uipath-workflow-planning

name	uipath-workflow-planning
tags	["uipath-dev","planning","canvas","sdd"]
description	Plan UiPath workflow implementation from canvas/SDD — MANDATORY before any UiPath codegen. Workflow-type agnostic. Run first, then route to uipath-automation, uipath-longrunning-workflow, uipath-bpmn-maestro, coded-workflow-builder, or other target skill. Triggers on "uipath-workflow-planning", "generate XAML from canvas", "build UiPath from canvas", "workflow plan", "solution flow", or when canvas/SDD is present.

UiPath Workflow Planning (Canvas to Code Bridge)

MANDATORY STEP before generating any UiPath-related implementation (Studio XAML, coded automation, or Maestro-aligned specs). This skill extracts and validates requirements from canvas or SDD; it does not assume a specific project template — the downstream skill depends on the automation type.

When to Use

This skill is AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERED before codegen skills such as:

• uipath-automation
• uipath-longrunning-workflow (Studio Long Running Automation / ProcessDiagram)
• coded-workflow-builder
• Any workflow where canvas/SDD defines arguments and flow (including inputs for uipath-bpmn-maestro when translating model to delivery)

NEVER generate UiPath implementation without first completing this planning step when a canvas or structured SDD exists (or obtain an equivalent written execution plan from the user).

Purpose

Prevents the common error of generating workflows with incorrect or missing arguments by:

1. Extracting ALL data fields from canvas nodes
2. Mapping data flow between workflows
3. Identifying visibility rules (LIMITED vs FULL VIEW)
4. Validating argument types and sources
5. Creating a workflow execution plan

Core Workflow

┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│  1. LOCATE      │────>│  2. EXTRACT     │────>│  3. MAP DATA    │
│  Canvas File    │     │  Node Details   │     │  Flow           │
└─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘
                                                        │
                                                        ▼
┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│  6. GENERATE    │<────│  5. CREATE      │<────│  4. IDENTIFY    │
│  Code           │     │  Execution Plan │     │  Visibility     │
└─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘

Step 1: Locate Canvas File

ALWAYS search for canvas/flow documentation first:

project/
├── docs/
│   ├── solution-flow.json      # Primary canvas file
│   ├── business-flow.json      # Business process flow
│   └── technical-flow.json     # Technical implementation
├── canvas/
│   └── *.json                  # Alternative location
└── *.canvas.json               # Root level canvas

Search patterns:

# Find canvas files
**/solution-flow*.json
**/*canvas*.json
**/*flow*.json

Step 2: Extract Node Details

For each node in the canvas, extract:

Form/Approval Nodes (type: "form" or "human")

{
  "id": "n8",
  "label": "Sales Rep Form",
  "drillDown": {
    "type": "form",
    "title": "Sales Rep Approval Form (LIMITED VIEW)",
    "visibilityLevel": "LIMITED",
    "hiddenFields": ["profitabilityMargin", "managerChain"],
    "fields": [
      {"name": "accountName", "label": "Customer Account", "source": "SF Connector", "editable": false},
      {"name": "maxCapPercent", "label": "Maximum Cap %", "source": "Sales Rep Input", "editable": true}
    ],
    "inputArguments": [
      {"name": "in_ProcessId", "type": "String", "source": "Queue Item (QuoteId)"},
      {"name": "in_CustomerName", "type": "String", "source": "Queue Item"}
    ],
    "outputArguments": [
      {"name": "out_ApprovalId", "type": "String"},
      {"name": "out_MaxCapPercent", "type": "Decimal"}
    ]
  }
}

API/Service Nodes (type: "api")

{
  "id": "n5",
  "label": "Bob HR API",
  "drillDown": {
    "type": "api",
    "method": "POST",
    "endpoint": "https://api.hibob.com/v1/people/search",
    "outputFields": ["bobEmployeeId", "name", "email", "title", "isCRO"]
  }
}

DMN/Decision Nodes (type: "dmn")

{
  "id": "n7",
  "label": "Policy Check",
  "drillDown": {
    "type": "dmn",
    "inputs": [
      {"name": "quoteTerm", "type": "number"},
      {"name": "maxCapPercent", "type": "number"},
      {"name": "cpiInclusion", "type": "boolean"},
      {"name": "acv", "type": "number"}
    ],
    "outputs": [
      {"name": "withinPolicy", "type": "boolean"},
      {"name": "requiresFinance", "type": "boolean"}
    ]
  }
}

