Technical documentation

WORKFLOW

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Table des matières
1 – Principle:...................................................................................................................................................................3
2 – Configuration:...........................................................................................................................................................4
3 – Usage:......................................................................................................................................................................16
WORKFLOW: Function to check undefined value in a set of record (WPL-427):...........................................................37
Possibility to send email during Workflow process (WPL-246).....................................................................................41
RC: Add new function to test if field from a table is defined (CASE 882678).................................................................42
Workflow: make a distinction between approval workflow and not approval workflow in popup menu list (WPL-
4059)............................................................................................................................................................................. 43
New function in workflow module to check if informations located in detail table are defined (WPL-4511/CASE
878821)......................................................................................................................................................................... 45
As a user I want a new function in the workflow rule configuration to get the current user code( WPL-6266) 48
Use technical manager in a purchase order approval WorkFLOW ( WPL-6203 / CASE 955366)..................................48
New workflow fonction to check value which are not directly accessible (WPL-7116).................................................50
Use rule to defined mandatory field (WPL6075, WPL-6209 / CASE 947527).................................................................52
Workflow evaluate rules in detail line level (WPL-7950/ Case 1051620) ………………………………………………………………..…41

Workflow – email to prevent validation or rejection of a workflow (WPL-9063 / Case 1053818)

………………………………..61
Add the comment defined on the organizational chart on the employee sheet as optional column (WPL-9178 /Case
1055176)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..66
Workflow: as a user I want to define a super user to be able to start all workflow event if I am not the creator (WPL-
9433 / Case 1178642) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………67
orkflow: have a specific message when the workflow is interrupted (WPL-10954 / Case 1244668)………………………….68

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 WorkPLAN Solutions 2015 R1 – What’s new?

Workflow
1 – Principle:

The workflow module allows controlling the document creation and validation by defining several steps. At each step
a different user becomes the owner of the document and he is the only one allowed to update the document during
that step. “Document” refers to the main WorkPLAN objects like quotation, invoice, delivery note, purchase order…

The workflow module is protected by the license code.

NB: this first version includes the workflow management of the purchase order and order confirmation only (in order
to validate the overall principle before to extend it to other objects).

There are 2 possible workflows:

Pre-defined workflow
Each step is defined with who is responsible of the document at each step (with instructions). There
could be some dynamic conditions which allow bypassing some steps. The pre-defined workflow can
be “Approval workflow”. In that case, the document status won’t be updateable while the document
wasn’t approved.

Example of use:
Purchasing workflow - depending of the purchase order amount the PO needs to be
forwarded to manager(s) who will validate it or not.

Free workflow
A document can be sent by his creator to another user with instructions. This user becomes the
owner of the document and can fulfill new information (or simply check the existing content). He can
himself send it to another user and so on …

Example of use:
Quotation workflow - a quotation may be sent to the technical manager for estimated time
input and/or to the purchaser for the raw material cost actualization.

A new entry in EasyView displays 3 folders:

 the documents assigned to the current user (like a “To do” list),
 the documents for which the current user started a workflow
 and the documents with finished workflow (history)

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2 – Configuration:

A “Workflow” entry is available in the “General Settings” menu.

This screen lists the pre-defined workflows.

Use the [Edit] button to access the workflow schema

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The schema describes the different steps (phases) of the workflow and possibly the conditions. You can add a phase
by using a right click on the background.

Then you can define the links between phases:

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Once the workflow schema has been completely defined (all the links were added), it becomes automatically usable.

NB: you can unmark the “usable” check box if you want to inactivate the workflow temporarily (to update the phase
properties for instance.

Phase properties screen:

Use the right click menu on the phase objects to access their properties screen:

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The phase properties screen has 3 tabs:
 Managers
This tab is used to define who will be responsible of that phase. You can list several users. When the
phase will be assigned, the first user – based on position field - in the list will be responsible (owner)
if he is present at that time. If the first user is absent, the second user will be responsible if present
and so on.

NB: a user is present if he has no absence declared for the current day and if he is available for the
workflow (if a user is marked as not available, he will be prompt the next time he will log in)

Several users can have the same position number. In that case they will be all notified about the
phase but the first one who will “take” the document will be responsible.
The manager can be a direct user (defined by his code) or indirect user like the creator of the
document, the direct manager of the creator of the document, one of the manager of the previous
phase owner (you can define the level in the hierarchy with the field “Level”).

The following field on the employee sheet defines the hierarchy level between employees.

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 Example for the direct manager of the buyer on a purchase order:

 Instruction
Text field which describes what needs to be done in that phase

 Validation rules
This tab defines a list of rules to be applied before to leave the phase. It could be rules to check if
some information has been filled on the document. For instance you can check if the forecasted
delivery date has been defined on a purchase order. If this is not the case, the user will be notified
about it and he won’t be able to exit the current phase.
If there is no rule defined, the exit of the current phase is always possible

The check box “Return possible” allows returning to a previous phase of the workflow.

