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I18N characters are not supported for values which are used as UI information (e.g. field titles), e.g. process variables. |
The Agile e6 Workflow module allows the definition of templates for the following tasks:
Creating Process Templates
Process templates define individual activities and the sequence of these activities in a workflow process. Process Templates define resources, completion deadlines, userexits etc. for these activities. Your process templates are the available workflow processes . They can be reused multiple times or integrated as subprocesses into any workflow process.
A work item template is created for all individual activities that are to be executed in the course of a workflow process. It can be used to insert several activities possessing the same properties. Activity templates must be defined via the single templates list, they cannot be defined in the Workflow Editor.
Activities of your workflow processes are represented in the Inbox by work items. Reusable templates can be created for all activities and stored in template libraries. When defining the workflow process in the Workflow Editor, such templates can be copied and inserted as required. Alternatively you can create entirely new activities. Activities can be executed automatically.
Adding Activities
Using the Workflow Editor new activities can be added to a process:
Activities are described by means of the following set of properties. When
an activity template is created with a set of predefined properties, these properties
will be available as default values when designing a workflow process using
the referenced activity template.
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Userexits can only be assigned to normal activities and operators with editable properties! |
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If an error occurs while executing a background userexit, an e-mail is sent to the responsible user of the process. The activity can be restarted. |
The activity history contains detailed information of the process activities. The mask contains a description of all actions related to the activity. If split operators are used for voting decisions, the field
gets the of the link properties. If distribution lists are used for the vote, the voting results and in case of a positive decision, the weighting is displayed. If the process has process variables, the names and values are displayed. In case of errors, the respective message is printed here.Workflow actions that are performed by the system are displayed with a special workflow system user 'WFL-SYS' on the
tab.Define Processes
Processes can be defined as an ad-hoc process or as a copy of a process template. When creating an ad-hoc process, the current user is inserted in the
field. This entry cannot be changed. When copying a process template, the user responsible for the process template is entered automatically in the field. This entry can be changed. A project, a company or a department can be assigned to processes in the definition phase.![]() |
With the role model, user positions (jobs) can be limited to specific projects. A project can be assigned to a workflow process. Group members must be assigned to a project to get specific work items! |
Using the graphical user interface of the Workflow Editor you can create new
or modify existing workflow processes.
All changes are transferred directly to the database when you save a process. Starting a process automatically, completes the definition phase and initiates execution of the activities in the specified sequence. In this case all assigned resources are notified by email.
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A process can be started without assigning resources to all activities. As soon as reaching and starting such an activity during the process the user responsible for the process is assigned automatically! |
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Automatic userexits can be executed upon start or finish of each process! |
The
tab in the and masks provides information on process events, date and time of occurance, and which user is concerned. In case of errors, the respective message is printed here.Workflow actions that are performed by the system are displayed with a special workflow system user 'WFL-SYS' on the
tab.Inbox
The provides a list of your active,
incomplete work items. Assigned work items are added to the Inbox of each user
involved. New work items are marked as . The
Inbox provides a range of functions for work item processing.
The Work List of your Inbox facilitates your deadline management for the execution of work items and provides the following data:
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Work items are not created for the start activity, the stop activity, joins, split AND activity, and not for automatically executed activities. They are not inserted in the Inbox! |
Both, the current user and the Alert User or, if no Alert User has been specified, the process owner, are notified by the notifier if the deadline (Finish by date) for completion of a work item has been exceeded without a confirmation of completion.
The following diagram illustrates the Inbox function structure:
To execute this function, click one of the following buttons:
Reject
A work item that you do not wish to complete can be rejected and the assigned
activity can be restarted. If this work item was forwarded, it has to be completed
by the resource forwarding the work item to you.
There are two cases:
Forward
Work items that you do not wish to or cannot complete yourself can be forwarded
to another resource. Please note that you cannot forward work items to yourself
or to a group. Before you can forward a work item, you have to accept it. You
remain responsible for this work item if the person you forward it to, rejects
the work item.
