A shape in a process represents a task that a user or application completes as part of a business process. By connecting different types of shapes in a process, you can define the path that a case follows from creation to resolution.
Note: Flow shapes of the Automations category are available only for processes that belong to a Work- class and its subclasses. If you configure a process that belongs to a Data- or Rule- class, the number of available automation shapes is restricted.| Name | Description | Image |
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| Assignment | Creates a task in a work queue or worklist so that a user can provide input to the process. For example, you can collect income information and banking history from a customer in a loan request review process. For more information, see Collecting information from a user. |  |
| Decision | Evaluates an expression or calls a rule, such as a decision tree, to determine which step is next in the process progression. For example, in a loan request process, the case might follow multiple paths depending on the loan amount. see Adding decisions to processes. |  |
| Subprocess | Calls another process from the current process. For example, in a hiring process, you can add a subprocess of running a background check. For more information, see Subprocesses. |  |
| Utility | Calls an activity or an automation. By using the Utility shape, you can perform processing, such as computations or data retrieval, without human input. For more information, see Calling an activity or automation from a process. Note: The Utility shape is available only in Dev Studio. |  |
| Start | Designates the start of the process. For more information about the advanced configuration options, see steps from 3 to 11 in Creating a screen flow. |  |
| End | Designates the end of the process. |  |
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Automations |
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| Attach content | Attaches a file or an URL to a case. You can select different types of files to attach. For example, in a hiring process, you can attach scanned university diplomas of a job candidate. For more information, see Attaching content to a case. |  |
| Change to a stage | Moves a case to a specific stage that you select. For example, in a hiring process, you can move a case to an optional stage for an additional interview. For more information, see Moving a case to a different stage. |  |
| Change to next stage | Moves a case to the next stage. For example, in a hiring process, after a job candidate provides necessary documents, a stage moves to the next stage in which a human resources worker reviews the documents. By default, a case moves to the next stage after all the assignments in a current stage are complete. Use this shape when you want to move the case before completing some assignments. For more information, see Stages in a case life cycle. | |
| Create case | Creates a top-level case or one or more child cases. For example, in a car accident insurance request review, you can create a child case to review vehicle damage. For more information, see Creating contextual cases. |  |
| Create PDF | Creates a PDF file from a specified section and attaches the file to the case. For example, in a car accident review request, you can create a PDF file with information about a vehicle damage. For more information, see Attaching screen captures to a case. |  |
| Generate document | Generates a document that stores information from a case. You can select which fields that correspond with case data you want to include in the documents. For example, in a hiring process, you can generate a document that stores personal details of a candidate, the interview score, and a decision about accepting a candidate. For more information, see Generating case documents. |  |
| Persist case | Converts a temporary case to a permanent object in the database. For example, in a hotel booking system, an application creates a temporary case when a user logs in. If the user changes any booking details, the application persists the case to retain data. For more information, see Persisting temporary cases. |  |
| Save data page | Saves case information as a separate data page so that you can reuse data outside of a case. The information needs to come from a savable data page or an autopopulated property that points to the savable data page. After an update, an application saves the updated information to the same specified data page. For example, in an onboarding case, you can store information about a new hire, such as an office location or requested equipment, as a data page, and then reuse this information in other places of your application that require a data page. For more information, see Saving data in a data page as part of a case life cycle. Note: The Save data page shape is available only in Dev Studio. |  |
| Load data page | Preloads a data page with information that your application displays to users. As a result, case processing is faster, and users avoid waiting for an application to load data on demand. For example, in an onboarding case, an application can preload a data page that stores information about equipment that a new hire requests before a worker who processes the case needs to view the information. For more information, see Preloading a data page. Note: The Load data page shape is available only in Dev Studio. |  |
| Post to Pulse | Creates a message that is sent to the Pulse social stream. For example, when a customer service representative (CSR) collects additional details from a customer, they can post a message to inform other stakeholders that the case involves. For more information, see Posting messages to a case. |  |
| Push notification | Sends a notification to an iOS or Android mobile device to indicate that a case requires a user action. For example, when a hiring process moves to a stage where a hiring manager needs to accept or reject a candidate, the manager receives a notification. For more information, see Sending push notifications from cases. |  |
| Run data transform | Calls a data transform to convert data from one format and class to another format and class. For example, while processing a purchase order, you can populate the shipping address with the data that the user provides as their billing address. For more information, see Calling a data transform from a case. | |
| Send email | Sends an email to one or more work parties. For example, in a hiring process, a job candidate can receive an email with a summary of the process. For more information, see Sending automatic emails from cases. |  |
| Send notification | Sends a notification to users over one or more channels based on the configurations that you define. For example, in a loan request review, you can notify a customer when a case moves forward and changes its status. For more information, see Sending event notifications from cases. |  |
| Update a case | Updates a selected case or all child cases with details that you select. For example, at a certain point of a loan request review, you can update the case urgency to a higher value to ensure that the case meets the resolution on time. For more information, see Updating case information. |  |
| Approval | Routes a case to one or more reviewers for an approval, based on a user name, reporting structure, or authority matrix. For example, in a hiring process, to hire a candidate for a managerial position, a case might require an approval from multiple managers on different levels. For more information, see Requesting approval from users. |  |
