Adding Tasks to the PO Process

A task is a request for a human to perform an action. In process modeling, you use tasks to assign them to the human activities in your process. A human activity is a type of flow object in the process you model that illustrates an activity that a human performs. When you create a human activity, it has a default task assigned to it, which you can change with another task.

A task is a set of instructions that describe how to perform a specific action. In process modeling, tasks are assigned to the human activities in a process. When you create a human activity, a default task is automatically assigned to it. The task is easily edited or changed.

After creating a task and assigning it to a human activity, you can edit the task to define its attributes. When working with tasks, you can assign the following attributes:

To create a task, use the following high level procedure:

1. Create the task.

   Specify a name for the task and a description.

2. Assign a user interface to the task.

   Assign either a Web Dynpro or Visual Composer UI component or an Adobe Form. Alternatively, you can use the UI Task Generation template.

3. Define task owners.

   Define owners of the tasks on one of the following levels: lane level, human activity level, or task level

4. Define task administrators.
5. Define time constraints (optional).
6. Define task priorities (optional).
7. Define user texts (optional).

The Task Editor has a number of views that allow you to configure different elements of the task. In the Overview tab of the Task Editor, you can perform the following tasks:

• Turn on or off the ability of task owners to seek contribution from others.
• Set the UI component used by the task.
• Change the name of the task.
• Set the priority of the task.

You specify a name for the task when you create the task. In the Task Editor you have the option to rename the task, as follows:

1. Expand Process Modeling, then expand Tasks.
2. In the context menu of a task, choose Open. The Task Editor opens.
3. On the Overview tab, under General Information, choose the Rename... button.
4. In the dialog box that appears, specify a new name for the task in the New Name field and choose the Finish button.
5. (Optional) In the Documentation field, specify a description of the task.

A task's user interface allows users to interact and complete tasks using customized windows and screens within the business process on the system computer. Tasks can use a default UI task generation template or a custom UI created using Web Dynpro, Visual Composer, or Adobe Offline Forms. The default template allows quick and easy creation of multiple tasks and Web Dynpro and Visual Composer UI components. Tasks can share and reuse UI components or have their own unique UI component.

To assign a Web Dynpro or VC component to a task, perform the following steps:

1. Select the Choose button to launch the wizard.
2. Choose Unified UI Import Wizard.
3. Choose UI Technology: Web Dynpro or VC, then choose Search and select the applicable component.
4. Choose the complete event and mark any other events and boundary events.

In the process, the human activity illustrates an activity that triggers a task. This task is executed by a human. The interaction between a human and the process is enabled through a user interface (UI). The UI assigned to a task allows the user to access and execute that task.

This procedure shows how you assign a UI to a task. You can assign UIs of the following technologies:

• Web Dynpro

• SAPUI5

• Visual Composer

You can search for UI components in the WD and VC projects available in your workspace. When you assign a UI component to a task, a dependency between the Process Composer DC and the DC containing the UI component is automatically set.

Boundary events can be caught at the BPM level. The Show All Components radio button allows you to see UI components that do not meet requirements to be integrated into BPM.

Task owners are the people who are responsible for completing a specific task or activity in the business process. You can assign task owners to the following business process components:

• Lanes

• Human activities

• Tasks

Task owners can invite other people to contribute to a task or activity once it is deployed. This enables multiple users to work on a single task at the same time. Contributors help and support the task owner, but the task owner is responsible for managing and completing the task or activity.

The time constraints are deadlines that refer to the activation, start, completion, and expiration time of the task.

Task priorities set the importance of a task from very high to low.

To add task priorities, perform the following steps:

1. Expand Process Modeling, then expand Tasks.
2. In the context menu of a task, choose Open. The Task Editor appears.
3. On the Overview tab, under Priority, select a priority from the drop-down menu.

User texts provide a short description or brief instructions for the person responsible for completing the task. User texts of tasks that have a Web Dynpro or Visual Composer UI component assigned to them are displayed in the Universal Worklist. User texts for tasks that have an Adobe form assigned to them are sent in an email to the task owner or potential owners with the form attached. You can configure user text with dynamic content so that data and information is always accurate.

To create user text, perform the following steps:

1. Expand Process Modeling, then expand Tasks.
2. In the context menu of a task, choose Open.
3. In the Task Editor, choose the Add button to add a variable.
4. Choose the value in the Name field to rename the variable.
   Caution

   You can only use the letters A through Z, the numerals 0 through 9, and the underscore character in the variable name.
5. From the Type drop-down menu, choose a type for the variable if necessary. Choose the Edit button to define an expression. Choose OK.

   The return value of the expression you create must match the type you chose in the Type field of the Variables table.

6. Specify a subject for the task in the Subject field and a description in the Description field.

   Use braces { } to reference the variables you defined. You reference a variable by putting the variable's name between the braces.

   Note

   If you decide to send custom email notifications to the potential owners once the task is created, the Subject and Description will also be used as the subject and body of the email.

You can assign and change task role assignments for a task from the human activity in the business process. The principals available to assign to task roles are from the User Management Engine (UME) of the CE AS Java. The role assignments can be overwritten at the activity level.

The Roles view of the Task Editor allows you to assign principals to roles of the task.

The User Texts view of the Task Editor allows you to create parameterized texts for the task subject and description.

Time constraints are the time frames defined for a task. The following time constraint settings are available for a task:

Activation Time

The time when a task becomes active. A task will not be available to the task owner until the activation time begins.

Start Deadline

The time when a task must be started. If a process is not started on time, an exception can be thrown.

Completion Deadline

The time when a task must be completed. If a process is not completed on time, an exception can be thrown.

Expiration Time

The time when a task becomes inactive and is no longer available to the task owner. The process continues on to the next step if the expiration time is reached.

The Time Constraints view of the Task Editor allows you to set time constraints for when a task is activated, started, completed, and expired.