Beginning SharePoint® 2010: Building Business Solutions with SharePoint

Chapter 5. Working with Workflow

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER:

• The definition of workflows, and basic workflow concepts

• A demonstration of out-of-the-box workflows

• How to create powerful custom workflows using SharePoint Designer 2010

• How tasks and workflow history are used in workflows

• How Office clients software such as InfoPath and Visio can be integrated with SharePoint 2010 workflows

• Troubleshooting steps and basic workflow administration processes

Business processes exist within all companies. These processes not only consist of computer interactions, but more importantly they are between individuals. SharePoint brings processes together with tasks and the people who are part of these day-to-day interactions.

Workflows are used in order to automate business processes, promoting a more efficient work experience. When they have been defined and created in SharePoint, automated workflows save time, lessen confusion, and save money.

UNDERSTANDING WORKFLOW

Before delving into the details of how to use workflows in SharePoint 2010, it is important to have a basic understanding of some of the terminology and the components that workflows are composed of. This section will introduce you to the basic building blocks of workflows. Business users can use logic to create their own applications and processes, without having to know a single line of code.

Initiating Workflows

There are four different methods you can use to start workflows, which is referred to as initiation. The first three ...