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Chapter 8: Workflow

CHAPTER 8: WORKFLOW Objectives

The objectives are:

Explain the improvements made to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Workflow.

Discuss the new graphical Workflow editor used to design business processes.

Discuss how to implement a line-item workflow.

Introduction The workflow architecture in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is now refined and simplified. Workflow is incorporated into the Application Object Server (AOS) and upgraded to .NET 4.0. The workflow authoring experience is now improved to include a graphical workflow editor, and system wide changes are now incorporated including changes to the organization model, security, financial dimensions, and the relational database.

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What's New - Technical in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Development

Overview With the overall Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 theme of simplified user and development experience, there have been multiple improvements to workflow, including the changes in functionality and configuration described in the following table.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Benefits

Forward only, sequential workflows

Only interactive elements (tasks and approvals)

Support for sub-workflows

Introduce branching

Introduce automated tasks

Introduce line-item workflow support

Introduce parallelism

Expand workflow capabilities by providing broader applicability

Business user configures workflows using a Microsoft Dynamics AX client form

Introduce a graphical workflow editor

Support for drag-and-drop of workflow elements

Familiar property editing experience

Improve the workflow editing experience and usability

Separate workflow component have to be installed

Requires IIS and .NET Business Connector

Requires additional security setup

Host the .NET Workflow runtime in AOS

Separate installation no longer required

Simplify workflow deployment and installation

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Chapter 8: Workflow

Architectural Changes

Workflow server components no longer need to be installed on a web server running Internet Information Services (IIS). Workflow server components are now automatically installed when installing the Microsoft Dynamics AX AOS. This new deployment significantly simplifies the administrative effort required to set up the workflow infrastructure.

Workflow History

You can view workflow history and the status of an active or completed workflow and its elements that includes data about new workflow features, such as advanced flow-controls, automated tasks, line item workflow, and work item queues. You can view this data either in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client or the Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Workflow Performance Analysis Reports

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 includes a new workflow online analytical processing (OLAP) cube, and performance analysis reports built on this cube. These tools can help determine whether a workflow is adding efficiency to your business processes, and provide a means of comparing an automated workflow to the manual processes it replaced. The new performance analysis reports focus on showing how much work was done by using the workflow and how much time that it took to perform the business tasks that comprise the workflow. Using these reports can help you modify your workflows and optimize their performance. These reports include the following:

Workflow Performance Report: Provides overall performance numbers for workflow instances

Workflow Elements Performance Report: Provides performance numbers broken down by workflow element for a particular workflow

Workflow Participants Performance Report: Provides participant specific performance numbers for a selected workflow

Workflow Automation Report: Provides a breakdown of manually versus automatically completed elements

Workflow Elements Automation Report: Provides a breakdown of manually versus automatically completed elements for a particular element

Upgrade Information

Workflows being processed in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 will not be upgraded. Before you upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the recommendation is to process all documents that are submitted to workflow, or cancel the workflows that are currently in progress.

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Workflow Editor The Workflow Editor is a graphical interface that is used to model Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 workflows by arranging workflow elements similarly to how a business process is graphically modeled using Microsoft Visio. You can add, delete, and reposition workflow elements that represent the tasks and approvals that comprise the workflow. You can also add flow-control elements, such as manual and automated decisions, automated tasks, parallel activities, and sub-workflows. These improvements can be used to create complex workflows that closely model the business processes that an organization wants to automate.

For each element in a workflow, you set properties that determine things such as the assignment of a task, the time allowed for completing a task, an escalation path in case the time limit for the task is exceeded, who will be notified about specific events related to the task, and any automatic actions that will be taken for the task.

The Workflow Editor uses the workflow designer in .NET 4.0 and replaces the forms-based workflow configuration that is used in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 client.

Flow-Control Elements

Several new elements were added to help you design workflows. These elements will help create workflows that have alternate branches or branches that run at the same time. These elements include the following:

Conditional decision: A point at which a workflow divides into two branches. The system will decide which branch to use by evaluating the submitted document to determine whether it meets a specified condition.

Manual decision: A point at which a workflow divides into two branches. A user must take an action, and the action taken will determine which branch is used to process the submitted document.