The check box “Cancellation possible” allows interrupting the workflow.

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The decision rule is accessible with a right click in the schema. Like for meters, you can define your own rule, based
on the document fields.

Define first the variables to be used and then the rule itself (which must return 1, if the condition is true, else 0).

Few functions are available to make advanced tests:

1. wkf_is_defined(variable) : return true if the variable is defined

Example:
IF wkf_is_defined (forecasted_delivery_date) then
1 // true
ELSE

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 0 // false
ENDIF

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2. wkf_sum_of(variable) : return the sum of the variable (useful to sum sub-table data)
Example:
IF wkf_sum_of (quantity) > 100 then
1 // true
ELSE
0 // false
ENDIF

3. wkf_elapsed_days(variable) : returns the number of days between the current date and the date
given as parameter

Example:
IF wkf_elapsed_days (order_date)> 30 then
1 // true
ELSE
0 // false
ENDIF

4. wkf_code(variable) : returns the variable code corresponding to the internal identifier of the
database
Example:
IF upper(wkf_code (creator_user_id)) = “SMITH” then
1 // true
ELSE
0 // false
ENDIF

NB: “upper” function returns the string given as variable in upper case

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3 – Usage:

Pre-defined workflow

You can start a workflow from a document for which you are the creator.

You are then prompt to manage the workflow immediately.

If you answer “Yes”, the following screen opens and you can start the workflow.

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If you answer “No”, this order confirmation will be added to your “Inbox” and you will be able to manage it later (use
the entry “WorkFlow” in the “File” menu to display it in EasyView).

NB: if you click on the order confirmation in the “Inbox” the previous screen opens.

When you start a workflow, the document icon is changed in EasyView and the window title is updated:

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The user can add a comment and use the button “Next” to continue the workflow. As the order confirmation
amount is less than 5000 euros, the next step is “Phase 1” and is assigned to the user “WorkPLAN Administrator”.
This user becomes the owner of the order confirmation and he is the only one able to update it.

The user “WorkPLAN administrator” has now this order confirmation in his “Inbox”:

And the user “MyWP user” has it in his “My workflows” folder.

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From the “Inbox” you can access the document with attached document if needed

Once the phase has been completed, you can use the next button and possibly add a comment (you may be blocked
if some validation rule are not correct).

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The workflow now ended. The history of the updates is available under the document in EasyView:

The workflow steps are now stored in the “Finished workflows” of both users (steps linked to them):

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Possible actions:

Return
Select a previous phase (if the workflow configuration allows it)

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Next
Checks the validation rules (if any)
Checks the list of managers defined and selects the first one available
Change the current phase status and select the next one, possibly after having apply condition rule(s)

Take
If several users were assigned to the phase, the current user takes the phase and this phase will disappear
from the “Inbox” of other users

Cancellation
Interrupt the workflow (if the workflow configuration allows it)

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Approval workflow

The principle is the same than for pre-defined workflow. When the workflow reaches the “END” step, the document
is marked as “Approved”. The document status can then be updated.

NB: If it exists an approval workflow for an object then the status can’t be updated until the document gets
approved.

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Free workflow

You can start a free workflow from a document for which you are the creator.

Select the user and add instruction:

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The document goes to the “Inbox” of the selected user:

He can now sent it to a third user or terminate the flow:

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Automatic notification about workflow(s) in the Inbox:

The users are automatically informed if there is a new entry in their inbox (or when login in WorkPLAN).

Filters and alarms:

You can filter workflow phases with the advanced filter.

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NB: phases which are in the Inbox are those which have no action already taken (“Workflow.None” marked)

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Example:

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User rights:

There are new user rights which can be defined per document.

You can approve directly a document if you have the user right “Manual approval”:

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You can cancel a manual approval:

You can delete all the records of one workflow:

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You can unblock workflows if there are stopped after a number of days (defined in the company settings screen):

NB: If you have this user right active for a document, you can continue the workflow with the button “Next” as if you
are the owner of the workflow phase.

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WORKFLOW: Function to check undefined value in a set of record (WPL-427):

The function WKF_IS_DEFINED() can now be used to check a single data is defined or a set of data (detail)

 How to define rule to check single data, the invoice description for instance

Corresponding rule :

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 How to define a rule to check dataset, the invoice prince for invoice detail line

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Rule :

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Possibility to send email during Workflow process (WPL-246)

 In Workflow phase settings: add a new property “Send an e-mail” for the manager phase

During the process of the workflow, if the manager of the phase has an address email then he’ll receive a
notification email.