Hyperlink in the Work Item Field
Clicking the field a mask with
information on the processing status of the work item is displayed. You can
accept, reject, or forward work items with the corresponding buttons in this
window. Using process variables, input fields are displayed. Using split operators,
checkboxes are displayed to specify successors. For the decision process in
a distribution list radio-buttons are displayed.
Phases of Processes and Activities
The current state of processes and activities is displayed in the definition
masks of processes/process templates and in the activity properties.
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The representation of Workflow elements is defined using a Style Sheet. The elements and illustrations shown below may therefore differ from the elements in your Workflow Editor! |
The graphical user interface comprises several sections:
The
The enlarged section of your workflow on the right side is color highlighted
in the Overview window.
The illustration above shows the entire workflow on the right hand side, thus
the entire Overview window is highlighted in color.
The zoom factor is controlled with a slider in the Overview window.
When storing a process a message window is opened in the Workflow Editor, notifying
you about incomplete or component errors. This may - for instance - be caused
by a link that was not assigned to a component.
The message window is displayed due to incorrect or incomplete modifications.
Click an entry in the message window to highlight the component that this error message refers to. Reopen the message window to update it.
The Workflow Editor provides various workflow design components. These components are listed on the tabs of the
window:![]() |
The names and the number of components shown on the tabs may vary with the data on activity templates and process variables that have been defined in Agile e6! |
Monitoring the State of Activities
During the process or when finishing the process the state of activities changes. The different states are identified by different colors:
The
tab contains the following components:Graphics | Component | Description | ||||||||
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Start Activity | The first activity of every workflow process is the start activity. A workflow process may contain no more than one start activity. | ||||||||
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Stop Activity | The last activity of a workflow process is the stop activity. A workflow process may contain more than one stop activity. | ||||||||
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Activity | Template for a new activity that is not based on an existing activity template. | ||||||||
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Links |
Links connect workflow components, they are represented by arrows.
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Click the connection line to highlight the line.
To add several lines you need to click the corresponding object once again! Double-click the connection line to add multiple lines in the Grapher View window without having to click the line several times! |
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Automatic resource assignment | Automatic resource assignment template |
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Links can be defined only for suitable connections between process components! |
Execute Activities Automatically
Automatic resource assignment is used in order to execute activities automatically
without assigning resources. If you assign an automatic resource to a split-OR
or split-XOR operator you have to assign a LogiView procedure to the operator with a background
userexit. The LogiView Procedure identifies successors of the activity and of
the process to control the further process flow.
Activities that are not assigned to a resource are automatically assigned to the process responsible user.
The tab contains user resources that can be assigned to activities. The Workflow Editor doesn't automatically load all users stored in the system but only on the user's request, providing the means to search for users who match the same or similar characteristics. The wildcards used for the search function (e.g. %) can be changed.![]() |
If the role assigned to an activity (as a resource) has expired (there's no job with a valid date), the process the activity belongs to will be suspended and the person responsible for the process will be informed! |
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If such a process has already been started and the work item is reported as completed after the expiration of the role, then the process will be suspended and changes will be denied. Also, the person responsible for the process will be informed! |
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If a role has jobs assigned that are already expired, the persons concerned won't be provided with work items any longer! |
The
tab contains distributed resources that can be assigned to activities. Distribution Lists must be created before they can be assigned.A Workflow process can have sub-branches for single or several activities or subprocesses. These branches and their connection are defined by operators which are logical splits or joins. Split operators (Split-AND, Split-OR and Split-XOR) fork the process into branches and control if one or several branches should be executed. Join operators (Join-And; Synchronous Join and Asynchronous Join) (re-)combine branches and control when the process and its assigned activities are executed.
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No operators are required for simple sequences of activities (i.e. one activity followed by another activity and so on)! |
The operators are arranged between activities and linked using connecting lines (links). The conditions defined through the operator of the predecessor activity must be fulfilled before the follow-up activity can be processed.
