The ability to start and restart process operations manually can are useful, for example, in a situation where the subprocess examines a flag set by the user to decide whether to do an in-app signature or to send a document-signature email. (For details on those procedures, see Document Signing.)

 

In an incident-reporting system, suppose the agent was on the phone with the person reporting the incident, and the person said they would come to the office to review the documents. The agent might then click a checkbox box that says, "In Office Signature", and submit the record, which causes the "get signature" subprocess to launch. That subprocess is then waiting for the person to arrive, so they can review the documents and sign them on the agent's device, using an "in app" signature.

 

But suppose the person calls to say they won't be able to make it after all. The agent can then abort that subprocess, change the flag, and restart the subprocess.

 

Alternatively, there could be two separate processes. The agent would then start the appropriate process, but can always abort it and start a different one, if needed. (For example, if the person's email address was incorrect, and needed to be revised.)

 

Note that, in either case, all of the information recorded is still present in the stream record, so the agent only has to make small revisions. Restarting a process does not mean restarting the information-gathering steps.