17.2. Maintain Process Templates

Templates are maintained from the Template List, which is found by starting the Task Management function.

The template list shows active templates by default. Popup menu options allow to show active, inactive or all templates.

Pre-programmed logic in SICS Workstation

SICS supports the following pre-programmed logic:

• Claim Notification - please see the detailed description in P&C User Guide, section “Handle Clause Condition”
• LIMNET remittance pairing failure - will create a process when the processing of a LIMNET remittance fails pairing if there is a corresponding Process Trigger Event defined

Web Services

Tasks and processes can be manipulated using web services. The following services are available:

• Create Process
• Update Activity
• Change Task Status
• Delegate Activity
• Take Process Ownership
• Trigger Event Created Create a Process Template Manually

Define a flow of work to be done:

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Select New from pop-up menu
4. Create an Activity Tree, i.e. add task(s), sub process(es) and/or conditional logic sub process(es)
5. Other process details that may be entered are described in more details below
6. Press OK to save the new template

Create a New Process Template as a Copy of an Existing Template

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Click on wanted template and select Copy from pop-up menu
4. Copy Template is opened in edit mode
5. Make wanted changes
6. Press OK

View an Existing Process Template

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu

Inactivate a Process Template

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template / General Properties in edit mode
5. Deselect the Active flag (remove selection)
6. Press OK - template is removed from the template list

Note! It is not possible to activate and already de-activated template.

Template Overview #

The Template Details window - used in view as well as edit mode - has four parts.

The parts are:

• Activity Tree
• Revision Navigator
• Details selection
• Data Area for selected detail Activity Tree

The Activity Tree shows the structure of the template. The root / top level is always the (template) process. Underneath the process is a tree of sub-processes and tasks. A process must contain at least one sub-activity. A sub-process is used to group tasks and must contain at least one task. A task is the lowest level in the tree and cannot contain any sub-activities.

Selection of an activity in the tree will make the data detail part show details for that activity.

Maintain the activity tree

In addition to adding new activities, activities can be deleted, moved up, down or under, in the activity tree.

The following options are available:

• Add - adding a new task or subprocess. The added activity is placed at the bottom of the activity tree
• Remove - selected task or sub process is removed. Option is available for all activities except the process itself
• Move up - selected activity is moved above the previous activity
• Move down - selected activity is moved below the next activity
• Move under - selected activity is moved under the next sub process. Exception, if the next sub process is an if-else-then process and both the ‘if’and the ’else’ branch is specified, option is disabled Revision Navigator

When a process is created from a template, the process tree will contain references to the template tree structure and the detailed data of each activity in the tree. Changing the template after a process has been created may result in errors. For this reason, each template exists in several versions. Every time a template is edited, a new copy of the whole template tree structure and the activity details is created. Such a copy is called a revision. When a process is created from a template, it is actually created from the latest revision [loaded in the user’s SICS Workstation image] of that template.

The Revision Navigator enables navigation among the revisions of a template. Any revision may be ’edited’ - which in fact means it will be used as a basis for creating yet another revision.

Details Selection

The data belonging to an activity has been grouped into a number of categories. The Details Selection part allows the user to select a specific category and then view/edit the associated data in the data area to the right.

Details Area

The data area shows the data belonging to the selected revision, activity and detail category.

Enter General Properties #

The General Properties category contains the main description of the activity.

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and click on General Properties
5. Enter, if wanted, Internal Name, Display Name and Description
6. Change, if wanted, Priority and Language
7. Press OK

Enter Documentation #

The Documentation category contains internal documentation describing the template. This description is meant for system administrators who maintain the templates. The documentary description is not visible on processes created from the template.

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and click on Documentation
5. In the Language container, right mouse click and select Add
6. Select wanted languages and enter wanted details in the text field
7. Press OK

Enter Start Action #

The Start Action category defines what action should take place when a task is started or continued. This category is not relevant for process or sub-process activities, only for tasks.

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode, select a task and click on Start Action
5. Select Start Action Type from the drop-down
6. Press OK

Each system-defined start action has zero, one or more input parameters. The input parameters describe data that are needed in order to carry out the start action. When a process is created from a template programmatically, the program logic will provide the input parameter values.

When a process is created from a template manually, the user who creates the process has to enter the required input parameter values.

If you want to specify values for input parameters using an expression you should create a new input data value (see “Enter input data”) with the same name as the Start Action Input parameter.

Start Actions that when completed gives a result, e.g. create new business or create worksheet, will automatically generate an output parameter. The output parameter value will typically be the new business identifier or the new worksheet ID.

Enter Potential Owners #

The Potential Owners category contains the list of potential owners of the activity.