Parallel activity: A workflow element that includes two or more branches that run at the same time.

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Chapter 8: Workflow

Advanced Workflow Controls

Workflow for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 now supports advanced workflow flow controls. They include starting and ending elements, manual and conditional decisions, parallel activity and parallel branches, automated tasks, and sequence flows. Business users can now author workflows that correspond more closely to real life business processes using graphical elements that help them to better visualize the process flow. The following table describes the new workflow control elements that provide additional flow control capabilities to increase the automation of a workflow.

Workflow element

Description

Start Represents the starting point in a workflow. This workflow element is used at the start of a workflow, or at intermediate start points in a workflow, such as in a parallel workflow.

Parallel branch Represents a workflow concept for parallel activities in a workflow. A parallel workflow can split a workflow sequence into two or more parallel workflows that execute separately and then join before continuing to the next workflow element.

End Represents the termination point in a workflow. This workflow element is used at the end of a workflow, or at intermediate endpoints in a workflow, such as in a parallel workflow.

Automated Tasks

An automated task is a workflow task that executes business logic and requires no human interaction. For example, an automated task can perform a credit check, run a report, or update a record.

NOTE: The advanced controls are not defined in the Application Object Tree (AOT).

Automated Task

You can now add automated tasks to your workflows. An automated task is a type of workflow element that does not involve human interaction. For example, an automated task can perform a credit check, run a report, or update a record. The purpose of an automated task is to execute business logic as part of a workflow that is implemented to automate a business process.

Scenario: Review a Workflow

Prakash, the Project Manager, wants to review the Dispute Workflow. He wants to use the workflow editor to review the properties for each element in the workflow.

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Procedure: Review a Workflow

To review and analyze a workflow, follow these steps:

1. Select Travel and expense > Setup > Travel and expense workflow to open the new Workflow list page.

2. Enter Dispute workflow into the filter field and change the filter type to Name. Click the Arrow.

3. Click Edit to start the Workflow Editor. 4. Right-click the Conditional Decision 1 node on the canvas and then

click Properties. 5. Review the Properties and close the Properties form. 6. Right-click the Accept or reject dispute 2 task and then click

Properties. 7. Review the properties such as Required, Assign to, Automatic

Action, Notification, and Advanced.

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Chapter 8: Workflow

8. Remove the Accept or rejected escalate comment from the Work item subject field.

9. Close the Properties form. 10. Open the Error Pane by clicking the Show error pane button (error

is caused by step 10).

FIGURE 8.1 WORKFLOW EDITOR

11. Double click the error to open the Property editor. 12. Enter "Accept or rejected escalate" into the Work item subject

field. 13. Verify no more errors occur in the Error pane. 14. Optionally, review the support for manual decision, parallel activity,

and sub workflow.

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Work Item Queue

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, you could assign a workflow task to a user, role, or organizational hierarchy. In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, you can now also assign a workflow task to a work item queue. A work item queue is a list of workflow tasks that must be completed.

You can determine which users to assign to a queue. Any user assigned to a queue can complete any of the tasks in the queue.

Scenario: Setup Work Item Queue

Inga, the Purchasing Manager, wants to set up a work item queue that will contain tasks for non-catalog requisitions submitted. Her company is facing significant increase in the employee purchases that are not completed through catalogs and are not compliant with corporate purchasing policies. Ingas team is responsible for realizing better cost savings and enforces compliance with corporate quality standards.

Inga needs to create a work item queue and a new workflow.

Procedure: Setup Work Item Queue

1. Select Organizational administration > Setup > Workflow > Work item queues to open the Work item queue setup form.

2. Click New and enter a name into the Name field. 3. Select Purchase requisition as the Document type and add more

users. 4. Set the Status of the queue to Active. 5. Open Procurement and sourcing > Setup > Procurement and

sourcing workflows. 6. Select the Automatic purchase requisition approval workflow. 7. Click Edit to update the workflow. 8. Right-click the Purchase requisition review 1 task and select

Properties. 9. Click Assign-to and select Queue as the user role. 10. Click the Queue based tab and select Workflow work item

provider. 11. Select the Queue token name. 12. Click Save and Close to close the Workflow editor. 13. Enter a Version note and click OK. 14. Activate the new version and then click OK.

