How to use a Decision Table in a flow with catalog item variables?

[gjz]

I'm converting my workflows to flows and have run into an issue I don't know how to solve.  In several of my workflows, a Switch step is used to determine the next steps in the workflow based on the values of a select box variable on the catalog item.  

I'm comfortable with using Decision Tables, and I think it's a great replacement for Switch steps in workflows, but I don't understand how I can use a variable from the catalog item as the input for a decision table.  Can anyone help me get started?

[gjz]

Hi WazzaJC,  Here is what I did.  In my case, I wanted to use a variable (Request type) to determine which assignment group gets the task.

1. Used the "Get Catalog Variables" action to get the Request type variable to use as input to the decision table.

2.  I needed the display value of the select box, so I created a Flow Variable and retrieved the display value to use for the decision table.  I could also have used in the internal value of the select box, but it isn't as self-documenting and harder to remember if it needs to be changed in the future.

3. Used the Flow Logic "Make a Decision" to call the decision table

4. Used the output from the Decision table to set the assignment group on the RITM.

For the decision table, I used the flow variable as input, the conditions where the various options the flow variable can have, and the results are the assignment group.  The results in the flow can be thought of as output, that is then available to use in the flow. 

[WazzaJC]

@gjz This is excellent, I configured this on my PDI and have it working perfectly now, exactly as per your guidance ! This is exactly the solution I needed, thank you very much, I appreciate all your help ! 🙂 Kindest Regards.

[WazzaJC]

Hi @gjz one final question I have, if at all possible using the above approach. Is there a way to configure/structure the above solution, so that it can handle multiple Variables/Variable Types?

How can we use the script in the Flow Variable and also the Decision Table, so that it can pick up the Variable and then make decisions based off of the Answers to any number of Variables so that the solution can be configured for many catalog items, based on however many Variables are associated to those Catalog Items?

Is this possible using the same/a similar approach?

Many thanks once again @gjz  🙂

[gjz]

Hi @WazzaJC - I imagine you can, but it's not something I've tried.  Without knowing what decision is being made with the decision table, I'm not sure how useful it would be to have a generic decision table; I personally can't think of a case.

I can think of a few approaches:

• Convert all of the flow variables to a string to pass to the decision table
• Create inputs variables on the decision table that encompass all of the variable data types you need.  But, I think this would be too complicated and difficult to create all of the combinations for the data types.  I also think it would be hard to maintain; it's not something I would consider doing.  Sometimes less is more.  
• Create multiple generic decision tables, one for each data type.

Hopefully this will help.

[WazzaJC]

@gjz thanks again very much, I agree and will follow the above approach towards a solution. Many thanks once again 🙂