Desktop Workflow Best Practices

Desktop Workflow, which was introduced in the August '09 version, can be complicated to understand.  Here are some best practices to make the utilization of this feature easier.

Getting Started

• Be sure to understand the business use case first before attempting to build it in the Workflow designer.  Create a detailed map of what you want to accomplish and sketch out a diagram to illustrate the business case and flow.
• Have a good understanding of when to use Agent Scripting, Workflows, Guided Assistance, rules, etc.
• Have a good understanding of how scripts and workspaces interact with server rules and understand the relationships between them.
  

Process Tips

• There are multiple places to put logic in a workflow:  in a decision point, in a connector, or inside an element like a script or a workspace. The best place will depend on your use case.  Be sure to consider manageability of the workflow when making this decision.
• Scripting and/or Workflow can effectively replace complicated Workspaces with lots of rules by breaking the workspace up into multiple script pages or multiple workspaces joined using workflow decisions.  This can dramatically improve application performance.
• When using workspace rules to hide or display tabs or panels on a workspace, utilize the hidden property in the workspace.
• When hiding or displaying fields on a workspace, one option which will improve performance is to put them into multiple tabs or panels and then hide the tab or panel rather than each field.
• Use scripting when you want to collect data and change fields. Use guided assistance when you want to just guide the agent and do not need to collect or change data.
• Use custom fields to manage workflow state. Use workflow to update custom fields depending on where an agent is in a flow.
  Example: When an Agent completes step 2 of a flow, update a field with "2".  The flow could then be restarted at a later time and an initial decision point could take them directly to step 2, skipping step 1.

Manageability Tips

• Break up complicated workspaces and scripts with lots of contextual rules or pages into multiple workspaces or scripts. In addition to improving performance, this will greatly improve manageability when changes occur.
• Compartmentalize and isolate functions in their own routine, so they can be re-used.  This will increase the reusability of workspaces and scripts.