The control functions of the operators are explained in the following example:
A Workflow process defines the following process:The type of operators used controls if one and/or several resources have to approve, before the process can continue. This means that the operators define which activities must be accepted, started or finished before the process can continue with the next activity.
The image shows the described Workflow process with Split-AND- and Join-AND operators:
The first part of the following section describes the split operators that
enable you to branch a process into several follow-up activities or branches
containing several activities.
This is followed by a description of the join operators that allow you to combine
multiple activities or branches.
Split-AND branching (activates all follow-up activities)
Splits the process into at least two branches which must be executed in parallel. As the process is split without special conditions, a resource is not required. The activity is executed automatically/implicitly.
Example:
As soon as the owner of Role C has finished the activity
Record, the process is split by the Split-AND operator.
Both the User A and the members of Group
B are asked for approval.
Split-OR split branching (activates one OR multiple follow-up activities)
Selects from several succeeding process branches, one or several branches which
are then executed in parallel.
To execute the Split-OR operator, a resource must be assigned who selects the
respective branches.
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If no resource is assigned, the task is assigned to the process owner automatically! |
To facilitate the selection, connection lines (transitions) are editable: Enter a descriptive name in the field User A (> 500) and by the Group B (> 3000). If a value is needed for LogiView enter a unique name in the field (If no name is entered, a value is inserted automatically when storing the process).
in the properties of the connecting lines between the Split-OR operator and the succeeding activity. In the image below the amount is entered which does not require an approval (< 500), which requires approval byExample:
As soon as the owner of Role C has finished the activity Record, user User E is responsible to select the next branch(es). He will be sent a work item associated with the Split-OR operator, and in this work item he will see options corresponding to the labels of each of the output links. Whichever options User E selects will be the branches that are executed.
Split-XOR - branching of the process procedure (activates exactly one follow-up activity)
Selects exactly one branch out of several within the process.
To execute the Split-XOR operator, a resource must be assigned who selects exactly
one branch.
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If no resource is assigned, the task is assigned to the process owner automatically! |
Example:
As soon as the owner of Role C has finished the activity Record, user User E is responsible to select exactly one branch. He will be sent a work item associated with the Split-OR operator, and in this work item he will see options corresponding to the labels of each of the output links. Whichever options User E selects will be the branch that is executed.
Split-XOR - branching with vote decisions
A workflow process can contain split-XOR branchings, to display vote decisions.
In this case exactly two possible successors must be linked to the Split-XOR operator as a resource. Edit the properties of the connecting lines which link the operator to the next activity. Enter YES for the label for the connecting line which is selected in case of a positive decision. NO is entered in the label for the branch which is selected in case of a negative decision. The process only continues when a decision is made ( for a majority vote 100 % are required).
Join-AND - Junction (of all predecessors)
Joins several predecessor activities, all of which must be completed before
the workflow process continues. Use this operator for joining branches which
were split with the split-AND operator.
As the operator is executed automatically/implicitly, no resource is assigned!
Example:
User A must have executed the activity Approval 1 and Group B must have executed the activity Approval 2, that means the purchase requisition must be signed before the process will continue.
Synchronous Join junction (at least one predecessors)
Joins several predecessor activities, which were selected for execution by a
Split-OR/Split-AND operator. As the operator is executed automatically/implicitly,
no resource is assigned! The following conditions must be fulfilled before the
workflow process continues:
Using an synchronous join operator:
Example:
If User E has selected the branches with the labels> 500 and > 3000 with the Split-OR operator, the synchronize Join continues the execution of the process when the activities Approval1 and Approval2 are finished.
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There is only one activity (if applicable - also a subprocess) allowed between a Split-XOR operator and a Synchronous Join junction! |
Asynchronous Join junction (exactly one predecessor activity)
Joins several preceding activities. The process is continued as soon as the
execution of an activity or branch has been completed. As this operator is executed
automatically/implicitly, no resource is assigned.
Example:
User A must have accepted the activity Approval 1 or Group B must have accepted the activity Approval 2, before the process will continue. Finishing the second activity has no influence on the further process.
