Batch Process

Defines a configurable workflow for processing batches of documents in Grooper.

Remarks

A Batch Process orchestrates a sequence of activities—both automated and human-attended—applied to a Batch as it moves through Grooper's workflow. Each process consists of ordered steps, called Batch Process Steps, which specify the Activity to perform at each stage. Activities may include system-driven tasks (such as image processing, recognition, classification, extraction, and export) or human-driven review tasks.

Workflow Definition

• A Batch Process is composed of one or more Batch Process Steps, each representing a discrete Activity.
• Steps are executed in order, but flow control can be customized using expressions or scripts.
• Activities can be fully automated or require human intervention via Review steps.

Example Processes

The steps included in a process can vary widely depending on the inputs and processing objective. Below are two sample workflows:

Example 1: Scanning Paper Invoices and Exporting to a Database

• Step 1 – The Review activity configured with a Scan View, to allow scanning.
• Step 2 – The Image Processing activity, to remove skew and scanner artifacts.
• Step 3 – The Recognize activity, to perform OCR.
• Step 4 – The Separate activity, to create documents from pages.
• Step 5 – The Classify activity, to assign document types.
• Step 6 – The Extract activity, to extract data elements.
• Step 7 – The Apply Rules activity, to normalize extracted data.
• Step 8 – The Review activity configured with a Data View, for human review of documents with missing or invalid data.
• Step 9 – The Export activity, to export data to a database table.

Example 2: Processing Pre-Separated PDFs and Exporting to a Document Management System

• Step 1 – The Split Pages activity, to split the PDF documents into pages.
• Step 2 – The Image Processing activity, to perform image processing on image-based PDF pages.
• Step 3 – The Recognize activity, to read PDF text and OCR image-based pages.
• Step 4 – The Classify activity, to assign document types.
• Step 5 – The Extract activity, to extract data elements.
• Step 6 – The Merge activity, to create a PDF document with extracted data embedded in metadata.
• Step 7 – The Export activity, to export the document to a document management system.

Publishing and Versioning

• Batch Processes must be published before they are available for production use. Use the Batch Process - Publish command to publish.
• Publishing creates a read-only version in the 'Processes' folder, which is used for all new Batches.
• Changes to a Batch Process require republishing to take effect for new Batches; existing Batches are not affected until updated.
• To update an existing Batch to the latest process version, pause the batch and use the Batch - Update Process command.
• Unpublishing a process removes it from production use but does not delete its configuration.

Flow Control and Customization

• Steps execute sequentially by default, but execution order can be customized:
  • Use the 'Next Step Expression' and 'Should Execute Expression' on each Batch Process Step for simple, formula-like logic.
  • For advanced scenarios, attach scripts to the Batch Process to handle events such as batch completion and redirect flow as needed.
• Scripts are event-driven and can intercept or modify workflow behavior at runtime.

Integration with Batches and Folders

• Batch Processes are applied to Batches at creation or manually by operators.
• Each Batch contains a hierarchy of Batch Folders and Batch Pages, which are processed according to the defined steps.
• The 'Content Type' property determines the data model for batch-level indexing and validation.

Error Handling and Review

• Human review steps can be configured to handle exceptions, missing data, or validation errors.
• Review queues and priorities can be set globally or per step to control task assignment and processing order.

Best Practices

• Design Batch Processes to match business objectives and document lifecycles.
• Use publishing and versioning to manage changes safely in production environments.
• Leverage expressions and scripting for flexible, maintainable flow control.
• Regularly review and test process steps to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

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For more information, see the documentation for Batch, Batch Folder, Batch Process Step, and Activity.

