About Flow Sets

Flow and rule sets are a common set of rules and flows that can be parameterized or customized based on context without the need to copy or rewrite them. The Flow Set allows you to define a number of rules or flows that can work together. These define the process that you would like to follow that will be known as the base set.

Once a flow set is defined in the base set, a subset can be created. This allows a change in the process to be added to a group of flows and rules without the need to recreate each item. The subset has the ability to alter input data, which rules are applied, and which processing elements should remain. The process will stay the same, but the context of each subset can be modified for the situation.

An example of this would be through a loan processing company. By defining a base flow set, you can set the process of how you would like to approve loans and apply rules to the data. However, with a large company, there may be a difference in how you would like to approve the loan. For example, the loan approval requirements in one state may be different than the ones in a separate state. Although the main flow approving process is the same, you can specify the subset and change some of the context per state.

Here is an example of how to create a flow set:

Note: In order to use Flow Sets, you must have the Flow Sets Module Installed

1. Create a basic designer project
2. All > Create Flow Set – This creates the base

1. Edit base flow and set its input. (ex: Monthly Usage data). Call the Flow Set: Process Monthly Usage Data.
   1. Now you can add a Passthrough, Logical Rule Flow, or a Processing Flow.     
      1. Passthrough flows will input and output the same data.
         1. Best Used for wanting to massage or manipulate data
      2. Logical Rule Flows are used to apply logic based rules to data and manipulate
         1. Best Used for validation or checking of data.
      3.  Processing flows will be able to call other flows that will run asynchronously.
         1. Best Used when you would like to run lots of processes and change data.

1. Calculate Overage Flow Demo
   1. At the Base, you can add additional inputs as described above for what you would like to calculate. (eg. Income, Expenses, Additional Responsibilities, etc)
   2. Create a Process Flow and Name it “Process for Last Month”
      1. No other inputs
      2. Create a contract named “Sales Force.”
      3. To the sales force contract, you have the ability to edit it. This will show the 2 flows that are in the base. Set the inputs. You can parameterize customers differently at any time.
      4. Create new flow “Sales Force Custom” passthrough flow. Can have any # of contracts and parameterize them differently, or remove a flow they don’t care about.
      5. Go Back to the Base project – Run Flow set component.
         1. Takes in a template. Select the service source project template.
            1.  Rule Set ID – “Sales Force”
            2. Account (input data)

1. Output data – will be for each. The parameters are set by the contract (you’re just running the flows in the sales force folder and any flows specified in the base flow).

There are many applications that flow sets can be used for. For Example: You can create a loan processing engine and want to process loans multiple banks. There are common flows, but then for each of those customers, we have slightly different parameters. Ex: credit score minimum for a loan.

The result of the first pass through flow is passed in to the next flow. These flows run in sequence until all flows have run.

Additional Resources

• Integrating Decisions with External Oracle Database