Workflows can be linked with a generic process or with an app.

• To access Workflows, click on App Factory Icon > Process Automation > Process Designs. Open a record, and click on the tab Design.
• For Workflow applications, go to App Factory Icon > Application Builder> App Designer and then open a workflow-type app and go to step 2.

Code Components

Include Code Components in the Comidor Workflow Designer, and enhance your processes without using any coding. Users without development skills can add the following code components into the workflows to replace commands and queries:

• Set values
• Existence check
• SQL Creator
• String Utilities
• JSON Array to Excel
• Deserialize JSON

Set values

One of the available code components is the set values, where Comidor enables users to assign values to specific fields. For example, you can give to a date field the value of the current date (#DATE#), make a calculation, define a value (make a checkbox checked, or give an option in a key-value list type field), etc.

• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process as soon as this step is reached.
• In the Data map, define the fields of the workflow and the values you wish to assign to them.
  • Click on the + icon to map more fields
  • Click on the – icon to remove a row.

• In case you want to modify the Set values code component, you can click on the pencil icon and proceed accordingly.

• When you run the workflow, the Set values code component runs automatically when you reach this step. The fields defined in the map have the values you have set (eg the checkbox “Paid” will be checked, the “Travel date” will be today’s date and the “Total amount” will be calculated based on the formula and the values of the other 2 fields).

Existence check

With the existence check component, Comidor enables users to check if a record exists in a particular Comidor application. For example, you can check the existence of a contact or an account based on a defined condition (eg. email).

• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process as soon as this step is reached.
• Define in which Entity you want to search in if a record exists. Choose from the list of all Comidor applications.
• Write the Condition of your query (as if you would write it in a script)
• Choose a Response field to store the response of the check existence code component.
  • If you receive value 1, the system has found at least one query result
  • If you receive value 0, the system has not found any query result
  • You can use the response field in the workflow conditions to activate an alternative flow.

• In case you want to modify the code component, you can click on the pencil icon and proceed accordingly.

SQL Creator

Another code component is the SQL Creator component, which enables users to produce or execute database queries. For example, you can run an insert query in a specific table (e.g. Contacts). The SQL Creator component supports the statements: Select, Insert, Update, and Delete.

• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process as soon as this step is reached.
• Type: define the kind of operation/statement you want to perform. Choose between the Select, Insert, Update, and Delete options.
• Action: choose between:
  • Produce query – the component will form the statement, and write it on the Statement field so that the user can run it on a DB
  • Execute query – the query will be executed and the results (in case of selection) will be shown on the Results field
• Advanced Query: if checked, the advanced query text area will be displayed and the users write by themselves the query to be executed
  • Recommended for complex queries which cannot be specified otherwise
• Define in which Table, you want to search in if a record exists. Choose from the list of all Comidor applications.
• Choose fields: the field (select one field of the table) Value (select an app/process field)
  • in case of insert: the entity which will be inserted will have the value to the respective field
  • in case of update: similarly for the entity which will be updated
  • in case of select: the results of the select query for each field(1st column) will be stored in each Value(2nd column)
  • Click on the + icon to add more fields to your query.
  • Click on the – icon to remove a row.
• Write the Condition of your query (as if you would write it in a script)
• Order by: in the first row select the field which will sort the results, and in the second, specify if the sorting will be ascending or descending.
• Choose a Results field to store the response of the code component.

Examples are given below:

• You can insert a new contact with specific values in the Contacts table.
• You can update an existing contact, by providing a new email.
• You can delete all the existing contacts that have been created before a certain date.
• You can get Name, Country and Email from all the existing contacts. (select statement) In the results field, you see the JSON array of all the existing contacts in your database(the response of your query).

• You can get data such as Shipping Address, City, Vat Registration number, and other account fields from 1 existing account. (select statement) In the choose fields, you can map the account fields with process/app fields to assign values to (the response of your query). Do not forget to limit your query with a condition (e.g. where the id of the accounts table is equal to a record field where you chose 1 account “ID=”+#app.USR_SELECT_ACCOUNT#), or add ordering (eg Order by CREATE_DATETIME Descending, and it will fetch the last record added).
  

• In case you want to modify the SQL creator code component, you can click on the pencil icon and proceed accordingly.

String Utilities

Drag-n-drop the String Utilities code component into your workflow to perform common functions for a string variable (text field). Currently, the String Utilities code component supports the Index of and the Substring methods.
By using the Index of method, the user identifies the position of the first character of a string inside another. It is also a way to actually check if a character or a string exists in another.
The Substring method enables the user to get a part (substring) of a string(text) by defining the start and the end positions.

• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process as soon as this step is reached.
• Select a string field: the text or memo type field to run this code component.
• String function: choose between the options:
  • Index of
  • Substring
• Determine the Function Parameters:
  • Value to be found – for Index of: define the value of a field(runtime value) or a hardcoded value to be found in the string field selected above.
  • Start index – for Substring: add a value of the character position to start the substring
  • End index – for Substring: add a value of the character position to end the substring
• Choose the Result field to store the response of your function.

