Business Process Steps Template

This template makes use of the Business Process Step activity to inform users of their role in the process. It provides instructions for participants and a resolution regarding how the step completed. It also provides valuable reporting details in the Laserfiche Windows client, the Laserfiche web client, and Workflow.

How it works

  1. A Business Process Step activity contains a Wait for Entry Change activity that waits for the entry's “Workflow Templates: Amount” field to be filled out. It also provides instructions for how to process the document and a resolution for when the step completes.
  2. Depending on the value of the “Workflow Templates: Amount” field, the Conditional Decision activity will either run the Assign Field Values activity, which automatically sets the “Workflow Templates: Manager Approval” field to Approved, or it will run the Manager’s Approval Business Process Step activity which has a Route Entry to Folder activity (“Route Entry to Manager Folder”) in it. This routing activity sends a shortcut to the entry to the Manager folder and waits until the “Workflow Templates: Manager Approval” field is set.

    3. Note: This Routing Decision activity does not have an exception branch because the two conditions cover every possible value that could be put in the “Workflow Templates: Amount” field.

  3. Once the “Workflow Templates: Manager Approval” field is set, a Route Entry to Folder activity routes the document to the Storage\Approved Plans or Storage\Denied Plans folders. This activity uses the %(Fields.Workflow Templates: Manager Approval) Tokens to route the entry according to its status.

To run this workflow template in the provided test environment

  1. Ensure the workflow’s starting rule is enabled in the Workflow Rule Manager.
  2. In the Laserfiche Windows or web client, select a document in the Workflow Templates - Test Entries folder whose name includes the words “Supply Request.”

    3. Note: Ensure the fields, “Workflow Templates: Amount” and the “Workflow Templates: Manager Approval” are empty.

  3. Right-click the entry, and select Start Business Process.
  4. Choose Template - Business Process Step, and review the description so you understand how the workflow will run.
  5. Click Start.
  6. Open the document you started the process on and follow the instructions in the Business Process Pane to move the workflow along: Type a number in the "Workflow Templates: Amount" field. (For example, 300 or 2,000 dollars.) If the amount is less than $1,000, the entry will be sent to the Storage\Approved Plans folder. If the amount is greater than or equal to $1,000 a shortcut will be routed to the Manager Folder for approval.
  7. If the amount is greater than or equal to $1,000 and needs Manager approval, set the “Workflow Templates: Manager Approval” field to “Approved” or “Denied” and the document will be routed to the Storage\Approved Plans or Storage\Denied Plans folder.

Alternatively, you can test the workflow (bypassing the starting rule) with the Run Current Workflow option in the Workflow Designer. You can test this workflow on a document in the Workflow Templates - Test Entries folder whose name includes the words “Supply Request.”

Ideas to expand this workflow

  • Configure emails to notify users when the document is waiting for a value in the “Workflow Templates: Amount" field and/or the “Workflow Templates: Manager Approval” field.
    • In the first Business Process Step activity, right-click the email activity and select Enable. Type one or more email addresses in the To field. Click Advanced Settings in the Properties Pane, and click Manage e-mail servers to ensure an email server is configured for Workflow to use.
    • Add an email in the Email tab in the Route Entry to Manager Folder activity. Alternatively, replace the Route Entry Folder activity with a Route Entry to User activity to use default folders and your managerial structure. Add a Find Manager activity to the top of the workflow to create a token for the manager of the person who started the workflow. Use this token in the Route Entry to User activity to route to the manager.
  • Select participants for each Business Process Step activity by clicking Add Participant in the Participants property box. Participants will automatically see the step’s instructions in the Business Process Pane when they open the entry in the Laserfiche Windows or web client. You can also send participants notifications that include all the steps that need their attention. Business Process Notifications.
  • Remove the approval Routing Decision activity, and instead have this workflow invoke a generic approval workflow. Using parameters, you can pass information from this workflow to the approval workflow and back again. Invoking lets you reuse a generic approval workflow instead of having to build many, similar approval sequences.

Remember to rename and republish the workflow once you have made all desired changes.