My ideas why BPA has such a steep learning curve

  • 18 August 2022
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eqbstal
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I've been trying to get some workflows up and running in IFS21R2.

  1. Followed the training videos in the Academy. I get the example running
  2. Tried to set a fields value using a process enrichment, got it running only when using hard coded keys, which is totally not what I want (they should be passed via the event). Also the value was hard coded.
  3. Tried to retrieve data and update that using java variable handling. Didn't get it to work
  4. I don't even try to think of anything with a loop instruction in the flow.

From the training in the Academy only create information is handled.

Nowhere is made clear how the information from the triggered record is passed into the Workflow.

It is totally unclear, to me, which variables are available from the event in the Workflow (Do I perform a read? Is there a destinction between old:cost and new:cost values if I want to use those from the event? Is the internal key, it seems ETag, available to use? How to use that internal key?)

The documentation and the Academy all miss this. The documentation states what the XML is that is generated. Frankly I'm not interested at all in a XML, how is it working is far more important.

Why is there no follow up in the community by the product manager of Workflow. This is his/her golden opportunity to shine and move the product/module in the spotlight. In this way the acceptance is low and the statement, according to the documentation, about ease of use:

scares me, as there is way to much technical stuff in the setup of a workflow: javascript, projection, CRUD, event, event action. Only developers can do this. Maybe the author of the Ease of Use piece was only considering using the Workflow designer as a drawing tool. The end result will, according to me, be totally different when a developer has to make changes/versions.

Somewhere is written that Workflow can be used in stead of SQL blocks in events. I see that now as a supplier push, we have to learn something, but it is not explained how it works.

Just my thoughts on the table that an improvement (I know that there will be more/better functionality in the next versions/releases of IFS) especially towards documentation/training is highly needed.

Steve

Solution Architect (with a developer background)

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3 replies

A
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I agree completely. Graphically designed workflows will always look better on slide shows than in reality, at least as long as you have to put snippets of code behind the workflow nodes. I consider them “obscure code” instead of “low code”. If you could pick the entity properties you want to default or match to another entity for enrichment, then it would be much more accssible to consultants and super users etc., but with simplicity comes limitations in what you can do, of course.

At the same time, I would welcome something more robust than the current ‘Execute Online SQL’ event actions, because you can really do some chaotic evil things with those. Perhaps it would be better if they ran under the IFSSYS schema instead if IFSAPP?

Mike.Hollifield
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After taking the time to follow the academy material and get hands on with BPA, I second this.

 

Whilst BPA has the really really nice ability to prompt the user for values with an interactive assistant once you've got the values it's difficult and complicated to define the automation.

The tool whilst advertised as a low-code/no-code is still very much a developer tool set. You need to think like a developer to get anything remotely good up and running. We've done some cool stuff but it's been very fiddly and time consuming.

 

There have been some feature enhancements in 23R1 which now allow the BPA to be triggered by a command group and pulling in attributes from the active page - This makes it more useful, but I still wouldn't describe it as anywhere near easy.

 

In alot instances it has always been easier and more straightforward to complete the requirements with a PL/SQL block rather than a BPA.

 

 

 

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eqbstal
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Just to add that I don't get the idea that IFS mentions in the documentation (easy to use). In the industry specific configuration (as of IFS23R1) one can read the following:

Import the workflow from the local file system (…\order\source\order\workflow\bpmn\ScmAddSalesPartToPriceLists.bpmn)

If you don't have access to a BuildPlace, one can't understand what the above means. By no means easy. Why are these ‘hidden’ from functional consultants or solution architects? I see those as examples, so I think it would be better that they become available in for example this community or directly from the help text (ie DEMO_CreateProjectAction in Getting Started with Workflows).

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