Examples:

• Search a text or memo field that includes the name of a file eg Report_January23.pdf to find the keyword “Report”.  In the String Utilities code component, choose the “Index of” function, define in the function parameter the value to be found “Report”, and choose in the result the field you wish to store the position character that the keyword was found. If the keyword is not found your number field will have the value of 0.
  • You can use this response field in your conditional paths.

• From a text field that includes the name of a file eg 1020104_January23.pdf, we want to store the unique code, which is the first 7 characters, in another field. In the String Utilities code component, choose the “Substring” function, define in the function parameters the values for start and end indexes (1 and 7 respectively), and choose in the result the field where you wish to store the unique code.

• In case you want to modify the String Utilities code component, you can click on the pencil icon and proceed accordingly.

JSON Array to Excel

One of the code components that allows you to get values from a JSON is the JSON Array to Excel. Add this code component into your workflow, get values from a JSON array and give its values to an excel type user field.

• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process as soon as this step is reached.
• Choose the memo/text field that contains the JSON array in the Input.
• Define from the list of user fields the excel type field to store the Output.
• Choose the Result text field to store the response of the code component.
  • The response will be “Error” or “Successful”.

Example: If you have received a JSON array as the response from a RESTFull web service or an SQL query, and stored it in a memo or text field, like this:

[{“ID”:”678782656625000″,”USR_STATUS”:”Reserved”},{“ID”:”678782656625800″,”USR_STATUS”:”Pending”}]

you can use this code component to show it to the end user in an excel type field, which is more user-friendly and readable than the JSON array.

Deserialize JSON

Drag-n-drop the deserialize JSON code component into your workflow, get values from a JSON object and give its values to certain fields. Comidor enables users to map the keys of a JSON object with application fields and assign its values to them.

• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process as soon as this step is reached.
• Choose the memo/text field that contains the JSON object you want to deserialize.
• Map the JSON keys with fields in which the values of the corresponding keys will be stored.
  • Click on the + icon to add more keys
  • Click on the – icon to remove keys.
• Choose the Result text field to store the response of the code component.
  • The response will be “Error” or “Successful”.

For example, if you have a response from a REST service or SQL query stored in a text/memo field in a JSON like this: [{“ID”:”678782656625000″,”USR_STATUS”:”Reserved”}]

you can use this component to get the values of each key and assign them to specific fields.

Find out more about the rest workflow components here and how to connect them with code components.

The post Code Components appeared first on Comidor Low-code Automation Platform.

There are various types of applications provided in Comidor App Designer. You can choose the one that fits better your needs from the following options:

1. Table applications: 
   • Sequential apps (with workflows)
   • Process-based workflow apps
   • Simple Non-process based apps (Data-driven)
2. Report applications
3. Kanban applications

Let’s see step-by-step how to create and run a workflow app.

Workflow Application

The workflow app is a table process-based application. Choose this type when you want to monitor processes that include few or many steps, manual or automated, with multiple paths and business rules, with scheduling, state, completion, etc. With workflow apps, designers can easily map and orchestrate the business process steps with the Comidor powerful workflow engine, which is compliant with BPMN 2.0.

Access App Designer

In order to access App Designer go to the main menu on the left side of your screen and select the icon App Factory > Application Builder > App Designer

In the new unit that opens, click on the button Create an App.

Create App

• Click on the “Create an App” icon to create a new workflow app. The creation form opens.

• In the Application Type select Table Application.

• Give the Application Name and Description.
• You can either choose from the existing options in the list or add a new Menu Header option. Depending on your selection, your app will be displayed in the corresponding menu header with a new icon. If you leave it empty, it will be included in the packages menu header.
• You can also classify your app in a proper Category. Choose one Category from the existing options, or make a new Category. Categorization helps you find easier your apps in the App Designer. Based on the category you choose, the app is also displayed on the respective sub-menu.
• Collaborators are the users or groups that have access rights to this App. Choose one or more users(s) or group (s) from the list.
• Select whether this app is Basic or Supportive.
• Leave the option Process enabled checked. If so, you are able to link a Workflow to your App.
• Uncheck the option Is sequential.
  • If you leave it checked, you will create a Sequential app. You can then, switch to BPMN 2.0 in step 2. Once you switch to BPMN, you will be able to see the respective steps represented in a sequential workflow diagram, where you can add more steps and rules. Your app will no longer be sequential.
• Define if this app has a Kanban view. If enabled, table records can be displayed on Kanban boards.
• There is an option to upload an Image for your App.
• Click Save to create your App, or Close to cancel.

Once you save your app, you are redirected to the view form. Comidor guides you through simple steps to design your App.

1. Dashboard

In the step Dashboard, you get an overview of your application. In particular, you are able to view:

• Quick Stats:
  • Number of forms, Steps, and Widgets that are created in this App
  • Graphs that show the application activity timeline and the Apps Overview status.
• Basic Info:
  • the Type, Category, and other parameters
  • You can click on the pencil button to edit the above info
    • You can lock your app by checking on the Locked option. With this option, only the user who locks the app will be able to edit the app (in all steps). All the rest users will just be able to view the app, but can not edit it.
    • By checking the Has customizations option, the application will not be exportable.
    • Put a flag to remember if this application Has application parameters.
• Collaborators: the users or groups that have access rights in this App.
• Comments: an area where users who have access can write and view comments.