Properties

Name	Type		Description
General
Content Type	Content Type	►	An optional Content Type which will be assigned to a Batch automatically when this process is applied. EditorContent Type Editor Specifies the default Content Type assigned to the root Batch Folder of each Batch created with this process. The assigned content type controls classification, data extraction, and validation for the batch as a whole.
Review Queue	String	►	The Review Queue used for human-attended Review steps in this process. ConverterQueue Converter Assigns a Review Queue to all Review activities in this process, controlling which users or groups can perform manual review work. If no queue is specified, review work is accessible to any user. The review queue can be overridden on individual Batch Process Steps by setting the 'Queue Name' property. Use review queues to segment work by department, role, or process stage. Set this property to direct review tasks to the appropriate team or group.
Priority	Int32	►	The priority assigned to batches when this process is applied. Default3 Controls the order in which batches are processed by Grooper. Lower values are processed first; higher values are processed later. Use this property to expedite or delay processing of batches created with this process. Priority can be set at process design time and is applied to all new batches. Adjust this property to manage workload and ensure critical batches are handled promptly.
Save Statistics	Boolean	►	If enabled, saves processing statistics for Batch Process Steps in this process. DefaultTrue When enabled, Grooper records detailed statistics for each item processed by every Batch Process Step in this process. These statistics are stored in the repository database and are used for operational reporting, monitoring, and troubleshooting. What Is Collected Core Metrics: Number of tasks processed Processing duration and execution time Error counts and rates Custom statistics generated by activities or scripts Scope: Applies to all steps in the process unless overridden at the step level. Where Statistics Appear Stats Queries: Statistics are available for filtering, grouping, and reporting in Stats Queries. Users can create custom reports by time period, process, step, activity, user, or machine. Stats Page: Saved Stats Queries can be managed and executed from the Stats Page, providing interactive and printable reports. Batch Stats Viewer: Statistics are displayed in the Batch Stats Viewer, grouped by batch, process, or category, with key metrics highlighted. Configuration Guidance Enable this property to collect metrics for production monitoring, performance analysis, and auditing. Disabling statistics can reduce database size and improve performance in high-volume or test environments where reporting is not required. This setting can be overridden for individual steps using the 'Save Statistics' property on each Batch Process Step. Impact Enabled: All step-level statistics are collected and available for reporting and dashboards. Disabled: No statistics are recorded for steps unless explicitly enabled at the step level. Example Enable for production processes to support operational dashboards and troubleshooting. Disable for experimental or utility processes to minimize overhead.
Description	String	►	Specifies a description for the item. EditorNode Description Editor
Publishing
Is Published	Boolean	►	Indicates whether this process has a published version available for production use. DefaultFalse Returns true if a published version of this Batch Process exists in the 'Processes' folder. Only published processes can be used for new production batches. Use the Batch Process - Publish command to publish the current version.
Published Date	DateTime	►	The date and time when this process was last published. Displays the timestamp of the most recent publication of this Batch Process. This value is set automatically when the process is published. Use this property to track process version history and deployment timing.
Working Version	Batch Process	►	The working (editable) version of this process, if this is a published or archived version. Provides a reference to the editable Batch Process from which this published or archived version was created. Use this property to navigate from a published or archived process back to its working version for editing or republishing. Returns null if this is already the working version.
Has Unpublished Changes	Boolean	►	Indicates whether the working version has changes that have not yet been published. DefaultFalse Returns true if the current working version differs from the last published version. Use this property to determine if republishing is needed to deploy recent changes. Helps ensure that production processes are kept up to date with design changes.

Design Tabs

General	View, edit, and manage the properties and publication status of a Batch Process.
Reports	View reports for a node.
Batches	Manage and review all batches associated with the selected Batch Process.
Scripting	Create, debug, modify, and compile scripts for scriptable nodes.
Advanced	View or edit advanced details about a node.

Context Menu Commands

Command	Shortcut	Description
edit_calendar Add Activity		Adds a new Batch Process Step to the Batch Process, configured with a specific Activity.
package_2 Create Project		Moves the Batch Process and its exclusively referenced nodes to a new Project.
publish Publish		Publishes the working version of a Batch Process, making it available for production use.
disabled_visible Unpublish		Unpublishes a Batch Process, making it unavailable for production use in the local Grooper repository.

Child Types

Batch Process Step

See Also

Content CategoryContent ModelDocument TypeForm TypePage Type

Used By

BatchBatch Creation SettingsBatch - Update Process

Recommended Content

Batch Processing BasicsActivity Processing