Basic Approval Workflow

[SteveDuncalf]

Hi All,

New to EA, but have knowledge of other EA Modelling tools.

What's the best way to implement a Basic Approval workflow? The requirement is quite easy, when a user changes something they wish to get this approved (e.g. business process change).

Unsure how this would be invoked, so any guidance would be really helpful

[OpenIT Solutions]

Hi,

The easiest way is to use the status attribute, you can create your own states. You can then set the status of a package/diagrams etc as required.

There is also an example (see http://community.sparxsystems.com/white-papers/765-workflow-scripting-in-enterprise-architect) available that uses a simple workflow script and change elements to track and govern a change to the model.

[Uffe]

Hi Steve,


If I interpret your question correctly, what OpenIT Solutions proposes doesn't really address your requirement. There's no out-of-the-box solution for this scenario because EA simply doesn't have the necessary concepts to implement a propose-review-approve cycle.

Such a cycle typically includes the following steps:

• Changes to a configuration item are proposed.
• Proposed changes are submitted for review and approval.
• Reviewers approve or reject changes.
• A new version of the configuration item is released, or the item is reverted to the previous version.

EA doesn't have a concept of a configuration item in the first place, so everything else falls down.

You can set up a modelling environment to support a kind of propose-review-approve cycle, but it will require a fair bit of work. What you need is first to determine what constitutes a configuration item, and secondly you must separate the "release" repository from "working" repositories where proposed changes are stored until they are approved and released. Finally, you must get your modellers to work in that fashion.

There are three pieces you can use to puzzle this together: version control (I never recommend using this, but others like it), baselines and reusable assets.

Review-and-approval is of course only one requirement concerning EA deployment, so it's hard to be more specific than this.

Hope it helps,


/Uffe

[RubenK]

Hi Steve,

Im curious to know how you solved the basic approval issue.
I also want to use this, but i cant find a standard solution for it.
Flow: User A can change status of a package to proposed. User B have the rights to change status to approved or rejected.

[Jens Nötzold]

Have a look at

http://www.procead.de

Let me know, if it works 4u
Let me know, what needs to be added to make it work for you.

Cheers,
Jens

[Graham_Moir]

EA simply doesn't have the necessary concepts to implement a propose-review-approve cycle.

Such a cycle typically includes the following steps:

• Changes to a configuration item are proposed.
• Proposed changes are submitted for review and approval.
• Reviewers approve or reject changes.
• A new version of the configuration item is released, or the item is reverted to the previous version.

EA doesn't have a concept of a configuration item in the first place, so everything else falls down.

Does anyone know whether the "Formal Review" functionality released by Sparx in verson 13.5 of EA supports this sort of cycle?

[Graham_Moir]

EA simply doesn't have the necessary concepts to implement a propose-review-approve cycle.

Such a cycle typically includes the following steps:

• Changes to a configuration item are proposed.
• Proposed changes are submitted for review and approval.
• Reviewers approve or reject changes.
• A new version of the configuration item is released, or the item is reverted to the previous version.

EA doesn't have a concept of a configuration item in the first place, so everything else falls down.

Does anyone know whether the "Formal Review" functionality released by Sparx in verson 13.5 of EA supports this sort of cycle?

I had a quick look at this.  The short answer is no. 

But as "Formal Reviews" has only just been introduced in 13.5 perhaps it will be enhanced.