Documentum Workflow for dummies

The hardest part of learning a new product is during the first few hours, especially if you are trying to learn it on your own. Here is a quick and dirty tutorial to spring board you into BPM. Before getting into the tutorial some clarifications on the latest product name changes in the TCM(transactional Content management) space.

BPM is old name for Process Builder
BPS/BPI is old name for Process Integrator

Process builder is the 'big brother' of Workflow Manager.

All products mentioned here is of version 6.5. To create and run a basic work flow in process builder the following products are essential.

Content Server(of course!)
Process Builder(obviously!)
Webtop(without this you can only create a workflow not run it)

Install Sequence
1. Content Server
2. Process builder
3. Forms builder docapp(even if you don't need forms builder, process builder docapp neeeds forms builder docap)
4. Process builder docapp
5. Webtop(ideally on a diff machine which runs an app server)

Pre-req steps
1. log into webtop as superuser/docbase owner
2. Go to Administration -> User management-> Users
3. Create the following users( make them iniline users, leave everything else other than the mandatory fields default/blank)

• performer1
• performer2
• performer3

Steps to create a quick workflow
1. Open Process builder and connect to a docbase
2. Click on create manual activity icon on the tool bar and click anywhere in the work area(where the initiate and end activity shows up)
3. Click 3 times in the work area, this will create 3 activities 'activity-1', 'activity-2' and 'activity-3'.
4. Click on the create flow icon from the tool bar and draw flow lines from

• initiate to activity-1
• activity1 to activity-2
• activity-2 to activity-3
• activity-3 to end
  

5. click on 'create reject flow' icon on the tool bar and draw a flow line from activity-2 to activity-1

6. Select 'activity-1' and open 'activity inspector' from the right click menu.
7. In the 'activity inspector' go to performer tab.
8. select the tab 'by one or more manual performers'
9. click on the select performer button and select 'specific user' from the drop down, make sure 'assign performers now' radio is selected and hit next

10. In the groups list box select '' and in the users list box select the 'performer1' user and hit finish.
11. repeat steps 6-10 2 more times for

• activity-2 assigning performer2
• activity-3 assigning performer3

12. Select 'activity-2' and open 'activity inspector' from the right click menu.
13. select the 'transitions' tab for the drop down 'when this activity completes' select the option 'let performer select the next activities'
14. hit apply and ok.
16. Save(provide a name for the template and install it in a subfolder of your home folder), validate and install(process builder will automatically prompt for validation and installation when saving a process template).

Running the work flow

17. Login to web top and navigate tot he folder where the workflow is saved. If you don't see anything select the filter on right to 'show all objects and version'.
18. right click and select 'start' from the menu.
19. hit next and finish.
20. login to webtop as performer1 and goto inbox, you should see a task in your inbox. Right click and view. The hit finish, the task show disappear from your inbox.
21. login to webtop ad performer2 and goto inbox, you should see the task in your inbox. Right click and view, here you should see 2 options 'Forward' and 'Reject'. Hitting forward will take the task to performer3's inbox,rejection will take the task back to performer1's inbox. hit forward.
22. login to webtop as performer3 and goto inbox the task will be there. View the task and hit finish. This will complete the workflow.

In step 21 hitting the 'reject' will take the workflow task back to performer1's inbox. This simulates a rejection path in a workflow.

I have not addressed the technical side or the application side of the workflow because this is meant to be a quick and dirty lesson to help you break the ice with the Documentum process builder. The Process Builder user guide, content server fundamental and other documentation will explain in detail the associated types, objects etc of workflows. Hopefully this will tutorial will make it easier to go through those detailed specs.