The list can consist of single user(s) and/or Task Management user group(s) and/or an expression which evaluates to a list of user(s) and/or Task Management user group(s).

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and click on Potential Owners
5. Select Assign Users or Assign User Groups from the pop-up menu
6. Move wanted User(s) (Group(s)) from the Available to the Selected
7. Select Create Assignment Rule from the pop-up menu
8. Write an expression evaluating to a list of users and/or TM user groups
9. Press Save in the Rule Editor
10. Press Save
11. Press OK

At the task level, the Potential Owners list defines who can own (carry out) the task. If a task has no Potential Owners defined, it will inherit Potential Owners from its ancestor sub-processes up the tree (but not from the top level process).

At the process(tree root) level, the Potential Owners list defines who can own (follow up) the process.

If the potential owners list contains an assignment rule the rule expression will not be evaluated until the activity is activated. This is because the expression may refer to results from previous activities.

Enter Start Escalations #

The Start Escalations category contains rules for actions that should take place if the task/process is not started within certain time limits. There are two types of start escalations:

• Notification
• Reassignment.

The list of Start Escalations can contain several escalations of either type.

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and click on Start Escalation
5. Right mouse click in the Escalation Name container and select Add Notification or Add Reassignment
6. If wanted, change Name
7. Enter Deadline After Task Activation
8. If wanted, select Language and enter details in text field
9. If Notification, select if recipients should be notified by Email or by SICS Notifier
10. Assign User(s) and / or User Group(s)
11. If wanted, enter Notification Details, i.e. Language, Display Name and Description
12. Press OK

Assign users by use of expressions

If the list of user(s) and/or user group(s) can vary depending on the execution of the tasks do the following:

1. Select Create Assignment Rule… from the pop-up menu
2. Write an expression which will evaluate to a list of user(s) and/or user group(s) in the Rule Editor window
3. Press Save in the Rule Editor window

Enter Display Name and Description text by use of expressions

Enter a Display Name text that contains text depending on the result of the execution of the activities

1. Open the Notification Details tab
2. Right-click in the field where the text should be inserted and choose Insert Variable Text Rule
3. Write an expression which will evaluate to a text string in the Rule Editor
   window
4. Enter Description text. If the notification is sent by e-mail this will be the e-mail body, if it is a SICS notification it will be the Notification Details
5. If the Description text should contain text depending on the result of the
   execution of the activities right-click in the field where the text should be inserted and choose Insert Variable Text Rule
6. Write an expression which will evaluate to a text string in the Rule Editor window
7. Press Save

If a task has no Start Escalations defined, it will inherit Start Escalations from its ancestor sub-processes up the tree (but not from the top level process).

When a Notification Escalation is triggered, an e-mail or a standard SICS Notification will be created from the template definition.

For a task, triggering will take place (if the Escalation batch job is run) if the task is still in Ready status when the deadline is passed.

For a process, triggering will take place (if the Escalation batch job is run) if the process’ first task is still in Ready status when the deadline is passed.

For a Notification Escalation, a list of recipients must be provided, and the notification details must be given at least in the default language.

For a Reassignment Escalation, a list of potential owners for reassignment must be provided.

When a Reassignment Escalation is triggered, the task will be given its own list of Potential Owners based on the escalation definition. This list of task-specific Potential Owners will override the corresponding template’s list of Potential Owners. Furthermore, the current owner of the task will be removed, and the task will be reassigned to the task-specific Potential Owners following standard task owner assignment rules.

Enter Completion Escalations #

The Completion Escalations category contains rules for actions that should take place if the task/process is not finished (completed, skipped or failed) within certain time limits.

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and click on Completion Escalation
5. Right mouse click in the Escalation Name container and select Add Notification or Add Reassignment
6. If wanted, change Name
7. Enter Deadline After Task Activation
8. If wanted, select Language and enter details in text field
9. If Notification, select if recipients should be notified by Email or by SICS Notifier
10. Assign User(s) and / or User Group(s)
11. If wanted, enter Notification Details, i.e. Language, Display Name and Description
12. Press OK

Assign users by use of expressions

If the list of user(s) and/or user group(s) can vary depending on the execution of the tasks do the following:

1. Select Create Assignment Rule… from the pop-up menu
2. Write an expression which will evaluate to a list of user(s) and/or user group(s) in the Rule Editor window
3. Press Save in the Rule Editor window

Enter Display Name and Description text by use of expressions

Enter a Display Name text that contains text depending on the result of the execution of the activities

1. Open the Notification Details tab
2. Right-click in the field where the text should be inserted and choose Insert Variable Text Rule
3. Write an expression which will evaluate to a text string in the Rule Editor
   window
4. Enter Description text. If the notification is sent by e-mail this will be the e-mail body, if it is a SICS notification it will be the Notification Details
5. If the Description text should contain text depending on the result of the
   execution of the activities right-click in the field where the text should be inserted and choose Insert Variable Text Rule
6. Write an expression which will evaluate to a text string in the Rule Editor
   window
7. Press Save

The list of Completion Escalations can contain several notification escalations.

