High level Workflow Customization Approaches

Approach 1. Preserve the original workflow, with a different name. Then customize the original workflow.

Approach 2.Customizing the original (even if you use the appropriate workflow protection) often results in the flow being blown away when patches are applied. It also means that the fact a flow is customised difficult to tell. So where possible we create new top level (runnable processes) by copying them and renaming them and the same for all lower levels that are customised. With the PO approval (and several other flows inc accopunt generator flows) this is the way to go because you can define the startup process in the application.

So for reasons of patch protection and clearly visable customisations always create new top level processes. All new or customised functions, notifications etc are also copied and renamed.

Approach 3.One other point to consider is there are workflows that you cannot rename. Therefore, you will have to customize the ORIGINAL. Some of these workflows were in the PO module.

Approach 4.The Best way to Customize the workflows is as follows.
1)Take the seeded workflow
2)Right click on the Item TYpe and create a new Item TYpe .
3)OPen Seeded Workflow in other window .
4)Copy and paste ATTRIBUTES , NOTIFICATIONs etc from the the seeded workflow to the Newly named workflow .
5)Verify the workflow
6)Customize the new workflow according to your need.


Approach 5.If you make a copy of the item type itself, you will also need to customize your form which calls the workflow, since the internal name is hard coded in the application.

In case of an 'Account Generator' workflow, you can make a copy of the top level process 'Generate Default Account', customize it and other processes under it and then call it by setting the internal name of this process under Application =>
Flexfield => Key => Accounts for the specific account generator.

As a general rule, do not decide to customize forms code for workflow related changes. To retain your customizations, upload your customized workflows whenever any patches are applied.

Approach 6.Some workflows do not allow you to use the copy approach so you have to modify the standard process. Examples where you can use the copy are:

1. All account generator workflows
2. PO Approval
3. Requisition Approval

Examples where you cannot do this:

1. PO Create documents
2. Expense Report Approval