| Search duplicate cases | Returns a list of cases that are similar to a current case based on criteria that you provide. For example, if a customer creates a loan request similar to another loan request from the same customer that is still in progress, you can find and then close the second request. For more information, see Searching duplicate cases. |  |
| Wait | Pauses an assignment for a specified length of time or until one or more cases reach a specific status. For example, in a hiring process, you can pause the case until a human resources worker finishes a background check of a candidate. For more information, see Pausing and resuming processes in cases. |  |
| Questionnaire | Runs a questionnaire child case that asks users a set of questions in various formats. For example, you can provide a text box in which users can enter their answers directly, or create a radio button matrix, so that users can select their answers from a group of radio buttons. For more information, see Running a questionnaire in a case. |  |
| Question | Asks users a question in a format that your business process requires, such as plain text, a picklist, or a slider, and saves the answer in a case or system property. As a result, you can selectively capture user input without the formal structure of a questionnaire. For example, in an insurance process, a case worker asks a customer about the type of insurance claim that they want to make. For more information, see Asking a question in a case. Note: The Question shape is available only in Dev Studio. |  |
| Question page | Asks users a group of related questions in various formats that your business process requires, such as plain text, a picklist, or a slider, and saves the answers in case of system properties. For example, in a sales call, a telemarketer asks a customer a set of questions about their hobbies, and then uses the answers to provide only relevant products. For more information, see Asking a group of related questions in a case. Note: The Question page shape is available only in Dev Studio. |  |
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Advanced shapes available only in Dev Studio |
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| Split for Each | Creates multiple instances of the same subprocess that later rejoin the parent process. Users can work on the subprocesses simultaneously, which accelerates case resolution. For example, during the recruitment process of a job candidate, a hiring manager and an HR worker can review and assess the results of a job interview in parallel. For more information, see Running multiple instances of the same subprocess with a Split for Each shape. |  |
| Split Join | Creates multiple subprocesses that later rejoin the parent process. Users can work on the subprocesses in parallel, which saves time during case resolution. For example, during the recruitment of a job candidate, an HR worker can conduct the background check while the hiring manager reviews and assesses the job history and certificates. For more information, see Running multiple instances of different subprocesses with a Split Join shape. |  |
| Integrator | Identifies an activity that connects your instance of Pega Platform to an external system to send or receive data. The Integrator shape runs synchronously and moves a case to the next step after it receives the response from the external system, typically after a few seconds. For example, you can use the Integrator shape to retrieve customer account balances or verify account numbers in an external database. For more information, see Connecting a process to an external application. |  |
| Assignment Service | Identifies an activity that connects your instance of Pega Platform to an external system to send an assignment for external processing. The Assignment Service shape moves a case to the next step only after receiving the response from the external system when the assignment processing is complete. For example, an application can route an assignment to a third-party evaluator to estimate the value of vehicle damage in an insurance claim. For more information, see Assigning a task to an external application. |  |
| Assign to robot queue | Identifies the robotic work queue and automation to run on the work queue for process automations. As a result, you promote automation and minimize human engagement in the processes. For example, a robotic queue can automatically check currency rates for a banking application during international money transfers. For more information, see Assigning a task to a robotic work queue. |  |
| Swimlane | Identifies a group of related shapes that are associated with the same organizational unit or business purpose. For example, after accepting a job candidate, an HR worker collects the necessary documents and prepares a legal agreement, while an IT worker prepares a work station and configures a laptop for the new worker. You can use a swimlane to categorize the assignments between the HR worker and the IT worker, which facilitates routing of work. |   |
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Conversation |
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| Ask a question | Asks users a question in a button, quick reply, yes/no, or open format, and saves the answer in a case or system property. The shape can also use smart validation to ensure that the user response is in the correct format, for example, a date format. You can only add this shape to a conversation process. For example, in a conversation process related to a vehicle ride request cancellation fee dispute, you can configure the shape to ask the reason for disputing the cancellation charge using buttons with three choices: specifying that the ride never arrived, the ride was late, or another reason. For more information, see Adding a case type conversation process for a conversational channel. |  |
| Send a message | Displays a text message to the user. You can only add this shape to a conversation process. For example, in a conversation process related to a vehicle ride request cancellation fee dispute, you can configure the shape to inform users that a charged cancellation fee will be refunded within the next few days. For more information, see Adding a case type conversation process for a conversational channel. |  |
| Conversation flow | Starts another existing conversation process within the context of the work item, or in an embedded page if you create a nested data model for your case using the object-oriented approach. For example, for a vehicle repair case, you can configure the system to start an additional conversation process within the context of the work item that only asks users a series of questions about the extent of their vehicle damage. For more information, see Adding a case type conversation process for a conversational channel. |  |
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Other |
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| Annotation | Adds notes or comments to the flow without affecting how the flow runs. For example, in a case of preparing a business offer for a potential business partner, case workers can add comments about possible modifications of the options that the offer includes. For more information, see Annotating a process. |  |