Monitoring

Applications

When using monitoring of a workflow (application), it first has to be checked as monitored in the metadata panel for the workflow. Per default, only process ID, start time and end time are saved in the monitoring tab for the application (and once the workflow has been finished via the end step). If there is no end step in the workflow, nothing will be saved in the monitoring tab for the workflow that is being monitored.

All other variables and data that you want to monitor must be set up as public variables to be saved as a new column in the monitoring tab.

Monitoring a workflow (Application) can be used to:

• Test and debug new workflows, both for User Workflows and Machine Workflows

• Monitor a workflow to see how often it is run

• Trace input data and variables in a workflow

• Visualize workflows and data in Flow Portal

Data can be retrieved by using the input methods via the Flow Environment Connector:

• Get Monitored Application Data

• Get Monitored Applications

Data and variables from the Flow Environment Connector can be used in Flow Portal to show users, departments, customers, suppliers etc. live data from the monitoring tab that normally is only available from within Flow Studio.

Below are examples from one of our customers that monitor workflows within their own organization to see alarms, monitor scheduled machine workflows, etc.

SMS confirmation (and response from customers) using Flow Web Client for confirming a proposed installation day:

Block of Field Technicians to be excluded from IFS PSO (Workforce Scheduling and Planning) when planning and assigning work orders:

Tasks

Task requests in the monitoring tab are created automatically—via handover workflows and swimlane crossings—when a task is sent from one user to another:

Via this tab, a Flow Studio Admin can either kill the process or reassign the task to another user:

More useful tips:

• If the assigned user is sick or not available, a split/join can’t move forward for the waiting user until the task has been executed.

• If the user’s mobile device is either broken or lost, someone else must execute the task.

Help Requests

The help request section in the monitoring tab is used to administer help requests from users that get errors when trying to synchronize offline transactions. From the help request section, you can:

1. Fix the problems and execute the faulty offline transactions directly from Flow Studio.

2. Fix the problems and send a Flow notification to the user asking him/her to re-synchronize the faulty offline transactions.

3. Cancel the faulty offline transactions.

In order to use the help request function without logging into Flow Studio to check for errors, you should also setup a system event in Flow Studio to automatically send an email from Flow to either a group mail or a dedicated Flow User Admin.

Below are some examples using help requests in an offline workflow. The offline transaction gives an error during synchronization and the user sends a help request to the back office (email to Flow Studio Admin):

The back office helps the user with the faulty transactions and notifies the user:

The user gets a notification in Flow and can try again (or delete the transaction):