Designer. Among other things, specify the following elements:
Trigger: You specify which event generates a new workflow instance. This can be a new document being stored in a DocuWare file cabinet, or index words for a previously stored document being modified.
A workflow can also be triggered by a schedule—in this case for a maximum of 100 documents.Tasks: You define tasks and assign them to a user, role, or substitution rule.
Decisions: You specify which decision options within a task are given to the responsible user e.g. whether he should accept or reject an invoice.
Reminders: You determine when the responsible user should be reminded of a task or when this task should be reassigned by a timeout.
Connections: You determine whether to access data from external sources while a document is passing through a workflow, and if so, which data, such as the invoice amount from your financial software database.
So that Workflow Manager can be used in your organization, workflow configurations must first be created with Workflow Designer. These configurations can be set up by all DocuWare users who have the Design Workflows right (DocuWare Configuration > User Administration > User x > Function Profiles).
Configurations are therefore created centrally and then allocated to particular users, roles, or substitution rules.
With DocuWare 7.11 and later you create substitution rules and substitution lists in DocuWare Configuration > User Administration.
Processing Tasks in DocuWare Client
When you work with DocuWare Workflow Manager, you also have a list in DocuWare Client of the workflow tasks that are waiting to be processed. Each workflow has its own tab, on which the associated tasks appear in a list. Specify how this list appears in Workflow Designer. The list is automatically updated when new tasks are added or tasks have been completed. Click on the corresponding icon in the title bar if you wish to update the list of workflow tasks manually.
Click the three points at the top right in a task list to show more options: Get a task list link or export the task list as CSV file.
The workflow tasks area is divided into the navigation bar and menu at the top, the list of tasks in the center, and the area with the decisions at the bottom.
In the navigation bar, every workflow has its own tab that contains the name of the respective workflow and the number of the tasks assigned in it.
The workflow history displays which decisions have been made by which users when processing a workflow.
With DocuWare Versoin 7.12, the user, who need to see the workflow history of a document, must have granted at least one of these file cabinet permissions:Search
Display Document
With DocuWare Version 7.11, the decision history is available in addition to the workflow history. The decision history is displayed in the sidebar of the viewer. All decisions that were made for a document during a workflow are listed there. The decision history can be called up for all documents that (have) run through a workflow, even retrospectively for documents with a completed workflow.
In both types of history, the current task is now also displayed for requests that have already been sent.The Reassign function can be (de)activated per workflow in the Workflow Designer. It is activated by default.
The decisions are part of the respective task selected in the list. The decisions and details that you can select for a task are configured in Workflow Designer.
Send request from the DocuWare Client
If you only wish to send a short request to colleagues or business partners about a document, the function Send request is ideal. This lets you send requests about a document directly from the DocuWare Client. Such requests are suited to one-off or rare processes for which setting up a standard workflow with the Workflow Designer would be too onerous.
Examples:
The Head of the Finance Department has negotiated a new lease with the lessor of the company building. To obtain the approval of the CEO, she assigns a request to him. She specifies the subject and details of the email plus the decisions to be made. The CEO receives an email and approves the lease among his tasks or rejects it. The Head of Finance can immediately view the decision under "Assigned inquiries."
A team leader receives an interesting newsletter, which he wishes to forward by email to three team members. All three should confirm that they have read the newsletter. The team leader assigns this colleague a request with the relevant information. All three employees receive the same email and each separately confirms that they have read the document. The team leader immediately sees who has already completed the request.
The Send request function can be found in the context menu of a result list or a saved list. The context menu entry is only displayed if a single document was previously selected. If you already opened the document in the Viewer, under Tools click on the Send request button.
Define in the options for the request, whether the recipient is additionally notified by mail or only in the Web Client. If the user should be able to use a stamp for the decision, this can also be defined here.
The options in the context menu of a request are the same as the option in the default result list of the assigned file cabinet. If a function is hidden in the settings of the result list, it will not be visible in the options of the request either.
If multiple requests are selected in the list, the Print, Download and Share by e-mail options will not be available.
Best Practice for Workflows
You should consider the following points when creating workflows so that your DocuWare system can demonstrate the best possible performance when Workflow Manager is in use.
Index data and variables
Workflows are not controlled via index entries in Workflow Manager (unlike the Task Manager module). This means that index entries do not need to be altered during the workflow.
Should you need values from the document's index data, it is best to use variables and to assign the index values once to these variables. You can then access the variables and work with them within each individual workflow. This also applies to formulating email texts; only variables should be integrated into them. Access to index fields requires significantly more time and resources than does the integration of variables.
Should you still need to change index data while workflows are being executed, you then have two options:
Within a task: The user of the person completing the task is used. This user needs the relevant rights in the file cabinet in order to change the index data. If an error occurs while changing the index data, the task will not be completed and the user will see an error message in the Web Client.
With an Assigning Data activity: The user of the person specified in the Start activity is used for the automatic activity. This user also needs rights in the file cabinet in order to change the index data. If an error occurs while changing the index data, the task will be forwarded to the workflow controller.
Starting values of the variables are "" for text variables and "0" for numeric variables. Date variables are not preset. If you require other starting values, you should pre-allocate them with an Assigning Data activity.
Stamps
Workflow history is the best option to track the decisions made in a workflow. Stamps in workflows are therefore no longer needed with the Workflow Manager; they should also be used as sparingly as possible for performance reasons.
Email notifications
Email notifications are sent individually for every document and every task. You should only set up notifications for users who do not work in DocuWare on a regular basis.
External data and databases
If your workflow needs to access external data (other file cabinets or external databases), it is recommended for optimum performance that the SQL query is defined in such a way that only one result is returned.
If you query external databases and use variables from a workflow in the SQL query, please check that the column in the external database is a text column. In this case, the variables must be set in quotes.
In contrast, numeric fields in DocuWare are integers with specified decimal places.
Assigning tasks to users, roles, or substitution rules
Task:
If you assign a task to a user, only this one user will see the task.
If you assign a task to a role, all users of this role can see the task. As soon as a user opens this task, it will be locked. Once it is complete, it disappears from view for all other users.
If you assign a task to a substitution rule, the first user in the substitution role will see the task. If this user is flagged as "Out of office," the task is forwarded to the next available user in the list.
Parallel task:
If you assign a parallel task to one user, only this user will see the task.
If you assign a parallel task to several users, all users will see the task. All users must complete the task, unless you have defined termination conditions.
If you assign a parallel task to a substitution rule, the first user in the substitution role will see the task. If this user is flagged as "Out of office," the task is forwarded to the next available user.
System variables "Current User" and "Task User"
Alongside the Current User variables, there is also the Task User variable. It is advisable to use the "Task User" variable for assigning to users.
More information on system variables
Functional right “View All Users”
The functional right View All Users is required for
users assigned to the roles of Workflow Designer, Workflow Controller and Workflow System User
all users who are processing the workflow tasks if the workflow’s task list includes usernames
By default, the View All User permission is granted via the Default Organization Profile. This means that all users involved in workflow-related tasks automatically receive the necessary access rights.
You can restrict the View All Users permission. Read more information about this in the user management help.
If the View All Users permission is restricted in your DocuWare organization, make sure that your workflow users retain this permission.
The View All Users permission is critical for workflows to function correctly. There is no workaround or alternative configuration available.
For further assistance, please contact your support team.