Build Custom Business Apps in Minutes: Getting Started with Workato Workflow Apps

Workflow apps play a pivotal role in modern business environments, revolutionizing the way organizations manage and execute their processes. These versatile tools empower businesses to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and drive productivity by automating repetitive tasks and orchestrating complex workflows. In the realm of integration platforms like Workato, workflow apps serve as the backbone of automation initiatives, enabling seamless integration and coordination across disparate systems and applications.

In this article, we'll explore the concept of workflow apps within the context of Workato, delving into their capabilities, benefits, and practical applications in optimizing business processes. From automating routine tasks to orchestrating end-to-end workflows, workflow apps offer a myriad of opportunities for organizations to achieve operational excellence and competitive advantage. Let's dive deeper into the world of workflow apps and uncover how they can revolutionize your business operations with Workato.

What are Workato Workflow Apps?

Workato Workflow Apps empowers both citizen developers (business users with limited coding experience) and IT professionals to create custom business applications without writing a single line of code. It provides a user-friendly, visual interface to design interactive workflows that integrate various applications and involve user interactions.

Creating Workflow apps is simple. Workato streamlines app creation by providing a unified interface where you can generate all the necessary assets for your Workflow app, including data tables, recipes, and pages.

There are three Pillars for Workflow Apps :

1. User Interface (UI)
2. Data Storage (Table Storage)
3. Business Logic

1. The User Interface (UI) of Workato Workflow Apps: The App Portal

What is the UI in Workflow Apps?

In simpler terms, the UI (User Interface) is everything a user sees and interacts with when using a Workato Workflow App.? Think of it as the shop window and storefront for your application.? Here, business users navigate through the app, access features, and complete tasks.

The App Portal - Your Branded Business Hub

Workato Workflow Apps provides a dedicated user interface called the App Portal. This portal serves as the central hub for business users to interact with all your custom applications built within Workato.? Imagine a single location where users can access all departmental or team-specific applications, streamlining their workflow and improving efficiency.

Customization is Key - Building User-Friendly Interfaces

One of the significant advantages of Workato Workflow Apps is the ability to create customizable UIs.? While Workato provides a base UI for core functionalities like request lists and navigation, you have the power to tailor it to your specific needs.? Here's how:

• Drag-and-Drop UI Designer: Workato offers a drag-and-drop interface builder.? This user-friendly tool allows you to arrange elements and design the app's layout visually, similar to building with digital building blocks.
• Aesthetics and Branding:? You can customize the app's appearance to match your company's branding. This can involve incorporating your brand colors, logo, and overall design aesthetic to create a familiar and cohesive user experience.

Benefits of a Customized UI:

• Improved User Experience: By tailoring the UI to specific workflows, you can make it easier for users to understand and navigate the application. This reduces confusion and increases user adoption.
• Enhanced User Engagement: An aesthetically pleasing and customized UI can create a more engaging user experience, encouraging users to actively participate in the application.
• Streamlined Workflow: By designing clear and intuitive user journeys within the UI, you can streamline workflows and promote efficient task completion.

In essence, Workato's UI capabilities empower you to build user-friendly interfaces that not only look good but also enhance user experience and workflow efficiency within your custom business applications.

1. Workato Table Storage: The Backbone of Your Workflow App's Data

Data: The Fuel for Your Workflow App, Imagine a car without an engine; your Workflow App wouldn't function without data! Data tables in Workato Table Storage act as the engine, storing all the information your application needs to operate effectively.? This data could include:

• Customer details in an onboarding workflow
• Purchase order information in a procurement workflow
• Expense report data in a financial management workflow

Workato Table Storage: Simple, Secure, and Scalable

The good news is that you don't need to be a data engineer to manage data storage in Workato. Here's what makes Workato Table Storage user-friendly:

• Easy Configuration: You can configure data tables directly within the Workato UI. No need for complex coding or database expertise.
• Intuitive Interface: The UI provides a clear and user-friendly interface for creating and managing your data tables.

Structured Data Storage:

Workato Table Storage is designed for structured data, meaning data is organized in rows and columns, similar to a spreadsheet. This structured format allows for efficient data manipulation, sorting, and filtering within your workflows.

Supported Data Types:

Workato Table Storage is flexible and can accommodate various data types, including:

• Text: Basic text information like names, descriptions, or comments.
• Dates and Numbers: Dates, times, and numerical data for calculations or sorting.
• Files: Store documents, images, or other files directly within the data table.
• Relationships: Establish connections between different tables, enabling you to create rich data models reflecting complex workflows.

Scalability and Security:

Workato Table Storage is built for scalability, meaning it can handle large amounts of data (up to 1 million rows per table) without compromising performance.? Additionally, security is a top priority. Workato employs robust security measures to ensure your data is safe and protected.

