Workflows in ArcGIS Pro can be used to coordinate and manage work across an organization using ArcGIS Workflow Manager or tasks.
With Workflow Manager, work passes from initiation to completion through a series of steps that can be completed by multiple users who may have different organizational roles. With tasks, you can create a set of preconfigured steps to guide a single user through a repeatable GIS process using functionality in ArcGIS Pro.
Workflow Manager uses jobs to manage and coordinate a workforce. The job usually involves multiple users and takes a few days to a week to complete. Tasks use an ArcGIS Pro task that is designed for a repeatable GIS process and uses functionality such as geoprocessing tools and editing. The task usually takes a few minutes to a few hours for a single user to complete.
Workflow Manager is an enterprise workflow system that supports both GIS and non-GIS business processes. Although you can use tasks in Workflow Manager, a task does not require an extension, enterprise geodatabase, or additional licensing to use. You can use tasks together or separately with Workflow Manager for quality assurance.
The following table summarizes the similarities and differences between these workflow tools:
| ArcGIS Workflow Manager | Tasks | |
|---|---|---|
Licensing and software requirements |
|
|
Unit of work | Job | Task |
Number of users involved in a unit of work | Multiple users with different roles working from any geographic location. | Single user |
Number of applications involved in a unit of work | Work completed in ArcGIS Pro, on the web, or in mobile apps. | Work is completed within ArcGIS Pro. |
Duration of work | A few days to weeks | A few minutes to a few hours |
Integration | A step in ArcGIS Workflow Manager can include a task in ArcGIS Pro. | Tasks can include any command, geoprocessing tool, or add-in in ArcGIS Pro. |
Similarities | Promoting best practices, standardizing, improving efficiency and quality, and guiding users through a workflow | |
Example scenario
A city requiring coordination between multiple teams to manage address data can use Workflow Manager to coordinate responsibilities in the form of jobs—such as, locating facilities, adding facility addresses, verifying mailing addresses, and so on.
The city can use tasks to complete one of these jobs through task steps. Steps to locate facilities, for example, may include locating the work area, creating a facility polygon, and adding attributes to that feature.
Deprecated workflows
ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) was a geodatabase-centric system that was built to support ArcMap. Workflow Manager (Classic) was deprecated after ArcGIS Enterprise 11.5 and ArcGIS Pro 3.4. The following components are no longer supported:
- ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) Desktop
- ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) ArcGIS Pro extension
- ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) ArcMap extension
- ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) server extension
- ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) Pro Admin
Organizations using Workflow Manager (Classic) in ArcGIS Pro are required to either continue using ArcGIS Pro 3.4 or transition to the service-based ArcGIS Workflow Manager.
Learn more about the deprecation of ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic)