1. To-Increase Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations
  2. RapidValue
  3. Modeling
  4. Process modeling
  5. Model flows

Design flows

Design a flow to define:

  • The sequence of activities and processes.
  • The decision points and alternative paths in the process.
  • Which role is responsible for which part of the flow.

Each flow is related to a process. The process type defines the flow design options:

  • Process: You can design a process flow with activities, lanes, sub-processes, gateways, events, and connect these objects in the sequence to be done.
  • Value chain, Phase, Process group, Supporting process: Additional to the design of a Process type flow, you can add business processes from the hierarchy to the flow design.

Notes

This flow represents the usual sequence in which the process flows are designed. If required, you can of course design the flow in another sequence.


Solution designer Solution designer Create activity and add to flow Create activity and add to flow If you set up a flow, usually, you first define the things to be done in the process. So, you first add the activities or (sub-)processes. This activity describes how to add a new activity to a flow. If you add an activity to a flow, it is automatically added to the lane for the related role. If, in the flow, no lane is available for the role, a new lane is created. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Activity. 7. Click the New tab. 8. In the Activity field, type a value. 9. In the Type field, select an option. For example, click Application. 10. In the Application field, enter or select a value. 11. In the Default role field, enter or select a value. 12. Click OK. 13. Click Save. Note: If you have changed the activity text in the flow design, click outside the activity element before you save the flow design. 14. Close the page. Notes You can also open the Flow design page from the: Business process designer pageFlow page Add existing activity Add existing activity If you set up a process flow, usually, you first define the things to be done in the process. So, you first add the activities or (sub-)processes. This activity describes how to add an existing activity to a flow. If you add an activity to a flow, it is automatically added to the lane for the related role. If, in the flow, no lane is available for the role, a new lane is created. You can choose an existing activity from these lists: [Area] (first tab of the dialog): only the activities are shown that are in the same area as the process of the flow. The shown activities are of the current solution and its referenced solutions. All: all activities of the current solution and its referenced solutions are shown. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Activity to open the drop dialog. 7. In the list, find and select the desired record. 8. Click OK. 9. Click Save. Note: If you have changed the activity text in the flow design, click outside the activity element before you save the flow design. 10. Close the page. Notes You can also open the Flow design page from the: Business process designer page Flow page Add lane Add lane Add a lane if required. Each lane represents a specific role. The lanes are used to indicate responsibility for activities, processes, and objects. If you add activities, and no lane is yet available for the related role, a new lane is added automatically.However, a business process, flow, or data object are not related to a role. If you want to add such an element and the required lane is not available, you can add a lane manually. To add a lane, you can choose from the roles that are defined for the current solution and its referenced solutions. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Lane to open the drop dialog. 7. In the list, find and select the desired record. 8. Click OK. 9. Click Save. Note: If you have changed the lane text in the flow design, click outside the lane before you save the flow design. 10. Close the page. Notes You can also open the Flow design page from the: Business process designer page Flow page Add sub-flow Add sub-flow If you set up a process flow, usually, you first define the things to be done in the process. So, you first add the activities or (sub-)flows. This activity describes how to add a sub-flow to a flow. To add a sub-flow, you can choose from the flows that are defined for the current solution and its referenced solutions. If you add a sub-flow to a flow, and you select: A lane, the sub-flow is added to the lane. A flow element, the sub-flow is added to the right of the selected element. No lane or flow element, the sub-flow is added just somewhere on the design grid. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Sub-process to open the drop dialog. 7. In the list, find and select the desired record. 8. Click OK. 9. Click Save. Note: If you have changed the sub-flow text in the flow design, click outside the sub-flow element before you save the flow design. 10. Close the page. Notes Often, the flow to which you add a sub-process is assigned to a business process in the business process hierarchy. You can consider to also add the sub-process as child business process to the business process hierarchy. In this way, the sub-process also shown in overviews and tests.You can also open the Flow design page from the: Business process designer pageFlow page Add business process Add business process You can set up a flow for business processes of these types: Value chainPhaseGroupSupporting process You usually do so to indicate how the business processes in the business process hierarchy are related. To add a business process to a flow, you can choose from the business processes that are defined in the business process hierarchy of the current solution. If you add a business process to a flow, and you select: A lane, the business process is added to the lane.A flow element, the business process is added to the right of the selected element.No lane or flow element, the business process is added to the top lane. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Business process. 7. In the tree, select 'a node'. 8. Click OK. 9. Click Save. Note: If you have changed the business process text in the flow design, click outside the business process element before you save the flow design. 