What's NEW in QAT Flow
Group Data - Group data provides a way to collect repeating rows of similar data, for example, multiple rows of expenses on an expense sheet. Each row of data consists of multiple parameters, such as date of expense, type of expense and amount of expense. Group Data functionality is provided through integration with QAT DDM.
Dynamic Permitted Value Lists - Parameters created for a work flow can have permitted values. At runtime, these values are displayed to the user in a pick list. The current version of QAT Flow requires the work flow designer to manually enter these parameters and the list is static. Now permitted value lists can be populated dynamically at runtime from external sources. The external source can be QAT DDM or it can be any external Gen Action Block or Web Service that has been registered in QAT Flow.
Event Triggers - Event triggers are defined and associated to work flow parameters. The events can be any of the work flow step types, such as; set statements, sub-flow, external calls or normal steps. Multiple events can be associated with the same trigger. The events are executed when a parameter value is changed at runtime. The trigger can be defined to execute every time the parameter value is changed or rules can be defined to control under which conditions a trigger is executed.
Window Tabs - Multiple tabs can be defined for a step complete window. Tabs provide a convenient way to organize and group data for data entry. Each tab can be further organized by parameter groupings.
Parameter Grouping - Parameters listed in the step complete window can be grouped together and labeled with a group header row. Dependency rules can be created that will expand or collapse the group of parameters or even hide then entirely based on business conditions.
Employee Proxy - This feature allows one user to act as a proxy for another user. For example, if someone is on vacation, another employee can be set as a proxy. All of the work assigned to the vacationing employee will show up in the proxy’s work queue. Date ranges can be set for the start and finish of the proxy assignment.
Import Parameters for External Plug-ins from Gen Models and the CSE - When an external plug-in is registered with QAT Flow, the import and export parameters for the plug-in have to be defined. Previously, this has been a manual data entry process. Now, if the plug-in is coming from a Gen Action Block, the import/export definitions can be automatically imported. The user is allowed to select a local model from their workstation or connect to a CSE and select a model from there. Parameters can be imported from Action blocks, Work Sets and Entities.
Import Parameters into Work Flows - Similar to the import for external plug-ins, this feature will import parameters directly into a work flow definition. One of the most time consuming functions for creating a work flow is the definition of the parameters that are associated with the business function being modeled. In many cases, these parameters have already been defined in a Gen data model that already exists to support the business function. In these cases, the parameters can be directly imported into the work flow saving considerable time.
Enhanced Step Layout Configuration Options -
QAT Flow is delivered with a default step complete window. This window provides a grid format for entering data associated with the work flow. Numerous enhancements have been added to allow for customization of this window, including; column labels, button labels, column sequencing, hiding columns and hiding buttons.
Display Types can be Defined for Parameter Types -
Parameter values at runtime are entered into spreadsheet type cells with default entry formats for text, number & date/time. The designer now has the option to control the display and entry type of the cell for each parameter. Examples are; check boxes, radio buttons, push buttons, increment buttons, calendar controls and many others.
Parameter Masks - Data entry masks can be defined for parameters. For example; number formats, date formats and text string formats.
Error Messages Associated with Validation Rules - Validations rules can be created for each parameter defined for a work flow. When data is entered for the parameter at runtime, the value is validated against the defined rules. Error, warning and information messages can be associated with each rule. If an entered parameter value fails a validation rule, the custom error message is displayed to the user.
Enhanced Security for Sub-flows - Sub-flows are work flows that can be called from other work flows. When a work process crosses multiple business organization boundaries, it often makes sense to break the work flow into a series of sub-flows that are owned and maintained by each organizational group. Several new security features have been added that allow full control of who is allowed to view a work flow design, who is allowed to execute the sub-flow, what data can be passed to the sub-flow and what data is returned to the calling work flow. With this feature, sensitive data, such as employee salaries or Social Security Numbers can be securely isolated to authorized work flows and personnel.
Cancel / Re-start Work Flows When a New Version is Created - QAT Flow offers a full featured versioning function that allows the seamless transition from one version of a work flow to the next. When a new version is implemented, the designer now has the options of letting the existing work flows continue processing under the versions they were created or to stop the processing of the current work flows and automatically re-start them with the new version. As part of the re-start, all existing data from the current running version is copied to the new version.
Notes Step Type - A new step type for the work flow designer that allows design notes to be captured and displayed in the work flow design. This provides a simple means to document the work flow design and helps designer who have to maintain / update the work flow better understand the original process.
Performance Enhancements - Extensive performance enhancements have been made to the work flow engine to improve runtime performance. Server calls have been optimized to reduce the number of trips made to the server. Intelligence has been added to optimize the execution of dependency rules and event triggers. When external plug-ins are executed, the use of a temporary import/export table has been eliminated saving the database overhead of adding and deleting rows. Many additional changes have been made to improve the performance and are invisible to the end user.
Public Operations - Numerous public operations have been provided to allow seamless integration with other applications. The public operations allow developers to start work flows, share data between their application and a work flow, complete steps in a work flow and retrieve work flow queue data. By integrating QAT Flow with an existing application, the business logic can be built in to the work flow where changes can be dynamically made and immediately implemented without code updates. |
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