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About Flow Actions

Updated on May 11, 2022

A flow action controls how users interact with user forms to complete assignments. After selecting one flow action, users may fill in a section of the form to complete (perform) the assignment.

For relevant training materials, see the Flow action processing module on Pega Academy.

The following tabs are available on this form:

  • Layout
  • Validation
  • Security
  • HTML

Where referenced

In a flow, developers can associate flow actions with connectors (arrows) and with assignment shapes. At run time, the flow actions associated with an assignment determine the choices available to users as they perform the assignment.

Controls and Layouts

On the Layout tab, each flow action references a section that defines the runtime presentation of the flow action. You edit the section using controls and layouts.

Short Descriptions

When you specify a description for the Short Description field, make the description meaningful in context to application users who must select one action from the list.

As a best practice, start the Short Description of a flow action with an action verb and describe a goal or sub-goal of the flow by using terms that users will recognize. For example, the following action labels convey the users' intent:

  • Submit PO for approval
  • Perform quality review
  • Verify application

In contrast, offering users too many actions, or vaguely labeled actions, forces the user to learn and decide which actions are meaningful in that context.

Action Section

On Perform user forms presented with the default action section ( Work-.pyActionArea ), the form area created by a flow action can offer the most likely action as the default, while allowing the user to choose other actions. The action with the highest likelihood appears as the default option on the left side of the section header. The section presents alternative actions in a click-action menu named Other Actions. The top of the menu displays connector flow actions, a horizontal line, and then local flow actions . Beneath the list of flow actions is a sub-menu called Add Work, which lets the user start a supporting process or add a child case — the choices depend upon your case management configuration.

The text in the action's Short Description field appears as user-visible text in the action selection list.

Other formats are supported.

Access

Use the Application Explorer to access the flow actions that apply to the work types in your application. Use the Records Explorer to list all the flow actions available to you.

After you complete initial development and testing, you can delegate selected rules to line managers or other non-developers. Consider which business changes might require rule updates and if delegation to a user or group of users is appropriate. For more details, see Delegating a rule or data type.

Category

Flow action rules are part of the Process category. A flow action is an instance of the Rule-Obj-FlowAction rule type.

  • Flow Actions - Completing the New or Save As form
  • Configuring pre-processing for a flow action

    Provide relevant data before users start working on an assignment by configuring pre-processing for a flow action. Flow actions can call a data transform, an activity, and a robotic automation, which gives you a possibility to meet your unique business requirements connected to data manipulation in a case.

  • Configuring post-processing for a flow action

    Define the behavior of your application after users complete an assignment by providing a post-processing configuration for a flow action. With a post-processing configuration you can save time, automate your processes, and take advantage of additional options that improve manipulating data in a case. Because you can use a data transform, an activity, and a robotic automation, your application development process is flexible and can help you meet your individual requirements.

  • Configuring back-to-back processing for a flow action

    Accelerate case resolution by allowing users to perform more assignments in a case after processing of the current task is complete. When an application routes multiple assignments to a single user, performing the assignments in sequence increases efficiency and promotes uninterrupted workflow.

  • Configuring action buttons for a flow action

    Specify how users can interact with an assignment in a case by defining buttons on a flow action. To meet your unique business needs, assign your own custom labels to the buttons so that users know exactly what action takes place after clicking the button.

  • Configuring indicator for a flow action

    To design cases that precisely meet your business requirements, define the results that user interactions with a case have by placing a flow action at a relevant place in a flow. With flow actions, users can update information in an assignment, resolve work, or both.

  • Previous topic Running multiple instances of the same subprocess with a Split for Each shape
  • Next topic Flow Actions - Completing the New or Save As form

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