topic Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow in Application Development and Automation Discussions

Marking a form step optional in workflow

former_member592874 — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:20:56 GMT

Hello,

I have a requirement where I need to mark a form step as optional in a workflow.

It is a step where the user can save comments for a purchase requisition in the form step.

The scenario is a s follows:

The manager receives an approval request for the purchase requistion.

He parallely gets a "change form" step to update the comments in the PR.

He should be able to respond to the request first.

Then, he might or might now want to use the form step to save his comments.

So, workflow should continue even though the form step is not executed.

Would this be possible.

Thanks in advance.

-Mamatha

Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow

Former Member — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:27:01 GMT

Hi,

There is a workflow forum here on SCN.

In workflow modeling you can use fork steps which executes things in parallel and you can define them like 1:3. This means there are 3 processes started simultaneously but whenever 1 of them gets completed the other 2 become invalid and the workflow continues to the next step.

So you should incorporate something like this in your workflow template.

Kind regards, Rob Dielemans

Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow

former_member592874 — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:35:24 GMT

Hi Rob,

Thank you.

I am using fork currently.

The problem here is the form step is marked cancelled as soon as the approval step is completed.

But the user would be going and entering comments only when after responding to the approval step.

So, I want the workflow to continue but the form step to be still open.

Any thoughts?

Regards

Mamatha

Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow

Former Member — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:59:01 GMT

Hi Mamatha,

There has to be at one point in the workflow a spot which waits for either the completion of the Form or cancellation of the form. You should identify this spot and put a wait for event step in it.

Then in your fork instead of the form step you simply add a create event step. This event then has a simple workflow as a receiver which gives the user the option to fill in a form or to cancel it. afterwards you fire an event with the form as a event container element.

an easier option would be to identify the spot in the workflow where it is no longer possible to add the form. then find out if a form has been added previously. If not send a user decision to the agent asking if they would like to continue without form or if they would like to add a form.

Kind regards, Rob Dielemans

Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow

former_member592874 — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 11:09:39 GMT

Rob, is there a way where we could take the comments from user from the decision step for approval itself...

Thanks

Mamatha

Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow

Former Member — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 11:33:28 GMT

Yeah you can add your own attachments to a user decision from the workplace. If you bind _attach_objects back from the UD to the workflow they can be used elsewhere.

When you execute the user decision there is a button create attachment Shift F1. there you can add a tekst.

Does this comply with the business requirement?

Kind regards, Rob Dielemans

Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow

former_member592874 — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 13:25:54 GMT

Thanks Rob,

I am currently researching on the option of adding attachments to the work item.

I am in search of a FM that could read the content of the attachment so that I can save it in the database.

Could you share if you know any such FM pls.

Thanks,
Mamatha

Re: Marking a form step optional in workflow

Former Member — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 13:36:10 GMT

Hi Mamatha,

Maybe you can try to make use of 'asynchronus task' for this purpose, so that step gets executed and the workflow continues regardless of that step is completed or not.