question Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor? in ServiceNow AI Platform forum

When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

peterraeves — Tue, 08 May 2018 22:05:29 GMT

I am learning up on the new Flow Designer / IntegrationHub.

What confuses me is, what this offers more than the workflow editor. It just seems like WEv2, with the same functionality, but with a different UI around it. Though I have to admit that it makes flows easier to create, there is one very big flaw with FD, what makes me think I will not use it often, is the fact that you cannot script the condition...

So in what cases should I best use the WE? And in what cases should I best use the FD?

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Abhishek77 — Tue, 08 May 2018 22:32:44 GMT

The Flow designer is used to reduce scripting so that it can be created easily and understood by non-technical users. It's just that you don't need to have more scripting knowledge to do a flow designer which will reduce the development effort. The same functionality can be achieved by both Flow designer and in Workflow Editor. The only thing is that Flow Designer would have an extension to Integration hub.

please refer to the video on this page https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/kingston-servicenow-platform/page/administer/flow-designer/concept/flow-designer.html

Please hit correct based on impact of response.

Thanks!

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

peterraeves — Tue, 08 May 2018 23:01:09 GMT

Workflow Editor has the same extension, called Orchestration 😉

Okay, so basically I should see FD as the 'ServiceNow Express' variant of WE.

The issue is, that if you would try to create a flow with FD and notice that you do need some scripting, you really need to completely start over in WE. So I am not sure, whether I would want to take the risk wasting time there. I really hope there will come an 'advanced' version in one of the upcoming releases, as I do see a lot of potential in the FD.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

peterraeves — Tue, 08 May 2018 23:01:21 GMT

Workflow Editor has the same extension, called Orchestration 😉

Okay, so basically I should see FD as the 'ServiceNow Express' variant of WE.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Abhishek77 — Thu, 10 May 2018 06:14:41 GMT

Yes, I agree. 🙂

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

mary_lindell — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 17:32:46 GMT

There are two main reasons to use flow designer:

1) When the logic of an activity is largely sequential, A -> B -> C, with few if any logic branches. Then, flow designer is a quick and easy way to create and test workflow.

2) Certain stakeholders will prefer or require no-code methods for creating common logic. For instance, trigger a notification for a specialized reason or for data cleansing. This can be an easy way to delegate work to the SME most familiar with a process and the data. Basically, you can think of Flow Designer as a no-code way to do a scheduled job to process data in a batch fashion or a business rule to trigger some workflow; and even standard integrations using integrationHub.

I hope this provides some clarity.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Arun81 — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 22:30:52 GMT

Flow Designer is a cool stuff and it is going to change the way developers do their work going forward.

So far below are the two rules i am following for Flow Designer:

If you starting newly you should start with the Flow Designer.
If your change requests require larger implementation in the already existing use-case you can start with Flow Designer

Think of Flow Logics as the lego structures and Action Logics are the lego blocks - Once you started using it you gonna love it and will start building cool use cases down the line.

Enabling the Administrators and Process owners to build their automation use cases themself (without the knowledge of scripting) is just one use case.

The real goal behind the invention of FD is: Getting rid of silos, Discoverability, Re-Usability,Run on Mid Server

Replacing silos not only for customer it is for developers as well - One place for Automation

With flow designer all the automation come down to single place - Business Rules , Schedule Jobs, Workflows,Orchestrations, Inbound/Outbound Rest Integrations will be a thing of past

Discoverability

How many of you (Architects) have maintained the list of script includes and their use-case and reference it during the code review and caught your developers that they re-invented something which already in-place. This is a thing of past now. Since All the (scripted) customization are available at single place. Developers can spend their precious time time in building the new stuff.

Re-use

Very common problem in organization that over a period of time having we end-up with so many script includes at the end of the day we will came to know that many of them does the same stuff, each developer tend to develop their own script includes without knowing there is something already one available. This is a thing of past as we can create a Reusable Action Logics which serves as a building blocks for Flow Logics.

Mid Server

You might come across that you would needed to run your transaction in the Mid Server. With FD you can run it in Instance as well as MidServer

Madrid adds more cool stuffs to the Flow Designer and one of them is the new application Decision Tables.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

patricklatella — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 17:45:27 GMT

Has anyone experienced the issue where an "Ask For Approval" step in a Flow is resetting later in the Flow? I've got a 1st and 2nd approvals with different approvers. The first approval runs fine. But then when the 2nd "Ask For Approval" runs, it is resetting all the approvals in the 1st "Ask For Approval" back to "Requested". Each "Ask For Approval" has a different set of users. Anyone know what's happening here? Thanks!

