Managing Windchill Processes
Windchill provides you with the following types of Windchill data processes that can be used with the business objects stored in Windchill:
• A life cycle process defines a set of phases and gates that manage the life of an object as it progresses from conception to obsolescence.
• A workflow process defines rules which allow workflow participants to view and pass along information, tasks, and documents.
• A change process establishes how to get changes made to parts and many other data types including documents, document soft types, and product instances.
These three processes work together to help you manage data. Workflows are often used to drive the life cycle. That is, the workflow process is used to transition from one life cycle state to another. In most cases, a workflow process is initiated from a life cycle. In any case, life cycle-managed objects obtain a life cycle when they are created. In obtaining a life cycle, an object can have a workflow process instance created as well. Change objects are life cycle-managed objects. Each change object starts a change process when it obtains its life cycle.
Use the
Life Cycle Template Administration utility to manage the life cycle templates that can be used. For details on managing life cycle templates, see
Life Cycles.
Use the
Workflow Template Administration utility to manage the workflow templates that can be used. For details on managing workflow templates, see
Workflow.