]project-open[ Workflow Engine & Editor

]project-open[ includes a complete Petri-Net Workflow engine-editor combination that allows you to define and execute your own workflows around ]po[ business objects such as projects, customers, tasks, etc. The workflow engine is integrated with the general ]po[ GUI and provides means to interact with ]po[ objects via procedural SQL statements.

Pre-configured Workflows

The next version of ]po[ (V3.4) will contain pre-configured workflows for standard functonality. These Workflows cover common processes required in all type of organizations. Managed with ]po[, they save organizations a considerable amount of administrative work and make the entire process more transparent for all participants involved.

Find below the WF developed so far:

• Expense Approval Workflow
• Vacation Approval Workflow
• Time Sheet Approval Workflow

Please get in touch with us in case you'd like to see these workflows (or adaptions of it) being part of your current version of ]po[ (3.2/3.3). Their implementation would require some days of consulting from our part.

The ]project-open[ workflow is an ideal solution for your organization if you are project-oriented and you need to implement custom workflows around projects and associated objects.

A sample payment workflow - This graphics demonstrates the available workflow elements.

Trying out the Workflow

The Workflow engine is open-source. It is integrated with Version V3.2 of ]project-open[.

Developing Your Own Workflows

Developing new workflows requires considerable knowledge about ]po[, the PostgreSQL PlPg/SQL procedureal language and the Workflow architecture. Please contact us for help and professional services.

Documentation:

• Concepts Guide
  Explains what the workflow package does and provides the knowledge necessary to formalize workflow processes using this package.
  
• Concepts Reference
  Once you've read the concepts guide, you can use this for reference.
  
• Developer's Guide
  Contains information for developers on how to build applications that deploy the workflow package.
  
• Maintainer's Guide
  Contains information on the internals of this package for developers wanting to extend or maintain the workflow package itself.
  
• Petri Nets in the Workflow Package
  Explains why we have chosen Petri Nets over other mechanisms.
  
• Requirements Document
  The requirements specification for the Workflow package.
  
• Design Document
  The design document for the Workflow package.
  
• "Reactivating ACS-Workflow 4.5 (Petri Nets)"
  Please see the discussion on OpenACS.org about the decision process that lead to the current implementation and future directions