DMN Output Guidelines

Simplified outputs: Use boolean outputs for easier consumption:

• withinPolicy (boolean): true if request meets policy, false otherwise
• requiresFinance (boolean): true if Finance approval needed

DMN Boolean Guidelines

CRITICAL: Boolean values in DMN must use true/false, never "Yes"/"No":

Context	Correct	Incorrect
DMN XML <inputEntry>	<text>true</text>	<text>Yes</text>
DMN XML <outputEntry>	<text>false</text>	<text>No</text>
Canvas JSON rules	"withinPolicy": true	"withinPolicy": "true"
Form field defaults	"Default: true"	"Default: Yes"

Queue Nodes (type: "queue")

{
  "id": "n3",
  "label": "Queue: RenewalPriceCommitment",
  "drillDown": {
    "type": "queue",
    "dataUploaded": {
      "SpecificContent": {
        "quoteId": "{from SF}",
        "accountName": "{from SF}",
        "salesRepEmail": "{from SF}",
        "acv": "{from SF}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Map Data Flow

Create a data flow matrix showing how data moves between nodes:

Data Field	Source Node	Target Nodes	Type	Notes
quoteId	n3 (Queue)	n8, n10, n13, n15, n17	String	Reference ID
accountName	n2 (SF)	All approval forms	String	Customer name
profitabilityMargin	n2 (SF)	n10, n13, n15, n17	Decimal	HIDDEN from n8
managerChainJSON	n5 (Bob API)	n10, n13, n15	String	JSON array
policyStatus	n7 (DMN)	n10, n13, n15, n17	String	"WithinPolicy" or "OutOfPolicy"
maxCapPercent	n8 (Sales Rep)	n7, n10, n13, n15, n17	Decimal	User input

Step 4: Identify Visibility Rules

Visibility Levels

Level	Description	Hidden Fields
LIMITED	Sales Rep view	profitabilityMargin, managerChain, priorApprovals
FULL	Manager/RevOps view	None - sees everything
FULL + CHAIN EDITOR	RevOps only	None + can edit managerChain
FULL + POLICY	Finance only	None + sees policyViolationReason

Per-Workflow Visibility Matrix

Workflow	Visibility	Sees Profitability	Sees Chain	Edits Chain	Sees Prior Approvals
ApprovalFlow_SalesRep	LIMITED	NO	NO	NO	NO
ApprovalFlow_RevOps	FULL + CHAIN EDITOR	YES	YES	YES	NO
ApprovalFlow_Manager	FULL	YES	YES	NO	YES
ApprovalFlow_CRO	FULL	YES	YES	NO	YES
ApprovalFlow_Finance	FULL + POLICY	YES	YES	NO	YES

Step 5: Create Execution Plan

Generate a structured execution plan. Name the main entry workflow and project type for the target automation (examples: Main.xaml for REFramework, Main-Queue.xaml for Long Running Automation, attended entry workflow, etc.).

## Workflow Execution Plan

### Example — Long Running Automation (Studio)

### Main entry: Main-Queue.xaml
Type: Long-Running ProcessDiagram (example)
Entry: Queue trigger (example)

### Execution Sequence:
1. InitAllSettingsJSON.xaml
   - Input: None
   - Output: Config (Dictionary)

2. getTransaction.xaml
   - Input: Config
   - Output: TransactionItem (QueueItem)

3. GetManagerHierarchy.xaml (Services/)
   - Input: in_SalesRepEmail (from Queue), in_BobAPIUrl, in_BobAPICredentials
   - Output: out_ManagerChainJSON, out_CROEmail, out_CROName, out_ManagerCount

4. ApprovalFlow_SalesRep.xaml (Workflows/)
   - Visibility: LIMITED
   - Input: in_ProcessId, in_Title, in_CustomerName, in_QuoteId, in_ACV, in_TCV, in_QuoteTerm, in_Config
   - Output: out_ApprovalId, out_ResponseToken, out_MaxCapPercent, out_CpiInclusion, out_BusinessJustification

5. PolicyCheck.xaml (Services/)
   - Input: in_QuoteTerm (Int32), in_MaxCapPercent (Decimal), in_CpiInclusion (Boolean), in_ACV (Decimal)
   - Output: out_PolicyStatus, out_RequiresFinance, out_PolicyViolationReason

