Workflow Templates

Workflows can be configured to approve new records, approve field changes in Sage 300 or start automatically a series of actions to alert users when something happens in Sage 300.

Note:

Workflow is only available for flat views: Master files (e.g. A/R Customers), Transaction Header views (e.g. O/E Header) or Batch Header view (e.g. A/P Invoice batch)

Workflow Types

A workflow template is a collection of named steps. Each step can have actions that are performed automatically (e.g. send an email, run a script, wait, goto step). When the workflow requires a user decision to progress to the next steps, you can use "Progress-to" Steps.

For detailed examples, see Extender Configurator Tutorials

A workflow can be started automatically

  • when a view field is updated – you attach the workflow template to a View field.
  • the insert/update/upsert/delete operation on a Sage 300 view - the workflow template is attached to a view operation.
  • by a Python script run on the Sage 300 desktop or attached to a Sage view.
  • by a Python script run using Process Scheduler.

Approval workflows have two main design options:

1. When a field is updated, the workflow is configured to reset the field to its original value and will only update it to the requested value when it is approved. See example in A/R Credit Limit Approval

2. To approve records being inserted into Sage 300, the workflow needs to be configured to set the record "on hold" or "Inactive" so that it cannot be used or progressed further until it is approved. see example in O/E Orders Approvals

A workflow can be started manually

You can start a workflow manually from an icon on a Sage 300 screen.

The logged-on user has to be configured as a Workflow User. For details refer to Understanding Workflow Users ,

You configure which screens can start workflow in Information Manager Setup > I/M Options.

Refer to Extender Workflow- Notes/DML/Extender Tray.

See example Customer On-Hold Alert and Approval

Completing a workflow

A workflow is completed when it enters a step which completes the workflow. This is done by including an action to "Complete the workflow" in the Step actions.

If the workflow is completed, the step name on the workflow console is blank.

If the workflow template has been configured to “Automatically delete when closed” then the Workflow Instance will be deleted when a closing workflow step has been taken. The workflow History can be used to view previously completed workflows.

Using the workflow

All workflow (completed and outstanding) are in the workflow history.

Outstanding workflows

A workflow instance is created for each running workflow. It includes fields such as what workflow template it is using, the current step, the user who performed the step, the date/time the step was performed, etc. It also has a list of key-values, for example customer, order number, etc.

A workflow instance has a STATUS field and a COLOR field. STATUS can be used by the scripts and is displayed in the workflow console. Status is updated through actions configured in the workflow templates. The COLOR field can be used to colour the rows in the workflow screen (for example, urgent items could be red).

Setup Workflow templates - Overview

Workflow templates include:

  • Steps
  • Progress-to Steps

  • Actions

  • Values

For details on how to setup workflow templates, refer to Workflow Templates - Screen Guide.

A workflow step is a collection of actions taken when the workflow starts or is progressed. Each step is recorded in the workflow log and can be viewed in the workflow history.

Actions control what each step of the workflow does. Extender Configurator includes a certain number of pre-defined actions.

For a list of actions, refer to Configurator Actions

To add a custom action, you need to be licenced for Extender Customizer or Developer edition and upload a custom script to the database.

Progress-to steps are used when a user needs to select the next Step to progress the workflow. Progress-to steps add Controls to the workflow console. If workflow screen icons are configured in Information Manager, Progress-to steps can be run from the configured Sage 300 screen.

For example, a “requires approval” step could progress to an "Approve” or a “Reject” step.

Values are variables that can be defined in the Workflow templates and used in the Workflow actions. Such values are included in the workflow history Log file.