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Introduction to the Processes Table

The processes table is designed to store information about manufacturing steps in a workflow. This table plays a central role in the Serial system by representing various types of processes that components go through during production.

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Table Structure

The processes table is structured to capture detailed information about each process, including its properties, relationships, and versioning. Here’s a detailed breakdown of its columns:
Column NameData TypeConstraintsDescription
iduuidprimary keyUnique identifier for the process
company_iduuidforeign keyReference to the company the process belongs to
nametextnot nullName of the process
created_attimestamp with time zonenot null, default now()Timestamp of process creation
use_apibooleannot null, default falseIndicates if the process uses an API
record_operatorbooleannot null, default falseIndicates if operator information should be recorded
is_mandatorybooleannot null, default trueIndicates if the process is mandatory
break_prior_linksbooleannot null, default trueIndicates if prior links should be broken
dependent_process_idsuuid[]not null, default ''Array of process IDs that this process depends on
typetextnot nullType of the process (e.g., PRODUCTION, INSTANTIATION)
revisionbigintnot null, default 1Revision number of the process
carbon_copyjsonbJSON data for process carbon copy
revision_descriptiontextdefault ”Description of the revision
created_by_user_iduuidforeign keyReference to the user who created the process
allow_batchbooleannot null, default falseIndicates if batch processing is allowed
approvedbooleandefault falseIndicates if the process is approved
approved_by_user_iduuidforeign keyReference to the user who approved the process
approved_attimestamp with time zoneTimestamp of process approval
show_media_numberingbooleandefault falseIndicates if media numbering should be shown

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Usage and Functionality

The processes table is designed to be versatile and support various aspects of manufacturing workflow management. Here are some key points about its usage:
  1. Process Versioning: The table supports versioning through the revision column, allowing multiple versions of a process to be stored and tracked over time.
  2. Approval Workflow: With the approved, approved_by_user_id, and approved_at columns, the table implements an approval system for processes, ensuring quality control and proper authorization.
  3. Process Dependencies: The dependent_process_ids column allows for the creation of complex workflows by defining dependencies between processes.
  4. Process Types: The type column supports different types of processes, as defined in the ProcessType enum: 
    export enum ProcessType {
  Production = "PRODUCTION",
  Instantiation = "INSTANTIATION",
  AssignWorkOrder = "ASSIGN_WORK_ORDER",
  Repair = "REPAIR",
  Field = "FIELD",
  Property = "PROPERTY",
}
  5. Company Association: Each process is associated with a company through the company_id foreign key, allowing for multi-tenant support in the application.

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Notes

  • The carbon_copy column stores JSON data, which can be used to keep a snapshot of the process configuration for historical purposes.
  • The show_media_numbering column suggests that processes can involve media elements, possibly for documentation or instruction purposes.
  • The table is designed to work in conjunction with other tables such as process_steps, fields, and work_instruction_blocks to provide a complete representation of a manufacturing process.
By leveraging the processes table, the Serial application can efficiently manage and track various manufacturing steps, support complex workflows, and maintain a versioned history of process changes, all while ensuring proper authorization and company-specific data isolation.