Figure: Type Structure of REQUEST_ITEM
Stardust provides an index screen for a simple triaging of incoming documents. The Required Documents Panel provides an interface for defining which documents are required, which are present, and sending requests for missing documents.
For details on the general concept of Document Triage in Stardust, please refer to chapter Document Triage in the Stardust Concepts Document Triage in the Concepts part.
Section Preparing a Workflow for Document Triage describes how to set up a workflow using the predefined document request model which is required for Document Triage.
The index screen consists of the following panels:
Refer to section Document Triage Example for an example on how to set up a workflow to perform a Document Triage.
Note that the Document Triage feature is currently not supported on IE 9 and Firefox version 37. For details on general Browser versions supported by Stardust, please refer to the Stardust Release Notes. Release Notes in the Stardust Documentation.
To use the Document Triage functionality, you require the predefined document request model provided by Stardust. You can download it from here: DocumentRequestPredefined.xpdl.
The predefined Document Request model contains a Document Request data type. It enables a document of this type to wait for incoming documents.
The REQUEST_ITEM type defines fields to specify the document in question. It is a structured data containing the following fields:
| Data Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The name of the required document. Each row defines a required document "slot" that is visible on the Document Triage screen. |
| Exists | Document Name field becomes a link when the document exists. |
| Accepted | Indicates that the document is OK for processing. |
| Required | Indicates that the document is required. |
| DocumentLocation | Location of the document |
| IsAttachment | Indicates that the document is an attachment. |
| IsTemplate | Indicates that the document is a template. |
| ConvertToPDF | Determines if the document should be converted to PDF. |
| DocumentId | Document Id |
| DocumentType | Document Type |
| Comment | |
| ACL |
Figure: Type Structure of REQUEST_ITEM
The data type DOCUMENT_REQUEST defines a field with cardinality one or more of the REQUEST_ITEM type. This document type can be used for document rendezvous workflows.
Additionally the model contains a UI Mashup application Document Triage Panel, which can be used in a document triage process to invoke a Document Triage panel.
Figure: Document Triage Panel UI Mashup Application configuration
Enter your correct server base URL in the Default Value entry field of the serverBaseUrl configuration variable.
Figure: Enter Server Base URL
In case you like to know more about UI Mashup applications in general, please refer to chapter UI Mashup Application in the Business Process Modeling Handbook.
To invoke document triage by using the predefined model, create the following two processes:
Find an example model prepared for Document Triage here: DocumentTriageExample.xpdl
Add a simple document triage process:
The process now looks similar to the following:
Figure: Example Document Upload process
To prepare a process invoking a Document Rendezvous, do the following:
See section Preparing a Document Rendezvous of the example for more details.
To populate the Data Panel, select a Business Object from the drop-down list.
Figure: Select a Business Object
The Process Data panel is populated accordingly.
Figure: Data Panel populated for Business Object
For details on using Business Objects, please refer to chapter Managing Business Objects.
Tabbing out of a field initiates a Business Object Instance search. The results are returned in a table below.
Figure: Data Panel Table
Clicking a row in the table selects that participant record and initiates a search for Pending Activities using this record set. The results of this search are populated in the Pending Processes Panel tree. However, it is not mandatory to select a record set.
Note
Each new search resets the Pending Processes tree.
A Thumbnail panel is provided to support navigating the documents associated with the in-scope Process Instance and also to support drag operations for adding documents to both, the Pending Processes Panel and the Startable Processes Panel.
Figure: Document Thumbnails Panel
In case a document has more than one page, you have the option to expand and collapse the pages. Click the expand/collapse icon in the upper right corner of the document thumbnail to expand Document pages.
Figure: Expand/Collapse Document pages
The single pages of the Document are now listed below the Document name.
Figure: Expanded Pages
You have the option to re-order or reverse the order of pages in a document.
To re-order pages in the document, simple drag and drop pages to a desired location in the Thumbnails document.
To reverse the page order of documents having more than one page, click the Reverse Page Order icon in the upper right corner of the document.
Figure: Reverse Page order
Clicking a document or page in the Thumbnails panel opens or updates the Document Viewer Panel with that document or page.
Documents can be dropped onto process attachments or specific documents nodes to create a document reference in that target process instance. Refer to the Process Attachments or Specific Documents sub-sections of sections Pending Processes Panel and Startable Processes Panel for details on dragging and dropping documents to these nodes.
Splitting multi-page documents is supported for TIFF and PDF files.
To split a document, select the thumbnail pages of the document that you want to split and drag it to one of the following nodes:
This will create a new document.
A dialog opens to ask if you like to create a new document with the dragged pages.
Figure: Confirm splitting of document
Click OK to confirm or Cancel to cancel the split process.
Note that the new document resulting from the split will be saved as a TIFF file. The new document will be created with the selected document pages in the target node and added to the Thumbnails panel and the target tree node.
Figure: New Document created from split pages
A document viewer panel is provided to render document content. Clicking a document or page(s) in the Thumbnail panel opens the document or page(s) in this embedded viewer.
Note that clicking a document in the Pending Processes Panel or Startable Processes Panel tree opens it in a separate Document Viewer tab and not in the Document Viewer panel.
Figure: Document Viewer Panel
In case a document is not supported, a "unsupported file type" message is displayed in the viewer.
The document toolbar supports:
The Pending Processes tree lists the process and activity instances matching the participant data that are waiting for documents.
It supports document rendezvous by allowing documents to be dragged from the Indexing Activity of the Process Instance (document thumbnails) to process instances or activities that are waiting for these documents.
For details on the Stardust Document Rendezvous concept please refer to chapter Document Rendezvous in the Stardust Concepts Document Rendezvous in the Concepts guide.
Figure: Pending Processes Panel
A checkbox is provided to choose if to display or hide already completed process instances.
Figure: Show/Hide Completed Processes
The following tree nodes are displayed:
Each top-level node represents a Process Instance that has at least one Activity that is waiting for one or more documents.
An option to launch Process History is provided on the right side of the process instance node.
Figure: Launching Process History
The Descriptors node displays the descriptor key value pairs in a comma separated list.
Figure: Descriptor node
Activity nodes are listed for each Activity Instance that is waiting for documents. The documents that the Document Request Activity is waiting on appear as sub-nodes under the waiting Activity and are indicated as not filled.
Figure: Rendezvous Activity nodes
When a document is dropped onto a waiting Document Request activity node the document is immediately added.
Figure: Dragging a document to a Document Request Activity node
The node then is indicated as filled.
Figure: The Rendezvous Activity node is removed.
A tooltip is provided to view the name of the uploaded document.
Figure: Tooltip showing uploaded Document
Once the required documents are available, the waiting activity can be completed by clicking the rocket icon.
Figure: The Rendezvous Activity node is removed.
The node of the completed activity is removed from the tree. For details on the Stardust Document Rendezvous concept please refer to chapter Document Rendezvous in the Stardust Concepts Document Rendezvous in the Concepts guide.
Clicking a document in the tree opens it in a separate Document Viewer tab.
To remove a document from a Pending Document Request node, you have the following two options:
The node is displayed as empty after this operation.
All specific documents for the Process Instance appear directly as nodes under the pending process.
In case a specific document was uploaded to the process, the icon is marked as filled. If it is empty, you can drag a document from the Document tree to the node.
Figure: Dragging a document to a Specific Document node
Once a document is dropped onto a Specific Document node the document is immediately added to the Process Instance. The specific document icon is filled to indicate that a document is added.
Figure: Filled Document icon
Once a specific document is filled, that document is locked and is no longer a drop target.
Note that this does not trigger any Activity completion!
Clicking a document in the tree opens it in a separate Document Viewer tab and not in the Document Viewer panel.
To remove a document from a specific documents node, you have the following two options:
The node is displayed as empty after this operation.
Process Attachments nodes provide a drop target for adding documents to process attachments via drag-and-drop of the document thumbnails in case the process supports process attachments.
Dropping a document onto the Process Attachments node immediately adds that document to the Process Instance as a process attachment.
Figure: Dragging a document to Process Attachments
All process attachments in the Process Instance are listed.
The default Document Type for Process Attachments is applied when a document is dropped into the Process Attachments node. A drop-down list is provided for each Process Attachment to modify its Document Type.
Figure: Select a Document Type
Note that assigning a document type in a non-split operation applies that document type to the original document and not just to the document reference.
