Question

Scheduled Workflow vs. Starting Rules

Workflow Version 10

Updated January 14, 2019

asked on January 14, 2019 • Show version history

I have a case where I would like a workflow to start daily and file the invoices in a specific folder after Quick Fields has dealt with them (once a day), but I would also like the WF to file the invoices that are handled manually by our Accts Payable clerk and I have set up a folder for her to drop those into (that folder is monitored by the same WF with a starting rule and activates immediately).

This workflow works. I've been using it as the daily schedule for at least a year. I have only just a few days ago added the condition and new starting rule. Both sides of the condition work fine, however, now the daily schedule is terminating because:

The first branch is for the scheduled run. It didn't find any entries in it's targeted folder, so it moves on to the second branch, which is intended for the manual invoices dropped into a different target folder.
The scheduled run that ends up on the second branch doesn't find a "starting entry" and terminates.

Is the only option to separate this into two workflows? Or is there something I can tweak that will make it stop on the first branch if it is a scheduled run? Maybe add a middle branch that says, if there is no starting entry, just END?

Final note: I don't want Quick Fields to do the filing bc I want to manually view some of the metadata on them first, so I send them to a holding folder, view the key fields that the WF will use to file them with, correct anything wrong manually before the WF starts.

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replied on January 14, 2019

Hi Connie,

If you take a look at the Global Tokens there are two tokens that may help:

%(Has Starting Entry) which is either True or False if the Workflow has a starting entry.

%(Initiator) which returns the user that started the Workflow.

One method may be to create a Routing Decision at the top of your Workflow with a combination of the above tokens.

Hope this helps,

Dom

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replied on January 14, 2019

Thanks, Jeremy and Dominic!

I did have the first branch condition set up with the Initiator is Workflow setting, but now I'm going to try the Has Starting Entry is false condition. I didn't see that token previously, but have now found it and set it up.

After resetting the timer on the WF, this "Has Starting Entry" on the first branch worked! Thanks so much!

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replied on January 14, 2019

Hi Connie,

Without a screenshot of your branches I'm having a bit of trouble picturing exactly what you're describing but I can say this. The answer to your question of "is this possible?" is, yes, it's possible. You can use branches as you describe. You can also use Try/Catch activities to catch the error condition and branch to alternate activities if the activities within it fail. That works, but will log errors to the workflow log so if you're using that as a designed feature that way it'll look a little messy in the log. Looking at Starting Entry being blank sounds viable to me as another branch. Feel free to post screenshots or email me directly if you want more detail.

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Scheduled Workflow vs. Starting Rules

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