Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide > Options for Configuring a Workflow Process > Setting the Workflow Mode Property >

Options for a Long-Running Workflow Process

This topic includes the following topics:

• Defining a Sub Process that Assigns a Long-Running Workflow Process
• Defining a Long-Running Workflow Process That Assigns a Task UI to a User

Defining a Sub Process that Assigns a Long-Running Workflow Process

You can define a workflow process that assigns an interactive subprocess to the user of a collaborative workflow process. An example of a collaborative workflow process is a workflow process that includes a requirement for approvals. It includes a logical path that runs across multiple users who work in collaboration to finish the work that the workflow process requires.

To define a collaborative workflow process, you use the Recipients properties on a subprocess step. The login name determines assignment. The Position or User Id does not determine assignment. This login name can be one of the following items:

• A literal value
• Reside in a process property
• Reside in a business component field
• The result of an expression

The Process Designer does not validate this login name.

To define a sub process that assigns a long-running workflow process

1. Define a sub process step.

   For more information, see Adding a Sub Process Step.

2. In the Recipients tab of the MVPW, set the Recipient Name field to the login name of the user who Siebel CRM assigned to the sub process.

   For more information, see Using Process Properties, and Recipient Argument Fields of a Process Property.

Defining a Long-Running Workflow Process That Assigns a Task UI to a User

You can use a long-running workflow process that assigns a task UI to a user, and then creates an item for the task UI in the user Inbox. To create a new instance of this task UI and run it, the user can click the inbox item. For example, the following work occurs in the Expense Report Approval long-running workflow process:

• An employee sends an expense report.
• Siebel CRM creates a new task UI named Review Expense Report.
• Siebel CRM assigns the Review Expense Report task UI to the employee's manager.

This situation requires a one-to-one assignment. To make this assignment, Siebel CRM can look up the Id for the manager from the business component that stores data about the user. Siebel CRM gets the manager Id, and then creates a new item in the manager Inbox. This item references the Review Expense Report task UI.

To define a long-running workflow process that assigns a task UI to a user

1. Use the Process Designer to open the long-running workflow process.
2. At the point where Siebel CRM must call the task UI, determine the Id of the user to whom it must assign the new task UI instance.

   Siebel CRM can use a business service that accesses Siebel Assignment Manager to apply an assignment rule. The input to this business service varies depending on the context that the assignment requires. The output from this business service is the Id of the user to whom Siebel CRM assigns the task UI.

   This logic depends on your business requirements. If the Id:

   • Already exists in a business component, then you can use a Siebel operation.
   • Does not exist, then you can use a business service to get it.
3. In the Owner Id input argument, identify the task step that creates a new item in the user Inbox.
4. Add a task step to the workflow process.

   If you add a task step to a workflow process, then it creates a new instance of the task UI and assigns it to the user. For more information, see Adding a Task Step.