Business process scenario: Travel request and approval

 

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The Travel Request illustrates how WebSphere Portal integrates business process apps managed by WebSphere Process Server to handle corporate travel requests and approvals for company personnel.

Three different business users work with the Travel Request application:

Although each user has a different role within the workflow of the travel request, all of them use WebSphere Portal to complete the request.

  1. The Sales Representative submits a request to travel that requires an airline reservation.

    1. The Sales Representative logs in to the employee portal and finds the Travel Request form, a portlet.

    2. She completes the fields of the Travel Request form, for example, destination, preferred departure date and time, reason for the trip, and other information.

    3. When the Travel Request form is complete, the Sales Representative submits it. The Travel Request Status portlet now displays on the same portal page.

    4. The Sales Representative uses the Travel Request Status portlet to track the status of her request. This portlet confirms the travel request information, displays the current status of the request, and provides a button for canceling the request.

    5. The Manager is notified that a task has been assigned to him, namely, to approve or reject the travel request.

  2. The Manager approves the travel request.

    1. The Manager clicks the task notification link, which opens the Task List portlet provided on the My Tasks page. The Task List displays the tasks that have been assigned to the Manager, including the Approve Travel Request task.

    2. The Manager selects the Approve Travel Request task and clicks Claim.

    3. The Manager clicks the Approve Travel Request task name link to open the task. The Task Processing portlet displays where the manager can view input data fields for the Approve Travel Request task, can view or modify the output data fields for the task, and can choose to Complete, Save, Release, or Cancel the task.

    4. The Manager clicks Complete to approve the task and return to the Task List. The Manager's approval of the travel request causes a status update and a notification:

      • The Travel Request Status portlet refreshes to indicate that the travel request has been approved.

      • The Administrative Assistant receives a notification that a task is pending. The Administrative Assistant must act on the travel request approval by scheduling a flight and purchasing tickets for the Sales Representative.

  3. The Administrative Assistant reviews the flight schedules and purchases airline tickets for the Sales Representative.

    1. Upon receiving the notification that a task is pending, the Administrative Assistant opens his Task List and finds the Purchase Airline Tickets task.

    2. The Administrative Assistant selects the Purchase Airline Tickets task and clicks Claim.

    3. The Administrative Assistant clicks the Purchase Airline Tickets task name link to open the task and view a task page containing a related information portlet and the Task Processing portlet:

      • The Flight Information portlet provides information about available airline flights.

      • The Task Processing portlet for the Purchase Airline Tickets task displays the travel request information that the Sales Representative submitted as input data and the output data fields for entering flight information, for example, the airport for departure, the airport for arrival, the date and time, and the price of the ticket.

    4. After finding the best flight from the Flight Information portlet, the Administrative Assistant completes the output data fields of the Task Processing portlet and clicks Complete to complete the Purchase Airline Tickets task. The Travel Request Status portlet refreshes to indicate that the flight has been reserved for the Sales Representative and airline tickets have been purchased.

  4. The Sales Representative receives notification of her airline reservation and confirmation of her flight information. She opens the Travel Request Status portlet to view her airline reservation and detailed flight information.


Parent topic:

Process integration concepts


Related concepts


Business process concepts