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Sudhanshu Talw1 — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 17:47:49 GMT

Give at least 5-10 sec wait for condition. It is a workaround i read on a knowledge article.

Thanks

Sudhanshu

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

patricklatella — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 17:49:12 GMT

Thanks Sudhanshu for the tip...after which Step should I put that?

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Sudhanshu Talw1 — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 17:50:02 GMT

Between two consecutive approvals activities. Try it once & if it worked let me know.

I didn't get chance to implement it.

Thanks

Sudhanshu

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

patricklatella — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 18:13:55 GMT

Is this field necessary for the timer? I just want the timer to always run.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

patricklatella — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 21:19:37 GMT

Hi Sudhanshu,

the timer is not preventing the problem...it's still taking the 1st approvals that were already approved, and changing them back to "Requested". This seems like a bug with Flow Designer?

This is one of the approvals from the 1st "Ask For Approval", can you see it got changed back to "Requested" when the 2nd "Ask For Approval" ran.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Hitoshi Ozawa — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 00:18:42 GMT

>s the fact that you cannot script the condition

Concept and how to workflow design is different between Flow Designer and Workflow.

To use script in condition in Flow Designer, you'll need to create a custom Action that return True/False.

The result can then be used in the If step.

Comparing Flow Designer with Workflow is like comparing Workflow with Script. Most of the things that can be done with Workflow can also be done by just scripting too.

There's still many places where Workflow is used. When using them, it's still necessary to use Workflow.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Sudhanshu Talw1 — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 02:09:21 GMT

Then try with if condition:

Like if first approval is approved then ask for second approval: Let's give it a try as well.

Thanks

Sudhanshu

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Geoff_T — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 08:22:34 GMT

Hey, I was having this issue. This thread has the solution:

https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community_question&sys_id=ca67881fdb3018145ed4a851ca9619c2

Thanks

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

phoenix516 — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 15:27:00 GMT

Any one know if Workflow Editor is expected to be End of Life by a certain date?

Was the intent to migrate off Workflow Editor to Flow Designer?

If so, I need an enhancement request to be able to write complex scripts in flow designer lol.

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

Gaurav Shirsat — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 17:45:41 GMT

Hi Phoenix

from the New York Release, Workflow is an Legacy Product of ServiceNow.

https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/paris-servicenow-platform/page/administer/workflow/concept/c_WorkflowOverview.html

If we look into the Pros and Cons of Workflow v/s Flow Designer.

Flow Designer:-

flow designer, flow refers to different components like action, actions steps and spokes.

Important factor for Integration Hub

NO Coding

Can not be preferred for Complex Process.

Slower than BR, Workflow.

Importance of Flow Designer for Integration Hub:-

Promotes reusability by providing a reusable flow component library. Reduces upgrade costs by substituting complex custom scripts and safe platform logic. Enables hassle-free integrations with external instances and other third-party applications with Integration Hub subscription.

Workflow:-

Workflow is used to automate business process flow using tasks, notifications, approvals.

Biggest Advantage is Use of Script or we can call any server side script.

Works Fluent in any Complex Process.

Faster than Flow Designer.

https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/paris-servicenow-platform/page/administer/workflow/concept/c_WorkflowOverview.html

Please Mark Correct and Helpful

Thanks and Regards

Gaurav Shirsat

Re: When to use Flow Designer vs Workflow Editor?

phoenix516 — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 17:25:49 GMT

When you call something 'Legacy' it usually implies an end of life.

All the references I read regarding the timelines of the Workflow editor just 'Code Shame' the Workflow editor without really stating if it is going away, as you would expect something 'Legacy' to.

Is there a documented end of life date is what I ask the community, as I am yet to find one.

---------------------------

Regarding functionality of one vs the other, I see the integration hub being the key selling point along with the ability to build logic scriptlessly (is that even a word? it should be).

I see why the advertisements against the use of the Workflow Editor are there, if one does not pay attention to best practices. To your points the Workflow Editor (given the right MID Servers) is capable of more than just tasks, notifications, and approvals. I have yet to find something I could not code around. The idea if giving up my scripting freedoms really disappoints.
#MakeServiceNowGreatAgain <-- Is that too much lol.