Essentials (Siebel 7.

7)

Module 41: Introducing Siebel

Workflow
Module Objectives

After completing this module you will be able to:

 Describe the different steps of a Workflow process
 Create a Workflow process in Siebel Tools

Why you need to know:

 You need to understand Siebel Workflow to automate
your business rules

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Automating Business Processes
 Automation options within the Siebel application can address
such challenges as:
 Maintaining and standardizing consistent business processes
across all business units
 Assisting users with knowledge transfer and implementation of
best practices
 Responding in a timely, effective manner to customer inquiries and
service requests
 Routing and assigning tasks accurately and efficiently
 Offering consistent and personalized service to customers

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Automated Steps in Business Processes
 A business process diagram is a way to represent and
communicate a business process
 A business process is not a workflow process
 Workflow is used to automate steps in a business process
 A business process diagram may include steps that accomplish a
task using automation

Automatically send email

to notify Service Manager

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Workflow Process
 Is an ordered set of steps executed in response to a defined set
of conditions
 Siebel Workflow provides:
 A set of tools to graphically define business processes
 An engine to automate these processes

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Workflow Design Canvas
 Contains a palette, workspace, and detail applet

Palette of workflow Workspace for

steps designing workflows

Workflow detail
applet
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Workflow Process Automates a Business Task
 Decide what business task the workflow will automate

Check SR Severity
Update the Priority field in a service
request based on the value in the Severity
field, and in cases where priority is critical,
automatically send an email.

 Assess the tasks that the workflow needs to complete to identify

the activities that will need to be included in the process
 Check Severity field value
 Update Priority field value
 Send email

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Workflow Process Definition
 Start Siebel Tools
 Check out project
 Create a new workflow
definition using List Editor
 Right-click OBLE and select
New Record
 Process Name and Project
name are required fields
 Edit workflow
 Right-click a workflow Edit workflow
definition record and process
select Edit Workflow
Process

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Select Workflow Steps

Start, End

Decision Point

Siebel Operation

Business Service

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Start, End
 Drag Start and End steps from Palette to the Workspace
 Every workflow process must have Start and End steps
 End step cleans up memory instances created during the workflow
process

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Decision Point
 Decision step is used to branch to various steps
based on conditions
 Use a value comparison to determine which path to
take
 Conditions are set once the next steps and branches
are added

Check Severity
Field Value

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Siebel Operation
 Used to perform insert, update, or query

Update Priority
Field Value

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Business Service
 Used to run a Siebel-supplied or custom business
service

Send
email

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Defining Workflow Details

Context-Sensitive Menus

Process Properties

Composing Condition Criteria

Siebel Operation Details

Business Service Details

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Context-Sensitive Menus
 Use right-click to access menu options for different type of steps
 Toggles the information displayed in the Workflow detail applet

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Process Properties
 Used as input and output arguments for the entire process
 Process Properties are referenced as Input Arguments and Output
Arguments for steps in the process

Commonly used to set

Row ID for a test record

Context-sensitive menu
options for Sub Process step

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Composing Condition Criteria

 Set conditions for any step that can have multiple branches
 Start Step
 Decision Step
 User Interact Step
 Conditions are defined on
branches leading from the step

Right-click branch and

select Edit Conditions

Select Show Branches to

see all branches
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Composing Condition Criteria Continued

 Set condition criteria
 Example: Follow this branch if Severity field from the Service
Request object matches the value 1-Critical

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Siebel Operation Details

 Select the field to be updated and set the new value

Right-click branch and

select Show Fields

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Business Service Details

 Set Business Service Name and Business Service Method in
the Process Properties window
 To specify additional details, right-click the Business Service step
and select Show Input Arguments

Set Business Service

Name and Method

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Additional Workflow Steps

Error Handling

Sub Process

Wait Step

User Interact

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Error Handling
 Exception
 Use it to handle system and
user-defined errors
 Define exception conditions
just as you would define other
branch conditions
 Example: If email error,
update error report
 Use Stop to raise an exception
 Notifies user of error and
stops workflow process
instance

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Sub Process
 Use it to invoke another process within an existing
workflow process
 Reuse previously defined workflow processes

Invokes another
workflow process

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Wait Step
 Use it to define a period of time before executing a
subsequent process
 Example: If SR not assigned within one day, send
email to manager

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User Interact
 Navigates user to a view and waits for a
response
 Example: Navigates user to Standard Payment
view to enter credit card number before
purchasing items in shopping cart

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Using Editing Features
 Copy, paste, delete
 Limited to within the
design canvas
 Cannot copy across
processes
 Copy drawing
 Print
 Edit graphical properties
 Color, size, lines
 Zoom
 Align objects

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Using Shape Properties
 Define shape colors, lines, fill properties, fonts, and sizes

Resize shapes
as needed

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Summary

This module showed you how to:

 Describe the different steps of a Workflow process
 Create a Workflow process in Siebel Tools

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Lab
 In the lab you will:
 Create a simple workflow process in Siebel Tools

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