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RC: Add new function to test if field from a table is defined (CASE 882678)

New function WKF_FIELD_IS_DEFINED will allow user to check is a field from a table is defined.
In the example below, we get a task id from purchase request details and we want to check if for this task the
line_job_id is defined.

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Workflow: make a distinction between approval workflow and not approval workflow in popup menu
list (WPL-4059)

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In popup menu list, the workflow types are grouped, first the approval workflows and then the not approval
workflows

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New function in workflow module to check if informations located in detail table are defined (WPL-
4511/CASE 878821)

A new workflow function is available to check if informations are defined in level of detail line table.

As an example we can defined a workflow to check if cost center in detail line of supplier invoice is defined

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 Purchase_invoice

Purchase_invoice_line

Purchase_invoice_detail

We must use function:

WKF_FIELD_IN_DETAIL_LINE_TABLE_IS_DEFINED( "purchase_invoice_line","purchase_invoice_detail","cost_cente
r_id")

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As a user I want a new function in the workflow rule configuration to get the current user code( WPL-
6266)

Use technical manager in a purchase order approval WorkFLOW ( WPL-6203 / CASE 955366)

It is now possible to choose a technical manager when we have to defined a manager phase.
The technical manager is the line job technical manager from the purchase order detail.

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New workflow fonction to check value which are not directly accessible (WPL-7116)

For instance creator_user_id is available in internal_po_request table. With the new fonction we are now
able to test the code of the creator_user_id.

Syntax : WKF_EXISTS_STRING_VALUE(creator_user_id,"users","code", "DURAND")

If this fonction is used on a field of a detailed table (field cost_center_id of table

internal_po_request_detail in the following example), the fonction will return true if at least one value
match the criteria

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Use rule to defined mandatory field (WPL6075, WPL-6209 / CASE 947527)
It is now possible to defined rule to check field that will be applied before user change status of an object.
It is available for the following objects:
- Delivery notes
- Invoices
- Quotation lines
- Purchase orders
- Supplier invoices
- Supplier delivery note
- Purchase request
To defined rule, go in menu Settings / General settings / Change status

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The way to defined rules is similar to the way to defined workflow rules.

Remark : Those rules are also applied when you print the document such as printing invoice, delivery note…

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Workflow evaluate rules in detail line level (WPL-7950/ Case 1051620)

An improvement has been done in the evaluation of workflow rule. Now the treatment is done in the level of
the detail when it is possible (for invoice, purchase order, delivery note…). This will allow us to display
error messages more accurately

Example:
Let’s consider the following phase rule where I check that in purchase order, all qty from purchase order lines are
defined ( > 0) and all purchase order lines are link to a task.

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This is an error which could be risen when I use the workflow.

We know precisely that the validation failed in the level of detail line data ( = purchase order line in our example). I
know also which line are concerned (line with position 4, 6 and 7) and their description.

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Remark : This workflow would displayed the following error message in previous release. We can see that we have
only the error message without any detailed informations.

IMPORTANT :

To have the best detailed display of the error, user must not mix in the same rule the treatment of header’s data and
detail’s data.

If I want to complete my previous workflow example by additional control (I want to check that the purchase order’s
description is defined) I should add another rule instead of modifying the current rule.
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If we apply this workflow on the previous purchase order

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With the error message we know that validation failed in level of header information (description is missing) and in
detail lin e( line with position 4, 6 and 7 are still not correct).

Remark : If I modify the rule instead of making a new one, and I apply it to the purchase order, I will have another
result as error message

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Workflow – email to prevent validation or rejection of a workflow (WPL-9063 / Case
1053818):

Add the possibility to the owner of workflow received an email when the workflow is approved or rejected.

 Workflow settings screen: add a new column “email notification”

 Document is approved

Email sent to the user who launched the document in the workflow:

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  Document is not approved

Email sent to the user who launched the document in the workflow:

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  Document is approved manually

Email sent to the user who launched the document in the workflow:

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 The manual approval is cancelled

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Email sent to the user who launched the document in the workflow:

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Add the comment defined on the organizational chart on the employee sheet as
optional column (WPL-9178 /Case 1055176):

 Organizational chart:

 Employee sheet – tab [Function]: add the column comment as optional and the comment detail

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Workflow: as a user I want to define a super user to be able to start all workflow event if
I am not the creator (WPL-9433 / Case 1178642)

 Company settings: new parameter

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Workflow: have a specific message when the workflow is interrupted (WPL-10954 /
Case 1244668)

If the workflow is interrupted, now a specific message appears.

 For example, on leave request, my immediate superior is absent:

The other specific messages are:

- If the user is no longer employed: “The user Steve is no longer employed, and he can no longer
process the workflow
- If the user is not available for the workflow: “The user Steve is not available, and he can not
process the workflow for the moment
- If the user does not have modification rights for the current object: “The user Steve does not have
modification rights for object Leave request”

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