Enhance Modularity and Reusability in Workflows by using Subflow Tasks

The management of methods or processes can be challenging when they contain numerous tasks and complex dependencies. Managing complexity and tracking progress can be daunting without clear visualization of tasks and their relationships. A simplified hierarchical structure can greatly improve this type of scenario.
A subflow is a specialized task designed to embed an entire workflow within another workflow. Previously, the functionality was limited to nesting individual tasks within a workflow. This new capability, introduced with subflow tasks, allows for greater modularity and organization by enabling the inclusion of complete workflows as a single, manageable unit within a larger workflow structure. 

Let's explore its impact through a real-life example. 
Imagine your company uses two main workflows: Employee Payroll and Eligible Carry Forward Leaves. Both of these main workflows contain a common subflow task called Approved Leaves. 

Scenario:

Main Workflow 1: Employee Payroll 
When an employee's payroll needs to be processed, the Employee Payroll workflow is initiated. As part of this process, the system needs to know which leaves have been approved for the current pay period to calculate accurate deductions or adjustments. This information is retrieved by running the Approved Leaves subflow task. 

Main Workflow 2: Eligible Carry Forward Leaves 
​At the end of a financial year, the Eligible Carry Forward Leaves workflow is triggered to determine how many leave days an employee can carry forward to the next year. To do this, the system needs a comprehensive record of all approved leaves taken throughout the year. Similar to the Employee Payroll workflow, this information is retrieved by running the Approved Leaves subflow task. 

Common subflow task: Approved Leaves 
The Approved Leaves is a standardized and reusable subflow task that encapsulates the various tasks involved in managing approved leave requests. It contains the following tasks: ● Maternity Leaves: This task processes and records approved maternity leave periods. ● Sick Leaves: This task processes and records approved sick leave periods. ● Approved by Manager: This task acts as a confirmation step, ensuring that all leave entries processed within this subflow have received the necessary managerial approval. 

How it works: 
When either the Employee Payroll or Eligible Carry Forward Leaves main workflow needs information about approved leaves, they run the Approved Leaves task. This task then runs its internal tasks (Maternity Leaves, Sick Leaves, Approved by Manager) to gather and confirm the relevant leave data. Once completed, the Approved Leaves task returns the necessary information to the calling main workflow. 
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This approach ensures consistency in how approved leaves are handled across different organizational processes, reduces redundancy, and simplifies maintenance. For example, if the company introduces a new type of approved leave, only the Approved Leaves subflow needs to be updated, rather than modifying multiple main workflows. 

Subflow tasks enable the reuse of workflows across various scenarios. By encapsulating a workflow containing related tasks within a single subflow task, you create a reusable component that can be applied in different contexts and processes, promoting efficiency and consistency. 
Previously, data transfer was limited to individual tasks within a workflow. Now, with the subflow task type, you can transfer data between entire workflows, enhancing flexibility and integration.

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Cherian T M, Senior Technical Writer at HCL Software
Cherian T M is a dedicated technical writer who transforms complex software features into clear, accessible content. With expertise in creating documentation, engaging blog posts, and informational videos, he specializes in making new product capabilities easy for users to understand and adopt.  
​When not charting the latest feature release, he enjoys the active pursuits of playing cricket, finding new perspectives through solo motorcycle rides, and diving into a good book or planning a new travel itinerary.

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