New Workflow

EDBSETUP.EXE > Workflow  > Workflow > New

Workflow objects control the process chain of a particular type of object, e.g. a HiCAD 3-D drawing. They are either pre-defined or you are enabled to create them yourself. User permissions (rights) are linked to the object name and specify if an object may be viewed, created, changed or deleted. Permission can be specified via the user input box.

Proceed as follows:

Create new Workflow

  1. Select Workflow from the menu bar, then select Workflow > New. The Create workflow object ... window will be displayed.
  2. Enter a Designation for the object, e.g. "Steel Engineering".
  3. Select a Type for the Workflow to refer to, e.g. 3-D Model Drawing, Project, Article, Folder etc. If you have created several objects for 3-D Model Drawing, you can call the HiCAD function New drawing and select one of them.
  4. If you select a group in the Groups box, the members of the group will be indicated in the User box. In this case, if properly logged in, users will work in HiCAD with the "Steel Engineering" object. This can be deactivated by clicking a user name.
  5. First select the group and then the users. Specific authorisations are listed in the Process input boxes. These permissions can be granted at a later date.
  6. Use the Insert function to take over the settings. The Workflow schema window will be displayed.
  7. Enter the Workflow designation. As the process chain influences the entire system you should not overwrite a standard process, but enter a new name in the Workflow designation field. 
  8. Assign access rights for Owners, Group and World. Access authorisations are set in the Object access box for a document (object) when it is created. This means that the permissions specified are granted to users for a drawing created with the New drawing function. When using the World setting, the system reverts to the access authorisation of the applied user (User Functions).
  9. Click the Create button to draw the Workflow scheme.
  10. Data has now been saved, and the Workflow Scheme can now be created by clicking the appropriate buttons in the Toolbar. The object type, i.e. "Steel Engineering", is automatically recognised as the starting point of the process plan.


Steel Engineering

Create new Workflow Status

As a "Steel Engineering" Workflow has been specified, and this type of object is based on a 3-D drawing, it makes sense now to insert the Workflow Status In Progress now.

  1. Select the Create new workflow status function from the Toolbar. The Workflow Status window will be displayed.
  2. Mark the Workflow Status In Progress and select Apply.
  3. Click the "Steel Engineering" icon in the Workflow schema.

The cursor position determines the start and end point of the connecting line. The status In Progress will be added to the scheme.

(1), (2) Identification points for the connecting line

Add test step

  1. Select the Create new workflow status function from the Toolbar.
  2. Mark the status Checkup, then select Apply. 
  3. Click the In Progress icon. The Workflow step definition mask will be displayed.
  4. Enter a comment for the test step in the Workflow step field, e.g. Request checkup. The comment will be shown on the connecting line as a process step.
  5. Activate Approve. The Checkup icon will be inserted into the Workflow. The actions necessary to assign inspectors (testers) to test cycles will be explained in a later chapter.

In order to delete a listed status, select Delete test status.

Release object

  1. Select the Create new workflow status function from the Toolbar.
  2. Select the status Released, then select Apply.
  3. Click the Checkup icon in the Workflow scheme.
  4. Enter a comment in the Workflow step field, e.g. Execute release, and activate Released. The Released icon is added to the Workflow.

 

Simple Workflow sequences

Define Release Status

Now define the Release Status. This needs to be done in order that HELiOS will recognise this step as an approval.

  1. Activate the Released icon. The Workflow Step window will be displayed.
  2. Enter Document release in the Designation field.
  3. Confirm your entry with OK.

Expand test cycle

You can expand the test cycles if you want to modify an object (e.g. a 3-D drawing). Thus an extra exit will be assigned to the status, leading to the previous status. Usually, a status has a maximum of two exits. In our example the test status has one entrance (from In Progress) and one exit (to Released). The Expand test cycle function enables you to define another exit.

  1. Select the Expand test cycle function from the Toolbar.
  2. Identify the icon of the status to be exited, e.g. Checkup .
  3. The identification point on the icon determines the orientation of the connecting line.
  4. Identify the status to which the object is to be returned, e.g. In Progress .
  5. The Workflow step definition window will be displayed.
  6. To return to the Workflow Status In Progress , you need to reject this test step. Enter a comment for the control step, e.g. Corrections, and select Reject. When a rejection procedure is inserted, it does not necessarily have to return the object to the previous status.
  7. Select the Expand test cycle function from the Toolbar. 
  8. First identify the status to be exited, e.g.Released.
  9. Then activate the status to which the object is to be returned, e.g. In Progress.
  10. Enter a comment for the check step, e.g. Withdraw Release, and activate Reject.
  11. Save the Workflow.

Workflow with correction option

The above figure illustrates the way in which Checkup and Released objects can be returned for revision. If this option was not available, HiCAD drawings could not be modified after the start of a test procedure any more.

Responsible person/team

A responsible team and/or responsible person (inspector) needs to be assigned to each workflow. This information is essential as no Workflow steps could be carried out otherwise.

  1. Activate a Workflow step, e.g. Request Checkup . The Workflow cycle window will be displayed.
  2. Now you can define a team or an inspector to check the Workflow step. Mark the required persons and confirm with OK.

Specific tests can be assigned to individual testers.

Workflow Management • HELiOS Configuration (EDBSETUP) • HELiOS Desktop: Workflow