10. Close the page. Notes You can also open the Flow design form from the: Flows list page Flow form Flow view form Add gateways Add gateways Add gateways to the flow where required. A gateway is a decision point where the flow is directed in a certain way based on criteria or user action. You can use these types of gateways: Exclusive: you can choose but one of the paths. Inclusive: you can choose any of the paths. So, this can be one path ore several paths. Parallel: you must do all paths. Usually, two gateways are used for a decision point: an opening gateway and a closing gateway. These gateways must be of the same type. As a consequence, usually, a flow has an even number of gateways.Each exclusive gateway has a question or description to shortly explain the decision to be made. Inclusive and parallel gateways can have such a question or description, if required. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Gateway. 7. Click an option. For example, click Exclusive (one path). Note: You can add a text to a gateway. To do so, double-click it and enter the text. 8. Click Save. Note: If you have entered or changed the gateway text in the flow design, click outside the gateway element before you save the flow design. 9. Close the page. Notes To add text to a gateway, double-click it and type the text.You can also open the Flow design form from the: Flows list page Flow form Flow view form Add events Add events Add the required events to the flow. An event is something that happens during the process. Events affect the flow of the process and usually have a cause or an impact and in general require or allow for a reaction. You can use these types of events: Start: the usual start of a flow. Start timer: the flow is started when a time condition is true. Start message: the flow is started when a specified message is received. Intermediate: explicitly indicates an important state change or milestone in the flow. End: the usual end of a flow. Cancel: indicates that the flow is canceled, usually following a gateway. Error: indicates where to go if an error or unexpected exception occurs. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Event. 7. Click an event type. For example, click Start. Note: You can add a text to an event. To do so, double-click it and enter the text. 8. Click Save. Note: If you have entered or changed the event text in the flow design, click outside the event element before you save the flow design. 9. Close the page. Notes To add text to an event, double-click it and type the text.You can also open the Flow design form from the: Flows list page Flow form Flow view form Add connectors Add connectors Add the connectors which indicate, for example, the flow of activities, events, objects, and the effect of gateways. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click the Business processes tab. 3. Click Edit hierarchy. 4. In the tree, select 'a node'. 5. Click Design. 6. Click Connector. 7. Click a connector type. For example, click Sequence. Note: You can add a text to a connector. To do so, double-click it and enter the text. You can re-position a connector text. To do so, click on the connector and drag the connector text (note the yellow marker) to the required position. 8. Click Save. Note: If you have entered or changed the connector text in the flow design, click outside the connector before you save the flow design. 9. Close the page. Notes To add connectors, select the elements that you want to connect in the sequence you want to connect them. Select the elements in this way: click the first element and press Ctrl while you click the next elements. To add text to a connector, double-click it and type the text. You can re position the connector text. To do so, select the connector and drag the yellow text position indicator to the required position.You can also open the Flow design page from the: Business process designer pageFlow page Start Start Check flow element sequence Check flow element sequence A flow can have several elements:ActivitiesSub-flowsBusiness processesObjectsThe sequence of these elements defines the sequence in which these appear in published content. For example, in a website or a document.By default, these elements are ranked in the sequence in which you add these elements to the flow design. Often, this is not the sequence in which you want these elements to appear in published content.This topic explains how to change the flow element sequence. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click Business processes. 3. In the tree, select 'a business process node with a flow'. 4. Click the Flow tab. 5. Click View details. 6. Click the Elements tab. 7. In the list, find and select the element to be moved up. 8. Click Move up. Note: Refresh the page (Shift + F5) to see the result. 9. In the list, find and select the element to be moved down. 10. Click Move down. Note: Refresh the page (Shift + F5) to see the result. 11. Close the page. End End Add object Add object You can add an object to the flow design. An object is a data object, document or deliverable such as an item, invoice, physical document, or product. Objects can represent, for example, inputs and outputs of processes and activities, or the content of messages exchanged internally or externally.To add an object, you can choose from the objects as defined for the current solution and its referenced solutions.If you add an object to a flow, and you select:A lane, the object is added to the lane.A flow element, the object is added to the right of the selected element.No lane or flow element, the object is added just somewhere on the design grid. Procedure 1. Click Business process modeling. 2. Click Business processes. 3. In the tree, select 'a business process node'. 4. Click Design. 5. Click Data objects. 6. In the list, find and select the desired record. 7. Click OK. 8. Click Save. Note: If you have changed the object text in the flow design, click outside the object element before you save the flow design. 9. Close the page. Notes You can also open the Flow design page from the:Business process designer pageFlow page Is the required  lane available  in the flow? Is the required  lane available  in the flow? What do you  want to add? What do you  want to add? No Yes New activity Existing activity Sub-flow,  Business process, or Data object

Activities

Name Responsible Description

Create activity and add to flow

Solution designer

If you set up a flow, usually, you first define the things to be done in the process. So, you first add the activities or (sub-)processes. This activity describes how to add a new activity to a flow.

