MOSS Workflows Workflow Technologies Overview November 15, 2007 Sogeti USA Agenda • About Sogeti Agenda • Workflow Overview • MOSS Workflow Technologies Overview > MOSS Out of the Box Workflows > SharePoint Workflow Designer > Windows Workflow Foundation > K2 Black Pearl • Question and Answer Session • SWAG Sogeti’s MOSS Qualifications • Number of MOSS engagements > 175+ nationally > 17 MS certified MOSS consultants • Scope of engagements > Quick POC’s to global, $MM projects > Migrations, Upgrades, Intranets, Extranets, Internet presence, application development, BPIO, etc. > Currently leading 2nd largest MOSS deployment in the world (global pharma) Workflow – Overview • Wikipedia > A workflow is a reliably repeatable pattern of activity enabled by a systematic organization of resources, defined roles and mass, energy and information flows, into a work process that can be documented and learned...blah, blah, blah • Sogetipedia > Automation of a business process (BP) > A. K. A.: Business Process Management (BPM) Workflow – Why it matters • Ability to Improve Business Processes > Most BPs are manual or require human interactions -not efficient, less reliable > BPs often lack visibility > Lack of escalation > Most BPs are not clearly defined • Good Opportunities to Leverage Workflow > Better and more robust tools available > Necessary infrastructure exists > Increased integration Workflow – Integration with MS • Outlook > Receive Notifications and Tasks • Word, Power Point, Excel, IP > Start and Participate in Workflows • SharePoint Designer > Create and Customize Workflows • MOSS > Start, Participate, Customize and Track Workflows MOSS Workflow Technologies Overview Robustness 3rd Party Applications SharePoint Designer Workflows MOSS Out of the Box Workflows Complexity Windows Workflow Foundation Workflow – Out of the Box Workflows • Out of the box workflows > Approval, Collect Feedback, Collect Signatures, Disposition Approval, Group Approval, Translation Management, Three State (issue tracking) Workflow - Out of the Box Workflows (cont) Workflow Description Approval Routes the content for approval. You can setup this workflow as serial or parallel plus preset the approvers. Collect Feedback Routes the content for feedback. When the workflow completes all the feedback is sent to the originator of the workflow. Collect Signatures Rather than just sending content for approval, this workflow requires digital signatures on the content. This workflow requires the Office 2007 client and can only be initiated from a client application. Disposition Approval This workflow works with the records management capabilities of SharePoint. It allows you to manage document expiration and retention. Group Approval (available in some languages) To support hierarchical approvals, this workflow presents a hierarchical control to select the approvers and stamping rather than signatures for approval. Translation Management This workflow is used with the Web content management features of SharePoint to support a translation workflow for content to multiple languages. Three-state (Included in Windows SharePoint Services; works with Issue Tracking list or any list with a Choice column with 3 values) This workflow ships with Windows SharePoint Services and is a simple issue tracking workflow that shows status of active and resolved issues. SharePoint Designer Workflows Overview • Wizard-based approach • No coding  web designers • Out of the box workflows >Building blocks >Events >Actions (parallel/serial) >Conditions • Output: XOML file SharePoint Designer Workflows – Features • Sounds great, but… > Workflow is data-bound at design time > Can’t author against a content type > No step-by-step debugging > Only sequential workflows > No cross site interaction between lists • So when do I use it? > You’re not a developer > Need to create a less complex WF for an application for a site > Basically, when it makes sense to SharePoint Workflow Designer – Demo Email notification of denied request Denied Item assigned to Boss Sogeti ♠ User goes to MOSS site User fills out PTO eForm Email alert sent to Boss Email notification of approved request Approved HR Email Notification Windows Workflow Foundation Overview • Overview > Microsoft .NET 3.0 technology > Define, create, execute and manage workflows > Supported by set of VS 2005 extensions • Visual workflow designer enables workflow design, debugging and compiling Windows Workflow Foundation – Design Requirements • Design Requirements > Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 > VS 2005, with VS 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation > Enterprise Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Starter Kit Windows Workflow Foundation Features • WF Advantages > Extremely robust, complete control over solution > Free if you already have VS 2005 • WF Disadvantages > Complicated configuration steps, especially in regards to deployment > Learning curve very steep > Developer needs to be involved every time the workflow changes > Even simple workflows take significant time to develop Windows Workflow Foundation – How To • Quick How To > Install all the proper extensions for VS 2005 > Open VS and create a WF project > Create and Code the Workflow Windows Workflow Foundation – How To (cont) • Quick How To (cont) > Edit multiple configurations in files such as feature.xml > Deploy workflow as a feature through stsadm command line utility > Associate Workflow with a MOSS list K2 .Net Black Pearl - Overview • Application used to design and create WF workflows • Empowerment of the Business User K2 .Net Black Pearl - Features • K2 Advantages > Create robust workflows quicker and more efficiently • Wizard driven interoperability – Site, Library and List, Document Manipulation, List Item, Records Management, Event Process Publishing, User Management, Workflow Integration > Easy deployment > Multiple Design Tools > Reporting Capabilities • Standard reports leveraging MS SQL Reporting Services • K2 Report Designer for custom reporting K2 .Net Black Pearl – Design Tools • K2 Studio Designer • K2 Web Designer • Visio K2 .Net Black Pearl - Features • K2 Disadvantages > Licenses can be costly • Implementations can easily cost as much as $40k > Solution still new and sometimes unstable • Release due 12-2007 which is suppose to fix a large number of bugs K2 .Net Black Pearl - Demo Email notification of denied request Denied Item assigned to Boss Sogeti ♠ User goes to MOSS site User fills out PTO eForm Email alert sent to Boss Email notification of approved request Approved HR Email Notification Questions SWAG • Name some of the MOSS OOB workflows • Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of using SPD • Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of WF • Name some of the advantages and disadvantages of K2 • Name the 3 K2 design tools MOSS Workflows Workflow Technologies Overview November 15, 2007 Sogeti USA