Using workflows
You use workflows by either applying an on-demand workflow yourself or by specifying when Microsoft Dynamics CRM should start an automatic workflow for you.
Workflow Lifecycle
If you want to use workflows to automate your business processes, it is important to understand the lifecycle of a workflow, from creation and publication through monitoring the workflow jobs created by the workflow.
Creating workflows
There are four basic steps to creating a workflow by using the Web application:
1. Create an empty workflow or use a workflow template to create the workflow.
2. Specify the workflow properties.
3. Add conditions, workflow actions, and other elements that define your workflow logic.
4. Publish the workflow.
More information:
Work with Workflows
Workflow Structure
Publishing workflows
Before you can use the workflow you have created, you must publish it. Publishing a workflow changes its status from
Draft to Published. Depending on the type of workflow you created, publishing a workflow also makes it available for use in various contexts:
If you have created an automatic workflow, the workflow starts to run when the criteria defined in its conditions are met.
If you have created an on-demand workflow, the workflow becomes available to you and other users from Microsoft Dynamics CRM menus and toolbars.
If you have created a child workflow, the workflow becomes available to be started from within other workflows.
You can make a single workflow available in any combination of these three contexts.
Monitoring workflow jobs
Whenever the criteria defined in a workflow are met, or you decide to apply an on-demand workflow to a record,
Microsoft Dynamics CRM creates a workflow job. By monitoring the workflow jobs created by a workflow, you can check progress and make sure that there have been no problems with the workflow, or its workflow jobs.
Workflow Structure
All workflows in Microsoft Dynamics CRM are a combination of workflow properties and workflow logic. Workflow properties and workflow logic form the structure of each workflow record.
Workflow properties
Workflows include a number of options and settings, called workflow properties that are required as part of any workflow in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
At a minimum, each workflow requires the following properties:
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Name.
Entity. Although a workflow can take action on more than one entity, it is still associated with a single primary entity.
Scope. A workflow's scope determines the records that the workflow can take action on. The scope is limited by the permissions that the workflow's owner has, as well as by the view the owner selects for the scope when they are creating the workflow.
Type. You can select whether the workflow you create is a workflow or workflow template.
How automatic workflows are started. You can specify what events in your Microsoft Dynamics
CRM implementation will cause the workflow to take action, such as the creation of a new lead record or a specific change to a case record.
Availability. In addition to workflows that run automatically when certain events occur, you make the workflow available as an on-demand workflow, a child workflow, or both.
Workflow logic
The workflow logic you add to your workflow determines the specific actions that the workflow will take on records.
Workflow logic includes the following elements:
Stages. By adding workflow stages to your workflow logic, you can group the steps in your workflow.
Workflow stages make the workflow logic easier to read, and explain the workflow logic. However, stages do not affect the logic or behavior of workflows.
Workflow stage descriptions appear as headings in system job forms, which display the progress of a workflow job. Stage descriptions can also appear in reports.
You can use stages to define business processes that your organization uses. For example, one workflow could use stages to describe the opportunity management process for your sales team, while another workflow could define the case resolution process for your customer service representatives.
Steps. Each workflow step you add defines the underlying logic of your workflow. Workflow steps can contain actions, such as creating a new record or sending an e-mail notification, or even other steps. (There is no limit to how deeply you can nest workflow steps.)
You can add the following types of steps to workflows:
222
Check condition
Conditional branch
Default action
Wait condition
Parallel wait branch
Custom step
Actions. By adding workflow actions to workflow steps, you define the specific actions you want the workflow to perform.
You can add the following actions to workflows:
Create a record
Update a record
Assign a record
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