2. Process

In the second step, you can fully design your process in terms of the number and the looks of the process steps, your Data model, Table View, and User forms.

Data Model

• When the Data model tab is open, you see a sub-table with the following columns: icon, label, size, column name, created by, created on, last updated by, last updated on, the pin, and multi checkboxes.
• You can see the existing and/or add all fields that you want to be used in the App here.  You can click on the “+” to create your own custom fields.
• Click on the refresh icon, and the table should be updated.
• Type a keyword in the search area, click enter and the table should be refreshed displaying results that match the keyword.

• Click on an existing field, to view its basic info: By default, you will see Entity, Label, Auto-generate name, Column name, Type, Default Value, Store Type, Tooltip, and Security Level. In the Connected Forms tab, you can view the list of forms in which this field is used.

Workflow

Define one by one the steps of your workflow application, or Switch to BPMN design for more advanced applications. Each step is actually a workflow task in BPMN 2.0, with assignees, one form, and fields linked to it. Click on “Create the first step of your application”.

Find out more about Sequential apps here.

• You have the option to Switch to BPMN design, in the Process step.

• A confirmation pop-up appears.

• If you click Yes, you will be able to see the respective steps represented in a sequential workflow diagram, where you can add more steps and rules. Your app will no longer be sequential but a workflow app.

With Comidor BPMN 2.0 Designer, you can map and optimize any process that takes place in your company.

• Drag-n-drop any workflow components from the left side panel, into your pool.
• Define the attributes of each component
• Draw the sequence of your steps and define your business rules
• Make sure you connect all alternative paths with one or more End components.

Basic Components

Comidor offers the following BPMN 2.0 basic components:

• Tasks and escalations
• Subprocess
• Email
• SMS
• Notification
• Timer
• AND/OR/XOR gateways
• Annotation
• End

Integration Components

Additionally, designers can cover their integration needs with the following components:

• RESTful Web Service
• OpenAI API
• Message Queue
• Teams integration
• Google integration
• Zoho projects API
• Zoho leads API
• Freshdesk API
• Salesforce API

Data Components

Designers can use low-code data components for data input and output:

• Comidor DATA (insert/update/delete)
• Shell Command
• File Reader
• Export Data
• Convert Data
• Digital Signature
• Document Creator
• QR Generator
• Table Extractor
• Excel Processor
• Graph Creator
• Blockchain
• KPI Update
• DMN

RPA Workflow Components

Other workflow elements can be added within the workflow design to enhance automation in business processes with RPA and ML/AI. Those components are:

• RPA Caller/ Receiver
• Sentiment Analysis
• Document Analyzer
• Text Classification
• Predictive ML
• Selenium RPA
• Image Classification
• Web Scraper

Code Components

Enhance your processes without using any coding with the Workflow Code Components. Add the following code components into the workflows to replace commands and queries:

• Set values
• Existence check
• SQL Creator
• String Utilities
• JSON Array to Excel
• Deserialize JSON

My Plugins

Designers can upload their own plugins for custom code to perform any advanced functionality they wish. Drag and drop the My Plugins Component in any workflow, and then
choose which plugin to run. The response of your plugin can then be stored in an app field and used within your workflow.

Learn more about each Workflow Component in detail.

Table View

• Determine which columns you wish your App to have in the main table. By default, you should see all the table fields you have created in the steps, and will be added as columns in your application table. Each field has a pencil and x buttons.
• You can add more Columns, by clicking on the “+” icon and selecting the desired field, or drag-n-drop from the list of the available fields.
  • A pop-up appears to add a column. Choose a field from the list (both custom fields and process fields are available).
  • Add a label name. If left empty, the column gets the field name.
  • Prefix or Suffix to be displayed before or after the value of each entry
  • Select the preferred alignment
  • Define the preferred width in percentage to be displayed as default in the summary table
  • Other options like ALIAS Column, Not Sortable, and Hidden are available, too.
  • Check the “Is Kanban Field?” option in case you want to display this field on the Kanban boards.
  • Click save to add this column to your table, or cancel.

• Drag and drop the field columns, in order to re-arrange their position in the Table View.
• You can select one or more columns and delete them from Table View if you wish.
• Click on the edit button to make any changes you need to each column.
• Click on the x button to remove this field from the Application table.
• Switch to mobile view, to get a preview of your Application table in a browser of a mobile device. Choose a preferred device (mobile, tablet)

Forms

All forms included in this App are visible in the tab User Forms. Create a new one or edit the existing forms here.

