What is a Decision Table?

Understand what a Decision Table is in ProcessMaker Platform.

Overview

A Decision Table is a two-dimensional grid that outlines the different possible business conditions that can occur for a particular data output. The data output then affects the workflow routing for any Request that references that decision table. The Decision Table represents business rules from which to evaluate how to route Requests for a Process.

Decision Tables are Decision Model and Notation (DMN) files. DMN is a standard notation to model and run decisions in business contexts, used by business analysts, developers, and Process designers to manage complex decision-making scenarios.

Use Decision Task connectors to run Decision Tables in your Processes. Specify which Decision Table(s) to run, thereby evaluating their business rules, and then map how data routes between Request variables to and from Decision Table variables.

Decision Task connectors immediately evaluate the business rules within a specified Decision Table, thereby affecting Request workflow routing in real time with the current conditions and outcomes for all decisions in that Decision Table.

See Components of a Decision Table for more information.

Below is an example of a Decision Table for Loan Request Approval Rules as edited in Decision Table Editor.

An example Decision Table for Loan Request Approval rules as edited in Decision Table Editor

Why Use Decision Tables?

Decision Tables provide the following benefits versus only use BPMN elements to determine workflow routing:

• Design complex sets of business rules more easily and with greater readability and transparency than using Gateway-type elements with Sequence Flow elements to determine workflow routing.

• Decision Tables require no coding experience, allow most Process designers to easily design business rules.

• Unlike BPMN elements, Decision Tables function independently of Process models. Similarly to Scripts, Screens, and Collections, Decision Tables are referenced from within Process models, thereby making them reusable and more flexible than only using BPMN elements.

• Decision Tables are referenced from Rule Task connectors in a Process model. One Rule Task connector may reference multiple Decision Tables to determine complex routing decisions.

Related Topics

pageBest Practices to Design Decision TablespageManage Decision Tables