Starting Tasks and Workflows (SAP Library - WebFlow Engine (BC-BMT-WFM))

Starting Tasks and Workflows

Use

There are various options for starting tasks and workflows. You must be aware of these options when defining a task or workflow.

Integration

A started workflow is represented by a workflow work item, and a started task by a dialog work item or a background work item.

Features

Tasks and workflows can be started in the following ways:

Automatically by a triggering event

The system starts the task or workflow when a triggering event defined for this purpose occurs. The following requirements must be met:

The event must be defined as a triggering event for the task or workflow.

The relevant type linkage must be activated.

Note

The type linkage may be deactivated by the system if the start was unsuccessful. Under these circumstances, try to analyze and resolve the error by simulating an event.

To use data stored with the event in the execution, a binding can be defined from the event container to the workflow container or task container.

A task or workflow can have several triggering events. If one of the triggering events is generated in the system, the relevant execution is started.

Note

Triggering events are only required for a task if the task is to be executed as a single step in response to an event. If you only want to use the task as a step in a workflow, the task does not require any triggering events.

You define a triggering event for a task in the task definition. For more information, see Creating Triggering Events. You can define triggering events for a workflow directly using the basic data of a workflow in the Workflow Builder. For more information, see Version-Independent Basic Data of a Workflow.

You can also create start conditions for a triggering event, so that the workflow or task is only started if the start condition for the event is fulfilled. For more information, see Start Conditions for Workflows.

You can also start a task or workflow defined with a triggering event on a test basis using this event. For more information, see Creation of Events for Test Purposes.

Automatically using a workflow

The system starts a task or workflow if the task or workflow is integrated in another workflow as a step. If the task is executed in dialog, possible agents must be assigned to it, or it must be classified as a general task.

Note

To execute a task as a step in a workflow, the task does not require triggering events.

For more information, see Maintenance of Activities.

Manually

You can start a task or workflow yourself. For more information, see:

Starting Workflows Manually: Standard environment, in which you can start workflows assigned to you and workflows that refer to an application object.

Testing Workflows: Test environment in which you can start all tasks and workflows.

Note

A task or workflow started by a triggering event is normally provided with input data from the event container. If you start a task or workflow of this kind in dialog, you must enter the input parameters manually. Therefore, you will usually only start a task or workflow with a triggering event in dialog for test purposes.

Definition of Start Transactions: Starting workflows using specified transactions.

Starting Workflows or Tasks from Messages: A user can start a workflow or task from a message issued by the system. A workflow or task must be assigned to the message. An appropriate function for this is available to the user in the message long text.