Design Business Processes

Our business process management is based on the world standard Business Process Model and Notation

Let us attempt to build a two-step approval business process for a Request for Information (RFI) with a concurrent loop to attach Persons of Interest to the request.

1. The first order of business is to create the report structure for our RFI workflow. To do so, we go to Admin > Data > Data Structures and create our RFI report with different sections as so.

2. The second step is to create a business process for this report. We do so in Admin > Business Process, selecting our RFI report and clicking on Add new.

   This gives us a blank screen on our visual Business Process builder.

   

3. Let’s start by creating a Pool/Participant division. This step will allow us to define roles, each division will indicate a different user/group that will be responsible for the actions inside them.
4. Simply drag and drop that option from the left-hand menu onto the canvas.
5. Once you release your mouse click, the diagram will be positioned on the canvas.

6. Use the options on the right-hand side to split into more Pool/Participant divisions (or Lanes).

   

7. Let’s add a Start event to our workflow using the option for it on the left-hand menu.

8. Once on the canvas, click on the configuration icon to enter the setup for this Start event.

9. Click on General to add the text for your Step Ready Status and Step Done Status. Then, select the trigger that will be your Data Structure. In this case, we select the RFI report and the event can be Create, Edit, Delete or View. 

10. Before we move forward, let’s give ourselves more space using the Space tool. Simply select it from the menu and click on any line (horizontal or vertical) on the diagram to drag and drop to resize.

    

11. The next step is to create an Exclusive gateway that will allow us to add Persons of Interest to the RFI while waiting for approval. Let’s select Create Gateway from the side menu, dragging and dropping that option onto our canvas.

12. You can also add a Parallel Output if you would like to have parallel steps, drag and drop the green color tool onto the canvas.

13. Next, let’s add the parallel tasks. Here we want an approval task and an Add a person of interest task. We do so using the Create Task option in the left-hand menu (square icon). Once created, double-click on the icon on the screen to add a name and click on the Settings icon (third from top) to open the Properties panel. Here again, we can set the Action Button text, the Flow Status Text, and the Target section or field of our report (Approval in this case).

    

14. We do the same for our secondary task, linking it using the link button drag and drop with the mouse. 

15. After setting the stage status text, action button, and destination section or field of the report to which the task will be forwarded, you can add a third task to  add  proof of the request , as shown below,

16. With that new task on the canvas, you can go ahead and add another Exclusive Output forcing a decision on final closing of the request.

    

17. The next step is to wire the Exclusive gateway to reflect this workflow. We do so by clicking on the gateway and selecting the settings icon (third from the top) to open the properties panel as shown.The response task is set up as in step 12 and then linked to an End event (red circle). 

    The response task is set up as in step 12 and then linked to an End event (red circle).

18. We do the same thing for the second Exclusive gateway, we check for approval, repeat step 16, and then draw Yes and No links on the canvas ( Yes to redirect to review again and No to advance to the request response).

    The Response task is configured just like in step 12 and then linked to an End state (thick circle).

19. The last thing to do is to restrict different Pool/Participant divisions (or Lanes) to different user groups. To do so, select a rectangle within the graph and click on the Settings icon (third from top).

20. Inside the Properties panel, select the Audience for that level (User or Group) and use the Select Target dropdown to make your selection. Doing so will lock tasks at that level to only this user or this group of users.

    

21. With this, we have completed our desired workflow and can save using the green Save button on the top.

22. Upon saving, our RFI report will now be transformed into a dynamic workflow following this graphic and the associated settings. Once you have completed the setup, you can easily access the selected report and enter the necessary data based on the workflow you have created.

    

Here is a brief and helpful guide on BPMN process design, complete with examples.