Key Takeaways:

• Workato Table Storage provides a user-friendly and secure way to store your Workflow App's data.
• It offers flexibility with various data types and scalability to handle growing data needs.
• No data engineering expertise is required – you can configure and manage data tables directly within the Workato interface.

By leveraging Workato Table Storage, you can ensure your Workflow App has a reliable foundation for storing and managing all the data it needs to operate seamlessly.

1. Business Logic with Workato Recipes

Business logic refers to the "behind-the-scenes" rules and processes that govern how your Workflow App operates. It defines what happens within the application based on user input, data conditions, and pre-defined actions.? Think of it as the brain of your application, making intelligent decisions and guiding the workflow.

Workato Recipes: Building the Business Logic Engine

Workato leverages its powerful Recipes to implement business logic within Workflow Apps. These recipes, familiar to Workato users, act as building blocks for automating complex workflows.? Here's how they work:

• Recipe Builder: You utilize the intuitive Workato recipe builder to visually design the logic of your application. The builder provides a drag-and-drop interface with various actions and triggers that you can connect to create a sequence of events.
• Automating Tasks: Recipes can automate a wide range of tasks within your workflow. This could involve sending notifications, updating data in connected applications, or performing calculations based on user input.
• Data Manipulation: Recipes allow you to manipulate data as it flows through the workflow. For example, you can filter data based on specific criteria, format data into a particular format, or perform calculations on numerical data.

The New Workflow Apps Connector - Human Interaction in the Mix

Workato introduces a new twist with the Workflow Apps Connector specifically designed for building custom business applications.? This connector allows you to seamlessly integrate automated business logic with manual human review steps within your workflows. Here's what this means:

• Human Interaction: You can incorporate user steps where human intervention is necessary. For example, a recipe might trigger a task requiring a manager's approval before proceeding with the next step in the workflow.
• Enhanced Workflow Flexibility: The combination of automated logic and manual review steps creates more robust and flexible workflows. This empowers you to design applications that cater to complex business processes requiring both human judgment and automated tasks.

Workflow Apps Portal :?

The Apps portal is like the nerve center of your Workflow Apps ecosystem. Here, you can fine-tune settings, manage users, and organize groups seamlessly. It's your go-to place for configuring and optimizing your Workflow Apps.

To access the Apps portal in Workato, head to your Workato homepage and click on "Tools" in the top menu. From there, select "Apps Portal" to dive into the heart of your Workflow Apps management.

Adding a User and Group: ?

?Under the Apps portal, you can configure access by creating users and groups, ensuring users are only shown relevant workflows.

Settings:

To adjust the configuration of Workflow Apps, access the Settings section by following the path Tools > Apps portal > Settings. Within the Settings tab, you'll encounter three distinct segments:

1. General : In this segment, you can tailor the name and URL for accessing your Apps Portal according to your preferences.
2. Branding : Within the branding section, you have the capability to personalize your apps portal in alignment with your brand's distinctive identity.
3. Security : Within this segment, you can control the supported user authentication methods and settings for embedding portal pages into external websites.Authentication Method : Workato provides compatibility with the subsequent authentication methods: 1. Password-based authentication 2. SAML-based Single Sign-On (SSO). This allows your users to log in with the corporate credentialsEmbedding : This empowers you to embed your portal pages within iframes. You have the choice to either allow embedding across all iframes or restrict it solely to designated domains.

Workflow Apps VS Workbots

Workflow Apps and Workbots are complementary capabilities that, when used together, can help organizations deliver seamless multi-channel experiences where the end-user works, whether it be web, mobile, Slack, or Microsoft Teams.

Workflow Apps is ideal when used for multi-step, complex, or business-critical workflows. For example, approval and request chains that require several people along the process.

Workbots (Workato chatbots) for Slack or Microsoft Teams are ideal for quick one-off requests, approvals, and/or single-person user interfaces. Examples include PTO requests/approvals and querying data in third-party apps.

Conclusion :?

Workato Workflow Apps empower businesses to achieve operational excellence through automation.? This article explored the core functionalities of Workflow Apps, including their user interface (UI), data storage, and business logic.? We discovered how Workato streamlines app creation and? offers a user-friendly experience for both citizen developers and IT professionals.

By leveraging Workflow Apps, organizations can:

• Automate repetitive tasks and complex workflows.
• Increase efficiency and productivity.
• Improve user experience with a customizable UI.
• Securely store and manage data upto 1 Millions rows within Workato Table Storage.
• Integrate automated logic with human interaction for enhanced flexibility.

Ultimately, Workato Workflow Apps, when used strategically, can revolutionize the way businesses operate, leading to a significant competitive advantage.

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