The Workflow Builder component of IMS Workflow allows you to easily and quickly develop graphical workflow processes to meet your organizations’ unique needs ... from departmental functions to enterprise-wide operations. With the Workflow Builder, you can rapidly bring a solution to your organization that greatly enhances productivity and ends the "paper chase" associated with work distribution processes. A wide range of functions gives you the flexibility to design a workflow application to meet the most complex requirements.

Benefits

Versatility: IMS Workflow is the only system of its kind designed to integrate with virtually any database management system, operating system or network environment. This allows you to easily build workflow processes for use throughout your organization. The Workflow Builder can be used to develop workflow processes for a wide variety of business applications, such as engineering change control, OSHA compliance, ISO/9000 certification, purchase requisitions, loan application processing, and clinical laboratory applications such as specimen and claims tracking. Regardless of the various workstation operating environments you use, IMS Workflow’s open design allows you to quickly develop new workflow applications or workflow-enable existing applications throughout the enterprise without complex programming.

Ease-of-Use: The system’s point-and-click, object-oriented design makes building even the most complex workflow processes simple. Snap-to-grid icons, color coding and other easy-to-use functions allow you to quickly create graphical workflow diagrams that your users can quickly interpret and follow. No more looking through long and complex programming reference manuals. IMS Workflow includes a library of pre-programmed functions that perform complex routines ¾ simply select the command appropriate for the task and it’s ready to go.

Rapid Application Development (RAD): The system’s ease of use and open design helps speed the development process, enabling you to rapidly define, create, test, and deploy workflow applications throughout your organization. In fact, a study conducted by IBM showed that developing applications with IMS Workflow was 80% faster than one of the most widely used 4GLs.

Security: Features, such as the ability to link each workflow task to only authorized users and groups, ensures that confidential information remains confidential. You can define simple to sophisticated authorization schemes at the database record and workstep levels for creating roles and defining security.

Support: To ensure your success during the development process, IMS Workflow includes a comprehensive, hands-on, three and half-day training program, as well as ongoing telephone support. The professional services group at UDMS can also assist you in developing custom applications to suite your specific needs.

Features

Flexible Routing Options: Workflow Builder gives you the flexibility to implement one or any combination of the following workflow paths:

• Serial - sequential processing of tasks
• Parallel - the ability to process workflow tasks concurrently
• Adhoc - enables the creation and modification of processes at runtime
• Embedded (Nested) workflows - workflows processes initiated from within other workflows processes
• Time/date-based - workflow steps initiated based upon dates and/or elapsed time
• Event-driven - workflow paths, route destinations and time allotted for tasks determined by user actions at runtime

Workload Leveling: Pools of workflow tasks that allow the first person available within a group to take action on a given task.

Approval Rule Setting: Establish specific requirements for review within a workflow step to ensure the appropriate action is taken.

Event Monitoring: Keeps projects on schedule. The system monitors user activity to ensure tasks are completed within a specified time frame.

The "expedite" feature of IMS Workflow automatically notifies the appropriate person of any delinquent work tasks, allowing them to take the appropriate action.

Script Builder
The Script Builder is a high-level, English-like macro language providing point-and-click development of custom workflow applications. IMS Workflow is delivered with approximately 200 pre-programmed commands. This allows you to develop applications without program coding.

Workflow Reporting

Status Reporting: You and your users can easily follow the status of activities via IMS Workflow’s graphical, color-coded workflow chart. At any given time, you can see who is reviewing a document, who has approved a procedure, as well as steps still pending in the process.

Workflow tracking: The Workflow Builder enables you to track past activities by date, time, project, as well as by individual or any other criteria you define. This information can be used to determine process effectiveness and as proof of compliance (audit trails) often required with mandated processes.

Building Workflow Enabled Applications
The Application Builder and Workflow Builder are foundation components of the IMS Workflow system. The unique integration of workflow and application development in a single system delivers a powerful environment for quickly developing and deploying workflow-enabled applications for your organization.