So far we’ve created an application folder and a business process. The next step is to define the business process diagram (workflow), and the applicable business logic, using Emakin’s visual process designer.
Click the Expense Management folder entry on Emakin’s sidebar and the folder is displayed;
Click the rightmost Menu button on Emakin’s top bar to open the business processes sidebar;
Click the Expense Submission process entry in the processes sidebar and the process is displayed;
Click the Edit button on the Expense Submission process to open the Process Designer.
The objective is to design a process diagram similar to the one depicted below. Usually, it involves dealing with pools, roles, tasks, actions, and routes.
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Pools
A pool is just a container for a workflow. The Process Designer automatically creates one default pool, named Pool, and that’s good enough for this exercise. The workflow diagram is designed inside this pool.
Click the Pool in the Pools section and the pool is displayed in the Process Designer.
Roles
A role is just a definition of who will be responsible for certain tasks. Let’s create a couple roles, named Accounting Manager and Accounting Specialist, by executing these steps twice:
Click the + button in the roles section and the create role pop-up is displayed;
Enter the role name in the Name field of the pop-up;
Click the Ok button on the pop-up and the role is created and displayed.
Tasks
A task is a work item in a workflow. Our business process consists of executing three sequential tasks, firstly to submit, then review, and finally archive an expense. The Process Designer automatically creates one default task, named Task, inside the default pool. This task is marked as a starting point for the workflow, thus coloured green, so let’s use it for this exercise.
Submit expense
Click the green Task in the workflow diagram to select it and open the task properties sidebar;
Enter Submit Expense as the Name of the task;
Click an empty space anywhere in the diagram to unselect the task.
Review expense
Click the Add New Task button on Emakin’s top bar to add a new task to the diagram;
Click the newly created orange task in the diagram to select it and open the task properties sidebar;
Enter Review Expense as the Name of the task;
Select Accounting Manager as the Role responsible for executing this task;
Click an empty space anywhere in the diagram to unselect the task.
Archive expense
Click the Add New Task button on Emakin’s top bar to add a new task to the diagram;
Click the newly created orange task in the diagram to select it and open the task properties sidebar;
Enter Archive Expense as the Name of the task;
Select Accounting Specialist as the Role responsible for executing this task;
Click an empty space anywhere in the diagram to unselect the task.
Actions
Actions are specified per task and represent the possible outcomes from its completion.
Submit expense
Double-click the Add New grey box adjacent to the Submit Expense task;
Enter Submit and press the Enter key to create the task action.
Review expense
Double-click the Add New grey box adjacent to the Review Expense task;
Enter Approve and press the Enter key to create the task action;
Double-click the Add New grey box adjacent to the Review Expense task;
Enter Reject and press the Enter key to create the task action.
Archive expense
Double-click the Add New grey box adjacent to the Archive Expense task;
Enter File and press the Enter key to create the task action.
Routes
Routes are the connections (arrows) between actions and tasks that define the workflow sequence and possible execution paths. The steps to create a route are trivial:
Hover the mouse pointer on an action grey box and an adjacent small red square appears;
Drag the red square in direction of the target task to draw a route (connection arrow);
The route will automatically connect to the target task when the mouse pointer is in close proximity.
Let’s proceed and create the following routes:
[Submit Expense]>
Submit→ [Review Expense][Review Expense]>
Approve→ [Archive Expense][Review Expense]>
Reject→ [Submit Expense]
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