You use workflow
processes to create steps to guide records
for your business processes. You use numerous elements when creating
your workflow processes to achieve the business goals set out for
your enterprise.
Process nodes
A node is a graphical element that represents a point in
your business process. Nodes are added at specific business process
junctures to denote the entry of a record into the business process.
Connection lines
All nodes in a workflow process, except for the start nodes
and the stop nodes, must be connected to two other nodes. You can
draw positive and negative types of connections between nodes.
Person records
You use the People application
to create, to modify, to
view, and to delete records for individuals. The People application
stores information about individuals, such as users, laborers, asset
owners, and supervisors who receive workflow notifications.
Person groups and workflow assignments
You use the Person Groups application to specify that a
group member for a specific organization or site must be used when
making workflow assignments. Workflow assignments are made to roles.
Roles and role records
You use the Roles application to create role records. A
role is a function within a business. A role can represent a specific
job title (such as a department manager), an assigned duty (such as
a watch officer), a class file, and a data set.
Communication templates
You use the Communication Templates application to create
and to manage templates that generate email messages about the status
of workflow records.
Notifications
You use the Workflow Designer
application to create notifications.
A notification is an e-mail message that is generated by the progress
of a record through a workflow process.
Escalations and action groups
You use the Escalations application to create escalation
records. You can use escalations to escalate workflow assignments
before they time out in the Inbox for the recipient.
Escalation points
An escalation point defines the attributes of a record
that trigger an action. You can define one or more escalation points
for an escalation and specify one or more actions and notifications
for each escalation point.
Actions and action records
Workflow processes use actions to move records
through
a process and to trigger events, such as status changes. You define
actions in the Actions application and then you reuse them in other
workflow processes that you create.
Action types
When you create an action record, you specify the action
type to help determine what kind of action to take when the action
is encountered in a process.
Record routing
Activating a workflow process indicates that the process
is ready to have records routed through it. Before you activate a
record, consider whether you want records to be routed into a process
manually or automatically.
Domains
If your business processes for record approvals or for
status changes involve multiple steps for each approval or status
change, you can create synonym statuses.