•  By default, no form is chosen. The message “You haven’t selected a form. Please select one!” is shown. Select a form, OK, and plus buttons are available.
• Click on the “+” icon. A pop-up window appears to define the title of your new form. Click on Save to save your form and you are directed to the form designer.
• On the left side of your screen, under the Design tab, you will find the Elements (panel, section, code, paragraph, style, grid, group), a list of fields that you can include in your form, and a preview of the form. Easily search for the desired fields and add them to your form with a simple drag-and-drop action.
• Click on a field and a pop-up appears where you can add properties for each field. You can define various properties for the field, including mode, label, tooltip, translated value, pattern, pattern error message, required, alignment, placeholder, element CSS, Element CSS Class, label position, size, hidden, Trigger event scripts on user entry, Disable changes by scripts on this field, is Area, Has QR Input, and the Area Size.
• Under the Settings tab, you should see the following Basic fields: Record type, Title, Access, Main, Primary, Quick, Position, Form Division, Mobile form, Approve/Reject form, and Validity. In the Advanced section, you will find fields such as Script before open, Script before edit, Script before save, and Template File.
• The following buttons are also available in the form designer: Add tabs, mobile view, toggle fullscreen, publish, copy, and delete.
  • You can also make a form Main, which means it will be visible in the main record as a tab. State the position of each form that you want to display.
  • For the form, you want to start the App with, select the option “Replace existing form” in the field Primary, if you wish to initiate your app from the “+” icon of the summary table of the App.
  • In the Quick field, you can choose the form to be visible in the Quick Add menu or in the process templates list, if you wish to initiate your app from the Quick add menu.
• Don’t forget to Publish your form after finishing your design.

• Furthermore, you can edit the existing forms from the tab Forms. Select one from the list and click OK.

3. Graphs

In step 3, you can design your app Graphs or Widgets. Comidor Widgets are the ideal choice for data visualization. Get the most updated data on the visualization format you define.

• Create your own personalized dashboard in seconds.
• Combine multiple views of data to get richer insight.

You can easily create a new Graph, by clicking on the “+” icon.

Find out more about all types of Widgets and how to create them.

4. Advanced

Get the most out of the App Designer with this advanced options step by including user tabs in your records or the table of your app, event scripts, data objects, and field rules to show or hide fields, sections, or tabs in forms when specific conditions are met. This step is available only for Table applications (non-process & process enabled).

User Tabs

Use tabs to have complete control over the accessibility of your application.

• The tabs appear inside records (as a tab at the left part of the record) or at the summary table of the application.
• A tab can be a table from any Comidor entity, HTML, or widget.

• You can easily create a new Tab, by clicking on the “+” icon
• The Record type is by default the name of the App and disabled
• Select the Type of Tab you wish to create (Table, HTML, or Widget)
  • In Type Table:
    • Give a Title to the Tab
    • In the “View Tab in” choose record.
    • Select Query: the query to define which fields to be fetched as columns from which tables
    • Where Clause: type a specific condition to be met
    • Access Code defines who can access this tab
  • Select Type HTML when you want to add guidelines or other important information for a specific app:
    • Give a Title to the Tab
    • In the “View Tab in“: choose record or table.
    • Access Code defines who can access this tab
    • Unit-action – insert the HTML here

1. • Type Widget: a tab to monitor all the widgets (general or application widgets)
     • Give a Title to the Tab
     • In the “View Tab in“: choose the table option.
     • Access Code defines who can access this tab
     • After saving this tab, click on Add widget button to Select the widget you would like to be displayed
     • All added widgets are displayed on Linked widgets. You can click on the ‘-‘ to remove a widget from this tab.

Field Rules

Data Objects

Data objects are discrete units of information that are structured and organized within a computer system or database. When we use the term “data object”, we are essentially referring to a set of data that should be considered as an independent entity. Data objects come in a variety of forms, such as data tables, lists, forms, pointers, records, files, and sets.

With data objects in Comidor App Designer, you can enhance the functionality of your event scripts in any app. It allows you to quickly and effortlessly create any type of data set you require.

• To create a new Data Object, simply click on the “+” icon.
• Create data sets, variables, lists, forms, records, or action data types and define their properties.
• Utilize those data objects in event scripts.

Event Scripts

In this tab, you are able to write scripts for a certain Data Type to be executed before/after/on a specific event.

Click on the “+” icon to create a new Event script:

• Add the Procedure Name.
• Choose the Data Type (apprec, task, process, dataset) and define where you want the script to be applied.
• An Event Type can be inserted, updated, deleted, etc.
• In the Procedure Body add your code.
  •  This is for advanced users to write their procedures.

5. Configuration

In this step, you can make the configuration of the workflow application.

• Decide what you would like to include from the Basic options
  • Notes, Tags, and Links.
  • If the Kanban view is enabled, define the “Group by Field” and the “Title Field“. The “Group By Field” is used to categorize boards, while the “Title Field” will serve as the title for each board.
  • The ability to create, edit, and/or delete an entry.
  • The Activity history tab
  • Decide whether you would like to include the print/export options in the summary table of this application.
  • Allow user layout change; the ability to change the table’s categorization, and the pin button to remove columns.
  • Define a Primary Field (Record Identity: Appears in lists, etc). To define a primary field, select one of the fields you created in step 2 from the drop-down list.

• Customize your data by:
  • Defining a Numeric field as Incremental, and in every new record, it will automatically increase by one with every new record. Additionally, you have the option to specify the starting number.
  • Setting a Prefix and Suffix to the app and an Incremental No Field; select a number field from the Data Model for which you want to auto-populate a number. eg. for this app the requests will get SR.1, SR.2, etc.
  • Selecting a default categorization for the table view based on a specific field (Title, Priority, etc.) – up to level 3.
  • Choosing a specific field to display the Summary table ordered by ascending or descending order.
  • Granting rights to your app; define to whom each entry is assigned, send notifications, Admin 1,2, and Supervisor. Choose users, groups, or dynamic options such as Creator, creator’s Manager, etc.
  • Setting up to 3 numeric fields, to be displayed in the table as Totals (Sum fields 1, 2, 3).