If you add an activity to a flow, it is automatically added to the lane for the related role. If, in the flow, no lane is available for the role, a new lane is created.

Add existing activity

Solution designer

If you set up a process flow, usually, you first define the things to be done in the process. So, you first add the activities or (sub-)processes. This activity describes how to add an existing activity to a flow.

If you add an activity to a flow, it is automatically added to the lane for the related role. If, in the flow, no lane is available for the role, a new lane is created.

You can choose an existing activity from these lists:

  • [Area] (first tab of the dialog): only the activities are shown that are in the same area as the process of the flow. The shown activities are of the current solution and its referenced solutions.
  • All: all activities of the current solution and its referenced solutions are shown.

Add lane

Solution designer

Add a lane if required. Each lane represents a specific role. The lanes are used to indicate responsibility for activities, processes, and objects.

If you add activities, and no lane is yet available for the related role, a new lane is added automatically.

However, a business process, flow, or data object are not related to a role. If you want to add such an element and the required lane is not available, you can add a lane manually.

To add a lane, you can choose from the roles that are defined for the current solution and its referenced solutions.

Add sub-flow

Solution designer

If you set up a process flow, usually, you first define the things to be done in the process. So, you first add the activities or (sub-)flows. This activity describes how to add a sub-flow to a flow.

To add a sub-flow, you can choose from the flows that are defined for the current solution and its referenced solutions.

If you add a sub-flow to a flow, and you select:

  • A lane, the sub-flow is added to the lane.
  • A flow element, the sub-flow is added to the right of the selected element.
  • No lane or flow element, the sub-flow is added just somewhere on the design grid.

Add business process

Solution designer

You can set up a flow for business processes of these types:

  • Value chain
  • Phase
  • Group
  • Supporting process

You usually do so to indicate how the business processes in the business process hierarchy are related.

To add a business process to a flow, you can choose from the business processes that are defined in the business process hierarchy of the current solution.

If you add a business process to a flow, and you select:

  • A lane, the business process is added to the lane.
  • A flow element, the business process is added to the right of the selected element.
  • No lane or flow element, the business process is added to the top lane.

Add gateways

Solution designer

Add gateways to the flow where required. A gateway is a decision point where the flow is directed in a certain way based on criteria or user action. You can use these types of gateways:

  • Exclusive: you can choose but one of the paths.
  • Inclusive: you can choose any of the paths. So, this can be one path ore several paths.
  • Parallel: you must do all paths.
Usually, two gateways are used for a decision point: an opening gateway and a closing gateway. These gateways must be of the same type. As a consequence, usually, a flow has an even number of gateways.
Each exclusive gateway has a question or description to shortly explain the decision to be made. Inclusive and parallel gateways can have such a question or description, if required.

Add events

Solution designer

Add the required events to the flow. An event is something that happens during the process. Events affect the flow of the process and usually have a cause or an impact and in general require or allow for a reaction. You can use these types of events:

  • Start: the usual start of a flow.
  • Start timer: the flow is started when a time condition is true.
  • Start message: the flow is started when a specified message is received.
  • Intermediate: explicitly indicates an important state change or milestone in the flow.
  • End: the usual end of a flow.
  • Cancel: indicates that the flow is canceled, usually following a gateway.
  • Error: indicates where to go if an error or unexpected exception occurs.

Add connectors

Solution designer

 		Add the connectors which indicate, for example, the flow of activities, events, objects, and the effect of gateways.

Check flow element sequence

Solution designer

 		A flow can have several elements:
  • Activities
  • Sub-flows
  • Business processes
  • Objects
The sequence of these elements defines the sequence in which these appear in published content. For example, in a website or a document.
By default, these elements are ranked in the sequence in which you add these elements to the flow design. Often, this is not the sequence in which you want these elements to appear in published content.
This topic explains how to change the flow element sequence.

Add object

Solution designer

You can add an object to the flow design. An object is a data object, document or deliverable such as an item, invoice, physical document, or product. 

Objects can represent, for example, inputs and outputs of processes and activities, or the content of messages exchanged internally or externally.

To add an object, you can choose from the objects as defined for the current solution and its referenced solutions.

If you add an object to a flow, and you select:

  • A lane, the object is added to the lane.
  • A flow element, the object is added to the right of the selected element.
  • No lane or flow element, the object is added just somewhere on the design grid.

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