Using Loops in the Workflow Process
Asynchronous Join operations are integrated before an activity to form a loop. A split-XOR after the activity operator linked to the Asynchronous Join operator in front of the activity closes the loop.
All predefined process templates can be integrated into other processes as sub-processes. Thus, individual components of the process can be reused and do not need to be created again. Templates integrated as a subprocess are part of the superordinate process.
Process variables are input or output values of activities that are entered into the workflow process and which can be forwarded from one activity to the next. Attributes can be created with the manager functions of the Attribute Pool.
The assigned resource enters the corresponding values in the course of an
assigned work item. In the course of this procedure, special masks are created
for each work item where individual values can be entered.
Individual access privileges that are graphically represented by way of different
connection line styles can be assigned to each value:
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When editing a process template, don't remove process variables if at least one process definition has already been derived from this template! In case a process variable should not be used anymore, but processes have been already defined or executed, remove the connection to the activities. When creating a new process as a copy of a process template, no additional process variables can be added! |
All workflow components (resources, connection lines, process variables, subprocesses, and all activities including start and stop activities) are available via tabs in the Workflow Components section. These components are represented in the Workflow Editor as boxes and lines. Double-clicking activities, operators, and links opens the corresponding Properties dialog window.
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You may define custom images for activities in the Style Sheet! |
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Components can be edited with buttons and menu commands.
In addition to process variables, workflow components can also be positioned freely on the user interface. Process variables are positioned in columns and assigned by way of connection lines.
If components are moved the connections will remain intact. Automatic positioning can be either horizontal or vertical. Agile e6 arranges the components in the Workspace.
Selecting Several Components
Undo or Restore Modified Entries
To undo changes or restore modified entries use either CTRL + Z or buttons
and
.
Cut&Paste
Components can be cut (CTRL-X), copied (CTRL-C), and pasted (CTRL-V).
Store on Exit
If the Workflow Editor is closed after changes have been made to the workflow you will be prompted to save or discard those changes.
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Java programming skills are required for the implementation of component view changes. If errors occur in the parameter configuration this will prevent the workflow from being displayed in the Workflow Editor. Therefore, all modifications of the Style Sheet must be performed by skilled persons! |
The representation of the workflow components is defined by way of Style Sheet parameters. You can therefore customize the user interface and graphics to customer-specific requirements (e.g. activities or connection line) according to individual requirements (e.g. corporate design requirements of your organization).
The properties of components can be modified in the corresponding mask. Fields of the masks vary depending on the type of component. Changes of properties are made in the corresponding lists (i.e. process template lists and process definition list) and saved.
The main distribution may contain several subordinate distributions since it is based on a predefined structure. This method enables a detailed reproduction of complex organizational structures, which are defined centrally and are applied in different ways in various high-level distributions.
Users and groups can be assigned to a distributor. When using the distributor for voting, an individual weight can be determined.
In case the summation of all weights of all users and groups is less than 100, the workflow process will stop as the predecessor activity can't be finished because its successor (the activity with the distribution) can't be started. The user responsible for this process is notified automatically. After correcting the distribution, the predecessor activity can be finished and the process will go on.
Positive (Approved) or Negative (Rejected) Voting ResultsFor each entry of a group or a user in a distribution list, a new work item is created. A group assigned to the distribution list is also assigned to the work item. Besides the casted votes, the history shows if the user has casted the votes as a member of a group in a distribution list.
A Work Request comprises all required information regarding a proposed modification:
In the Header form:On tabs:
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When the Workflow Module is used in conjunction with the Enhanced Change Management Module, the | tab of the Work Request/Work Order mask is replaced by the Change Operations tab!
