Boundary Timer Event

Add, copy, delete, change the color, and configure Boundary Timer Event elements in your Process model.

Don't Know What a Boundary Timer Event Element Is?

See Process Modeling Element Descriptions for a description of the Boundary Timer Event element.

Add a Boundary Timer Event Element to the Process Model

Permissions

Your user account or group membership must have the following permissions to configure a Boundary Timer Event element in the Process model unless your user account has the Make this user a Super Admin setting selected:

  • Processes: Edit Processes

  • Processes: View Processes

See the Process permissions or ask your Administrator for assistance.

Follow these steps to add a Boundary Timer Event element to the Process model:

  1. Add one of the following Process model elements or connectors to your Process model in which to associate with the Boundary Timer Event element:

  2. From the Boundary Events drop-down menu, select the Boundary Timer Event option. The Boundary Timer Event element displays on the top of its associating element/connector.

Boundary Timer Event element associated with a Form Task element

After placing the Boundary Timer Event element, you may drag it to an adjacent side of its associating element/connector. Since Process Modeler displays labels at the bottom of Process model elements and connectors, the Boundary Timer Event element displays best at the bottom of its associating element.

Settings

The Boundary Timer Event element has the following panels that contain settings:

Configuration Panel Settings

Edit the Element Name

An element name is a human-readable reference for a Process element. Process Modeler automatically assigns the name of a Process element with its element type. However, an element's name can be changed.

Follow these steps to edit the name for a Boundary Timer Event element:

  1. Select the Boundary Timer Event element from the Process model in which to edit its name.

  2. Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. The Name setting displays. This is a required setting.

  3. In the Name setting, edit the selected element's name and then press Enter.

Interrupt the Best-Case Scenario Workflow

Indicate whether the Boundary Timer Event element interrupts the best-case scenario workflow:

  • Interrupting workflow: When workflow routes through the Boundary Timer Event element, workflow is interrupted and does not route through the best-case scenario. As highlighted in the example below, workflow routes through the Boundary Timer Event element if the Manual Task element does not complete within 30 minutes.

  • Non-interrupting workflow: Workflow routes both through the Boundary Timer Event element and the best-case scenario, thereby creating parallel workflow in that Request. As highlighted in the example below, workflow routes through the Boundary Timer Event element if the Manual Task element does not complete within 30 minutes; however, workflow also routes through the best-case scenario when that element completes.

Follow these steps to indicate if this Boundary Timer Event element interrupts the best-case scenario workflow when it triggers:

  1. Select the Boundary Timer Event element from the Process model in which to indicate if it interrupts the best-case scenario workflow. Panels to configure this element display.

  2. Expand the Configuration panel if it is not presently expanded, and then locate the Interrupting setting.

  3. From the Interrupting checkbox, indicate whether this Boundary Timer Event element interrupts the best-case scenario workflow when it triggers. When the Interrupting checkbox is selected, which is the default setting, this element interrupts the best-case scenario workflow.

Timing Control Panel Settings

Set the Timing Controls

When a Boundary Timer Event element is placed into a Process model, it is set to trigger in one (1) hour before workflow routes through it unless its associative element completes before then. If this is not the timing control setting you want, the Boundary Timer Event element must be configured. Set the timer controls for a Boundary Timer Event element using one of the following methods:

  • Set an interval in which to delay routing workflow through the Boundary Timer Event element in a specified number of days, weeks, months, or years (unless its associative element completes before the delay expires).

  • Set the date and hour when the Boundary Timer Event element routes workflow through it (unless its associative element completes before that date and hour arrives).

Follow these steps to set the timer controls for a Boundary Timer Event element:

  1. Select the Boundary Timer Event element from the Process model in which to set its timer controls.

  2. Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.

  3. Expand the Timing Control panel if it is not presently expanded. The Type setting displays.

  4. Do one of the following to set the timer control:

    • Set the timer when workflow routes through the Boundary Timer Event element: From the Type drop-down menu, select the Delay option. Delay is the default setting. From the Delay setting, select the delay to route workflow through the Boundary Timer Event element unless its associative element completes. 1 hour is the default setting. Then select one of the following time periods for that element to trigger:

      • Minute

      • Hour (default setting)

      • Day

      • Month

    • Set date and time when workflow routes through the Boundary Timer Event element: From the Type drop-down menu, select the Date/Time option. The Wait until specific date/time setting displays.  

      From the Wait until specific date/time setting, use the date control to select the date and time to route workflow through the Boundary Timer Event element unless its associative element completes. If this setting has not been previously set, the current date is the default.  

