10. Workflow and Process Management
In this Chapter
Workflow Templates, Workflow Associations, and Workflow Instances
Taking It One Step Further: Options Available with Visual Studio
One of the most popular MOSS 2007 features is the ability to use workflows. What is a workflow? A workflow is a managed process in which conditions and actions govern certain tasks and processes in relation to list items. In the real world, this simply means that SharePoint can automate many day-to-day processes that consume the time of employees in almost any organization. Let’s take that a step further; say that you’re a consulting company, and a new lead comes in. Typically with new leads there is a proposal process that takes time and input from several members of the organization. What happens if there is a deadline for the proposal, and it gets missed? Your company could lose this opportunity and potential income. To solve this issue, you could’ve created a workflow, in which when new leads come in they are entered in a SharePoint list. One of the pieces of information entered about the lead would be the date the proposal is due. The workflow would trigger a reminder three days before the due date to the team to remind them of the upcoming due date. Now, for those of you thinking, “That’s nice, but my company isn’t a consulting group,” this is just one example. Workflows can be leveraged to automate any business process. In the hundreds of projects I have worked on, I have yet to consult with a company that didn’t need to standardize and automate a business process, and as a result increase efficiency and productivity. In this chapter, we’ll explore this workflow capability and the value it brings, as well as the ability to customize and develop your own workflows.