The slide deck for my Ligntning Talk at SharePoint Saturday Austin 2013 - a lot to cover in 10 minutes! This presentation is aimed at business users who want to make workflow work better for them, and covers options and pitfalls to make SPD workflows do more and give them the flexibility to control workflow and keep it in sync with the business processes at they evolve (because we all know business processes NEVER change, right?)

1. Get More From SPD Workflows
Empowering Users
Jim Adcock, The SharePoint Therapist
Solutions Architect, GSD&M

2. THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF SHAREPOINT
SATURDAY AUSTIN!
• Please turn off all electronic devices or set them to vibrate
• If you must take a phone call, please do so in the hall
• Wi-Fi is available, you will need your Guest ID/password
(at registration desk)
• Feel free to tweet and blog during sessions. Remember to follow @SPSATX
and tag #SPSATX in your tweets!
SharePoint Saturday Austin is hosted by
the Austin SharePoint User Group
(@AustinSPUG)
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3. WHY SPD WORKFLOW?
SharePoint Designer Workflows allow the
workflow process to be controlled by the
owners of the process – the business users!
• Custom code workflows require a developer resource to change a workflow
to match a changed business process
Business processes never change, right?
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4. SOME THINGS THAT CAN MAKE
A DIFFERENCE
(SOME SIMPLE, SOME LESS SO)

5. DESIGN YOUR WORKFLOWS IN VISIO
• Workflows can be easily designed in Visio then imported into SharePoint
Designer
• Your Business Users are probably already familiar with Visio! (Low barrier to
entry!)
• However, you need Microsoft Visio Premium 2010 to design workflows!
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8. VISUALIZE WORKFLOWS
Allow end users to see where they are in the workflow process
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9. VISUALIZE WORKFLOWS
• Requires SP2010 Enterprise with Visio Services enabled
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10. CALCULATIONS
• SPD thinks calculations are hard.
• SPD 2010 is much smarter than SPD 2007
• But still not as smart as InfoPath or SharePoint calculated columns
• REFERENCES:
• http://dlairman.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/use-calculated-columns-to-close-technical-gaps-in-spd-workflows-another-solution/
• http://sharepointbriefing.com/features/article.php/3866646/Use-Calculated-Columns-to-Close-Gaps-in-
Workflows.htm?comment=37229-0
• http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-sharepoint-services-help/examples-of-common-formulas-HA010105479.aspx
• http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-sharepoint-services-help/introduction-to-data-calculations-HA010121588.aspx
• http://dlairman.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/limiting-sharepoint-workflow-due-dates-to-business-days/
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11. TIMING IS EVERYTHING
• 0=5
• Minimum wait times not to exceed five minutes (by default)… it’s a timer job!
• But that means an hour is not exactly an hour…
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12. CUSTOM ACTIVITIES
• http://spdactivities.codeplex.com/
Available Activities
• Send Email with HTTP File attachment - Allows sending emails with attachments retrieved using a web request
• Send Email with List Item attachments - Allows sending list item attachments as files attached to an email
• Start Another Workflow - Starts another workflow associated with a list item
• Grant Permission on Item - Allows granting of specified permission level on a specified item
• Delete List Item Permission Assigment - Allows deleting of specified permission level assignment for a given user
• Reset List Permissions Inheritance - removes any unique permissions assigned to an item by inheriting list
permissions
• Is User a member of a SharePoint group - Checks if a given user is part of given SharePoint group
• Is Role assigned to User - Checks if a user role is already assigned on the current list item
• Lookup user info - allows to lookup properties in site's user information list for a given login
• NEW! Copy List Item Extended Activity - Allows copying/moving list items and files cross site.
• NEW! Send Email Extended - Enhanced version of the OOTB activity. Allows you to specify the sender. Also does
not break links in body.
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13. HYBRID APPROACH – DIY CUSTOM ACTIVITIES
• Requires a Developer
• But, as long as the activity is appropriately configurable, it can be reused
around the organization, and its placement in the workflow can be adjusted
by the business users as the business processes change
• Engage a business analyst to help design your activities
• http://msmvps.com/blogs/sundar_narasiman/archive/2010/12/26/develop-
custom-workflow-activity-for-sharepoint-2010-workflow.aspx
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14. QUESTIONS?

15. PLEASE FILL OUT SESSION EVALUATIONS
AND
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!

16. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
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