Child Workflow

Introduction

Feature(s)

If a business workflow is too complex, you can break down the workflow into smaller ones. For example, one parent workflow, and one or more child workflows. When a part of the parent workflow is finished, the data will flow into the child workflow. After the child workflow is completed, they will return to the parent workflow to complete the entire business workflow.

Application Scenario(s)

In the case of sales return, if a buyer returns a product, the seller should send one to pick up the returned product before restocking it. After the product is restocked, the finance department will refund the money to the buyer.

In the scenario, you can break down the complex workflow into smaller ones. For example, the refund process is handled in a parent workflow and the restock process in a child workflow. After the goods are returned to the warehouse, the parent workflow will continue with the refund approval by the finance department.

Preview

Plan Description

This is a paid feature. For details, see Understand Your Account Usage and Limits.

Setting Procedure

Adding a Child Workflow

When designing a workflow, if you need to use a child workflow, drag a child workflow node to the workflow just as you do a task node. Note that the child workflow is designed in another workflow form.

Child Workflow Initiator

You need to set the workflow initiator of the child workflow because the child workflow is automatically initiated. The child workflow initiator can be the initiator of the parent workflow, a fixed member, or a dynamic member field.

Data Transfer Rule(s)

After adding child workflows, you need to set data transfer rules. When the parent workflow flows to the child workflow, all or part of the data can be transferred to the child workflow, and only part of the data in the child workflow flow needs to be filled in the workflow. When the child workflow is completed, important data can be passed to the parent workflow, which can be used as a data reference for subsequent approvers.

1. Parent workflow > Child workflow

First, we set the data transfer rules from the parent workflow to the child workflow. For example, in Purchasing Applications, the details are passed to the child workflow, so that it is convenient to confirm the product and the quantity.

2. Child workflow > Parent workflow

After setting the data transfer of the parent-child workflow, you can also set the transfer rules from the child workflow to the parent workflow. For example, after the purchase is approved, the total payment and supplier are passed to the parent workflow, and the financial department can determine whether to approve the payment.

Note:

Only the data from a child workflow with the Completed status can flow to the parent workflow. If you manually end a child workflow, its data cannot flow to the parent workflow.

Assignment Rule(s) of Field Value

The data assignment rules of parent-child workflows only support two types of assignment relationships: Parent – Parent and Child – Child.

Parent – Parent: Parent form fields are assigned using parent form fields.

Child – Child: Child fields are assigned using child fields.

1. Parent form field assignment rules

The Parent – Parent assignment rules in the parent-child workflow are the same as those between Parent – Parent in Automations.

2. Child form field assignment rules

Only in the data transfer of parent workflow > child workflow, the parent workflow is supported. Child fields are assigned to child workflows and child fields are assigned. The assignment of child fields is not supported when passing data from child workflow > parent workflow.

Parent-child Workflow When Proceeding to the Next Node

By setting Proceed to the Next Node When from parent workflow to child workflow, you can specify the synchronous or asynchronous transfer relationship between parent and child workflows.

The default setting is synchronization. The child workflow ends before it flows to the next node in the parent workflow for further approval.

Initiating Auto-submit

If you enable Auto-submit once initiated, the child workflow is automatically created for the initiator without further processing by the initiator, and the initiator is directly skipped to the subsequent approval node.

If you do not enable Auto-submit once initiated, only child workflow form data is created, and a pending workflow is created for the initiator and stays in the initiation node. The initiator of the child workflow needs to submit the workflow manually.

Demonstration

1. Submit data in the parent workflow, and after submission and approval of the workflow, it will enter the child workflow to complete the approval of the child workflow.

2. The approval of the workflow is completed in the child workflow. You can view the data passed from the parent workflow into the child workflow.

3. After the child workflow is completed, the workflow will flow to the parent workflow again, and some data from the child workflow will be transferred to the parent workflow according to the child > parent transfer rules.

4. The remaining nodes of the parent workflow are approved one by one to complete the flow of the whole workflow.

Notes

1. The maximum number of levels in the nested parent-child workflow chain is three. If the level limit is exceeded, the workflow cannot flow normally. (You can set child workflows in a child workflow, but the maximum number of nested levels is three.)

2. The number of child workflow nodes allowed to be added in a single parent workflow is ten.

3. You cannot view the current nodes and approvers of child workflows in the Chart of the parent workflow.

4. The workflow status of child workflows can be viewed in the History of the parent workflow.

5. At the asynchronous Child Workflow node, Automations can be triggered once, with the Update Data type of Trigger and an empty creator.

6. The asynchronous Child Workflow is a node that automatically proceeds in the system. It may fails to proceed if the asynchronous Child Workflow forms a loop with another asynchronous Child Workflow or the plug-in node.

7. When the workflow form is imported, and you check Imported Data Triggers Workflow, if the node after the originating node of the workflow is a child workflow, the child workflow will not be triggered after the import, and all workflow nodes will stay at the originating node.