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Process Reference  
Process Designer
Getting Started
Workflow Properties
  General properties
  Advanced properties
  Attachments
    Define an attachment
  Participants
    Assign Trackers
    Define a workflow group
  Data fields
    Define a data field
  Milestones
    Define a milestone
    Milestone usage
  Submaps
    Create and manage submaps
    Submap usage
  Specify field usage in steps
  Select existing fields
  Field merge types
  Expression builder
Steps
Routes
Validate & Launch
   

Workflow properties - milestones

To facilitate tracking of the progress of a workflow, you can define key points—milestones—in a workflow. When the running workflow reaches a milestone, a specified message is written to a log file and, depending on its assigned level (1 to 99), the milestone displays for workflow participants, trackers, and the user who launched the workflow. See About milestones for additional information about where milestones display.

Each milestone can be used in one or more steps. You can place a milestone either before or after a General step, or after the Launch step. The status message can be either specific text, or it can include the values of one or more data fields.

To define a milestone

  1. If the Workflow Properties dialog is not open, select Workflow Properties from the Process Designer toolbar and display the Milestones tab.
  2. Enter a name for the milestone.
  3. Specify a message level. Valid levels are integers from 1 to 99.
  4. Enter the message that will be recorded in the log when this milestone is reached. At runtime, the message displays in step processors and Tracker. The maximum runtime display length is 250 characters; characters beyond 250 will be truncated.
    • For a literal text string, enclose the text in double quotes. For example

      "Pending final approval"

    • To use the value of a data field, enter the field name. For example,

      "Credited to account #: "+ convert(acct_num, string)

    NOTE  Expressions such as the one shown in the second example are resolved before the runtime display limit of 250 characters is calculated.

    For assistance in entering a message expression, click the Edit button at the right side of the expression field to access the Expression Builder dialog.

   

TIP To use a milestone

On the appropriate step, use the Step Assignments tab to place the milestone either before or after a step.

Milestones can be assigned before and after General and Submap steps, and after the Launch step. Milestones cannot be assigned to System steps.

Alternative ways to use milestones

Define multiple milestones in a workflow, each with a specific status message. For example, for a loan application, you could define three milestones— Submitted, InReview, Approved —each with corresponding message text. You would assign each of these milestones to the appropriate step in the workflow.

Define one milestone in the workflow with a data field for the status message. At the appropriate steps in the workflow, assign the milestone and assign the appropriate text for the status data field.