• You can fully customize the app layout, by selecting font sizes and colors in CSS Design options.

• You can easily incorporate custom CSS and JS within the App Designer, unlocking endless possibilities for personalization and enhanced functionality as you build your app. Simply add your custom CSS and JS rules in the Configuration step of your app. Remember to publish the app to save your changes.

6. Analytics

The Analytics step provides the designers, with insights into each Workflow’s real-time usage.

Dashboard tab: Set Analytics Filters to get the results you wish.

• • Narrow your results to tasks that were assigned to a specific user or group.
  • Select the period of time you are interested in.
  • Click on Refresh and the following graphs are populated: Analytics Totals, Instances per State, Tasks per User, Delayed tasks per User, Tasks per Team, Delayed tasks per Team

• Pinpoint the total and delayed instances and tasks that were created within one workflow. Cost is calculated based on the duration of each task multiplied by the cost rate of the user that completes each task. See more in the Services unit.

Analytics Preview tab: Set Analytics Filters to get the results you wish.

• Choose between Total or Delayed Tasks to be displayed.
• Monitor the Duration and Cost of each step.
• Select the period of time you are interested in.
• Click on Refresh and the diagram is updated wholly. For each chosen filter a row is added with the data from the run time. (value & percentage).

• View workflow analytics with the “Delayed Task” Filter to measure the scheduled time and the actual time it took for a task to be completed. This feature enables users to identify bottlenecks.  Each task will have the chosen filters (Total tasks, Delayed tasks, Cost, Duration, ineffective KPIs) with counter & percentage. The tasks with delays will be highlighted in red, whereas those with no delays in green.

• View workflow analytics with the “Total Task” Filter to measure how many times every task is executed in total. This will identify your “critical path”, and your process “optimal path” and ultimately will help identify where the focus should be on, for better resource management.

Publish your App

Finally, click on the Publish button in order to Publish your app.

Your workflow app is ready to use!

Note that you can also create an Application with NLP in just 4 steps. Find out more here.

Edit Apps

If you want to edit an existing workflow app, go to the main menu on the left side of your screen and select the icon App Factory > Application Builder > App Designer. From the list of applications, select the one you wish to edit.

• You can navigate through steps 1-6 by clicking on the respective step and applying any change you wish. Do not forget to publish your changes.
• You can delete a User App if you wish.  Open the App you want to delete, and from the actions button, click on the Delete option.
  • A confirmation pop-up will appear. Click Confirm to proceed with the deletion or cancel.
  • You can also check the Linked Entities that will be affected in the respective tab.

Run an App

• While viewing an app in the App Designer, you can easily run your workflow app! Click on the Play button on the top right of your screen and the quick add form of this app is populated.
• In case there is no quick add form, a respective message appears and you are directed to step 2, in User forms to create a new quick add form.

See the Table

Users can apply the following actions in the table workflow apps:

• Access the table (based on the access rights that are specified by the designer)
• Print or export the table results
• Apply filters, categorize, and search within each table
• Access, edit, or delete each record
• View records in table, kanban, or graph views
• In the graph view, pie, bar, or stack charts can be easily created with real-time data and the desired filtering.
• To view the User Apps you created and published through App Designer, follow these steps:
  1. On the left side of your screen, locate the menu.
  2. Select either the Packages Icon or the Header Menu you chose in Step 1 of App Designer.
  3. A list of all the published apps will be displayed here, categorized based on your Category selection in Step 1 of App Designer.
  4. If no category is chosen, the app will be shown under “Packages”.

• Select the one you wish to access and it will open in a new tab.

By clicking on the “+” icon you can create a new entry of this app. (In order to see the “+” icon, you should have checked first the respective option in the Configuration step of App Designer). A new tab opens with the form that was created in the App Designer. Fill in the fields and click on Save to add this entry.

See the Record

In a workflow app, the record looks as below:

• In the process record, you will see all the default Process summary forms and any main forms you have created in the App Designer step 2.

• • Since the App is process-based and linked with a workflow it will have a State (Opened, Scheduled, Running, etc.) and also some more Tabs in the left-side menu, such as Workflow tasks, attachments, and workflow audit.
    • Keep in mind that the process state needs to be “Running” in order for the workflow to start.
    • Every time a new task is assigned to a user, the user will be notified in his calendar. The user can open the task and view the connected form (if any). Once the task is completed, the workflow moves on to the next step.
    • Click on the tab “Workflow tasks” to see the tasks that have been created so far in a table grid. In particular, you can view which task is completed, by whom, when, and its scheduled and actual duration.

• • • Get real-time data for every workflow step via the Workflow Run Diagram, which is the graphical representation of the entire workflow design that highlights the completed and pending steps in different colors along with start and end times and the paths that the flow follows.

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The post Workflow Components appeared first on Comidor Low-code Automation Platform.

Comidor RPA components and elements allow you to automate and manage repetitive tasks. With the RPA Caller and RPA Receiver workflow components, you are enabled to retrieve or exchange data with other systems.

