Introduction to the Timer Start Event

Modeling Business Processes with Oracle BPM 6-11

6.3.1 Introduction to Human Workflow

Many end-to-end business processes require human interactions with the process. For example, humans may be needed for approvals, exception management, or performing activities required to advance the business process. Oracle Human Workflow provides comprehensive support for human participation by providing the following features: ■ Human interactions with processes, including assignment and routing of tasks to the correct users or groups ■ Deadlines, escalations, notifications, and other features required for ensuring the timely performance of a task human activity ■ Organization, filtering, prioritization, and other features required for process participants to productively perform their tasks ■ Reports, reassignments, load balancing, and other features required by supervisors and business owners to manage the performance of tasks For more information see the Oracle Fusion Middleware Developers Guide for Oracle SOA Suite.

6.3.1.1 Introduction to Human Tasks

Human Tasks are a component of Oracle Human Workflow. Human tasks enable you to interleave human interactions with connectivity to systems and services within an end-to-end process flow. Human tasks are responsible for handling all interactions with users or groups participating in the business process. They do this by creating and tracking tasks for the appropriate users in the organization. Users typically access tasks through a variety of clients, including the worklist application, E-mail, portals, or custom applications. Human tasks enable process developers to define how process participants interact with process-based applications created using the Oracle BPM and SOA suites. Using Human Tasks, process developers can define the interface and workflow for end-user interaction by creating the following: Human Tasks are reusable services that can be used within other processes that require the same UI. ■ Roles and assignments ■ Deadlines and escalations ■ Presentations Human tasks are created using Oracle BPM Studio.

6.3.2 Introduction to The User Task

The user task represents a part of your process where a process participant is required to perform work. This can be a simple interaction, such as entering a form, or part of a more complicated workflow that requires input from multiple process participants. Figure 6–13 shows the default notation for the user task. Note: In Business Process Composer, human tasks can be used in projects and project templates created in BPM Studio. You cannot create or edit Human Tasks in Business Process Composer. 6-12 Modeling and Implementation Guide for Oracle Business Process Management Figure 6–13 The User Task The user task is represented by green rectangle with an icon in the middle. This figure shows a human icon representing the generic user task. In the Oracle BPM Suite, process participants interact with your business application using the Oracle BPM WorkSpace. The specific user interface elements, including the screens and panels that process participants see, are created using Oracle Human Tasks. When designing a process, process analysts often only add the user task to a process diagram. Process developers then create the necessary Human Tasks and implement them as part of creating the overall process-based business application. When a token reaches a user task, the corresponding Human Task is performed. The token waits until the Human Task is completed before continuing to the next flow object. For information on how implementing user tasks, see Using Human Tasks in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Modeling and Implementation Guide for Oracle Business Process Management. Like other flow objects, the user task may contain incoming and outgoing data associations. User tasks may also contain incoming and default outgoing sequence flows.

6.3.2.1 The User Task in Context

In the Sales Quote demo process, the Enter Quote task, shown in Figure 6–14 , represents the work of entering information about the quote. Figure 6–14 The Enter Quote User Task This graphic shows a start event with a sequence flow extending to a script task labeled Initialize Quote. From the initialize quote task, a sequence flow extends to a user task labeled Enter Quote. Note: Using Business Process Composer, you can only assign Human Tasks to User Task that were created as part of a project template in Oracle BPM Studio. You cannot create new human tasks or edit existing ones.