IBM Content Manager, Version 8.5.0.3

Managing document routing with IBM Content Manager

Document routing is a work management tool that you use to direct documents and folders from one user to another during the life cycle of a document.

Based on their privileges, users inspect documents and update them to complete a work step. For example, XYZ Insurance uses document routing for their auto claim process. In the process, work is directed from an insurance clerk to an underwriter. An underwriter waits for the police report and the insurance adjuster's damage assessment and then directs the claim to an insurance accountant or an underwriter assistant, depending on whether the underwriter approves or rejects the claim. Document routing allows XYZ Insurance to approve a claim without using paper or manually carrying a claimant's folder from one person to another.

End to end, deploying document routing consists of three high-level groups of tasks:

Plan a document routing process
Create a document routing process
Route documents (client users)

These three high-level groups contain the following specific tasks:

Plan a document routing process: The following illustration shows the overall task flow for document routing, with the planning tasks expanded. The content corresponds to the Managing document routing topic navigation displayed in the tree view of the information center.

Figure 1. Common tasks for planning a document routing process
Create a document routing process: The following illustration shows the overall task flow for document routing, with the creation tasks expanded. The content corresponds to the Managing document routing topic navigation displayed in the tree view of the information center.
Figure 2. Common tasks for creating a document routing process
Route documents (client users): These tasks are described in the Client for Windows help.

You can also use IBM® WebSphere® Application Server process choreographer to store document routing objects. See Planning and Installing Content Manager Enterprise Edition for more information.

Attention: The document routing function is an IBM Content Manager application that uses items to store document routing objects. The document routing objects are stored in IBM Content Manager as items and are managed using the standard CRUD (create, retrieve, update, and delete) APIs. The event logging for the item types is like any other item event. It includes the document routing items because they are just additional items.