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Chapter 8: Workflow

Lab 8.1 - Create a Work Item Queue This lab demonstrates how to create a work item queue, open the workflow editor, and how to modify a workflow to use the work item queue.

Scenario

Inga, the Purchasing Manager, wants to set up a work item queue that will contain tasks for non-catalog requisitions submitted. Her company is facing a significant increase in the employee purchases that are not done through catalogs and are not compliant with corporate purchasing policies. Ingas team is responsible for realizing better cost savings and enforces compliance with corporate quality standards.

Inga has privileges to create, update queues and to take workflow actions on requisitions and also to view, update and create requisitions in user-defined legal entities.

Alicia and Lisa are valid Microsoft Dynamics AX users who are authorized to take workflow actions on requisitions and can view, and update requisitions.

Challenge Yourself!

Use the information that is provided to create a work item queue and modify the Automatic purchase requisition approval workflow to use the new work item queue.

Need a Little Help?

1. Create a new work item queue of type Requisition. 2. Select the Automatic purchase requisition approval workflow. 3. Modify the Assign-to property to use the work item queue created in

step 1. 4. Test your solution.

Step by Step

1. Select Organizational administration > Setup > Workflow > Work item queues to open the Work item queue set up form.

2. Click New and enter Requisition review queue into the Name field. 3. Select Purchase requisition as the Document type. 4. Expand the User Fast Tab. 5. Click the Add button to add more users to the Requisition review

queue. 6. Set the status of the queue to Active. 7. Close the Work item queue form.

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8. Open Procurement and sourcing > Setup > Procurement and sourcing workflows.

9. Select the Automatic purchase requisition approval workflow. 10. Click Edit to update the workflow. 11. Right-click the Purchase requisition review 1 task and select

Properties. 12. Click Assign-to and select Queue as the user role for this workflow. 13. Click the Queue based tab and select Workflow work item queue

provider. 14. Select Requisition review queue as the Queue token name. 15. Click Save and Close to close the Workflow editor. 16. Enter a Version note and click OK. 17. Activate the new version and then click OK. 18. Open the Purchase requisition form from the Procurement and

sourcing > Common > Purchase requisitions > All purchase requisitions menu item.

19. Select PR-000006 and click Edit. 20. Select the line and click Details to edit the line. 21. Expand the General fast tab and ender General into the reason code

field. 22. Submit the workflow. 23. Open the Work item queue form for purchasing by clicking the

Procurement and sourcing > Purchase requisitions > Purchase requisitions assigned to my queues menu item.

24. Review the Work item queue.

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Chapter 8: Workflow

Line-Item Workflows You can now implement workflows for line items on a document. By providing support for line-item workflows, workflow now supports more business process scenarios. For example, you might define a workflow for timesheets where each line item on the timesheet is approved by a specific project manager.

A line-item workflow is configured and instantiated for different types of line item records that are related to a header. A header-line workflow can be configured to pause until other workflows are run on any number of line records. For example, a header can be a sales order with sales order lines or a purchase order with purchase order lines. Each line item associated with the header has its own workflow processing, depending on the conditions set up for that workflow. After each individual line items workflow processing is completed, the overall workflow can continue.

Line-Item Workflow in the AOT

A developer can enable line-item workflows for a workflow type inside the AOT so that business users can author a workflow in the Workflow Editor that includes line-item workflows.

FIGURE 8.2 PURCHREQREVIEW LINE ITEM WORKFLOW

Scenario: Create a Line-Item Workflow

Prakash, the Project Manager, wants to enforce the business rule in Contoso that expense reports can only be approved as a whole when all the expense lines are approved. Lines need to be approved by the respective project manager. Contosos previous system only enabled expense sheets to be approved at the header level, across all expense sheet lines.

Procedure: Create a Line-Item Workflow

To set up a line-item workflow, follow these steps:

1. Open Travel and Expense > Setup > Workflows. 2. Click New and create a new workflow by using the Travel and

Expense workflow type.

