This section covers key concepts related to workflow management in ZFlow. The following picture provides a high level view of how business process (aka workflow) management works in ZFlow.
Administrators in ZFlow can use Process Template Designer to create process templates. We will come to process templates shortly in the next section. Users with appropriate authorizations can use process templates to create process instances.
For example, if the company has a defined process for corrective action requests, process template designer can be used to create a template for corrective action request process. Once the appropriate process template for corrective action request is designed and made effective, users can use the template to create corrective action requests (instances of corrective action request process).
Process Templates
Process template is the blueprint for how the process should be executed within the organization. A process template is made up of process activities that need to be completed. Process workflow activities can be completed by people or they can be automated system activities. The following picture shows a high-level overview of a process template.
A process template, which is a blueprint of how the workflow should be executed and by whom, is made up of the following
- Process Object (structured data) that defines the business context of the process
- Process Data, includes parts/items/materials, files and other structured data
- Roles of users that should complete workflow activities
- Users that are part of the workflow and taking on different workflow roles
- Different workflow activities (data preparation, review, approval, systems integration activities, etc.) that make up the workflow
List of workflow templates are shown below.
Process instances
Process instances are actual processes that are executed based on a process template. In the example shown below, a failure report is created based on a Failure Report workflow template.
