Chapter 28. Out-of-the-Box Workflows and Designer 2010 Workflows

SharePoint 2010 offers a variety of different types of workflows that can be used to enhance business processes and replace legacy business workflows that involve time-consuming manual processes and may not be well defined. This chapter provides information about a number of different workflows available in the SharePoint 2010 product line and is intended to whet the appetite of users and administrators alike to delve deeper into the out-of-the-box workflows as well as capabilities of SharePoint Designer 2010 to create complex workflows to meet everyday user requirements.

Alerts are discussed briefly as an introduction to the concept of workflows in SharePoint 2010 products, and then a detailed look at a Three-State workflow in action is provided, which is a complex enough process to give a solid introduction to the processes involved with starting and interacting with a workflow in SharePoint 2010. An overview of the other standard workflows is given from a high level, as well as the process of installing and using SharePoint Designer 2010 to create a custom workflow. Along the way, tips are given for farm administrators and site collection administrators about the tools and settings available to manage workflows and the use of SharePoint Designer 2010.