Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) With Custom Example

Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) With a Custom Example

Table of Contents

1. ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................................................2 2. WORKING WITH APPLICATION WORKFLOW ENGINE............................................................................3 3. HOW TO USE APPROVAL WORKFLOW ENGINE..........................................................................................5 4. SUMMARY/CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................19 5. REFERENCE..........................................................................................................................................................19

Page 1 of 19


1. Abstract The Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) is the engine that provides the framework and capabilities for creating, running, and managing approval processes. The engine uses a series of database objects combined with application component configuration settings to determine how to process approvals using workflow. Approval workflows are triggered when requesters submit a transaction, such as a promotion. The application hands the transaction over to the Approval Workflow Engine, which finds the appropriate approval process definition and launches the approval workflow. A set of approvers then carries out tasks related to the transaction. The Approval Workflow Engine enables three levels of users to develop, configure, and use transaction approvals that meet their organizational requirements. For example, the process of submitting a promotion and getting it approved requires defining who will approve the promotion, the order in which they will approve it, and how it will be routed to approvers. In contrast to the standard PeopleSoft workflow, which requires advanced technical skills in PeopleSoft PeopleTools to create and maintain, approval workflow provides an alternative workflow that is much easier to create, configure, and maintain. For example, all of the steps in approval workflow are defined using PeopleSoft pages rather than underlying PeopleSoft PeopleCode, so functional users can design and maintain workflow using these online PeopleSoft pages instead of requiring technical developers to create workflow rules. This document describes how to create and implement Approval Workflow Engine process in a custom PeopleSoft application with an example and this example is a basic level. In this example we are doing only header record level approvals.

Page 2 of 19


2. Working with Application Workflow Engine The main things in the approval workflow Engine are, 

The approval workflow process.



Header- and line-level approvals.



Approval flows.

Approval workflow process Approval workflows are triggered when requesters originate a transaction, such as a requisition, and a set of approvers carry out tasks related to the transaction. The PeopleSoft approval workflow process is a framework that enables three levels of users to develop, configure, and use transaction approvals that meet their organizational requirements. To implement the approval workflow process, the framework for building and interpreting workflow approvals brings together these users: 

Application developers Application developers adapt applications for approval with minimal coding, using a defined setup process. Making this possible is the approval workflow engine, which provides a common implementation that other applications can use. Application developers integrate their applications with the approval workflow engine framework using the Register Transactions page, where they register an application with the engine and describe its components, event handler, and records. The register stores the approval process IDs those developers create for applications. After an end user creates an application transaction and submits it for approval, the application hands the transaction over to the approval workflow engine, which finds the appropriate approval process definition and launches the approval workflow.



Functional business analysts Functional business analysts design approval workflow for use with an application. This includes setting up stages, paths, steps, recipients, and notifications for each approval process ID. Analysts identify the application-supplied transaction definition on which to base approval process definitions. They use the Approval Process Definition page to define processes for approving transactions. These processes can be used repeatedly to guide transactions through their approval process.



End users End users create transactions and then use an approval process with approvers and reviewers within an approval flow. Using this process, the different end users can approve or deny requests, monitor transaction statuses, and audit approvals.

Header- and Line-Level Approvals Many PeopleSoft transactions have a top-level record (known as a header) with keys that uniquely identify a single transaction in an application. Then, these transactions typically have children records (line-level records) of this header record. This AWE enables both the header and line level approvals. Approval Flows

Page 3 of 19

Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) With a Custom Example Approvals use two levels of processing: header and line. Business analysts set up the approval process definition that determines the flow of the approval at both levels. The approval process consists of: 

Stages A stage is one part of an approval process that can contain multiple parallel paths but must be at the same header or line record level. The system executes stages in sequence where one must complete before the next one begins. A stage can be at either a header level or at a line level. Stages at a line level make it possible for approvers to sign off separately on individual line items for a single transaction. The workflow engine sees each header and each line as individual pieces. A line is a child of the header. A header stage acts on the unique header while a line stage acts on each line. A stage consists of one or more paths.



Paths A path contains a sequence of steps. Within a stage, paths execute in parallel. Path entry criteria determines whether or not a path executes for a given transaction or transaction line.



Steps A step represents one or more approvers or reviewers. Steps within a path execute in sequence. Separate criteria for each step determine whether or not that step executes. Each step can also have a set of reviewers. Reviewers are notified about transactions that are pending approval by email, through the Worklist, or both. However, the workflow proceeds without waiting for reviewers to act.

Page 4 of 19


3. How to use Approval Workflow Engine 1) Create the custom PeopleSoft Application where do we want to implement AWE Step 1: Create the page to trigger the approval workflow by the user

Step 2: Create the page to approve/deny the approval workflow by the approvers

Page 5 of 19


Step 3: Create the Cross Reference table

Step 4: Create the custom event handler class

Custom Appln Package

Step 4: Create the header record as view to use in the setup

Page 6 of 19


2) Configure the Custom AWE process Step 1: Register the custom AWE process

Page 7 of 19


Step 2: Configure the transactions

Page 8 of 19


Step 3: Setup the Process Definitions

Page 9 of 19


Page 10 of 19


3) Application Codes to call and use the AWE process Step 1: Code to initialize the custom AWE process

Step 2: Code to call the he custom AWE process

Page 11 of 19


Step 3: Code to initialize the custom AWE process in the approval page

Step 4: Code to Approve/Deny the request

Page 12 of 19


Step 5: Code in the approval page to enable the approval action field

4) Set the user profile for approvals

Page 13 of 19

Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) With a Custom Example Step 1: Set the requester’s Supervisor id Requestor id is VP1 VP1’s Supervisor id is VP2

Step 2: Set the Supervisor’s Supervisor id Supervisor id is VP2 VP2’s Supervisor id is SVP1

5) Working on the AWE example

Page 14 of 19

Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) With a Custom Example Step 1: Login as Requestor (VP1)

Step 2: Create a request

Step 3: Monitor the Approvals

Page 15 of 19


Step 4: Login as Supervisor (VP2)

Page 16 of 19

Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) With a Custom Example Step 5: Approve the request

Step 6: Check Monitor the Approvals

Page 17 of 19


Step 7: Login as Supervisor’s Supervisor (SVP1)

Step 8: Approve the request

Step 9: Check the request status and it will be as approved

Page 18 of 19


4. Summary/Conclusion Creating custom Approval Workflow engine is possible and it is easier to create, configure, and maintain. For example, all of the steps in approval workflow are defined using PeopleSoft pages rather than underlying PeopleSoft PeopleCode, so functional users can design and maintain workflow using these online PeopleSoft pages instead of requiring technical developers to create workflow rules.

5. Reference 

PeopleSoft Enterprise Supply Chain Management 9.0 Common Information PeopleBook

Page 19 of 19

Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) With Custom Example

Recommend Documents