For a task, triggering will take place (if the Escalation batch job is run) if the task is still not finished (completed, skipped or failed) when the deadline is passed.

For a process, triggering will take place (if the Escalation batch job is run) if the complete process is still not finished (completed, skipped or failed)when the deadline is passed.

For a Notification Escalation, a list of recipients must be provided, and the notification details must be given at least in the default language.

Enter Input Data #

The Input Data category contains a list of input data fields of the activity. If provided, the parameter names should match the required parameters of the Start Action(s) - at this level or deeper in the process tree.

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and click on Input Data
5. Right mouse click in the Parameter Name container and select Add Input Element
6. If wanted, change Name
7. If the parameter should be automatically evaluated using an expression press the Rule Editor button and write an expression and press Save in the Rule Editor Window.
8. If wanted, select Language and enter details in text field
9. If wanted, enter Display Name and Description
10. Press OK

When a process is created from a template, all template input data fields will be copied over to the process tree at the same activity level. Then, each task with a start action that requires one or more parameter(s) will be checked to see if the process provides a corresponding input data field at that task level or at ancestors up the tree. For each parameter that has no corresponding input data field, the missing input data field will be automatically created on that task in the process tree. One should note that input data fields that are created automatically in this way, will not have any language-specific descriptions. Instead, these fields will have the same system-defined parameter name/description as is shown in the Start Action parameter list.

If activity (task, subprocess or process) has an input parameter with a Value Rule expression this expression will be evaluated when the activity is activated.

Enter Event Actions #

An event action is an action defined to take place/ be executed when a certain event happen.
Events can be e.g. “Task started”, “Task completed” or “Process completed”.
Actions can be e.g. to send e-mail, create SICS Notifier, show dialog or evaluate expression.

Action(s) are carried out by SICS Workstation immediately after the event takes place (i.e. not being dependent on a batch job).

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and on Event Actions
5. Right mouse click in the Event container. Depending on where in the process tree you are, select either Task, Sub Process or Process and the wanted event
6. Select wanted Action from the drop-down
7. If wanted, change Priority indicator
8. If relevant, indicate if action is inheritable
9. Enter other details - details available depend on the Action selected
10. Select OK

Each node in the activity template tree can specify many-to-many relation between Event and Action.

Inheritance of Event Actions

Each node in the activity template tree can specify many-to-many relation between Event and Action. Each event action has a “Priority” and an “Inheritable” attribute. The “Inheritable” attribute is not relevant for Tasks since they are leaf nodes (and don’t have children).

When more than one action is connected to one type of event they are processed according to the Priority entered. The event actions with the highest priority (priority 1) is processed first.

When an event occur on an activity the corresponding activity template tree is searched for actions and all matching actions are executed.

The search and matching is done as follows: The starting point is the activity A where the event E happened. All actions on A connected to E is a match. The activity tree will then be traversed up to the top (the process) and each action-events for the event E is considered. If the “Inheritable” check-box for the action-event is checked the corresponding action is considered a match - unless the priority is the same a previous found event-action. The matching event actions are then executed according to priority.

Notification action

A notification can be either a

• SICS Notification - a notifier is sent to recipient(s) User Notification
• e-mail - an e-mail is sent to recipient(s)’s mail box
• e-mail (by preview) - the user can preview the e-mail before it’s sent. If preview is selected the following dialog box will be presented to the user

Dialog box action

The action “Show Dialog” is used when a dialog box should be shown to the user when a selected set of events happens on a Task.

Below is an example of how a dialog box is set up on the template

When the process is run, the user is presented the following dialog box:

Evaluate expression action

The action to take place when an event happens can be set up as an expression.

How to create an expression, refer to chapter Using the Expression Editor

Field description 1. Maintain Process Templates

Create Expression

The Expression activity is available and relevant for the conditional logic sub processes only, i.e. the “While” and the “If-Then-Esle” subprocesses. Both these processes must have an expression which specifies the condition to be tested.

1. Open Task Management from SICS Desktop
2. Select Task Management Maintenance, Templates tab
3. Double click on wanted template or select View from pop-up menu
4. Open template in edit mode and click on Expression
5. Click the Rule Editor and create and expression specifying the condition to be tested
6. Save the Rule Editor
7. Save the template

Refer to section Using the Expression Editor later in this chapter for a detailed explanation on how to create expressions

Field description 2. Maintain Process Templates