Processing parallel or sequential workflows (IBM FileNet P8)

If parallel and sequential workflows are available, you can use the workflows to specify whether documents are approved by multiple reviewers at the same time or whether the documents are reviewed and approved in a specific order.

About this task

With parallel workflows, you can assign a document review cycle so that multiple people can review the same document at the same time. You select the reviewers for a document, then start the workflow, which notifies all of the reviewers that the document is ready for review. The reviewers can access and approve the document any time during the review period, and no one reviewer depends on another person to finish a review first because the reviews are run concurrently.

For example, a bank president wants the other officers to review and approve a new set of bank policies. The president can start a parallel workflow and assign the document review to all of the officers. The bank officers then can review and approve the new policies at any time during the review period.

To run a review in a specific order, you can use sequential workflows. You select a list of reviewers, and the workflow sends review notifications to the reviewers in order. No reviewer can start the review until the reviewer before approves the document.

The process of approving a loan application is an example of a sequential workflow. For example, a customer can apply for a loan, but the application must be reviewed and approved in order by the loan officer, credit manager, and loan department president. The loan department president cannot approve the document until the previous reviewers approve the application.

Procedure

To start a parallel or sequential workflow:

  1. Locate the document, right-click on the document, and select Launch Workflow.
  2. Select the Workflow to launch, then click Launch.
  3. From the Properties page, select the reviewers and click OK.
  4. For sequential workflows, select whether approvals are required.
    For parallel workflows, All approvals are required.
  5. In the Workflow name field, enter a name for the workflow.
  6. Add instructions for the reviewers.
  7. Set the due date that the review ends.
  8. Specify the settings for the workflow and then click Launch Workflow.
  9. Check any additional settings.
  10. Click Launch Workflow.