Workflow Overview

Workflow is a type of process in Common Data Service designed to automate business processes without a user interface.

People usually use workflow processes to initiate automation that doesn’t require any user interaction. The power of a workflow is that it is configurable and it’s easy to edit by consultants and users. It does not require a developer’s expertise. It can be easily configured to automate business processes within an organisation.

Workflows are declarative. They are built using building blocks like stages, conditions, and actions. Workflow Designer has a point and click user interface. Workflows are modular and reusable. Individual workflows can be saved as templates and workflows can call other workflows.

These workflows can then be packaged and distributed as part of a solution. Built on the powerful Windows Workflow foundation, workflows in Common Data Service are flexible. Using flexible patterns, workflows can be triggered or run manually. They are durable.

Workflows can implement long-running and waiting patterns spanning weeks, months, and even years. They are not affected by server shutdowns and reboots and they can be restarted and continued if necessary.

Workflows are scalable. With the underlying engine built to scale, Common Data Service instance can run thousands and thousands of workflow processes at the same time with low-performance impact for the end-user activities.

In the next step, we will watch a demonstration of creating a workflow.