1. To-Increase Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations
  2. Data entry workflow
  3. Design

Manage data entry workflow template changes

With workflow template change management, you can manage changes on your workflow templates. Changes to a workflow template are stored by change set. Each change set is stored as a file in the file storage folder as defined in the Date entry workflow parameters.

You can use workflow template change management to synchronize workflow templates between several D365 FO environments. For workflow template change management, to work properly, the file storage folder, as defined in the Data entry workflow parameters, must be the same for all environments between which workflow template change sets must be synchronized. So, the change set files are stored centrally and can be accessed by all applicable environments.

In Data entry workflow, if change management is active, you:

  • Manage change sets on workflow template level.
  • Must check out a workflow template to change the workflow template.
  • Must check in a workflow template to make changes available for other environments.
  • Can restore a workflow template change set or get the latest workflow template change set.

This picture shows an example of a typical environment setup. For each environment, workflow template change management is active, using the same Azure Storage Account and folder to store project version files. In this case, the workflow template is checked out on the Development environment, changes are made, and the workflow template is checked in. Because the changes are required in the Acceptance environment, Get latest is done here.

You can use workflow template change management, for example, for these scenarios:

  • Workflow template changes: You can easily apply a change to a workflow template in one environment to other environments.
  • Issue resolution: During testing, you can find and solve an issue in a workflow template in one environment. You can easily apply the solution to the issue to other environments.
  • Updates in the test environment: In a test environment, workflow templates are often changed. Using workflow template change sets, you make sure that changes are saved, and you can always restore a previous workflow template change set.


Designer (Data entry workflow) Designer (Data entry workflow) Start Start Is the workflow  template added to  change management? Is the workflow  template added to  change management? Add workflow template to change management Add workflow template to change management If workflow template change management is activated in the Data entry workflow parameters, you can add workflow templates to change management. So, change management is only applicable to the workflow templates that you added to version management. If you add a workflow templates to change management, it is automatically checked out to make changes. To add the current workflow template setup to change management as the first workflow templates change set, check in the workflow template. As a result, a change set file is created and added to the folder as defined in the Data entry workflow parameters. Procedure 1. Go to Data entry workflow > Design > Data entry workflow templates. 2. In the list, find and select the desired workflow template. 3. On the Action Pane, click General. 4. Click Add to. 5. Close the page. Check out workflow template Check out workflow template If workflow template change management is active, you must check out a workflow template to make changes to the workflow template. You check out a workflow template in an environment. Each user in this environment can make changes to the checked-out workflow template. If a workflow template is checked out, it cannot be checked out in another environment. You can only check out the latest workflow template change set. If you check out a workflow template and the active change set is not the latest change set, you can choose to first get the latest change set. If you do not get the latest change set, the workflow template is not checked out. Procedure 1. Go to Data entry workflow > Design > Data entry workflow templates. 2. In the list, find and select the desired workflow template. 3. On the Action Pane, click General. 4. Click Check out. 5. Select Yes in the Run in background field. 6. Click OK. Note: If you check out a workflow template and the current change set is not the latest change set, you can choose Yes to first get the latest change set. If you choose No, you do not get the latest change set and the workflow template is not checked out. Change workflow template 

Design data entry workflow templates

Use a data entry workflow to design a workflow that is applied when data is entered.

For each data entry workflow template, define the desired steps.

You can set up steps for these purposes:

  • Data entry: Use a data entry step to enter a specific set of data during the workflow execution.
  • Approval: Use an approval step to approve the data as entered during the workflow execution.
  • Fuzzy duplicate check: Use a fuzzy duplicate check step to automatically check if the data, as entered during the workflow execution, is a potential duplicate record.

