Framework:Workflow Manager

You can design workflows that add application logic to your application without having to write custom code. Using the Workflow Manager, you create rules that associate conditions and actions with items, so that changes to items trigger actions in the workflow.

The basic steps of creating a workflow are always the same: First you define the workflow, and then you create the rules by choosing conditions and actions.

Open the Workflow Manager with the button in the category “Manager”.

Framework, CoPlanner Workflow Manager

Elements and functions

Ribbon

The ribbon contains the following options.

Context menu

The context menu of the Workflow tree contains the following options.

Workflow Manager

Workflow-Tree

The workflow tree contains all workflows. Here you create new workflows or edit an existing one. The context menu of the Workflow tree contains the following options:

Workflow detailed view

The workflow overview shows you either a list of all workflows or the detailed information of the selected workflow.

Workflow-Wizard

The Workflow-Wizard helps you to create and edit workflows. The possibilities and functions of the Workflow-Wizard will be explained with an example. A workflow will be created with several tasks.

Input  Activate the element “Workflows” and select the command “New workflow” from the context menu.

The Workflow-Wizard opens.

Framework, Workflow-Wizard, area „General“

The Workflow Wizard contains three areas:

• General
• Tasks
• Overview

Area „General“

This field allows you anytime to change the name of the workflow, select a scenario, edit the start and end date and change the state of the workflow.

Workflow caption

This field allows you anytime to change the name of the workflow. The name has to be unique.

Input  Enter the caption „Contribution margin planning“.

Selection of scenario

Select a scenario for this workflow.

Input  Select scenario “Budget 2012“.

State

Use this option to activate the workflow or deactivate it.

Selection of period

Here you define the start and end date of the workflow. All further tasks have to be within this period.

Input  In this example the planning starts on 16. 01. 2013 and ends on 31.01.2013.

Selection of the workflow administrator

This setting is optional. If you select a workflow administrator, this CoPlanner user will get all messages, which will be sent by the CoPlanner server.

Hint  If there is an incorrect input a blue icon will appear beside this field. Move the mouse over this icon and you get a hint to make any necessary adjustments.

Framework, Workflow hint

In this example the end date of the workflow has moved and so the end date of the task is after the end date of the workflow. The area “General” looks like the following:

Framework,Workflow-Assistent, area „General“

Input  Activate area „Tasks“.

Area „Tasks“

In this area you create the tasks of the workflow and define actions, conditions and users.

Framework,Workflow-Wizard, area „Tasks“

List of tasks

In this area you can create new tasks, delete existing tasks, change the order of the tasks and reset the state of all users.

Buttons of the command bar:

	Create task
	Move up element
	Move down element
	Reset state of all users

Input  Click the button “Create task“, insert following text “Revenue planning” and confirm your input.

Because of the confirmation the settings of this task will be editable.

Settings of task ‘Revenue planning‘

Action

This action will be executed if the user clicks on the task. All navigation actions are available.

Input  Click the button „Edit“ , choose the option „Select action“ and choose the input mask “Control/Planning/Profit and loss planning on monthly base/Revenue”.

Framework, Workflow-Wizard, create action

If you select the option „Define action“, you can create an individual action. For example an action can be open a mask or dimension. Additionally actions can execute formulas or imports.

“Windows start area” offers the possibility to define the area, where the action will be executed.

• Structure
  A further tab in the navigation structure
• Work
  A further document in the working area

Start and End

As start and end date the start and end date of the workflow will be suggested.

Input  Choose 29.01.2013 as end date of this task.

Period of grace

This setting allows defining a period of grace of each task.

In case out of time

With this setting you can define, what happens after the end of a task. Following possibilities are available:

• Lock task
  Effect: This and all depending tasks are locked and not allowed to edit.
• Show finished
  Effect: The task will be released by system. Depending tasks can be edited.
• No Action
  Effect: The end date will be ignored.

