Explanation of process steps and indicators and 'How to see process information or process step information?'
In the Viewer, you can look at shared/published processes. These processes consist of a series of icons with small indicators attached, various descriptions and other linked information.
In Engage Processes, you always read the processes from left to right.
Explanation of process steps
Processes modelled in Engage Process consist of a series of icons. The most commonly used standard icons are explained below.
Activities:
Within a process, activities are described, among other things. Activities are actions performed by a human or machine. Below are the standard activities available within Engage Process:
- Automatic: an activity performed by a computer/machine. Thus, no human action is involved. That is why no role can be attached to it.
- Decision: see below under ‘Navigation’.
- Computer: an activity performed by a person supported by an application on a computer.
- Manual: an activity performed by a person not using a computer or other tool.
- Internet: an activity performed by a person that requires consulting the internet. This icon is actually a specialisation of the activity ‘Computer’.
- Other: an activity performed by a person. This icon is used when one of the other icons does not ‘cover the load’.
- Teamwork: an activity performed by several people with different disciplines.
- Telephone: an activity performed by a person using a telephone.
- Meeting: an activity performed by several people with the same or different disciplines in which consultation about work takes place.
Navigation:
There may be steps within a process that affect how the process runs. This could be a split-off point within the process or a moment when a process stops for a while. Below is a brief explanation of the standard steps related to this point within Engage Process:
- Decision: an activity performed by a person that leads to a split-off in the process. Someone within the organisation thus decides which process branch will be followed next. Example: someone has to tmake a go/no-go decision based on information that results in following a specific process branch; for example, following an inventory check it appears that there is or is not enough stock. There is an either/or situation here. In other words, only one of the process branches is followed.
- Choice: a split-off in the process based on a fact. This may be input in the activity prior to the choice or even earlier in the process that determines which process branch to follow when a choice is made. Example: depending on the amount of an invoice received, i.e. higher or lower than €25,000, a different process branch must be followed. If the amount is above that, at least four eyes may have to look at it before payment is made to prevent fraud. There is an either/or situation here. In other words, only one of the process branches after the choice is made.
- Parallel: a split-off of the process, with work in the outgoing process branches taking place simultaneously. There is an and/and situation here. In other words, all process branches after a parallel are executed at the same time.
- Wait: a moment in the process where nothing is done or waits until a certain point.
Structure:
Processes can quickly become large and cluttered. Therefore, the need to group and layer modelling to help organise and manage large sets of information can arise quite quickly. Below is a brief explanation of the process steps that enable icon grouping:
- Phase: a grouping of process steps that form a phase. By double-clicking on the icon, the content of the phase can be viewed.
- Process link: a reference to another process. The process continues after the process link icon when the linked process is completed. By double-clicking on the icon, the content of the process link can be viewed.
- Subprocess: a grouping of process steps that logically belong together. By double-clicking on the icon, the content of the subprocess can be viewed.
Explanation of indicators
For process steps, small icons called indicators can be displayed. These indicate that certain information has been captured at the process step. Below is an explanation of the possible indicators:
- Document (blue): there is a document associated with the process step.
- Notepad (yellow): a description has been left with the process step. This is visible in the ‘Description’ panel.
- Notepad (green): a comment has been left with the process step. This is visible in the ‘Description’ panel under the ‘Notes’ heading.
- Text balloon (pink): a note has been left at the process step. This is visible in the ‘Description’ panel under the ‘Notes’ heading.
- Text balloon (light blue): a comment has been left at the process step. This is visible in the ‘Comments’ panel.
Process and process step view
Within Engage Process, information can be captured at the full process level or at the process step level. Once you open a process, you will find process-level information in the windows on the right. Once you click on a process step, you will find the information about the selected process step in the windows on the right. If you then want to see the process-level information again, click on the white background of the process.
Tip!
- Double-click the white background of the process to view process-level information next to each other instead of consecutively in the windows on the right.
- Double-click a process step to view the captured information at process step level side by side instead of consecutively in the windows on the right.