RPA can be integrated into:

• Process initiation
• Report generation
• File upload in Comidor Document Management System (DMS)

With Comidor RPA you can:

• Automate repetitive tasks
• Increase employee productivity
• Speed up time-consuming processes

Prior to involving RPA Scripts and Agents in a workflow design, the following actions need to take place:

1. Install an RPA agent to the PC (any unit) that you wish to perform RPA tasks
2. Save Agent’s properties (needed for RPA Agent set up in Comidor)
3. Install the RPA software (e.g. we used Sikulix for the following examples)
4. Create your RPA Script including all actions that you want the RPA bot to replicate
5. Save your RPA Script (Script name needed for RPA Script set up in Comidor)

RPA Agents

To access RPA Agents, go to App Factory Icon > RPA & AI/ML > RPA Agents.

1. Click on the “+” icon at the top of the screen to open the Creation Form.
2. Type an Agent Name.
3. The field Code refers to the agent code that you gave in application properties.
4. Provide other information such as the Operating System, Version, and Description of this Agent.
5. Select the desired Save option (refer to the Quick Reference Guide).

Edit RPA Agents

1. Go to App Factory Icon > RPA & AI/ML > RPA Agents.
2. Select the RPA Agent to edit.
3. Click on the Edit button to open the Edit Form.
4. Edit the information you want and click on the desired Save option (refer to Quick Reference Guide)
   

   

Delete RPA Agents

1. Go to App Factory Icon > RPA & AI/ML > RPA Agents.
2. Select one or more RPA Agents.
3. Click on Delete to delete one or multiple RPA Agents at the same time. A confirmation pop-up box appears.

RPA Scripts

To access RPA Scripts, go to App Factory Icon > RPA & AI/ML > RPA Scripts.

1. Click on the “+” icon at the top of the screen to open the Creation Form.
2. Type in the Script Name exactly as you saved the script file in the PC Agent.
3. Field Integrated Software refers to the software you have installed at the PC Agent.
4. Provide other information such as Built with and Description of this Script.
5. Select the desired Save option (refer to the Quick Reference Guide).

Edit RPA Scripts

1. Go to App Factory Icon > RPA & AI/ML > RPA Scripts.
2. Select the RPA Script to edit.
3. Click on the Edit button to open the Edit Form.
4. Edit the information you want and click on the desired Save option (refer to Quick Reference Guide).

Delete RPA Scripts

1. Go to App Factory Icon > RPA & AI/ML > RPA Scripts.
2. Select one or more RPA Scripts.
3. Click on Delete to delete one or multiple RPA Scripts at the same time. A confirmation pop-up box appears.

RPA Components in a Workflow Design

Comidor Workflow designer offers a variety of RPA components and elements, in order to eliminate manual repetitive tasks and allow employees to focus on more significant ones.

In particular, Comidor RPA components and elements are the following:

• RPA Caller/Receiver
• RPA Selenium
• RPA Document Creator
• RPA Excel Processor
• RPA Web Scraper

RPA Caller/ Receiver

Add an RPA Caller in various steps of the workflow design, to send data from the workflow and perform a series of repetitive actions in the 3rd party system, or an RPA Receiver to receive data from other systems and perform actions in Comidor workflow fields.

To access Workflows go to App Factory Icon > Workflow Automation > Workflows

RPA Caller

• Drag-n-drop the RPA Caller element.
• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process once this step is reached.
• Select which Script you would like to run at this step, from the list of RPA Scripts that you have already created.
• Select which Agent you would like to run at this step, from the list of RPA Agents that you have already created.
• Define the Request Body by specifying the Key and its Value as the Runtime Value of a custom field or predefined value.

RPA Receiver

• Drag-and-drop the RPA Receiver element.
• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process once this step is reached.
• Select a user field as RPA Response to store the result of the RPA Receiver once this runs.

RPA Selenium

Use an RPA Selenium in your workflow to replicate repetitive manual steps. Use unique CSS Selectors for specifying each element.

• Drag-and-drop the RPA Selenium element in the workflow design.
• Give a Title to the component.
• In the Variables table, define all the actions that you wish the bot to execute step-by-step:
  • Go to URL: select this action to define the URL that the bot should browse.
  • Sleep: select this action to determine how many seconds should the bot wait until the next action. This depends on the loading time of each website.
  • Wait for element: select this action when not certain of how many seconds the bot should wait for an element to be displayed.
  • Click: select this action to define where the bot should click on.
  • Input-Put: select this action when you wish to add a value to a specific element. Specify the unique id of the element in “Value 1” and the value of the field in “Field (Runtime Value)”
  • Input-Get: select this action when you wish to get the value of a specific element. Specify the unique id of the element in “Value 1”.
• Select a user field as RPA Response to store the result of the RPA Selenium once this runs. If you used more than one “Input-Get” all the values will be stored in the response field, separated with commas.

Document Creator RPA Component

Create invoices, reports, or other types of documents by combining a file template format and fields of the workflow.

• Give a Title to the component.
• Give the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process as soon as this step is reached.