Previous task

Define a task, which has to be completed before this task can start. Available are all defined tasks in this workflow.

Continuation condition

If you have selected a previous task, you define the corresponding continuation condition in this field. Following possibilities are available:

• User finished previous task
  Effect: This task can be edited as soon as the user completes his previous task.
• All users finished previous task
  Effect: This task can be edited as soon as all users complete the previous task.

Hint  Editing of this task is only possible, if the condition of the previous task is completed.

Reviewer

Define a reviewer and an end date, who has to edit this task after the user has approved the task.

Additionally you can give a reviewer the permission, to change data. Furthermore you can select a deputy of the reviewer.

Input  Select “Administrator” from the CoPlanner list, end date: 30.01.2012.

User of the task ‘Revenue planning‘

In this area you attach users to the task. These users get this task in their workflow panel.

Input  Click the button “Add or remove user” .

Dialog box “User selection” opens.

Framework, Workflow-Wizard, Select user

With double-click you can select a user or remove a user from the list “Selected user”.

Input  Double-click user “Max Muster” and confirm with „OK“.

The area “Tasks” looks like the following:

Framework, Workflow-Wizard, area „Tasks“ – Revenue planning

Next step is to create the task “Variable costs planning”. Define following settings:

Input  Caption: „Variable costs planning“ Action: „Control/Planning/Profit and loss planning on monthly basis/Variable Costs“ Start: 16.01.2013 End: 29.01.2013 Previous task: revenue planning Reviewer: Administrator End: 30.01.2013 User: Maria Bernasconi

Framework, Workflow-Wizard, Bereich „Tasks“ – Variable costs planning

Area „Overview“

In this area you see a list of all users and the level of completion.

Framework, Workflow-Wizard, Area „Overview“

Input  Confirm with a click on the button „Apply“.

In the Workflow Manager this workflow looks like the following:

Framework, Workflow „Contribution Margin Planning“

Display of the workflow in CoPlanner

The workflow “Contribution Margin Planning” looks like the following in CoPlanner:

Framework, Workflow „Contribution Margin Plannung“

This example starts on 14.01.2013.

Initial Display
At user “Max Muster” the task “Revenue planning” is active and available to edit.
At user “Maria Bernasconi” the task “Variable costs planning” in inactive. The task „Variable costs planning“ has as previous task „Revenue planning“ and will be only active, if the task “Revenue planning” is completed. The task “Revenue planning” includes a review, so this task is only completed, if the review is completed too.
At user “Administrator” both tasks, “Revenue planning” and “Variable costs planning”, are displayed because he is defined as Reviewer.
Task “Revenue planning” released by user
To release a task it has to be executed once. After this the command “Release task” is activated in the context menu.
User “Max Muster” has edited the task “Revenue planning” and releases the task. The task moves from “Open tasks” to „Finished tasks“.
At user „Maria Bernasconi“ nothing changes, because task „Revenue planning“ has to be reviewed, before task „Variable costs planning“ becomes active.
At user “Administrator” the task “Revenue planning (Max Muster)” is active and has the state “in review”.

Framework, Task „Revenue planning“ released by user

Task “Revenue planning” released by Administrator
User “Administrator” has the possibilities to reopen or release the task “Revenue planning”.
Reopen task
The task appears in “Open tasks” at user “Max Muster” and the user has to edit and release the task again.
Release task
At user “Max Muster” the task stays in “Finished tasks” and gets the state “released by reviewer”.
At user “Maria Bernasconi” nothing changes, because the start date to edit the task isn’t reached.
At user “Administrator” the task moves in area “Finished tasks”.

Framework, Task „Revenue planning“ released by administrator

To continue the example today is 16.01.2013.

Task “Variable costs planning” released by user
At user “Maria Bernasconi” the task “Variable costs planning” is active.
User “Maria Bernasconi” has edited the task “Variable costs planning” and releases the task. The task moves from “Open Tasks” to “Finished tasks”.
At user „Administrator“ the task „Variable costs planning (Maria Bernasconi)“ is active and has the state „in review“.
Task “Variable costs planning” released by Administrator
User “Administrator” has the possibilities to reopen or release the task “Variable costs planning”.

