Advance with dialog and substitution/forwarding

[Mike Pokraka]

G'Day all,
A dilemma I've faced on more than one occasion is how to deal with
substitution, forwarding and advance with dialog.
It appears you can make advance with dialog work with passive substitution
OR forwarding, but not both.

Situation: Two tasks should advance with dialog for the same user.

Plan A: If you assign the agent directly to each step, a substitute can
execute both in the same dialog. If step 1 is forwarded however, step 2
goes back to the original agent.

Plan B: Bind "Actual Agent" back to the WF from Step 1 to use as agent for
step 2. That works for forwarding, but not for passive substitution - the
sub executes the item and becomes the next agent, and since (s)he's
adopted a substitution doesn't get the next item until the substitution is
ended (I think this is the bit that should be designed to work).

I'm talking passive substitution obviously, and also a situation where we
are sending items to a specific agent (e.g. document creator, cost centre
approver etc.).
Leaving the second assignment blank - i.e. all possible agents - is hardly
an option because it's a) bad practice, b) won't work in a loop, and c)
doesn't cater for forwarding to non-possible agents.

I have logged this with OSS, as I think a substitute should at least be
able to execute their own items even if they're hidden from view, but I'd
love to hear what you fellow workflowers think.

Any opinions?

Cheers
Mike Pokraka
Senior Consultant
Workflow Connections Ltd.
Mobile: +44 (0)7786 910 855