Static Swimlane Settings

A swimlane represents a user who performs the tasks placed in the swimlane.

For a static swimlane, the job position of the responsible user is defined when modeling the process. This job position does not change during the process. In the graphic model such swimlanes are gray (fig. 1).

Fig.1. The static swimlane in the process graphic model.

Common Tab

Fig.2. The static swimlane settings. The Common tab.

Name – A swimlane name displayed in the graphic model and in the title of the settings window. By default, it corresponds to the job position of the selected task executor, or to the name of the employee group. If necessary, you can change the swimlane name.
Swimlane Type – Shows the selected swimlane type. Click the Change Type button to select one of the existing swimlane types.
Variable to define/store executor – Allows you to define a user variable, which stores information about the executor of the tasks placed in this swimlane. The user variable is stored in the process context and can be used in activities and scripts. This is an optional field.
Executor – This field shows the organizational structure of the company. You need to select a job position or a group of employees from the organizational structure to define the executor of the tasks placed in this swimlane. To assign a user to a job position open Web Application and go to the user list.

If any employee from the group can start/complete a task, at first the task is assigned to all group members. Once the task is started/completed by a group member, the program automatically removes it from the task lists of the other group members.

If a swimlane contains several tasks, each new task is assigned to the group member who completed the previous task.

Context Variable Visibility Tab

Fig. 3. Static Swimlane Settings. The Context Variable Visibility tab. Arranging variables by tasks.

The Context Variable Visibility tab is divided in two main sections. The first section (Context Variables) shows all the process context variables. The second section (Displayed variables) shows all the context variables that the task executor will see in the task forms and on the process instance page.

You can arrange the displayed variables by:

Tasks - Allows you to view the tasks placed in the swimlane and their corresponding variables (fig. 3).
Flat List - The task variables are shown as a list (fig. 4). The corresponding tasks are shown next to each variable.

Fig. 4. Static Swimlane Settings. The Context Variable Visibility tab. Arranging variables as a Flat List.

By default, the Displayed Variables section contains only variables of the tasks placed in this swimlane. The task executor can see these variables on the process instance page. To make more variables viewable, either drag the required variable from the Process Context section to the Displayed Variables section or select the variable and click Move.

To remove a variable from the process instance page you need to delete it from the list of the Displayed Variables. To do this click the cross icon

(when arranged by tasks) or the Delete button (when shown as a list).

Advanced Tab

On this tab, you can change the user responsible for the instance execution.

Fig. 5. Static Swimlane Settings. The Advanced tab.

Change responsible when entering a swimlane – If you select this option, the executor of tasks placed in this swimlane becomes responsible for the execution of the process instance as soon as he or she starts/completes the task placed in the swimlane.

If the task executor is selected from a group of employees, the first group member who starts/completes the task becomes responsible for the execution of the process instance.

This setting is correlated with the setting Execute on behalf of the user responsible for the instance which is configured in the web application in Administration – System Settings – Business Process Task.

The responsible for a process instance always changes when the Change responsible when entering a swimlane box is checked (regardless of the global setting Execute on behalf of the user responsible for the instance).

If the box Change responsible when entering the swimlane is unchecked, the responsible for a process instance will not be changed (regardless of the global setting Execute on behalf of the user responsible for the instance).

In both cases, the author of the process task can change depending on the selected setting Execute on behalf of the user responsible for the instance. Read the respective Help page to learn more.

Notify new responsible –This option becomes active only if you select the Change responsible when entering a swimlane option. If you enable this setting, a new responsible user receives a notification on when he or she becomes responsible for the process instance execution.
Forbid substitution – this setting allows ignoring the substitution settings configured by the system administrator. The Forbid substitution setting applies to all the tasks in this swimlane (while ignoring the Do not reassign to the substitute user setting in tasks).

For example, if the executor of a task in this swimlane is the user, substituted by another user, then checking the Forbid substitution box will ignore the substitution settings, and the task will be assigned to the substituted user.

When the Forbid substitution box is checked, a respective icon is shown next to the swimlane name on the graphic model (fig. 6).

Fig. 6. Static swimlane with the Forbid substitution option enabled

Access Permissions Tab

The program can automatically distribute permissions to read, view, edit and load documents that are context variables listed in the Displayed variables section of the Context Variables Visibility tab. To enable this option check the respective box on the Access permissions tab.

Fig. 7. Static Swimlane Settings. The Access Permissions tab.

Automatically distribute permissions for documents for this swimlane – The program will automatically distribute permissions for documents. Specify the permissions by selecting the corresponding options in the list:
View/Load – Permissions to view the current document version and to save it on the user’s PC.
Edit,View/Load – Along with reading and loading, you can create new versions of the document and work with them, e.g. edit, lock and sign the document version.
Full – Permissions to view the document and to work with its versions; this option allows you to grant other users access to the document.
Manage permissions for the document – You can enable this option, regardless of the permissions you have selected. This option allows a user to assign their document permissions to other users. However, the user is not able to:
Grant or deny access to the documents to the users with greater permissions;
Assign greater permissions than he/she has.

If you do not enable these options, the system administrator or other process participants with the respective priviliges will assign document permissions to the system users.

If users do not have the document access permissions, they will not be able to work with the document even if it is required by the process.