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Business Processes

A Business Process (BP) is an object that performs tasks on data, in a user-defined sequence. As such, it can do many things. For example, it can:

  • Execute or launch other objects in your integrations
  • Manipulate data (strings and arrays)
  • Move or route data based on content
  • Analyze documents
  • Route envelopes
  • Import and export data
Business Processes support three main processes:
  • Sequence: Tasks executed one after the other.
  • Comparison: Defining results in a comparison and then branching to an alternate task or Execution: Defining results and activating the appropriate tasks.
  • Iteration: Looping or repeating tasks.

These processes allow a Business Process to handle realistic processing flows, including any exceptions that occur.

A Business Process works together with an internal document storage manager to temporarily hold data that passes from task-to-task or Business Process-to-Business Process.

Business Use

The Business Process object is required for any transformation. The Business Process relates and activates in sequence all objects you created for transformation. Add your objects (such as Cloud Monitor, Ruleset, etc.) to a Business Process, as well as any additional tasks you may need to manipulate data.

The CIC Studio provides dozens of additional tasks to customize Business Processes, such as CompareFiles, FormatString, SendEmail, etc. A complete list of Business Process Tasks is provided in this help.

A Business Process can also be launched from a Ruleset.

This allows the Studio to react to individual rules inside a Ruleset in lieu of a Ruleset in its entirety.

For example, suppose you want to be alerted by email if a trading partner sends an unaccounted-for value in a Code Table set to error in such cases. Placing a SendEmail task in a Business Process along with the Ruleset would only let you know that the entire Ruleset failed. But if you reference a Business Process with a SendEmail task from within the Ruleset (as a rule following the Code Table) then the Studio could send an email specifically about that Code Table.

Business Processes can branch off to other Business Processes.

CIC Studio Use

A Business Process can be started by:
  • an Event: an object that also sends data to a Business Process
  • It can also be launched from a Ruleset, another Business Process, or manually.

Business Processes can be created using a Template. Templates are Business Processes that can be used as a foundation of a new Business Process with similar tasks and parameters. Templates are also used to group Business Processes that use the same parameters together. Any Business Process may be used as a Template.  Existing Business Processes can also be added to a Template, as long as it contains the same parameters.

The advantage is that any object that invokes a Business Process (primarily transformations or other Business Processes) can interface with the template, supplying the Business Process as a parameter. This increases re-usability and reduces the number of nearly-similar variations in transformations and Business Processes.

To use this object, you must:
  • Create a Business Process.
  • Add Tasks in its editor.
  • Set parameters in the editor's Properties view.
  • Sequence the tasks.
  • If you want to use the Business Process within a Ruleset or another Business Process, reference it in the Ruleset or other Business Process' editor.
  • If you want the Business Process to run independently, create an Event to invoke it.

 

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