Creating a Process Flow

A process flow is an ordered set of activities and transitions. You define Process specifications so that you can deploy reusable patterns to UIM to manage workflows. For example, you could define an access site rollout process that describes the steps that must be repeated each time you bring a new access site online in your network. In UIM, you can modify the exact steps to account for the peculiarities of each situation.

In UIM, process flows are called workflows. You can include them in both engineering work orders and business interactions. See UIM Concepts and UIM Help for more information.

The following rules govern process flows:

• Every flow begins with a Start activity and ends with an End activity. These activities are predefined.

• Backward flows are not valid.

• You can include any number of activities between the start and end of the flow.

• You can include multiple, parallel flows from a single parallel activity.

• Two or more parallel flows can converge on the same activity.

• In UIM workflows, activities must be completed in sequence. Work on the next activity (or activities in the case of parallel flows) cannot begin until the preceding activity is complete.

You can create process flows for Process specifications in three ways:

• By using the palette in the Process Flow tab to add activities and flows graphically. See "Creating a Process Flow Graphically".

• By dragging Task specifications into the Process Flow tab. See "Creating a Process Flow by Dragging and Dropping".

• By using the Activities tab to add activities and the Transitions tab to define flows. See "Creating a Process Flow in the Activities and Transitions Tabs".