What Is Queue?
A queue is essentially a repository designed to manage and distribute work items across robots in an automation environment. Each queue can hold multiple work items , which act as individual units of data (e.g., transaction details, customer records, or document information) that the robot processes.
Why use queues?
- Efficient workload distribution: Divide tasks among multiple robots to process data faster and eliminate bottlenecks.
- Scalability: Easily handle increasing volumes of work by adding robots to the queue.
Practical Use Case: Handling Skipped Process Jobs in RPA Hub
Sometimes, a Process job may get skipped due to a busy robot or conflicting priorities. In such scenarios, it’s critical to reassign the task for completion. Let’s walk through a Flow Designer (FD) solution that automates the process of re-queuing skipped jobs.
The flow is triggered when: A process job record is created or updated and the job state is set to "Skipped" .
Steps in the Flow
Step 1: Condition Check - Process Job State
- Check if the process job state equals "Skipped" .
- If true, proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Identify Associated Robot
- Fetch the robot assigned to the process job using the process job record’s information.
- Store the Robot ID for reference in subsequent steps.
Step 3: Check Execution Status in a Loop
- Continuously fetch the state of the process job for the identified robot.
- Wait for 5 seconds between retries to avoid overloading the system.
- Proceed to the next step when: The process job state is not "Running" Or The robot state is "Available" .
Step 4: Trigger Start Process Action
- Once the robot is available or the process job is not running, trigger the Start Process Action to re-queue the process job.
Why This Flow Helps
This automated approach ensures that no work items are left unprocessed due to skipped states. By continuously monitoring the job and robot states, this flow ensures:
- Minimal downtime,
- Improved resource utilization,
- Reliable task completion.
Final Thoughts
Start building smarter workflows today through a powerful combination of Flow Designer + RPA Hub capabilities—and let your robots do the heavy lifting! 💡