To remove a document from the Process Attachments node, you have the following two options:
Click the Refresh icon on the right upper side of the panel to update the Pending Processes Panel.
Figure: Refreshing the Pending Processes Panel
For example in case a specific document or process attachment is uploaded in another view, these will be displayed in the tree view after a refresh of the panel.
The Startable Processes tree contains all processes that the currently logged-in user is authorized to start.
The following tree nodes are displayed:
Figure: Startable Processes Panel
Each top-level node represents a startable process in Stardust and is used to stage new process instances.
When a Document is dragged onto a Startable Process node:
Note that only one Startable Process Instance can be staged per Startable Process at one time. If a user wants to create multiple Process Instances in the same Process Definition, he must stage and submit each of them one at a time.
Each specific document has its own document node and is indicated as either filled or not filled. See section Specific Documents for pending processes for more details.
The Process Attachments node is a container node for adding process attachments. A leaf node is displayed for each document in process attachments. Please see section Process Attachments for pending processes for more details on this node.
Click the Refresh icon on the right upper side of the panel to update the Startable Processes Panel.
Figure: Refreshing the Startable Processes Panel
For example in case a model is deployed meanwhile, its startable processes will be displayed in the tree view after a refresh of the panel.
To prepare an example workflow to demonstrate Document Triage, we create a model containing two processes, one for Document Rendezvous waiting for incoming Documents, and one for the Document Triage, containing the predefined UI Mashup activity for indexing.
You can also find a completed example model here: DocumentTriageExample.xpdl.
As described at the beginning of this chapter, we need to import the following
predefined model containing the Document Triage Panel UI Mashup Application:
DocumentRequestPredefined.xpdl.
In the model, create the following data:
For details on defining structured data as Business Objects refer to chapter Specifying Structured Data as Business Object in the Business Process Modeling Handbook.
Add a simple document triage process:
The process now looks similar to the following:
Figure: Example Document Upload process
In this example process for invoking a Document Rendezvous, we use a Script task for easier reading of Document Request data. Prepare the workflow as follows:
documentRequest = {Documents: [{
Name : "ID",
Exists : false,
Accepted : false,
Required : true,
DocumentLocation : "",
IsAttachment : false,
IsTemplate : false,
ConvertToPDF : true,
DocumentID : "",
DocumentType : "",
Comment : "",
ACL : ""
}, {
Name : "PaySlip",
Exists : false,
Accepted : false,
Required : true,
DocumentLocation : "",
IsAttachment : false,
IsTemplate : false,
ConvertToPDF : true,
DocumentID : "",
DocumentType : "",
Comment : "",
ACL : ""
}]}
The following screenshot shows the example Document Rendezvous process for Loan application:
Figure: Loan Application Example Workflow
For details on the Document Rendezvous concept in general, please refer to chapter Document Rendezvous in the Stardust Concepts Document Rendezvous in the Concepts part.
To run the example, first deploy the two models. Then proceed with the instructions in the following sections:
Start the Loan Application process:
Now start the Document Triage process:
To view details on the process history of the Loan Application process, click the Info icon on the right side of the Loan Application node.
Figure: Open the Process History of the Loan Application
Expand the Process History panel. In the Activity table, you see that
the Document Rendezvous - Loan activity has the status Hibernated.
Figure: Viewing the Process History Activity Table
To complete the Document rendezvous, we drag required documents to the nodes for requested documents of the Pending Document Request node.
Now that the required documents are uploaded, the Pending Document Rendezvous can be completed. Click the icon on the right side of the Pending Document Request node to complete it.
Figure: Complete the Document Rendezvous
The process is now removed from the Pending Processes tree.
Viewing the Process History of the Loan Application again, we see that activity Document Rendezvous - Loan now is completed and activity Loan Review suspended.
Figure: Viewing the Process History Activity Table
In the Workflow Execution perspective open the user worklist.
Figure: Loan Review activity is available in worklist
Start the Loan Review activity.
Figure: Start the Loan Review activity
The activity displays the entered Business Object values.
Figure: Loan Review
If you select the Show Completed checkbox in the Document Triage Pending Processes screen, the completed Loan Application process is displayed.
Figure: Completed Process displayed in Document Triage screen