6. ApprovalFlow_RevOps.xaml (Workflows/)
   - Visibility: FULL + CHAIN EDITOR
   - Input: All from SalesRep + in_ProfitabilityMargin, in_ManagerChainJSON, in_PolicyStatus
   - Output: out_ApprovalId, out_ResponseToken, out_ModifiedManagerChainJSON, out_RevOpsComments

... (continue for all workflows)

Step 6: Argument Specification

For each workflow, generate complete argument specifications:

### ApprovalFlow_SalesRep.xaml

#### Input Arguments
| Name | Type | Source | Required |
|------|------|--------|----------|
| in_ProcessId | String | TransactionItem.Reference | Yes |
| in_Title | String | "Sales Rep Approval - Renewal Price Commitment" | Yes |
| in_NotificationChannel | String | Config("NotificationChannel") | Yes |
| in_ApproverEmail | String | TransactionItem.SpecificContent("salesRepEmail") | Yes |
| in_CustomerName | String | TransactionItem.SpecificContent("accountName") | Yes |
| in_QuoteId | String | TransactionItem.SpecificContent("quoteId") | Yes |
| in_ACV | String | TransactionItem.SpecificContent("acv") | Yes |
| in_TCV | String | TransactionItem.SpecificContent("tcv") | Yes |
| in_QuoteTerm | Int32 | CInt(TransactionItem.SpecificContent("quoteTerm")) | Yes |
| in_CallBackURL | String | Config("CallbackWebhookURL") | Yes |
| in_Config | Dictionary(String, Object) | Config | Yes |

#### Output Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|------|------|-------------|
| out_ApprovalId | String | HITL Platform approval ID |
| out_ResponseToken | String | Token for webhook callback |
| out_MaxCapPercent | Decimal | User-entered max cap percentage |
| out_CpiInclusion | Boolean | User selection for CPI |
| out_BusinessJustification | String | User-entered justification |
| out_RenewalCommitmentTerm | Int32 | User-entered renewal term |

Output: Planning Document

Generate a workflow-plan.md file in the project docs folder:

# Workflow Implementation Plan

Generated: {timestamp}
Canvas Source: project/docs/solution-flow.json

## 1. Data Flow Summary
[Data flow matrix]

## 2. Visibility Rules
[Visibility matrix]

## 3. Workflow Specifications

### 3.1 ApprovalFlow_SalesRep
[Complete argument specification]

### 3.2 ApprovalFlow_RevOps
[Complete argument specification]

... (all workflows)

## 4. Execution Sequence
[Ordered list with dependencies]

## 5. Validation Checklist
- [ ] All canvas fields mapped to arguments
- [ ] Visibility rules applied correctly
- [ ] Data types match canvas specification
- [ ] Output arguments capture all user inputs
- [ ] Prior approvals chain maintained

Integration with Other Skills

Use the same workflow-plan.md (or equivalent) as the handoff artifact. Adjust steps 3–4 to the target automation.

Before uipath-automation

1. Run uipath-workflow-planning skill
2. Generate workflow-plan.md
3. Pass plan to uipath-automation
4. Generate XAML (or project structure) with correct arguments

Before uipath-longrunning-workflow (Studio Long Running Automation)

1. Run uipath-workflow-planning skill
2. Extract ProcessDiagram-oriented sequence from canvas (TaskNode chain / approvals)
3. Map gateways, loops, and rejection paths from the plan
4. Generate or extend Main entry workflow (e.g. Main-Queue.xaml) with invokes — only after plan is complete

Before uipath-bpmn-maestro (Maestro / web BPMN)

1. Run uipath-workflow-planning skill to normalize process steps, roles, and data from canvas/SDD
2. Pass structured narrative and data contracts to Maestro-oriented work (modeling in Automation Cloud / web modeler)
3. Do not confuse with Studio desktop XAML — implementation in Studio uses uipath-longrunning-workflow or uipath-automation when coding

Before coded-workflow-builder

1. Run uipath-workflow-planning skill
2. Extract C# class structure from canvas
3. Map method signatures from arguments
4. Generate .cs files with correct parameters

Quality Gates

DO NOT proceed to code generation if:

• Canvas file not found
• Missing drillDown data for form nodes
• Unresolved data sources
• Visibility rules not defined
• Argument types not specified

---

CRITICAL: Canvas-to-Workflow Structure Validation

After planning, validate that the implemented workflow structure matches the canvas flow for the chosen target. The detailed example below is oriented to Studio Long Running Automation (e.g. Main-Queue.xaml, gateways, human steps). For REFramework, map to transaction states and Process.xaml; for attended, to the relevant entry workflow; for Maestro-only delivery, validate against the process model steps and SLAs instead of XAML filenames.

