1. Example of presented functionality

For needs of this article we will use exemplary invoice workflow, consisting of registration step, one middle step – invoice acceptance and two final steps – accepted and rejected invoices.

In this process, three document types will be used:

1)      Cost invoice

2)      Invoice correction

3)      Invoice duplicate

To describe an invoice in workflow, 5 form fields are going to be used:

1)      Contractor (single line of text)

2)      Amount (floating-point number)

3)      Invoice number (single line of text)

4)      Description (multiple lines of text)

5)      Registering person (person or group)

2. Creation of new website and activation of BPS functionality

In order to create new website for process, go to parent site and in right upper part click settings icon. Here, a site content option is available.

Click “New subsite”

Afterwards provide title, description and URL of your site. For now leave remaining fields with default values. We will return to them later.

If site is created, we will be automatically moved to new website.

First necessary action is activation of BPS feature. In order to activate it click settings icon and choose “Site settings”

In “Site actions”, “Manage site features” section may be found

In list of available site functions “WEBCON BPS Config” may be found. Click “Activate”

After successful feature activation, a new option “WEBCON BPS Configuration” should be available in settings menu.

Here, access data to database with installed BPS has to be provided. It may be easily verified by clicking “Test” button.

If test was finished successfully, save given settings.

3. Adding new functionalities to main page

In this step, our goal is to add new, basic webparts necessary to support invoice process. Ultimately, site will contain:

–          Possibility to start process for every document type

–          Task counter for invoice process

–          Document browser

–          Show Workflow Elements reports for every step and report displaying all documents

First step to create such website is deleting default webparts on main page and change of text layout.

For this purpose go to edit mode by clicking “Edit” in upper right corner.

In order to delete webpart “Get started with your site” click on dropdown menu on its upper right corner and choose delete option.

Perform exactly the same operation for second “Documents” webpart.

After our site is free from unnecessary webparts, change of text layout is needed. Stay in edit mode. In the format text tab look for dropdown list “text layout” and choose “One column with sidebar”. Such layout is the most convenient for users with our choice of webparts.

If text layout is set, focus in right column and in edit menu go to Insert tab.

Choose WebParts and look for WEBCON Business Process Suite

From the list, choose “BPS My Inbox – Active tasks” and click “Add”. Repeat such action for second WebPart, which we want to place in this column – “BPS Search Box – Quick search”. After both WebParts are added, click on left column and add two more WebParts – “BPS Start Workflow – process starting” and “BPS Show Workflow Elements – element report”.

After completing above actions, your site should look as follows:

As you can see, WebParts are not configured yet.

In order to change WebPart settings, hover over it and click dropdown menu. Choose “Edit WebPart” option.

3.1   BPS My inbox – active tasks configuration

Appearance section gives us possibility to change WebPart title. Call it task counter. Leave remaining sections unchanged and click apply. Now go to configuration, which may be found on the top of webpart settings.

In process section, choose only Cost Invoice process and click save and return

3.2   BPS Search box – quick search configuration

Configuration of this webpart is analogic to task counter. As a title set: “document search” and in configuration under “Global settings” caption check “Active” checkbox and choose “invoice” from the process list. In other list leave “none” option. We want our browser to work for whole process.

 3.3   BPS Start Workflow – process start configuration

First thing to do is to change title to “Invoice registration”. Then change dropdown process list to better looking tiles.

In configuration change “View mode” to “Tiles” and click “Add”.

Configure button according to screenshot below:

As you can see, such button will start Cost invoice workflows. It is necessary to add two remaining buttons, made to start remaining document types – invoice duplicate and invoice correction.

After succesfull configuration of all 3 tiles, click save and return.

3.4   BPS Show Workflow Elements – element report configuration

Last remaining WebPart – SWE Report – will be used to display all documents assigned to currently logged user.

Change its name to “My active tasks” and configure it according to scheme below:

Click save and return

After all actions decribed above are successfully finished, our site should look as follows:

 

4. Subsites with SWE reports

Next step, after main page is finished, is creating SWE reports for every step and one report displaying all available documents.

Go to site contents – lists, libraries and other applications and choose “Site pages”

While in “Site pages” library click “New document”. You just need to provide title for new site.

It is good habit to entitle SWE report pages with the same title as the corresponding steps. We will create 4 pages called:

–          Registration

–          Acceptance

–          Accepted Invoices

–          Rejected Invoices

And at the end we will add one more site: “All”

To make access to individual reports easier, it is possible to place hyerlinks to them in navigatoion menu on the left side. In order to add them, click “Edit links”

At the beginning delete all default hyperlinks, despite the one leading to main page. In order to delete them, click X on the right side of every link.

To add new hyperlink, click “+Link” and provide its name and address. It is necessary to add links to all SWE report sites created earlier.

If everything is configured correctly our site should look in following way:

If all report sites are ready, we need to create SWE reports themselves. We will begin with “Registration”.

In site edit mode, add new WebPart: “BPS Show WorkFlow Elements – Element Report”. Change its name to: “Documents in registration step” and go to its configuration.

In “Basic filters” provide setting which will display only those documents that we are interested in given report – documents from “Registration” step.

In “Predefined filters” change “Assignment filter” setting to “All” and change “Rows per page” to 50.

In “Data presentation and searching” choose following fields:

In „Advanced” section check “Show amount of elements under results” and save WebPart settings.

We may create and save new document in registration step to check if our report works properly.

If first report is configured properly, it is not necessary to create next reports right form the beginning. After entering configuration of new WebPart use “Copy configuration” function, which will move all settings from chosen WebPart to another SWE WebPart. Only setting which is necessary to change is in “Basic filters”, step for which report will be displayed.

5. Modification of site look

If our site is working correctly, we may concentrate on its looks. To modify look of our site, go to site settings. In the beginning, modify theme:

After choosing theme, we may change background, color scheme, page layout and character style:

If everything is set, it is necessary to test our site before saving. If site look matches our expectations, next step is to change logo of site. Go to site settings and in “Look and feel” section, choose “Title, description and logo”.

After choosing option “From computer”, choose graphic that you want to use as a logo and save changes using “OK” button.

Last step is modification of top link bar. In “Site settings” choose “Top link bar”. To make management of hyperlinks easier we may choose “Use links from parent site”, but for this article we will create hyperlinks manually. First, in edit mode of only hyperlink to main page, change its description to “Cost Invoices”. In next step create new hyperlink on Cost invoices site leading to Parent site and call it “Home site”.

If every step was done correctly our site should look as in following picture:

In such manner, we created simple and functional site to manage BPS process.

Such site is only example of possibilities given by BPS WebParts and SharePoint settings. Possibilities are almost unlimited.