Object tables

Object tables are a way for you to add contextual data to the project. By creating object tables, you can upload master data that is related to the context of your process (for example, data about vendors, materials, countries) that is separate from the event log.

Difference between object tables data and event log data

To create a project, you must upload an event log. The event log is supposed to focus on events, on the information related to the activities. Typical event log information contains the following information:

  • "What" (process ID, order number, ticket number, activity name),
  • "When" (start time and end time)
  • "Who" (resource that worked on the activity).

Any other information is called master data. Master data is data that is not related to the process execution, but to stakeholders and objects that are part of the organization. Master data can describe people (for example, customers, employees, vendors), places (offices, locations), and things (products, materials). All this data is typically stored separately from the event log.

Accessing object tables

Object tables work on the organization level: this means that when you create an object table, it becomes available for every project in your organization. If you have multiple processes, each one with its own eventlog, all of them can access and retrieve the same object tables.

You can access object tables in the following ways:

  • From an organization level:
    1. Go to Projects.
    2. Click the three dots next to your organization name.
    3. Click Manage object tables.
  • From a project:
    1. Open a project.
    2. Go to Data & Settings.
    3. In Data source, go to Object tables.

Adding object tables

Select one of the following options:

Creating a new object table.

  1. Enter the Object tables tab in Data & Settings > Data source.
  2. Click Create new object.
  3. Insert the name of the object table and click Create.
  4. Select a data source and wait for it to upload.
  5. Click Edit data mapping and map your data by selecting the field type.
  6. Optional: select mandatory fields.
  7. Optional: enable primary key mapping and choose the primary keys.

A primary key is a column that uniquely identifies a record in a relational database. You can select more than one primary key. The fields that you map as primary keys must be selected when you join the table with other data sources.

  1. Click Save.
  2. Click the name of the object table and set the Include toggle to on.

Appending data to an existing object table.

  1. Enter the Object tables tab in Data & Settings > Data source.
  2. Click Append to existing object.
  3. Select an existing table.
  4. Select a data source and wait for it to upload.
  5. Click Edit data mapping and map your data.
  6. Optional: select mandatory fields.
  7. Optional: enable primary key mapping and choose the primary keys.

A primary key is a column that uniquely identifies a record in a relational database. You can select more than one primary key. The fields that you map as primary keys must be selected when you join the table with other data sources.

  1. Click Save.
  2. Click the name of the object table and set the Include toggle to on.

Retrieving an object table that was created in another project in the same organization.

  1. Enter the Object tables tab in Data & Settings > Data source.
  2. Click Retrieve existing object.
  3. Select one or more tables.
  4. Click Retrieve.
  5. Click the name of the object table and set the Include toggle to on.

You do not have to re-create joins in every project. If you established a relationship between two object tables in one project, the relationship remains, even if they are retrieved into another project.

Using object tables

When your object table is created, you can perform the following actions:

  • Use the Table joins tab to define the relationships between different tables. For more information, see Table joins.

  • Include the object table in the BPMN configuration and decision rules.

  • In the attribute statistics section of your process model, you can access the statistics of your object tables.

  • You can use object tables in filters. For more information, see Filters.

Removing object tables

  1. Open a project from which you want to remove the object table.
  2. From the menu on the left, go to Data & Settings.
  3. In the Data source section, go to Object tables.
  4. Click the name of the object table that you want to delete.
  5. Click the delete button and confirm that you want to delete the object table.

Removing an object table affects the object table filters.