FEATURE | INFORMATION | |
ActiveFlow Database | ||
Departments, Roles, Users | Defined in the ActiveFlow database. Information can be optionally obtained from the Active Directory (AD). Additional attributes include hierarchy and title. | |
Import the organization structure | An automatic import using Excel or a CSV file can be made (e.g. from the Personnel system). | |
Export the organization structure | Using Excel or a CSV file. | |
Organization Administration Toolset | Import/synchronize organization data with external systems e.g. the personnel database. | |
SQL server based, Unicode database, multi-language support | User interfaces currently in English, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, Hebrew. The user interface language can be changed independently by each user. | |
Full BPMN Process Definition | ||
Tasks | Complies with the BPMN 1.2 specification. | |
Pools,lanes | Complies with the BPMN 1.2 specification. | |
Full BPMN Splitting types | Complies with the BPMN 1.2 specification. | |
Submaps | Complies with the BPMN 1.2 specification. | |
ActiveFlow forms | ||
HTML or .Net Web forms | Created with any web form editor, so any style of form to corporate standards or any degree of complexity can be used. | |
Easy to use predefined controls | Standard controls available for easy form development (e.g. attachments, calendar, buttons, audit trail). | |
Return, reject | Return puts the workflow item back in the In-tray of the return candidate for resubmission after correction. A full audit trail is always maintained. | |
File attachments | Multiple attachments can be made to the workflow form. | |
CC | Send the form to notify other users at design time or run time. | |
Browse to choose user | From a workflow form, a user can be selected from the Organization hierarchy dynamically. | |
Form Escalation | Multi level actions to escalate a waiting form, including alert supervisor, send mail etc. | |
Audit Trail | A full audit trail is optionally maintained at the bottom of each form (in addition to enquiries). All actions related to the form are shown. | |
Linking between forms | Allows workflow forms to be linked for convenience and productivity. For example a business trip Travel Expense form can be linked to the Approval for the trip. Invoices can be linked to the Purchase Approval etc. | |
Routing | ||
Sequential approval, return, reject | This routing is easy to change by changing the process map. The workflow wizard is rerun to automatically generate the new workflow application. | |
Parallel approval, return, reject | All process maps follow the BPMN 1.2 specifications. All functions are available. | |
Return to previous, return to maker | Multiple types of rejection are possible. Also, depending on what items needs to be corrected, re-submission can involve a partial workflow route for efficiency, depending on the workflow design. For example if just the colour of a purchase is changed, all parties may not need to approve the purchase again. | |
Rules wizard | For setting conditional routing, e.g. > $50,000. No programming is involved here and only the process diagram contains this information. | |
Group broadcast | For parallel approval by group members (e.g. send to all Senior Managers). | |
Workflow pool | Call center type routing. Work can be assigned to a pool of users and any member can take work out of the pool. | |
Bubble-up authorization settings | For easy setting of approval flow inside departments. Only 1 activity needs to be defined and the form is passed automatically to each member in the hierarchy with a defined break-out point. | |
Workflow candidates | Who needs to approve a workflow by user role/ name. | |
Ad-Hoc selection of next receiver(s) | For Ad-Hoc routing at run time. | |
Virtual Features | ||
Robotic User | For automatic handling of activities e.g. gather results and send to an external user. No person is involved here. Can be very useful for system integration. | |
Virtual Client | For processing workflows e.g. triggering the start of a workflow due a database event, arrival of a message etc. No person is involved in such a workflow activity. | |
Interface to External Systems | ||
Interfaces to any system | Rules Wizard allows full interfacing to any system with full transaction integrity. | |
ActiveFlow WebService | After defining a business processes with Avantage, you can fully automate the BPMN process with the integrated ActiveFlow workflow engine. You can interface the workflow to any external system as well with full transaction integrity. Our 2-way Web Service interface allows you to initiate a workflow from another system, using ActiveFlow as a workflow engine for your application should this be your requirement. Workflow results can be posted back to your application by the Web Service. ActiveFlow is a mature, feature-rich and robust product - with a large number of customers. It is equally suitable for small, medium and large company deployments. Many of our installations have several thousand users. | |
API | Full API set to allow for easy interfacing to internal events. | |
Custom Script | Any level of complexity can be achieved if required with Custom Scripting. There is no situation in which ActiveFlow cannot handle a user requirement. | |
Custom Script | Any level of complexity can be achieved if required with Custom Scripting. There is no situation in which ActiveFlow cannot handle a user requirement. | |
Create Microsoft documents directly from ActiveFlow | ||
Excel | Create Excel documents automatically, with ActiveFlow filling data in Excel templates. Very effective to make invoices, shipping documents etc. The Excel document can be of any complexity. | |
Word | Word templates can be automatically populated from ActiveFlow using Open XML. Any type of document can be populated using "placeholders" in the MS-Word template. | |
Other features | ||
Expiry | Enables automatic workflow escalation and expiry notification. Many patterns are available. | |
Special fields | Enquiry custom headings can be defined. This in addition to the versatile full text search capability of any data in a form. | |
