Compare data flows and workflows
Workflows | Data flows |
---|---|
Focus is on user tasks. Tasks are distributed to users through Infor Ming.le. | Focus is on routing of documents. Applications are integrated automatically without user intervention |
The process is managed by ION. The workflow controls which tasks are created and monitors the task status. | ION only delivers the documents. The data flow is event-driven; ION is passive, waiting for the next event to be published by an application. The ION data flow does not trigger events or actions in applications. |
The amount of data that is handled in the workflow is limited to the workflow parameters and structures. | The documents to be delivered can be complex. |
Applications can trigger a workflow by sending a Process. Workflow BOD can receive an Acknowledge Workflow BOD. | Applications communicate with data flow using documents. |
For more information about modeling workflows that involve user tasks, see Workflow.
1. Business flow to handle requisitions
This diagram shows a flow to handle requisitions. A request for some goods is translated to a purchase order that is handled by a materials management application.
When the requisition application publishes a ProcessRequisition, ION delivers it to the ERP application. Because
ION Connect is event-driven, it does not
force the ERP system to create a purchase order. It delivers the request for a new
requisition and then waits for the next event to happen. When the ERP system
publishes a SyncPurchaseOrder
, that document is
delivered to the MaterialsManagement application.
ION automatically handles reply BODs. In
this case, when the ERP system sends out an AcknowledgeRequisition
in reply to the ProcessRequisition
, that document is delivered to
the Requisition application.
2. Business flow to load orders
The diagram shows a flow to retrieve new or changed sales orders
from a database and send them to an Infor ERP
application. If the structure of the sales orders in the database differs from the
standard SalesOrder
BOD, a mapping activity is
added to translate the custom sales order data into a standard SalesOrder
BOD.
ION is event-driven and a database connection point is passive. Therefore, a schedule is used in ION to regularly read the data from the database.