How do i add new users to an inprogress workflow?

  • 19 February 2015
  • 15 replies
  • 15 views

Badge +2

This is possible in the OOB approval or feedback workflow, very strange that i cannot find it in Nintex Workflow 2013 STD.


15 replies

Badge +11

I am sorry, but I don't understand the question. You provide more details and maybe give an example.

Badge +2

Sure, please see this topic Change a workflow that is in progress

In a SharePoint approval workflow, when the workflow starts or if its in progress, I can add additional approvers/reviewers and it will assign a task to them.

However, in a nintex workflow review/approval. I am unable to add people to an inprogress workflow.

-Kartik

Badge +11

Ok let me know if this works for you...

In Nintex you can create a State Machine. Set those states to be whatever you want them to be. As the workflow is progressing, you can change the states. In each state you can create a flexi-task that will be set for additional approvers/reviewers.

For example, the states can be Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3.Once it is approved in Step one, you change the State to Step 2. That will make it automatically move on to that state. It will hit that flexi-task and those approvers will get notifications to approve/reject or whatever you desire for them to do and so on...

Badge +4

I have this same situation also. If people leave the company or new people are added to a team that are responsible for approvals, the workflow has to be restarted so it can query and assign the tasks to all the members of a group again.

I haven't figured a way to add people to an approval already assigned.

Badge +2

Thanks, but you can see how this wouldn't work. I tried the State Machine workflow with Runif and Change state conditions, however, the issue is in most cases, there are new approvers that come into play in the middle of the workflow and we need to add them without restarting the workflow. The issue with restarting the workflow is that now everyone will get 2 emails that wouldn't work. Its is very strange that the OOB workflow can do this but not Nintex workflow. happy.png

Badge +11

You can create a list. Assign those people to a team. In your workflow, set the specific people in a team to a workflow collection variable. Then assign the workflow variable to a task. When a person leaves, just remove the from the list. No change to the workflow is necessary. Same as if a new person is hired. Just add them to a list. I've done this before.

Badge +2

Thanks Peter, however, restarting the workflow would send them multiple emails one when the workflow starts, when its stopped, and then when its started again, just to accommodate one person. You would think this should be possible when an OOB workflow can accomplish it.

Badge +11

Have you tried creating a SharePoint approval list and using that list in the workflow? That way users aren't hard-coded in the workflow. So in the flexi-task point to the list or put the users needed a workflow collection variable. Will that help any?

Badge +2

I don't think so. say I put the users in an approval list or a group. and in the flexi task I use a collection variable and assign the task. This will create the flexi task for those in the list, when the workflow runs, however, if I add another person to the list while the workflow is running, it will not create an additional task for the new people added to the list. We will have to restart the workflow each time we add new people to the list and cannot add it dynamically when the workflow is running.

I hope I am not missing something very obvious here.

Badge +11

If the workflow hasn't gotten to that task, that new user will be included. But you are right, if it already hit the flexi-task they wouldn't be included. Now, if there is a user in the task that the new user would be replacing he could delegate his task to the new user. And that wouldn't change the workflow.

Badge +4

I do have dynamic approvers using the SharePoint List to query names and I've used SharePoint Groups also. But that isn't the scenario we are looking to address.

It issue is once Nintex hits the Flexi-Task Action, it will create the individual tasks for the approvers at that time. If the list of approvers is updated before that task is completed, SharePoint won't add them in the mix. I have the same issue with "Not wanting to restart workflows because it will resend emails and cancel old tasks and resend new tasks" and it causes confusion.

I didn't know about the OTB sharepoint workflows allow for in-process-approver changes.  I will take a look at that and see if I can work of that or at least see how it works.

Badge +2

Exactly, and delegation wouldn't work here since its a new user. In delegation I will have to assign someone else's task to a new person. I was looking at the OOB workflow to see how it accomplished, when I add the approvers/reviewers, it adds the task to the workflow tasks list and associates the workflow ID automatically, I tried to do it with nintex and its content type, it doesn't associate the workflow and creates an orphan task. Not sure how to proceed. Will have to wait and see what support suggests.

Thanks for your help.

Badge +11

It works in my situation except for when it passes the flexi-task. I do have this implemented. Andrew or Mike may be able to help you.

Badge +2

OK, but when it is ON the flexi task and if you add a user to the list, does it create a task for the newly added person? It doesn't work for me. If I add a person to the list before it reaches the flexitask it works fine. but the second it reaches the flexi task and the task notifications go out. It wouldn't send new task emails anymore for newly added users.

-K

Badge +2

Got an update from Nintex Support., unfortunately its not possible which is troubling to me, as this should be better than OOB workflows.

Thank you for your patience.  From our testing looks like there is currently no way to do this and no workaround is found at this time.

We have tried it with many of our "Task" actions and none of them will work in the way that you would like.

This feature has been requested already for our development team to take a look at.  You may find it here with status as well as vote for it to be implemented.

(I have voted for this as well)

https://nintex.uservoice.com/forums/229405-1-nintex-workflow-for-sharepoint/suggestions/7040736-enable-updating-list-of-approvers-at-runtime

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