Working with Workflows
Author:
Fluent Commerce
Changed on:
16 Jan 2025
Overview
You will learn about key Workflow concepts and the Workflow Builder
Key points
- Workflows are accessible via the Workflow Builder and the Fluent API
- The Workflow Builder can be used for:
- Adding and configuring rules, rulesets, triggers, user actions for UI integration
- Configuring entity states and transitions to match the client's business process
- Each entity type has its own workflow, such as Home Delivery orders (ORDER:HD) and Click & Collect orders (ORDER:CC)
Workflows are accessible via the Workflow Builder (Orchestration Modeller) which is the UI of the Workflow Engine. It allows non-technical users to access, view, modify and create workflows and user actions.
What Workflow Builder allows users to do
Within the Workflow Builder, there are many functions that you can perform, including:
- Add and configure rules, rulesets and triggers.
- Configure rules at every stage of the workflow.
- Configure user actions for UI integration.
- Add/change states via JSON, and save via the workflow builder. The Workflow builder always only increments the minor version number on save— if a new major version is required, this can be done via the JSON and/or API.
- Configure states and transitions to match the client's business process.
You'll also recall that Orchestration is the processing of data using workflows that contain business logic stored as rules and rulesets. The key concepts of orchestration include:
- States, Events and Triggers
- Rules and Rulesets
- Actions and User Actions
- Versioning — each workflow is versioned and saved using the standard format: <major>.<minor> for more information about versioning go to https://docs.fluentcommerce.com/essential-knowledge/designing-workflows
Workflow Access
Workflows are accessed via the Workflow Builder through a Fluent Web App.
An example of the Order: Home Delivery Workflow is shown below.
Working with Workflows
Login to the Web App, and click on Orchestration (1) on the left-hand navigation bar. The Orchestration section contains tabbed lists of workflows per domain. e.g., ORDER (2)
If you click on a Workflow title (e.g., HOME DELIVERY), a view of the workflow is displayed. If sub-entities are involved in the overall lifecycle of the domain root entity, they are also displayed in the swim lanes (vertical columns) below the main flow.
- Lifecycle Phases (or Categories) — the vertical colored columns (swim lanes) represent the lifecycle phases (or categories) of the given entity.
- Statuses—Statuses (States) within the workflow are represented by white rounded rectangles whose border color matches the lifecycle phase they belong to.
e.g., Within the BOOKING phase, the statuses for the ORDER Entity are Booked and Pending Payment