Special view | For giving access to auditors, accountants etc. Visibility to all workflows can be granted with extensive search criteria. | |
Start a new workflow form | ||
Workflow structure | Group workflow entries in a multi-level tree menu for ease of selection. | |
Start new workflow | Start a form depending on the process map. | |
Start a workflow "on behalf of.." | Start a form as a delegate maker (e.g. secretary can prepare a workflow for a boss). | |
Copy form | Copy and modify an older form ready to submit again - a productivity feature. | |
In-tray | ||
View all forms waiting for action | The forms you received. | |
Bulk Action | Allows work items to be actioned in a bulk line-item mode. For instance, an accounting department may not need to check Expense workflows individually as approval has already been made by the issuing departmental manager. However, the accounting department may need to check certain key fields and these can appear on the screen in the line item. Approval can be for all the listed items, for selected line items and the actual form can be examined (and optionally approved or rejected if required) by clicking on the line item. | |
Delegate forms | Forms received for you acting as a delegate. | |
Returned forms | Forms returned from upstream activities. | |
Cc forms | Informative forms. You cannot action these. | |
Hold forms | Unfinished forms you will handle later. | |
Pooled forms | Forms received in a common pool. Other colleagues can handle these forms also. | |
Filtering in-tray forms | As per selection criteria, e.g all Purchase Orders submitted after May 26th 2021. | |
In-tray notifier | An optional pop-up "You have workflow" notifier which appears in the task bar. Shows the number of workflow items. | |
Enquiries | ||
Tracing workflows | Trace the form's route, check the status. | |
Waiting forms | Check on waiting forms by selection criteria. | |
Finally approved forms | Check on approved forms by selection criteria, full text search etc. | |
Rejected forms | Check on rejected forms by selection criteria, full text search etc. | |
Pending forms | Check on pending forms by selection criteria, full text search etc. | |
Filtering by: | ||
Workflow | By Workflow type, e.g. Purchase Orders. | |
Title content | The title of the form - e.g. New PC. | |
Form content: | Uses the Full Text Search capability of Microsoft SQL Server. | |
Form value(s) | For example: all purchase orders with value higher than $5000. | |
Period (by maker department and maker user) | Versatile date selection criteria. | |
Period (by approver department and approver user) | Versatile date selection criteria. | |
Display departments option | Displays additional user information. | |
Special functions | ||
Emergency action | Work can be handled by a more senior person in the hierarchy with full audit trail. | |
Cancel workflow | The maker can cancel a form submitted in error for example (automatic notification to any approvers already made). | |
Special view | Special access to certain workflows for external auditors or accountants. | |
Key Performance Indicators | Strong KPI set including "Average waiting time","number of transactions" etc. This for process monitoring and improvement. | |
Workflow status | See all the forms flowing through the system - for administrators. | |
Workflow in progress | View all in flights forms by selection criteria. | |
Email Notification | ||
Event Notification | An automatic email message can be sent for notification purposes e.g. Workflow approved, workflow rejected etc. | |
Formatted Email | The email message can be formatted as per customer requirements. | |
Email Link | A link to the workflow form can be included in the mail message to enable the user to go straight to the form without navigating the in-tray. If the user is not logged on and not using Active Directory, the logon screen will be presented. | |
Administration | ||
Change password | Password policy can be set by the Administrator, including strength of the password and change cycle. Alternatively Active Directory can be used. | |
Change delegate | ||
Delegate | Delegate for approving workflows (can be set by the user in advance). | |
Delegate Maker | Delegate for making workflows (can be set by the user in advance). | |
Edit user | ||
Language | User interface language (can be set by each user). | |
Delete users | Users are logically deleted only(due to reporting and audit requirements). | |
Add new user | Users can be added by an Administration screen (as well as by a file interface). | |
General attributes | ||
Bubble-up routing | For easy workflow definition. Workflow automatically traverses the organization structure without needing to define each activity. | |
User's position | ||
Role | Role in the Organization. | |
User groups | Groups to which the user belongs, e.g. Manager Group, Director etc.. | |
Set security rights | For viewing organization structure etc.. | |
Hierarchy | Set the reporting hierarchy of the user. | |
Set user access rights | Allow or deny a user to View, Start or Cancel a workflow etc.. | |
Custom users properties | Can be used for Employee ID, phone number etc. Additional information to appear with a workflow without the need to reference external databases. | |
Organization structure | See the organization structure tree | |
Groups | Cluster users into optional groups for easy workflow definition (e.g. a "Managers" Group to send to all managers etc.). | |
Event log | View system events e.g. Logons, User additions etc.. | |
Set holidays | Define company wide public holidays, working days. | |
Set password policy | Define strong password rules, password expiry etc. Fully SOX compliant. | |
Custom fields | Add extra properties to user's records. | |
Global email | Set the default email address. This for notification mails. | |
Message broadcast | For sending informative email to ActiveFlow users. Filters by department, groups of users. | |
Manage License group | License group management. | |
Active Directory integration | Full Active Directory (AD) integration for single sign-on. | |
Security | Software has been fully audited and certified against Security violations. |