2011 Administrator’s Guide Copyright

Monitor and Manage Workflows

You can view workflow jobs from three places in Microsoft Dynamics CRM:

• 
  Workflows. The individual workflow jobs created by a workflow are associated with the workflow that created them.
  
• 
  Records. The account, lead, or other Microsoft Dynamics CRM record affected by a workflow lists each of the workflow jobs that have taken action on the record.
  
• 
  System jobs. Workflow jobs are a special type of system job. You can view all of the system jobs in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, including workflow jobs, in the Settings area. More information: Work with System Jobs (on page 111)
  

Work with Workflows

Create or edit a workflow

This task requires the System Administrator or System Customizer security role or equivalent permissions. Customization tasks can be performed only while you are online. More information: Customization Permissions

1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Settings, and then under Process Center, click Processes.
   
2. 
   On the Actions toolbar, click New.
   
3. 
   In the dialog box, set required properties for the workflow.
   

1. 
   In the Workflow name box, type the name that you want to use for this workflow.
   
2. 
   From the Entity list, select the primary entity that you want to use with this workflow.
   
3. 
   In the Type area, select whether you want to create a completely new workflow or whether you want to use a workflow template.
   

4. 
   Click OK.
   

4. 
   In the area in the top half of the Workflow form, set additional properties for the workflow.
   

5. 
   If you plan to publish this workflow to automate your business processes, from the Publish As list, select Workflow.
   

If you plan to publish this workflow as a workflow template, from the Publish As list, select Workflow Template.

6. 
   Under Available to Run, select how you want to make the workflow available to other users in your organization:
   

• 
  On demand. If you want to make the workflow available as an on-demand workflow, select this check box.
  
• 
  As a child workflow. If you want to make the workflow available as a child workflow, select this check box.
  

7. 
   If you are creating an automatic workflow, under Options for Automatic Workflows, set options unique to workflows that run automatically:
   

• 
  Scope. Select the access level that matches the workflow scope that you want to set for this workflow.
  

• 
  Start when. Select the check boxes that correspond to the events in your implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM that you want to start the workflow.
  

5. 
   Add stages to your workflow logic.
   

8. 
   Select the line in your workflow logic where you want to add the workflow stage.
   
9. 
   On the Workflow Logic toolbar, click Add Step and select Stage.
   
10. 
    Click OK.
    
11. 
    Click Type a stage description here and replace the default text with a description of what your workflow stage includes.
    

1. 
   Add steps to your workflow logic.
   

1. 
   Select the line in your workflow logic where you want to add the workflow step.
   
2. 
   On the Workflow Logic toolbar, click Add Step and select one of the following items:
   

• 
  Check Condition. Adds a check condition to the workflow. You can add a check condition at any level in your workflow logic.
  

• 
  Conditional Branch. Adds a conditional branch to the workflow. To add a conditional branch, you must select the If line in a check condition or the Otherwise, if line in another conditional branch.
  

• 
  Default Action. Adds a default action to the workflow. You can include only one default action associated with a check condition. To add a default action, you must select the If line in a check condition or the Otherwise, if line in a conditional branch.
  

• 
  Wait Condition. Adds a wait condition to the workflow. You can add a wait condition at any level in your workflow logic.
  

• 
  Parallel Wait Branch. Adds a parallel wait branch to the workflow. To add a parallel wait branch, you must select the Wait until line in a wait condition or the Otherwise, wait until line in another parallel wait branch.
  

3. 
   Click condition.
   
4. 
   In the Specify Condition dialog box, select the condition for the step:
   

5. 
   In the first list, select a primary entity or related entity.
   
6. 
   In the second list, select a field in the entity you selected in the previous step.
   
7. 
   In the third list, select the logical operator that best fits the condition you want to specify, such as Contains or Equals.
   
8. 
   In the last lists or boxes, enter the values that you want to use as the criteria for your condition.
   
9. 
   Click Save and Close.
   

5. 
   On the Workflow form, click Type a step description here and replace the default text with a description of what your workflow step includes.
   

1. 
   Add actions to your workflow logic.
   

1. 
   Select the line in your workflow logic where you want to add an action.
   
2. 
   On the Workflow Logic toolbar, click Add Step and select one of the following items:
   

• 
  Create Record. Creates a new record. From the Create list, select the entity for which you want to create individual records.
  
• 
  Update Record. Updates a record. From the Update list, select the record that you want to update.
  
• 
  Assign Record. Assigns a record from one user to another user. From the Assign list, select the record that you want to reassign, and then click the Lookup button and select the user you want to assign the record to.
  
• 
  Send E-mail. Sends an e-mail notification. From the Send e-mail list, select whether you want to create a new e-mail message or use an E-mail Template.
  
• 
  Start Child Workflow. Starts a child workflow. From the Start child workflow list, select the primary entity of the child workflow you want to use, and then click the Lookup button and select the child workflow.
  
• 
  Change Status. Changes the status of a record. From the first Change status list, select the record that you want to change the status of, and then select the status from the second list.
  
• 
  Stop Workflow. Stops the current workflow. From the Stop workflow with status of list, select the status that you want to set for the stopped workflow.
  

3. 
   If a Set Properties button appears next to the new action you added, click Set Properties and specify details about the entity that this step in your workflow is taking action on.
   
4. 
   Click Type a step description here and replace the default text with a description of what your workflow step includes.
   

2. 
   Click Save or Save and Close.
   

• 
  If you use a wait condition to wait for a timeout, you cannot change the timeout condition (you can change individual details for the timeout, but you cannot change the timeout to another type of condition). If you need to change the conditions, delete the timeout and add a new wait condition.
  
• 
  If you need to back up workflows, or export them for use in a different implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you can export them as part of exporting customizations. More information: Export Customizations and Configurations
  

Related Topics Work with Workflows 116 Work with System Jobs 111 Creating and Using Workflows 113 Workflow Lifecycle 113