Example target (Long Running Automation in Studio): before generating Main-Queue.xaml (or the agreed main LRW file), check alignment as follows.

Step 1: Extract Canvas Flow Sequence

From solution-flow.json, extract the ordered node sequence by following edges:

Canvas Nodes (from edges):
n1 (Quote Action) → n2 (Extract SF) → n3 (Queue) → n4 (Get Transaction)
→ n5 (Bob HR API) → n6 (Build Manager Chain) → n7 (Policy Check)
→ n8 (Sales Rep Form) → n9 (Approved?) 
  → YES: n10 (RevOps Form) → n11 (Approved?)
    → YES: n12 (Update Chain) → n13 (Manager Approval) → n14 (More Managers?)
      → YES: loop back to n13
      → NO: n15 (CRO Approval) → n16 (Finance Required?)
        → YES: n17 (Finance Approval) → n18 (Update SF)
        → NO: n18 (Update SF)
    → NO: n21 (Delete Transaction) → n22 (Rejected)
  → NO: n21 (Delete Transaction) → n22 (Rejected)
→ n18 (Update SF) → n19 (Send Confirmation) → n20 (Complete)

Step 2: Map Canvas Nodes to Workflow Elements

Canvas Node	Type	Workflow Element	Notes
n1 (Quote Action)	start-event	External trigger	Not in Main-Queue
n2 (Extract SF)	service-task	External (Dispatcher)	Not in Main-Queue
n3 (Queue)	orchestrator	GetTransactionItem	Entry point
n4 (Get Transaction)	service-task	InvokeWorkflow: getTransaction.xaml
n5 (Bob HR API)	api	InvokeWorkflow: GetManagerHierarchy.xaml
n6 (Build Manager Chain)	service-task	Part of GetManagerHierarchy
n7 (Policy Check)	dmn	InvokeWorkflow: PolicyCheck.xaml	ORDER MATTERS
n8 (Sales Rep Form)	user-task	InvokeWorkflow: ApprovalFlow_SalesRep.xaml
n9 (Approved?)	gateway	GatewayNode or If condition	MISSING
n10 (RevOps Form)	user-task	InvokeWorkflow: ApprovalFlow_RevOps.xaml
n11 (Approved?)	gateway	GatewayNode or If condition	MISSING
n12 (Update Chain)	service-task	Assign activity	MISSING
n13 (Manager Approval)	user-task	InvokeWorkflow: ApprovalFlow_Manager.xaml	NEEDS LOOP
n14 (More Managers?)	gateway	GatewayNode with loop	MISSING
n15 (CRO Approval)	user-task	InvokeWorkflow: ApprovalFlow_CRO.xaml
n16 (Finance Required?)	gateway	GatewayNode or If condition	MISSING
n17 (Finance Approval)	user-task	InvokeWorkflow: ApprovalFlow_Finance.xaml	CONDITIONAL
n18 (Update SF)	service-task	InvokeWorkflow: UpdateSalesforce.xaml	MISSING
n19 (Send Confirmation)	service-task	InvokeWorkflow: SendConfirmation.xaml	MISSING
n20 (Complete)	end-event	EndNode
n21 (Delete Transaction)	service-task	InvokeWorkflow: DeleteTransaction.xaml	MISSING
n22 (Rejected)	end-event	EndNode (rejection path)	MISSING

Step 3: Validate Structure Alignment

CRITICAL CHECKS:

1. Node Order: Verify the sequence matches canvas edges

   • Canvas: Policy Check (n7) → Sales Rep Form (n8)
   • Workflow: Sales Rep Approval → Policy Check ❌ WRONG ORDER

2. Decision Gateways: Every canvas decision node needs a workflow gateway

   • n9 (Approved?) → MISSING in workflow
   • n11 (Approved?) → MISSING in workflow
   • n14 (More Managers?) → MISSING in workflow
   • n16 (Finance Required?) → MISSING in workflow

