novell teaming: automating business processes with forms and workflows

Novell® Teaming:Automating Business Processes with Forms and Workflows

Robin RedgraveCollaboration Technical Specialistrredgrave@novell.com

Adam WingateTeaming Libriarianawingate@novell.com

© Novell, Inc. All rights reserved.2

Agenda

• What is a workflow?

• How to create Forms

• How to create Workflows

• Putting it Together

• Further information

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What is a Workflow?

Workflows are processes that already exist in the business– Processing resumes and hiring staff

– Reviewing, editing and publishing documents

– Human Resource functions: requesting and approvingtime off, expense reports or supply requisition

– Help desk support request, diagnosis, resolution

– Change request

– Ticket tracking

– Moderated discussion forums

– Purchase Order request and Approval

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Pre-Workflow Design

• Talk to people– Everyone involved

– What do the users need, what does the business need

– What controls and rights are required

• How can you improve the existing WF– Reminders

– Escalations

– Let others know

– Feedback to originator

Workflow Creation Delegation

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Who Can Create Business Processes

• Administrator or Administrator equivelant

– Can create system Forms and Workflows

• Users

– Rights can be assigned at a Folder or workspace level

– Forms and Workflows will be available at that pointand below

– Workspace administrator has rights

– Specific rights can be delegated to user

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Add a Forms/Workflow Role

• As admin

– Create a new role and assign rights

> Design Entries

> Design Workflows

• On access control menu

– Assign the rights as required to users

Forms

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What is a Form?

• A way of entering information into Teaming

• Made up of elements

• Equivalent to your paper based form

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Basic Elements

• Text

• Attachment/File upload

• Description/HTML Editor

• Guest user name

• Checkbox

• User list/Group List

• Buttons

• Date / Date and Time

• Picture

• Event

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Container Elements

• Radio Button

• Selectbox

• 2 and 3 column table

• Box

• Expandable area

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Advanced Elements

• Custom JSP

• HTML element

• Remote application

• User List Selectbox

• Hidden

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Entry Designer

• Form definition

– What the form looks like

• View definition

– How the form is viewed

– A subset of the form elements

• Summary definition

– Simple view

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Expanding Functionality with JSPs

• External database interaction• Dynamically hiding and displaying fields• Validation of data entries• Text and number manipulation• Populating fields with user profile information• Populating fields for workflow routing

• Adding additional elements to the designer

Workflows

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Creating a Workflow

• Create States

• Add Transitions

• Set up notifications

• Set up access control

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States

• Points of transition within a business process– Awaiting managerial approval– Document published– Holiday denied– Grades submitted

• Action points for the workflow– Routing options– Notifications– Add parallel processes– Copy/move entries

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Transitions

• Custom transition

• Immediate

• Manual

• After time elapsed

• On comment or reply

• Entry data values

• Modify

• Question and Response

• Variable

• Wait for Parallel threads

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Notifications

• Mail messages to users to inform on form progression

• Can be sent to

– Static Users or Groups

– Dynamic users or groups defined within the form

• Can include title and other information

• Can be sent on entering or exiting a state

– Multiple messages can be defined

– Can have CC and BCC recipients

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Access Controls

• Who can access a entry

– Delete

– Modify

– Read

• Who can Transition an entry

– Into a state

– Out of a state

• Modify specific fields on the form

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Other Bits

• Custom actions

• Remote application

• Start parallel thread

• Start separate workflow process

– Variables can be carried across

Putting It Together

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Need to Ensure Our Users Can Use It

• Create a folder• Configure the folder

– Add the allowed entry type

– Assign the workflow to run automatically

• Test– Form entry and view

– Workflow works as expected> Notification and access controls

• Folder and workspace templatescan be created

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Reporting

• Report on Workflow State

– Show average time spent in each state by all entries

– Show number of entries currently in each state

• Workflow history

– Shows the path that has been taken through the workflow

– Who made the decision and when

• Useful for compliance and auditing

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Importing and Exporting

• Can import and export forms and workflows

– Create and test in an isolated environment

– Move to the production environment when ready

• Remember any JSPs will need to be manually moved

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Extensions

• A way of packaging up your customisations

– Forms

– Workflows

– JSPs

– Images

– Teamplates

– Configuration files

Further Information

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www.novell.com/teaming/starterpack

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www.novell.com/teaming_library

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www.kablink.org

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www.novell.com/documentation/teaming

Questions?

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