Tab | Description | Change Management on / off |
General | Description. | on / off |
Alias IDs | Sets list of sets for this Work Order. | on / off |
Products | Products where the affected objects are used. | on / off |
Change Operations | List of change operations. | on |
Change Operations (Structure) | List of hierarchical change operations. | on |
Affected Objects | Projects, items, documents that are affected by the Work Request. | off |
Work Orders | Work orders that result form the Work Request. | on / off |
Projects | Projects related to the Work Request. | on / off |
Documents | Documents with a detailed description of the Work Request. | on / off |
Solutions | Solutions to be selected and assigned from a common table with suitable solution recommendations. | on / off |
Persons | Persons that are involved in the creation and execution of the Work Request. | on / off |
Companies | Companies/departments that are involved in the creation and execution of the Work Request. | on / off |
The standard procedure for the preparation of Work Requests and Work Orders is divided into phases:
Preparation Phase![]() |
When the Enhanced Change Management module is active, a preliminary Work Order is created automatically with the creation of a Work Request! |
A folder is comparable to the file (floating file) often used in everyday work.
It is therefore a virtual work folder combining elements which are to be processed
jointly. It can contain different elements (items, documents, etc.) which are
required for a specific work process (change, redevelopment etc.).
A folder is created automatically when a Work Request/Work Order is created
and is displayed in the structure browser. It is also possible for each user
to create a folder manually and store it under a logical name.
References
The elements in a folder only represent references to the original elements and thus the content of the folder is not a copy of the elements concerned. Therefore there is only one original in the entire system and several references to this original.
This procedure has the following advantages:
In the folder itself the identifying data of all application elements are represented in joint columns (mixed projects, articles and documents). An additional symbol in the first column helps to denote which type of element is concerned. Hereby given letters mark the type of element:
P |
Project |
A |
Article |
D |
Document |
F |
File |
If the elements entered in the folder are structured (e.g. list of parts), this structure (structure levels) can be identified by indented dots in the first column.
In the Workflow module the following types of notifications can be generated:
1. Notification mail (new work item)
The notification mail is initiated by the watchdog and contains links to the
work item and to the inbox (both either via Web client or Java client).
Example:
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Please note that the sending of notification mails can be suppressed by activating the None checkbox in the | window!
For further information on how to suppress the sending of notifications see the topic Set the Date of the Workflow Notification.
2. Due mail (work item got due)
The due mail is initiated by the watchdog if a work item of the recipient reached
the due-date and contains links to the work item and the inbox (both either
via Web client or Java client). The sending of due mails depends on the entries
in the
For further information on how to set time limits for the sending of due mails
see the topic Edit Activity and Transition Properties.
Example:
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Please note that the sending of due mails cannot be suppressed! |
3. Over-due mail (work item got over-due)
The over-due mail is initiated by the watchdog if a work item of the recipient
reached the over-due date and contains links to the work item and the inbox
(both either via Web client or Java Client). The sending of over-due mails depends
on the entries in
Example:
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Please note that the sending of over-due mails cannot be suppressed! |
4. Over-due mail to the process responsible
The over-due mail for the porcess responsible is initiated by the watchdog
if an activity of a process reached the over-due date and is sent to the process
responsible. It contains links to the process console (either via Web client
or Java Client).
Example:
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Please note that the sending of over-due mails to the process responsible cannot be suppressed! |
5. State / State Change mail to a group of users
It is possible to send notifications for specific states and state changes to a group of users while a workflow process is running.
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The users mentioned in that group must not be involved in the workflow process (via resources). |
The mail text can have up to 2000 characters of free choice. The attributes of the concerning object (process, activity, or workitem) are available for text replacement.
To activate that functionality open the default mask of entity EDB-WFL-NOT-MES: |
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Text example: This is a test for process <AXA>Entity=Process,Field=ID</AXA>, |
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Example entries:
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Result: Every time a process whose name includes the substring 'prc' is
reaching the state 'opened.running' (e.g. after start, resume), the |
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Mandatory fields are : Id-Cryterium, Type, Group Id At least one of these fields: Transistion, New state, or Old state must be filled (all valid combinations are allowed). Obtional field: Message. The message is generated via a template and only the 'Message-Text' is inserted. Empty text is also allowed. |