For each workflow, you must explicitly define the first eligible workflow step.

Workflow steps are events that are linked together to form a complete workflow. The basic types of workflow step include:

• Decision. Decision steps represent manual activities performed outside of PPM. For example, a user or group of users approves a request.

• Execution. Execution steps represent actions that are automated through PPM. For example, a web page is updated with the results of a test.

• Condition. Condition steps are logic steps used in complex workflow processing. For example, you can set up a condition step that allows the workflow to proceed only after each workflow step is completed.

• Subworkflows. A subworkflow step represents multiple workflows steps (the subworkflow) in a workflow. For example, a test workflow step in the main workflow represents a series of tests and approvals.

The results of workflow step that must be communicated to another workflow step. A transition occurs after a workflow step is completed.

For example:

• The result of a decision step is Approved or Not Approved.

• The transition for a step labeled Analysis and Design (for a software application) could be Completed or Needs More Work.

Because a single step can have several possible results, you can define multiple outgoing transitions for each workflow step.

Workflow step security determines who has permission to execute or choose a result for a workflow step. For example, you can specify that only the IT project manager can approve or deny an Approve Request decision step.

Notifications are email alerts sent out at specific workflow steps. For example, when a request reaches an Approve Request decision step in the workflow, an email alert is sent to the product manager.