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3. Drags the Trv line item workflow element onto the canvas. 4. Right-click the TrvLineItemWorkflow 1 task and select

Properties. 5. Select Invoke a single workflow for all lines option. 6. Set the Line item workflow field to Expense line WF - Assign to

Admin. 7. Save the workflow and set its state to Active.

Summary Workflow in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is refined from its initial release in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. The major improvements include the following:

Workflow runtime is now hosted in the AOS. The introduction of the Graphical workflow editor. Improvements to Workflow control and assignment. The introduction of Workflow performance analysis reporting.

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Chapter 8: Workflow

Test Your Knowledge 1. Which of the following improvements are introduced in Microsoft Dynamics

AX 2012 to simplify the user and development experience in workflow? (Select all that apply)

( ) Host the Workflow Foundation runtime in AOS ( ) Line-item workflow support ( ) Drag-and-Drop of workflow elements ( ) Graphical workflow editor

2. Which system-wide changes were implemented in workflow? (Select all that apply)

( ) Financial dimensions ( ) Organization model ( ) Security ( ) Relational database changes

3. Match the workflow improvements to their descriptions.

_____ 1. Advanced flow controls _____ 2. Line level workflow _____ 3. Work item queue _____ 4. Automated tasks _____ 5. AOS hosting _____ 6. Graphical workflow editor

a. New canvas based drag-and-drop interface for creating workflows.

b. Workflow processes run at the line level instead of at the header.

c. Group of users which workflow tasks can be assigned to.

d. New workflow controls to execute business logic without user interaction.

e. Controls to allow for branching and decision-making within workflows

f. Workflow runtime was moved from IIS to the AOS.

4. What are the advantages of moving workflow from IIS to the AOS? (Select all that apply)

( ) Simplified setup. ( ) Multi-threading. ( ) Fewer components to break in production ( ) 64 bit support.

5. Which tool would you use to find the status of a specific workflow?

( ) Batch job history ( ) Performance analysis reports ( ) Workflow history

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Quick Interaction: Lessons Learned Take a moment and write down three key points you have learned from this chapter

1.

2.

3.

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Chapter 8: Workflow

Solutions Test Your Knowledge

1. Which of the following improvements are introduced in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 to simplify the user and development experience in workflow? (Select all that apply)

() Host the Workflow Foundation runtime in AOS () Line-item workflow support () Drag-and-Drop of workflow elements () Graphical workflow editor

2. Which system-wide changes were implemented in workflow? (Select all that apply)

() Financial dimensions () Organization model () Security () Relational database changes

3. Match the workflow improvements to their descriptions.

e 1. Advanced flow controls b 2. Line level workflow c 3. Work item queue d 4. Automated tasks f 5. AOS hosting a 6. Graphical workflow editor

a. New canvas based drag-and-drop interface for creating workflows.

b. Workflow processes run at the line level instead of at the header.

c. Group of users which workflow tasks can be assigned to.

d. New workflow controls to execute business logic without user interaction.

e. Controls to allow for branching and decision-making within workflows

f. Workflow runtime was moved from IIS to the AOS.

4. What are the advantages of moving workflow from IIS to the AOS? (Select all that apply)

() Simplified setup. ( ) Multi-threading. () Fewer components to break in production ( ) 64 bit support.

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5. Which tool would you use to find the status of a specific workflow?

( ) Batch job history ( ) Performance analysis reports () Workflow history



Chapter 8: WORKFLOWObjectivesIntroductionOverviewArchitectural ChangesWorkflow HistoryWorkflow Performance Analysis ReportsUpgrade Information

Workflow EditorFlow-Control ElementsAdvanced Workflow ControlsAutomated TaskScenario: Review a WorkflowProcedure: Review a WorkflowWork Item QueueScenario: Setup Work Item QueueProcedure: Setup Work Item Queue

Lab 8.1 - Create a Work Item QueueScenarioChallenge Yourself!Need a Little Help?Step by Step

Line-Item WorkflowsLine-Item Workflow in the AOTScenario: Create a Line-Item WorkflowProcedure: Create a Line-Item Workflow

SummaryTest Your KnowledgeQuick Interaction: Lessons LearnedSolutions

ax2012 enus wn dev 08

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