Escalation Process Design and Implementation

[bok-callout]For a walk-through the steps of the workflow and its configuration, we refer to Escalation Process Walk-Through.[/bok-callout]

Diagram

Step 1: Create a new Activiti project and/or Activiti diagram

The creation of a new Activiti project/diagram is explained in the section on Setting Up Your Workflow Design Workbench

Step 2: Change the Identifier, Name and Description of the Process

We refer to the section Designing Your First Workflow From Scratch, subsection “Change the Identifier, Name and Description of the Process” for an explanation on how  to change the identifier, name and description. For this case, name the workflow (e.g., the default would be “Escalation Process”) and give it an identifier (e.g., the default name would be “escalationProcess”). 

Step 3: Create a Pool and Lanes

We refer to the section Designing Your First Workflow From Scratch, subsection “Defining a Pool and Lanes” for an explanation on how to change the identifier, name and description. Start with a single pool:

Pool >  Properties Tab > Process 

Property Value Description
id escalationProcess The Id of the workflow definition. This must be unique in Collibra
Name Escalation Process The default workflow label (description) in Collibra.
Namespace http://www.activiti.org/test  
Documentation

This process will trigger when a task escalates. A task will escalate when the task exceeds it’s due date. Depending on the escalation type of the task, this escalation process will perform different logic.

Two escalation types are currently implemented:

1) mail: in a first step, the user(s) assigned to the task will be notified that his task is about to expire and he/they will be urged to perform the task as soon as possible. In a second step, after a configured time duration, the configured responsibles are notified that the user(s) exceeded the due date for their task and they can perform necessary actions.
2) reassign: The configured user(s) will receive a task asking to reassign the escalated task

This process will end automatically when the original task would be completed in the meantime.

 This information is shown to the user when hovering over a workflow start button.

Step 4: Create a Start and End Event

Add a start and end event for the workflow. The start event will contain Configuration Variables.

Set the properties of the start event:

Start Event > Properties Tab > Form

Id
Name
Type
Default
Required
Readable
Writeable
mailToUserExpression Users to notify in case of ‘mail’ escalation string role(Steward) true false true
reassignTaskUserExpression User Expression for users recieving the ‘reassign task’ in case of escalation type ‘reassign’ string role(Steward) false false true
mailNotifyDuration Time duration before the responsibles are notified of escalation string B1D false false true

Step 5: Save Escalating Task Id

Create a service task to create a variable for the “Task Id”. The “Task Id” is the name name of the assigned task that the user will see.

Set the properties:

Service Task > Properties Tab > Main Config

Property
Value
Description
Type Expression  
Expression ${event.taskId} See the Event Bean documentation
Result variable escalationTaskId The result variable of the service task. It will be the Task Id

[bok-callout]For more information about Beans, go to: Administrator’s Guide >  Executing Logic >  Beans[/bok-callout]

[bok-callout]Information about the EventBeans can be found here: <yourCollibraDomain>/docs/index.html > core > Package: com.collibra.dgc.core.workflow.activiti.bean> Class: EventBean[/bok-callout]

Step 6: Create “Escalate” Event Sub-Process

Create an Event Sub-Process with an Error Boundary Event. There must be start and end events within the Event Sub-Process.

Set the properties:

Event Sub-Process > Properties Tab > Main General

Name: Escalate

If any error event with the Error Code of “myError” happens within the Event Sub-Process, a signal will be sent to this Error Boundary Event. This Error Boundary Event leads to an End Event. Therefore, If “myError” is generated within the sub-process, the workflow will terminate.

Error Boundary Event > Properties Tab > Main Config

Error Code: myError

Description: This Error Boundary Event is looking for an Error Code of “myError” in order to trigger.

Step 7: Create “Escalation Sub Process” Event Sub-Process

Create an Event Sub-Process that will either notify candidates of escalation/responsibilities or will tell instruct a Steward to reassign the task. There must be start and end events within the Event Sub-Process.