3. Loops: Canvas loops must be implemented

   • n14 → n13 loop → MISSING in workflow

4. Conditional Paths: Canvas conditional branches must exist

   • Finance approval only if requiresFinance=true → MISSING in workflow

5. Rejection Path: Canvas rejection flow must be implemented

   • n21 (Delete Transaction) → n22 (Rejected) → MISSING in workflow

6. Post-Approval Steps: All finalization steps must exist

   • n18 (Update SF) → MISSING in workflow
   • n19 (Send Confirmation) → MISSING in workflow

Step 4: Generate Validation Report

## Canvas-to-Workflow Validation Report

### Structure Alignment: ❌ FAILED

| Check | Status | Details |
|-------|--------|---------|
| Node Order | ❌ | Policy Check should be BEFORE Sales Rep Form |
| Decision Gateways | ❌ | 4 missing gateways (n9, n11, n14, n16) |
| Manager Loop | ❌ | No loop for multiple managers |
| Finance Conditional | ❌ | Finance always runs, should be conditional |
| Rejection Path | ❌ | No rejection handling |
| Update SF | ❌ | Missing UI automation step |
| Send Confirmation | ❌ | Missing notification step |

### Required Changes:

1. **Reorder nodes**: Move PolicyCheck BEFORE SalesRepApproval
2. **Add GatewayNodes**: After each approval for Approved? decision
3. **Implement Manager Loop**: For Each manager in chain (except CRO)
4. **Add Finance Conditional**: If v_RequiresFinance Then FinanceApproval
5. **Add Rejection Path**: GatewayNode → DeleteTransaction → EndNode(Rejected)
6. **Add UpdateSalesforce**: UI automation workflow
7. **Add SendConfirmation**: Email notification workflow

Step 5: Corrected Workflow Structure

Main-Queue.xaml (ProcessDiagram):

Start → InitAllSettings → GetTransaction → GetManagerHierarchy
→ PolicyCheck (BEFORE approvals!)
→ SalesRepApproval → Gateway(Approved?)
  → YES: RevOpsApproval → Gateway(Approved?)
    → YES: UpdateChain → ForEach(Manager in Chain except CRO)
      → ManagerApproval → Gateway(Approved?)
        → YES: Continue loop
        → NO: DeleteTransaction → End(Rejected)
    → After loop: CROApproval → Gateway(Approved?)
      → YES: Gateway(FinanceRequired?)
        → YES: FinanceApproval → Gateway(Approved?)
          → YES: UpdateSalesforce → SendConfirmation → SetStatus → End
          → NO: DeleteTransaction → End(Rejected)
        → NO: UpdateSalesforce → SendConfirmation → SetStatus → End
      → NO: DeleteTransaction → End(Rejected)
    → NO: DeleteTransaction → End(Rejected)
  → NO: DeleteTransaction → End(Rejected)

Common Errors Prevented

Error	Cause	Prevention
Wrong argument names	Not reading canvas	Extract from drillDown.inputArguments
Missing visibility rules	Hardcoded values	Check drillDown.visibilityLevel
Wrong data types	Guessing types	Use canvas field.type specification
Missing fields in forms	Incomplete extraction	Extract ALL drillDown.fields
Broken data flow	Not mapping sources	Create data flow matrix

Template: Planning Checklist

## Pre-Generation Checklist

### Canvas Analysis
- [ ] Located solution-flow.json
- [ ] Extracted all node drillDown data
- [ ] Identified all form nodes
- [ ] Identified all API nodes
- [ ] Identified all DMN nodes

### Data Mapping
- [ ] Created data flow matrix
- [ ] Mapped all queue SpecificContent fields
- [ ] Traced data from source to all consumers
- [ ] Identified computed/derived fields

### Visibility Analysis
- [ ] Identified visibility level per workflow
- [ ] Listed hidden fields per visibility level
- [ ] Verified LIMITED view restrictions
- [ ] Verified FULL view inclusions

### Argument Specification
- [ ] All input arguments defined with types
- [ ] All output arguments defined with types
- [ ] Sources specified for each input
- [ ] Destinations specified for each output

### Ready for Code Generation
- [ ] workflow-plan.md generated
- [ ] All checklist items complete
- [ ] No unresolved dependencies