Personnel Action PF question

No, you don't have to create 14 separate PFs. 

For each service, you define the flow (the process) to be associated with that service. That flow is a single processflow design. This is assuming you've got a similar approval and logic process for your personnel actions. Now within that single flow you can build logic which is specific to each personnel action.

On the other hand if you've got a unique approval process or logic, one for each action, you may in fact want to have a separate flow for each action.

We have chosen to have separate PF's for each action code because each work flow is different - even the MSS and back-office versions of the same kind of actions. It would have been very complex to try to handle them all in a single flow (even if it were possible). Consider also, if they are all in a single flow, then you would have to retest all of them even if a small change was made to (what you thought was) only one of them.

I am on my sixth now.

I hadn't thought about testing for modifications in the future. That's a good point. Maybe I should rethink if I really want one PF or multiple. Since I'm new at this...there's a LOT to think about! Thanks for the info everyone!

We run 33 different flows (getting ready to move #34 & 35 to production) producing 3000-5000 workunits daily. Our flows contain anywhere from 50 to 500 nodes.

Besides the testing aspect, trying to use a single flow to handle different PAs is the worst thing you could do, leaves no room for when the users say "ya know, we need x PA to process differently than the rest, make it happen". It shouldn't matter to the end users what the ProcessFlow is called as long as it gives them what they want.

Start small & simple, then build from there. Trust me - you'll be glad you did and so will your testing group.

Also consider how difficult it could be to quickly find the right work unit for problem investigation - looking at hundreds of "ALLPAAS" to find the one you want is much harder than looking for the "PAYCHG" or "FTECHG" work unit.

How long does it take for you all to develop and deploy a PAN processflow?

Thanks

It depends entirely on the complexity. The technical development, once you've done a few, can go pretty fast (a day or two maybe, including prelim testing). But I've found it to be a very iterative process, with the customers deciding on different criteria during testing, and thinking of lots of "bells and whistles" that add further complexity to the flow. Then the pilot user group gets a shot, and that often results in more changes. The retesting takes the most time - depending on where a change is made, many or all of the flow paths may need to be retested. The entire process can take weeks.

RoxanneS: What did you end you doing? Are you in production with any of your 14 processes yet?

Our consultant suggested going with one PF and since he's the expert and I'm the rookie...we ended up with one PF and branched by the Personnel Action codes and then by the Process Levels into the correct inbaskets. Just went into production Sunday and, so far, everything looks good.

Don't see any problems with finding the correct workunit since the workunit number appears in the inbaskets and PF Administrator shows the PA code (Work Title) for each workunit. Plus, all the workunits for this PF goes to the same folder in PF Administrator so that helps keep them organized, too.