Example of Using Project Processes

ELMA allows using business processes in the Projects+ application. You can include processes in a project plan or use them to change project stages. You can also make starting a business process available on the project page.

To create a business process start task in a project plan, open a project plan and click Edit in the toolbar. Right-click on the project plan and select Add - Start Business Process (fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Project plan editing page

In the opened dialog box, select the required process. You will be able to select only those processes, that have an input context variable of the Start Business Process (Object) type.

Fig. 2. Input context variable in ELMA Designer

Starting a business process from a project page

In ELMA it is possible to start a business process from a project page. For this, you need to add an input variable of the Project type to the business process context (fig. 3):

Fig. 3. Project type context variable

In the required project type, open the Flows (processes) tab and add this process to the list (fig. 4):

Fig. 4. Flows (processes) tab in ELMA Designer

After publishing the project type, you will be able to start the process from the project page:

Fig. 5. Starting a process from the project page

To learn more about starting a business process from a project page, see the respective Help page.

Using business processes when changing project stages

In this example, we need to implement the following operations:

• a document package must be attached when changing the project stage from Draft to Active
• only after that, the project will be published and its stage will change to Active.

To implement such a logic, you need to use two custom activities in the process: Publish Project and Change Project Stage in that order.

Fig. 6. Change Project Stage process

Next, on the Context tab, add context variables of the types Project Stage (Object), House construction (Project) and Base Project Type (Object). Check the Input box for these variables (Fig. 7). The variables will be used to specify a process when editing a transition between project stages in ELMA Designer, on the page of the required project type on the Life Cycle tab.

Fig. 7. Context variables of the Document Package process

Save and publish the process. After that, you will be able to select this process when creating a transition between stages.

To configure a transition between stages, go to the Projects tab of ELMA Designer, open the page of the required project type and switch to the Life Cycle tab. On this tab, click on the name of a transition in the Transition column (fig. 8).

Fig. 8. Editing a project type, Life Cycle tab

In the opened dialog box (fig. 9), select Start Process in the Action field, click Define Process and select the required process. To save the changes, click OK. To learn more, see this Help page.

Fig. 9. Creating a transition between stages

To apply the changes in the project type, save and publish it.

Transition between stages in Web Application

In Web Application, create a project of the House construction type, open its page and click Change Stage in the toolbar. In the opened dialog box, select the Active stage and click Set.

The project page will display a notification that a transition process is started (fig. 10).

Fig. 10. Notification about starting a process

Once the process is completed, the project stage will change.