Event Sub-Process > Properties Tab > Main General

Name: Escalation Sub Process

 

Boundary Signal Event > Properties Tab > Main Config

Property Value Description
Cancel activity true This means that the Escalation Sub Process be cancelled if the signal is received.
Signal ref WORKFLOW_TASK_COMPLETED This is the signal that the it is waiting for. After receiving this signal, the workflow will direct out of the Boundary Signal Event

Step 8: Create an Exclusive Gateway

Create an exclusive gateway that will determine if the candidates should be notified of escalation/responsibilities or send a notice to reassign the task.

Set the properties:

Exclusive Gateway > Properties Tab > General

(No properties to set except the Name)

Property Value
Id exclusivegateway3
Name Exclusive Gateway

Sequence Flow 1 > Properties Tab > Main config

Property Value Description
Label Width 33 The width of the label
Condition ${!’reassign’.equals(event.escalationType)} Will return “true” if event.escalationType = ‘reassign’. The “!” creates the logical opposite.

Sequence Flow 2 > Properties Tab > Main config

Property Value Description
Label Width 42 The width of the label
Condition ${‘reassign’.equals(event.escalationType)} Will return “true” if event.escalationType = ‘reassign’.

Step 9: Remind Candidates of Escalation

Create a service task that will email the candidate users to remind them of the escalation.

Set the properties:

Service Task > Properties Tab > Main config

Property Value Description
Type Java Class Setting for delegate
Service Class com.collibra.dgc.core.workflow.activiti.delegate.MailSender JavaDelegate used for sending mails from the workflow.

Fields:

Field name String value Expression Description
template workflow-escalation-reminder   the name of the template that will be used to generate the mail.
mailToUsers    ${event.taskCandidateUsers} user expression for users that will receive the action mail. See the EventBean

[bok-callout]Information about the MailSender delegate can be found here: <yourCollibraDomain>/docs/index.html > core > Package: com.collibra.dgc.core.workflow.activiti.delgate > Class: MailSender
[/bok-callout]

Step 10: Create a Timer Intermediate Catching Event

Set the properties:

Timer Intermediate Catching Event > Properties Tab > Main config

Property Value Description
 Time duration  ${mailNotifyDuration}  See start event Configuration Variables

Step 11: Notify Responsibilities

Create a service task that will email the candidate users to notify them of their responsibilities. 

Service Task > Properties Tab > Main config

Property Value Description
Type Java Class Setting for delegate
Service Class com.collibra.dgc.core.workflow.activiti.delegate.MailSender JavaDelegate used for sending mails from the workflow

Fields:

Field name String value Expression Description
mailTo    ${mailToUserExpression} user expressions for users that should receive the action mail.
template   workflow-escalation-notify  

the name of the template that should be used to generate the mail.

Step 12: Reassign Task

Create a User Task to tell the candidate user to reassign the task.

Set the properties:

User Task > Properties Tab > Main Config

Property Value Description
Candidate Users ${reassignTaskUserExpression} See configuration variables on the Start Event
Documentation Please reassign the escalated task: ‘${event.taskId}’ in process ‘${event.workflowDefinition.signifier}’ with candidate users: ‘${event.taskCandidateUsers} ‘and key: ‘${event.taskKey}’ This text will be shown the the candidate user in the yellow task notification ribbon.

Step 13: Create a Second Default Gateway

If the Signal Boundary Event receives the “WORKFLOW_TASK_COMPLETED” from any process. The workflow will flow into this new exclusive gateway.

Set the properties:

Exclusive Gateway > Properties Tab > General

(No properties to set except the Name)

Property Value
Id exclusivegateway2
Name Exclusive Gateway

Sequence Flow 1 > Properties Tab > Main config

Property Value Description
Label Width 100 The width of the label
Condition ${escalationTaskId.equals(event.getTaskId())} Signal events can come from any process. This assures that the Signal event relates to this process. The workflow goes to an error boundary event which leads to an end stop event.

Sequence Flow 2 > Properties Tab > Main config

Property Value Description
Label Width 98 The width of the label
Condition ${!escalationTaskId.equals(event.getTaskId())} Signal events can come from any process. This would mean that the Signal event does not relate to this process. The workflow is terminated

 

 

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