Webworld Technologies

Wow – another staggering session from the SharePoint 2009 conference.  This one was on the new workflow tools built in to SharePoint Designer 2010. 

Amazing Power:  There is just staggering power now built into SharePoint designer for developing extremely custom workflows that handle basically any conceivable scenario.  No code required and a very straightforward approach for specifying start & endpoints, triggers, alternate paths, auto-approvals, and just about anything else you can think of that can be done with a computer and a network.  

Visio Integration: An amazing plus is to be able to import and export workflows straight out of Visio, so that one can simply visualize the workflow in Visio, and then pull that right into SharePoint and then let it rip.  

Mobile:  With all of the ways that SharePoint can now be rapidly used to replace hardcopy workflows and other “understood workflows” (i.e. ones that are known about, but never actually formalized, documented or recorded, like many development teams), that immediately brings to mind the new mobile focus of SharePoint, which unfortunately wasn’t demo’ed in this track.

With the fact that SharePoint now works with XHTML-compliant, cross-browser web parts, one could now easily create SharePoint workflows that utilize handheld computers to be able to allow people to interact with the approval process. 

Sometimes the particle being dealt with is a document, in which case the traditional SharePoint desktop already handles everything out of the box.  But what about a doctor’s office where you’re routing people through the office, and want to formalize your workflows there?  

Now, with the combination of these sorts of rich design tools, plus the ability to tie in little iPhone or Windows Mobile devices as input & interaction mechanisms for the workflow, literally any workflow can now be monitored, controlled, analyzed and run inexpensively and quickly using SharePoint 2010.

Brilliant.

Last-Minute Uploads, originally uploaded by Webworld Technologies.

Firing off some last-minute files before getting on a plane for SharePoint Conference 2009. That’s why what iPhone tethering is all about!  Luckily the plane was boarding early, so I convinced the gate attendant to give me until the last minute so I could upload some files & finish some work before getting cut off.

Can’t wait for SharePoint 2009 to get underway.