When creating new workflow configurations in AX one of the first fields that you are required to fill in named ‘Owner’. But what exactly is the use of this field?
For those of you have been using workflow for a while you have probably started to find some of these uses. But for those of you who haven’t found them yet here are my observations:
Definition of a workflow owner: The owner of a workflow configuration is the user within Dynamics who is responsible for monitoring, maintaining and ensuring that workflow instances run smoothly and are completed in a timeous manner.
Pre-requisites for workflow owner users:
- Must be a user in Dynamics AX.
- Must be an active user (necessary for creating the configuration and receiving notifications etc about failed workflows).
NB: making the user inactive after setting them as the workflow owner will work, but nobody will then be aware if issues arise. - Must be linked to an employee (otherwise errors will occur stating the user has no relationship defined)
- Should have email alerts activated and correct email address setup (user options form) so that they can receive notifications of workflow issues.
Functions of workflow owners:
- Modify the workflow configuration.
- Receives notifications/alerts about webservice failures.
- Receives notifications/alerts about workitem failures.
- Can be used for assignment when using the role based option (assign to Workflow Owner)
- Can be used for escalation of workitems. E.g. If the work-item has not been actioned then it is the responsibility of the workflow owner to approve or reject.
- Can be chosen as the “Start From” user when using Heirarchy based assignment.
- Can be chosen as the recipient of custom workflow/workitem notifications e.g. Completed, Started, Stopped etc…
- Can be used as a field in workitem instructions, subjects and emails.
So far these are the uses and functions of the workflow owner that I have found through my wanderings in workflow configurations. Please feel free to add to this list or provide corrections where necessary.
Happy Wanderings
Dynamics AX Workflow Wanderings 
hey, where is RSS?
Hi Jonathan,
I used a modified participiant provider for special user assignments based on user inputs. In conjunction with normal user groups, everything works fine. But in conjunction with tokens like “Workflow Owner”, I can’t manipulate any user assignments in the provider class. Do you know the reason or what I can do in this case?
Great Thanks
Frank
Hi Frank.
The Workflow Owner is a ‘Hardcoded’ token. It allows you to assign to the person who setup the workflow configuration. This token is normally used for Notifications etc, but can be used for assignment if necessary. Without seriously modifying base code you can’t change the functionality of the ‘Workflow Owner’
Hi Jonathan,
thanks for reply. We have processes, where the process goes back to the workflow owner. In some cases (workflow owner is ill, …) the approval have to be sent to an other person in the company. In this case, I have to change the assignment. This is, what our customer like to get and in worst case, I have to change something in the base code :-( But I don’t know, where is the correct place to change something like this. Do you know this?
Are you not referring to the workflow originator (i.e. the person who submitted it to workflow). Normally the workflow owner is only used for system monitoring e.g. to get notifications when the workflow is in error.
oh yes, sorry … my english … owner was not the correct word. Originator should be the better translation ^^ I mean the user, who submit the record.
Now I prepare the class SysWorkflowEventDispatcher \ resolveParticipiant for correct sending of notifications and the service class SysWorkflowProviderService\ resolveParticipiant to manipulate the receiver. Have somebody other or better ideas?
Best regards, frank
Hi Frank. I sent you an email regarding some suggestions for the above, but if could you maybe send a diagram showing the logical process that you would like to follow?
Hi Jonathan,
Please help me out….!!!
A user is having multiple delegates forwarded to him. He wants to approve only once in a workflow. wat to do in this case,?? please help me out,,!!!!
Regards,
Alonso
Hi Alonso.
There is no practical way to prevent a user from having to approve multiple time because of delegates.
Regards Jonathan
On Tue, Mar 11, 2014 at 12:01 PM, Dynamics AX Workflow Wanderings wrote:
>
Thank you for ur reply Jonathan,,,,!!
Is there any workaround you could suggest ???
Regards,
Alonso