Workflow design notes - revision loop

You can add a revision loop anywhere in a workflow. The loop allows users to modify data -- for example, if mistakes have been made or the form has been rejected -- without resubmitting a new form.

When designing the revision process, consider using a loop to help minimize the number of steps in the workflow by allowing the loop to reuse the original step.

Be sure to include approvers and contributors in the loop that might need to correct and/or approve data that has been resubmitted in the form.

Adding a loop block to a workflow

Click the Loop Block icon to insert a loop in the main process.

Once a Loop Block is added, Designer automatically creates another tab/sheet in which to build the steps for your revision loop.

Setting the condition for the loop

Once a loop is inserted, you will need set the conditions for it to end.

  1. In the main process, click the Loop Block (purple rectangle).
  2. In the Properties pane (right-hand pane), next to Condition, click the options button .
  3. In the Edit Condition dialog box, right-click in the empty space to open the Function menu, and then click the arrow.
  4. Use the Function and Nodes pop-up menus to further define the conditions for your loop.

The condition must be written so that:

  • If the statement is true, it ends the loop.
  • If the statement is not true, then loop steps are repeated again until the statement is true.

 

Note: You can also have multiple conditions to make the statement true by using an OR operator. The OR operator is designated by || (see example below). In this example the MDG Approval must be approved OR the Cancel is true.

Also note that if you use multiple conditions (when using an OR condition), you might need to set up two workflow paths one for each condition.

One route is set for a canceled form (cancel = true) and one route is set for an approved form (i.e. not canceled form -- cancel = false).

See Setting Transition Properties in the Winshuttle Designer Process Guide for more help on Boolean expressions for Designer.

Additional recommendations

It is usually recommended to add a cancelation option to the form in case it needs to be truly canceled and not re-routed for corrections or approvals. This is optional, but it helps ensure you don’t get stuck in a loop that requires an approval to complete the form. For example, you can easily add a checkbox to a form that provides the option to cancel the request. See Form Design Notes for more information.