• Set a Template File for your document either in a Form, upload it in a step of the workflow in a Binary Field, or give the Template Name of a file stored in DMS.
  •  Form: Select the User Form in which you have uploaded the Template Tile. (fixed template scenario)
    • The Template file should be either .docx or .xlsx.
    • The produced file can be either .docx, .xlsx, or .pdf.
    • Apply format options in your template such as font colour, size, alignment, number format, etc. and it will be captured in the produced document.

• • Binary Field: Select the binary field in which the Template File will be uploaded during the workflow. (dynamic template scenario)
  • Template Name: Type the name of a file stored in DMS. Keep in mind that this file should be linked with the Account of the process, in order to be used as a template file.
• Define the Variables being used in the Template File by providing the Key and its Value as the run-time value of a custom field or predefined value. Excel fields and images stored in binary fields can be added too.
  • For excel fields specify the area to be replaced in the produced document. For example, r:1:2,c:0:4 will include from Rows 2-3 and columns A-D.
  • For images, correlate the binary field that is stored, and define the size in pixels in value. E.g. 200×200.
• Choose a field to be the name of the produced document from the list of text fields in File Name.
• Set the binary field in which you wish to save the Response document.
  

  

• Check the option Return PDF, if you wish the produced document to be in PDF format. Leave it unchecked, and the produced document will be in the same format as the template.
• In Status you can add a text field, to see the response of this component.

Excel Processor

Use the RPA Excel Processor component to parse a big excel file or part of it. Capture values of certain cells into user fields or a whole area and depict them in an excel type user field.

• Drag-and-drop the RPA Excel Processor component.
• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process once this step is reached.
• Select a binary field in the Excel Document – the document that you will upload in a previous stage.
• Define the action you wish the Excel Processor to perform, from the following:
  • Parse Excel – select this action to return values of cells or an entire area of the excel and store them in user fields.
  • Get No of Sheets – select this action to get the number of the sheets in the uploaded excel (useful for large excel files with multiple sheets)
  • Find in Sheet –  select this action to find a certain value in excel. Define the Search Index.
  • Find the row in Sheet – select this action to find a specific value in excel and get the entire row as a response.
    

    

• Select the option Create Excel From Uploaded when you want to define an area of the excel to be saved in an excel type field. The fields “Read uploaded from (row), Read uploaded to (row), Read uploaded from (column), Read uploaded to (column), and Produced Excel Field” will appear to guide through.
• In Assign to user fields map the user fields with the cells. E.g. if you want to display B2, type in Index r1c1.
• Select a user field as RPA Response to store the result of the RPA Excel Processor once this runs.

RPA Web Scraper

Use an RPA Web Scraper in your workflow to first find information in a selected area of a website and then store it in user fields.

• Drag-and-drop the RPA Web Scraper element in the workflow design.
• Give a Title to the component.
• Set the Parent Stage which is the stage of the parent process once this step is reached.
• Choose whether you want a hardcoded or Dynamic source
  • In the dynamic source option, define fields as host and port; those fields should get value in a previous step
  • Alternatively, type a host and port to the respective fields.
• Define the URL that you wish to be scraped. Select a text field type.
• Choose the Search selector from the variety of options (xpaths, class, id, etc) based on the website you are scraping.
• Define the Selector (based on the Search option above). Select a text field type.
  • You can have a script in a previous step and give a specific value to this field. (eg. #this.USR_SELECTOR# = “//*[@class=’v2-responsive-table__content v2-pav10′]//tbody/tr/td”)
• Select a memo user field as RPA Response to store the result of the RPA Web Scraper once this runs.

Find out more on how to create and manage workflows, including RPA components, and learn about all Comidor Workflow Elements.

The post Robotic Process Automation (RPA components) appeared first on Comidor Low-code Automation Platform.

To access Workflow Designer, click on the App Factory icon >  Process Automation >  Process Designs.

Learn how to create and manage workflows step by step.

Workflow Design

In the Design tab, you can start the Workflow creation.

Workflow Components

Basic Components: 

Comidor offers the following BPMN 2.0 basic workflow components:

• • Tasks and escalations
  • Subprocess
  • Email
  • SMS
  • Notification
  • Timer
  • AND/OR/XOR gateways
  • Annotation
  • End

Integration Components: 

Additionally, designers cover their integration needs with the following workflow components:

• • RESTful Web Service
  • OpenAI ChatGPT
  • Message Queue
  • Teams integration
  • Google Integration
  • Zoho projects API
  • Zoho leads API
  • Freshdesk API
  • Salesforce API

Data Components:

Designers use low-code data workflow components for data input and output.

• • Comidor DATA (insert/update/delete)
  • Shell Command
  • File Reader
  • Export Data
  • Convert Data
  • Digital Signature
  • Document Creator
  • QR Generator
  • Table Extractor
  • Excel Processor
  • Graph Creator
  • Blockchain

RPA Workflow Components:

Other workflow components can be added within the workflow design to enhance automation in business processes with RPA and ML/AI. Those components are:

• • RPA Caller/ Receiver
  • Sentiment Analysis
  • Document Analyzer
  • Text Classification
  • Predictive ML
  • Selenium RPA
  • Image Classification
  • Web Scraper

Code Components: 

Users without development skills can add the following workflow code components into the workflow designs to replace commands and queries:

• • Set values
  • Existence check
  • SQL Creator
  • String Utilities
  • JSON Array to Excel
  • Deserialize JSON

Basic Components

Flow Objects

In the Workflow Design panel, you may see flow objects like:

• Events
• Activities
• Gateways

Events

Having Standard Start Event and End Event already in the design area, you can add more flow objects with drag-and-drop in your Workflow. The Start Event Notation can be only one; a workflow may start when:

• a Process (of any type: Generic Process, Project, Opportunity, Event, Training, Issue, Ticket, Topic, Job Posting, Campaign) connected with this Workflow is set as “Running”
• a Process Template is initiated with the initial state “Running”
• a Process Schedule is triggered

Still, you may have as many End Events as you needed.