Framework, All tasks are completed

E-mail notifications

The Workflow Manager offers the possibility to send e-mails. According to the configuration, e-mails will be sent to the user, reviewer and administrator.

Trigger for an e-mail

In case of following events an e-mail will be sent:

Event	User	Reviewer	Administrator	Trigger
Start date reached	Yes		Yes	(A)
User „Task released“	Yes	Yes	Yes	(B)
End date forthcoming	Yes			(A)
End date reached	Yes		Yes	(A)
Period of grace forthcoming	Yes			(A)
Period of grace reached	Yes		Yes	(A)
Reviewer „Task released“	Yes	Yes	Yes	(B)
Reviewer „Task reopened“	Yes	Yes	Yes	(B)
Reviewer end date forthcoming		Yes		(A)
Reviewer end date reached		Yes	Yes	(A)
Reset tasks	Yes	Yes	Yes	(B)

Legend:

Automatic (A)

User action (B)

Following setting has to be available in "CopServer.exe.config" or "CopService.exe.config" to use e-mails:

You find detailed information to configure this file in the technical manual. Automatically e-mail by the CoPlanner server will be sent one day before the event.

E-mail content

The content of the e-mails is freely configurable. Open the file “WorkflowMessages.xml” from the CoPlanner folder “\server\CommonFiles”.

An entry of an e-mail contains two tags, one for the subject and the other for the message. Please note following notation:

E-mails can be sent for following events:

Event	AttribID
Reviewer “Task reopened”	WorkFlowReOpenedByReviewer_Subject WorkFlowReOpenedByReviewer_Body
User “Task released”	WorkFlowFinnishedByConstributor_Subject WorkFlowFinnishedByConstributor_Body
Reviewer “Task released”	WorkFlowFinnishedByReviewer_Subject WorkFlowFinnishedByReviewer_Body
Reset task	WorkFlowTaskResetted_Subject WorkFlowTaskResetted_Body
Start date reached	WorkFlowTaskStartingTodayMsg4Constributor_Subject WorkFlowTaskStartingTodayMsg4Constributor_Body
End date forthcoming	WorkFlowTaskEndsTomorowMsg4Constributor_Subject WorkFlowTaskEndsTomorowMsg4Constributor_Body
End date reached	WorkFlowTaskEndsTodayMsg4Constributor_Subject WorkFlowTaskEndsTodayMsg4Constributor_Body
End date reached	WorkFlowTaskEndsTodayMsg4Admin_Subject WorkFlowTaskEndsTodayMsg4Admin_Body
Period of grace forthcoming	WorkFlowTaskRespiteEndsTomorowMsg4Constributor_Subject WorkFlowTaskRespiteEndsTomorowMsg4Constributor
Period of grace reached	WorkFlowTaskRespiteEndsTodayMsg4Constributor_Subject WorkFlowTaskRespiteEndsTodayMsg4Constributor_Body
Period of grace reached	WorkFlowTaskRespiteEndsTodayMsg4Admin_Subject WorkFlowTaskRespiteEndsTodayMsg4Admin_Body
Reviewer end date reached	WorkFlowTaskReviewtimeEndsToday_Subject WorkFlowTaskReviewtimeEndsToday_Body
Reviewer end date forthcoming	WorkFlowTaskReviewtimeEndsTomorrow_Subject WorkFlowTaskReviewtimeEndsTomorrow_Body

You can use following constants in the message:

Constant	Description
$Date	Actual date
$TaskName	Name of the tasks
$Planer	Responsible user/reviewer
$Message	Comment inserted by user/reviewer
$NewLine	Linefeed
$AllPlaner	All users of a task

Example tags of the event – Reviewer “Task reopened”