Advanced Panel Settings

Edit the Node's Identifier Value

Process Modeler automatically assigns a unique value to each Process node added to a Process model. However, a node's identifier value can be changed if it is unique to all other nodes in the Process model, including the Process model's identifier value.

All identifier values for all nodes in the Process model must be unique.

Follow these steps to edit the identifier value for a Boundary Timer Event element:

  1. Select the Boundary Timer Event element from the Process model in which to edit its identifier value.

  2. Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.

  3. Expand the Advanced panel if it is not presently expanded. The Node Identifier setting displays. This is a required setting.

  4. In the Node Identifier setting, edit the Boundary Timer Event element's identifier to a unique value from all nodes in the Process model and then press Enter.

Documentation Panel Settings

Edit the Element's Description Displayed in Process Documentation

Describe the element's purpose and how it functions in the Process. This description does not affect Requests for the Process, but may be useful for Process model maintenance such as how the element is configured. Edit information by using the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) rich text editor.

A Process's entered documentation displays by selecting the View Documentation icon for that Process.

Follow these steps to edit the description for an element:

  1. Select the element from the Process model in which to edit its description.

  2. Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.

  3. Expand the Documentation panel if it is not presently expanded. The Description setting displays.

  4. In the Description setting, edit the information to display when viewing documentation for this element and then press Enter. Alternatively, use the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) rich text editor to stylize your text by clicking the More icon.

    Follow these guidelines to use the WYSIWYG rich text editor to stylize your text:

    • Undo changes: Click on theicon to undo the last action.

    • Redo changes: Click on theicon to redo the last undone action.

    • Insert/Edit Link: Click on theicon to convert the selected text into a hyperlink. Follow these steps to create a hyperlink:

      1. Select the required text from the Rich Text control.

      2. Click on theicon. The Insert/Edit Link screen displays.

      3. In the URL setting, enter the destination URL.

      4. In the Text to display setting, edit or enter the text displayed in the Rich Text control.

      5. In the Title setting, enter the text to display when a user hovers over the displayed text.

      6. From Open link in… drop-down menu, select one of these options:

        • New window: Select this option to open the destination page in a new browser window.

        • Current window: Select this option to open the destination page in the current browser window.

    • Insert/Edit Image: Click on the Insert/Edit Image iconto insert an image. Follow these guidelines:

      1. Click on the Insert/Edit Image icon.

      2. The Insert/Edit Image screen displays:

      3. In the Source setting, enter a URL for the image.

      4. In the Alternative Description setting, enter the text to display if the source URL of the image is not accessible.

      5. In the Width setting, enter the maximum width for the image.

      6. In the Height setting, enter the maximum height for the image.

      7. Toggle the Constrain Proportions iconto maintain the width-height ratio of the image to its original proportion.

      8. Click Save.

    • Insert Page Break for PDF: Click on the Insert Page Break for PDF iconto insert a page break when a PDF document is created for this documentation if your browser supports this feature.

    • Format text: Follow these guidelines to format text:

      • Headings: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Headings and then select a heading size.

      • Bold: Do one of the following:

        • From the editor toolbar, select theicon.

        • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Bold.

      • Italics: Do one of the following:

        • From the editor toolbar, select theicon.

        • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Italic.

      • Underline: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Underline.

      • Strikethrough: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Strikethrough.

      • Superscript: From the Paragraph/ Formats menu, select Inline and then Superscript.

      • Subscript: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Subscript.

      • Code: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Code.

      • Paragraph: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Paragraph.

      • Blockquote: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Blockquote.

      • Division: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Div.

      • Preformatted:  From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Pre.

      • Change text color: Use the Text Color drop-down to change text color. Click on theicon. The color palette displays. Do one of the following:

        • Select one of the color swatches from the color palette. The selected text changes to that color.

          • Click theicon to select a custom color from the Color Picker.

          • Click theicon to reset the text to its default color.

      • Align text: Follow these guidelines to align text:

        • Left align: Do one of the following:

          • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to left-align text.

          • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Left.

        • Center align: Do one of the following:

          • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to center-align text.

          • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Center.

        • Right align: Do one of the following:

          • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to right-align text.

          • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Right.

        • Justify: Do one of the following:

          • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to justify text.

          • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Justify.

      • Insert a bullet list: Use theicon to format text as a bulleted list.

      • Insert a numbered list:  Use theicon to format text as a numbered list.

      • Indent text: Click on theicon to increase text indenting.

      • Outdent text: Click on theicon to decrease text indenting.