Other Intermediate Events exist:

• Email: The email element is a Throwing-Message Intermediate Event that can be used to create and send custom emails through your automated process.
• Timer: The timer element is a Catching-Timer Intermediate Event that adds a timer counting delays in hours or days in your workflow.
• System Notification: Sends pre-defined or custom system messages to specific Comidor users.

Timer boundary Events and Conditional Events are depicted in Comidor differently than within Activities.

Events affect the process flow and have a cause (trigger) and an effect (impact/result).

Activities

Activities refer to work performed by the user(s)/group(s) (atomic or non-atomic) which can be a Task or Sub-Process (sub-process may be of any type: Generic Process, Project, Opportunity, Event, Training, Issue, Ticket, Topic, Job Posting, Campaign).

• Tasks (atomic or choreography): a task is used when the work is not broken into a finer level, while the choreography task is used when more than one participant is involved and needs to exchange messages. This piece of work is depicted in Comidor with a Workflow Task that can be assigned to one or more Personnel/Group leader(s) of a team/whole team and can be broken down manually to sub-tasks later, while the process is on the go.
• Sub-process: a process that can be broken down into a set of smaller activities (other workflows with tasks and sub-processes or call activities) and can involve one or more participants.

• Escalation is also available. The user can set specific conditions that will trigger actions or notifications as per the user’s needs and requirements. In the task you wish to apply the escalation to, click on the upwards arrow button. A new window opens, where you can create and manage the escalations for this particular task.

Click on the “+” button to create a new escalation. In the “Basic” tab, fill in the Description, Priority, and Repetition Days fields. Workflow and Stage fields are automatically set and cannot be edited.

In the “Conditions” tab, choose the conditions based on which an action or notification should be triggered. For example, in case the completion of the task is delayed by a specific amount of hours or more, a predefined action could be triggered or notifications/emails could be sent to specified users/groups.

In the “Actions” tab, you have the option to perform an action in a field related to the mother process or to a global field. In this example, when the task’s finish is delayed over 3 hours, the mother process state will be paused.  The “+” and “-” buttons allow you to add or delete actions.

In the “Notifications” tab, you can select the users/groups that should receive the notification. In addition, you can add related comments in the “Content” field. The users will receive the notification in the System Notifications button of the main Notification bar.

Similarly, in the “E-mails” tab, you can either select the users/groups that should receive a predefined email or type a specific email address. In order for your email to be sent, you have to set up first an email account.

Once all the above have been completed, click on “Save” or “Save and New” if you wish to create more escalations for this task. Otherwise, click on”Cancel” if you do not want to save your entry.

Gateways

A gateway is used to determine the branching, forking, merging, and joining of paths drawn by sequence flow. In Comidor we have Exclusive, Inclusive, and Parallel gateways.

• Inclusive (OR) Gateway: Inclusive Gateway refers to activating one or more flows when dividing. For incoming, all paths may be taken/fulfilled, from one to all.
• Parallel (AND) Gateway (Fork/Join): Parallel Gateway refers to dividing into two or more flows (fork). For incoming flows, the parallel gateway will wait for all incoming flows before continues (join).
• Exclusive (XOR) Gateway: Exclusive Gateway refers to choosing “either/or” and will limit the outcome to exactly one single flow of the output branches.

Connectors

We use sequence flow connecting objects in Comidor.

Conditional Flow shows the order of activities; it may hold a condition (conditional flow) or stand as default flow. It connects activities/events/gateways that exist in the same pool/lane.

Learn more about each Workflow Component in detail.

Swimlanes: Pool and Lanes

• Pool and Lane define the responsibility for activities (tasks/sub-processes)
• Lanes exist inside a Pool and pool boundaries represent the process that is automated with the workflow
• We may have a Pool with different Lanes (participants such as the user(s)/group(s) for process automation) or have different Pools with one Lane for different sub-processes of an automated mother process
• You can add Lanes in the Pool by clicking on the upper-left-side “+” button in the Designer. A Lane name is a free text – you may add a name of a person, department, or role
• You can click on the pencil button to edit the name of a Swim Lane, and change its position with the arrows.

Manage Workflows Design

In general, there are some workflow management actions either referring to Design or Workflow ID:

• Choose how the conditional flow is depicted in Paths. Choose between Free, Classic, or Classic – Ignore Obstacles based on your preferences.
• Define the workflow validity period by clicking on the mini calendar icon.
• Add private or public tags to this workflow design for easier tracking and search capability.
• Leave a comment in Notes; people having access to the workflow will be notified accordingly.

Click here to view some Workflow Examples.

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