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Designing a Workflow Process

Diagramming the process steps is an important part of creating a functional process. The flowchart interface of the Process Designer view allows you to build a visual representation of the entire process flow, including decision points and decision branches. From this design, you then access and fill in step details by double-clicking a step icon.

NOTE:  See Siebel SmartScript Administration Guide for more details on using the drag and drop functions of the Designer applet.

You can choose to define the details for each step as you create them in the Designer applet, or you can finish the entire flowchart of the process and then enter the details for each step.

You define workflow step details by double-clicking on a step icon or connector arrows in the flowchart workspace. Each specific icon drills down to a detail view. Table 6 lists the palette icons and the corresponding detail view.

Table 6. Step Icons and Detail Views
Step Icons
Detail View
Start
Start
Business Service
Business Service Arguments
Siebel Operation
Siebel Operation Details
Decision
Decision Branches
Subprocess
Subprocess Arguments
Wait
Wait
End
End Arguments
Stop
Stop
Connector
Detail view of originating step
Exception
Detail view of originating step
User Interact
User Interact

Based on your planning results, use the following procedure to diagram the steps of the process.

To diagram the process steps

  1. From the Business Process Administration screen, choose the Process Designer view.

    2. The name and details of the process definition you are working on should display in the Workflow Process applet on the top portion of the view.

  2. Add a Start step to the diagram area.

    3. All processes must have one and only one Start step. Details on defining a Start step are in Working with Start Steps.

  3. Add one or more middle steps to the diagram area. Processes can have one or more of any of the action step types, such as Business Service, Decision, Subprocesses, Stop, Wait, Exceptions, and Siebel Operation. There can be multiples of each type of step. For details on each type of step, see:
  4. Add an End step to the diagram area.

    5. All processes must have at least one End step. Details on defining an End step are in Defining an End Step.

  5. Illustrate the flow and paths of the process by dragging and dropping connector arrows between the steps. Position one end of the arrow on one of the steps and drag the handles to connect the other end to the next step in the flow.

    6. NOTE:  An end point on a connector is white if it is not successfully connected to a step. Be sure that both ends of all connectors are red, indicating that is successfully connecting two steps.

    Connecting an arrow to a Decision step creates a decision branch for that specific Decision. See Defining Decision Branches and Defining Conditions and Values for information about defining Decision Branches.

    To add or remove a point in a connector, use the following steps:

    1. Select the connector, branch, or exception.
    2. Click the right mouse button.
    3. Navigate to Edit > Add Point or Edit > Remove Point.

 Siebel Business Process Designer Administration Guide 
 Published: 29 May 2003