 Save changes? Save changes? Check in workflow template Check in workflow template If workflow template change management is active and a workflow template is checked out to make changes, check in the workflow template to make the changes generally available for other environments. As a result, the changes to the workflow template are stored as a new workflow template change set. The workflow template change set is stored as a file in the file storage folder as defined in the Data entry workflow parameters. Procedure 1. Go to Data entry workflow > Design > Data entry workflow templates. 2. In the list, find and select the desired workflow template. 3. On the Action Pane, click General. 4. Click Check in. 5. Select Yes in the Run in background field. 6. In the Note field, type a value. 7. Press Tab and click OK. 8. Close the page. Undo changes Undo changes If in an environment, the current workflow template change set is not the latest change set, you can get the latest change set. As a result, the current workflow template change set is replaced with the latest change set. If you have checked out a workflow template and made changes in the current environment, you can undo these changes by doing Get latest. In this case, also the check out of the workflow template is undone. Procedure 1. Go to Data entry workflow > Design > Data entry workflow templates. 2. In the list, find and select the desired workflow template. 3. On the Action Pane, click General. 4. Click Get latest. 5. Select Yes in the Run in background field. 6. Click OK. 7. Click Yes. 8. Close the page. Get latest workflow template change set Get latest workflow template change set If in an environment, the current workflow template change set is not the latest change set, you can get the latest change set. As a result, the current workflow template change set is replaced with the latest change set. If you have checked out a workflow template and made changes in the current environment, you can undo these changes by doing Get latest. In this case, also the check out of the workflow template is undone. Procedure 1. Go to Data entry workflow > Design > Data entry workflow templates. 2. In the list, find and select the desired workflow template. 3. On the Action Pane, click General. 4. Click Get latest. 5. Select Yes in the Run in background field. 6. Click OK. 7. Click Yes. 8. Close the page. Manage workflow template changes - Advanced

Manage workflow template changes - Advanced

Workflow template change management offers several advanced options. For example, to solve issues related to project versions.

 End End No Yes Yes No

Activities

Name Responsible Description

Add workflow template to change management

Designer (Data entry workflow)

If workflow template change management is activated in the Data entry workflow parameters, you can add workflow templates to change management. So, change management is only applicable to the workflow templates that you added to version management.

If you add a workflow templates to change management, it is automatically checked out to make changes. To add the current workflow template setup to change management as the first workflow templates change set, check in the workflow template. As a result, a change set file is created and added to the folder as defined in the Data entry workflow parameters.

Check out workflow template

Designer (Data entry workflow)

If workflow template change management is active, you must check out a workflow template to make changes to the workflow template.

You check out a workflow template in an environment. Each user in this environment can make changes to the checked-out workflow template. If a workflow template is checked out, it cannot be checked out in another environment.
You can only check out the latest workflow template change set. If you check out a workflow template and the active change set is not the latest change set, you can choose to first get the latest change set. If you do not get the latest change set, the workflow template is not checked out.

Change workflow template 

Designer (Data entry workflow)

Use a data entry workflow to design a workflow that is applied when data is entered.

For each data entry workflow template, define the desired steps.

You can set up steps for these purposes:

  • Data entry: Use a data entry step to enter a specific set of data during the workflow execution.
  • Approval: Use an approval step to approve the data as entered during the workflow execution.
  • Fuzzy duplicate check: Use a fuzzy duplicate check step to automatically check if the data, as entered during the workflow execution, is a potential duplicate record.

Check in workflow template

Designer (Data entry workflow)

If workflow template change management is active and a workflow template is checked out to make changes, check in the workflow template to make the changes generally available for other environments.
As a result, the changes to the workflow template are stored as a new workflow template change set. The workflow template change set is stored as a file in the file storage folder as defined in the Data entry workflow parameters.

Undo changes

Designer (Data entry workflow)

If in an environment, the current workflow template change set is not the latest change set, you can get the latest change set. As a result, the current workflow template change set is replaced with the latest change set.
If you have checked out a workflow template and made changes in the current environment, you can undo these changes by doing Get latest. In this case, also the check out of the workflow template is undone.

Get latest workflow template change set

Designer (Data entry workflow)

If in an environment, the current workflow template change set is not the latest change set, you can get the latest change set. As a result, the current workflow template change set is replaced with the latest change set.
If you have checked out a workflow template and made changes in the current environment, you can undo these changes by doing Get latest. In this case, also the check out of the workflow template is undone.

Manage workflow template changes - Advanced

Designer (Data entry workflow)

Workflow template change management offers several advanced options. For example, to solve issues related to project versions.

Manage workflow template changes - Advanced

Monitor workflow template changes

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