Upcoming AX2012 Workflow Apps and Features

I was recently pointed to this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UJpCe_7sk0k from msdyncomm highlighting some very cool upcoming features for workflow in Dynamics AX 2012. I reviewed it this morning and was very encouraged to see the direction that workflow is going in. Workflow should make users lives simpler and more streamlined and the features highlighted will certainly go a long way in accomplishing this goal.

Approve Workflow Items Via Email

This is now officially my 100th post to my Dynamics AX Workflow Wanderings blog and I thought I would take the opportunity to present a fantastic little add on product for workflow that our company has been using extensively with our various clients.

The product provides Dynamics AX users the ability to approve Dynamics AX 2009 work items from any email client regardless of operating system or mobile platform. This means that you can use it from Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, Outlook, Apple Mac etc… Its as easy as sending email. Whats more is it doesn’t require any form of app to be installed on users devices, it just works!

Some of the features/advantages

• Easy and quick to setup in Dynamics AX. It can be setup in a very short space of time, which means no expensive installation costs.
• There are no complex inter app communications, webservices or network configurations that need to be done as its all handled in AX. Simply install the provided XPO and DLLs, setup your email account information and activate a batch job.
• Detailed processing information available, to help track how users are interacting with the system
• Resend email notification functionality
• Add comments history to email templates.
• Lower load on your system as users to not have to login to approve every workitem.
• Quicker turn around time on workflows as workitems can be approved from anywhere.
• Asynchronous approvals.

How do I get it?

• We’ve tried to make it super easy to get hold of this product, so you can visit http://merpi.axnosis.com/emailer.php and click on the buy button to purchase it immediately via Paypal.
• If you prefer the old fashioned route you can mail us on mobile@axnosis.com for a formal quote, demo or anything else you require.

Workflow iPhone Application

Hi all.

Today’s post is hopefully going to be a little different from all the normal posts that I have here at workflowax. I am very excited to post a short demo of some R&D I have been doing for workflow in AX. It all started when I first got an iPhone about a year ago now and was blown away by both the simplicity of the interface and the amazing smoothness of use (much credit to the capacitive touch screen). The iPhone really got my mind thinking about how I could apply this to the area of ERP, AX and workflow in specific. So recently I got exploring how to do development on iphones and as a proof of concept decided to create a workflow approver for Dynamics AX 2009.

The basic idea is for users to be able to have an email like list of all current workitems posted for their attention. They should then have all the necessary information to make an informed decision about what action to take and then perform the necessary action. All of this should be able to function off the current workflow framework, configurations etc… provided in Dynamics AX without any modifications.

The result: an amazingly simple and easy to use mobile workflow approver. Here’s a short screen cast of how the application functions. (i’ve used the iPhone emulator on mac to make the screencast easier)

As always please post your thoughts or comments below!

Happy Daxing.

Update: some screenshots of the application:

Workflow History