15 results found

1. On-Premise (onprem) Runtime

   Some customers need to run Flow Connect on their premises (on-prem) for different reasons.

   1. Data requirements – Strict data security/privacy/legal requirements where the data is not allowed to leave the premises. For these types of customers, it is essential that everything runs on-prem since they don’t want any connection to the outside networks.
      Some examples:
      • Aerospace & defense
      • Defense manufacturing
      • Healthcare
      • Government and public sector

   2. Low-latency requirements - Some customers have low-latency requirements with systems handling a high volume of transactions/executions. Typically, their existing infrastructure/external systems are already on-prem due to the exact reason. For these types of customers, flow connect adds a roundtrip through the cloud to access the data that’s already in their premise. This adds to the latency. It would be beneficial for this customer category to avoid the roundtrip through cloud infrastructure and be able to access their data locally.
      Some examples:
      • High volume manufacturing
      • Retail
      • E-Commerce

   3. Intermittent connectivity – some customers do not have stable, always available internet connectivity due to the nature of the work they do. This does not mean they are not connected to internet at all. Rather internet connectivity is not a guarantee. Even if the internet is available, it might not be stable or with very low bandwidth. These customers want to carry on their work while being offline and once they are connected to internet, they want to sync their data/transactions/executions. We can divide this into two subcategories depending on how long they are disconnected from internet.
      a. Short term disconnection
      Typically, the disconnect from the internet lasts from a few hours to a few days. Examples include service technicians who goes into the field to carry out his work, field operations, mobile service units, etc.

   b. Long term disconnection
   The disconnect is long-term ranging from few months to a year or so. Example includes mining & oil rigs, fishing & maritime, engineering & construction sites, etc.
   Suggested approach
   The section below describes the approach RnD could take on handling some of the use cases/requirements mentioned above. It’s also important to note that the suggested approach will not cover all the requirements and use cases.
   RnD wants to avoid taking a big-bang approach, but instead take a step-by-step approach where we solve one problem at a time and build on it. This would allow RnD to get feedback on the first step before moving on to the next steps.
   Definitions & Disclaimers
   • Design Time – The part of Flow Connect where the application packages/apps/components are designed and deployed to different environments. Design time also includes defining the connector configuration for the apps. So, Flow Hub, Flow Designer, and Portal Designer falls under design time. Please note that in the suggested approach the design time will always be in the cloud.

   Stage 1 – Online on-prem
   This solution involves running some parts of the Flow Connect runtime on the customer's local network. This lets Flow apps run machine steps directly on local systems without needing to connect to the internet/Novacura Cloud. The Internet is still needed to login to the flow connect client and to download the Application packages, apps, and components. However once logged in and loaded, the execution will be routed through the customer's local network. The following diagram illustrates the flow of data with this approach on a high-level.
   Suitable for:
   • customers with low-latency requirements - since the execution occurs locally it is an efficient solution.
   Limitations:
   • As mentioned previously, Design time will be always cloud only.
   • Internet is still needed to authenticate with Novacura Flow Connect and download app packages/apps/components/modules/configurations.
   Out of Scope
   • On-prem design time
   • Web client on-prem (web client delivered from a local on-prem service)
   • Integrations

   Stage 2 – Runtime on-prem
   Stage 2 builds on top of Stage 1 where more services run on the customer's site. The goal of this step is to run flow connect apps without the need to communicate with the Novacura cloud. With this solution,
   • Users will be able to authenticate themselves locally
   • App packages/apps will be delivered from a service running on-prem
   • Execution of machine step will be 100% on-prem (modules and connector configurations delivered from a local service)
   Suitable for:
   • Customer who wants their apps to work without being connected to the internet for a longer period (Long-term intermittent connectivity).
   • Customers who do not want any of their data to be exposed outside.
   Limitations:
   • Design time is still cloud only.
   • Data can be updated on-prem but no syncing back to cloud is allowed.
   • An internet connection is needed occasionally to be able to receive updates from the Novacura cloud.
   Out of Scope
   • On-prem design time
   • Integrations
   Considerations
   Although stage 2 looks very appealing it is an inherently complex solution with many unknowns (the diagram is an oversimplification). It will require a significant amount of work and time to fully implement for production level. There are many unknowns when it comes to different services that will require their own PoC before starting to implementation.

   Offline client
   Offline functionality makes it possible to work with flow apps without an internet connection for a short period of time. For offline functionality to work it is required that the data needed to execute apps are downloaded beforehand. With offline functionality all transactions that are produced by the apps while offline are put in a queue. Then The transactions are executed automatically in the background when the device has internet access.
   Suitable for:
   • Field operations, service technicians, etc. who are disconnected from the internet time to time. (short-term intermittent connectivity).

   Summary
   • Customers who want everything on prem will not be covered with the suggested solutions since design time will always be in the cloud.
   • Customers with Low-latency requirements will be covered with Stage 1 of the proposed solution.
   • Customers with Long-term intermittent connectivity requirements can be covered with Stage 2 of the proposed solution. However, it is a huge undertaking with a lot of unknows parts.
   • Customers with Short-term intermittent connectivity requirements will be covered with offline client functionality.

   Some customers need to run Flow Connect on their premises (on-prem) for different reasons.

   1. Data requirements – Strict data security/privacy/legal requirements where the data is not allowed to leave the premises. For these types of customers, it is essential that everything runs on-prem since they don’t want any connection to the outside networks.
      Some examples:
      • Aerospace & defense
      • Defense manufacturing
      • Healthcare
      • Government and public sector

   2. Low-latency requirements - Some customers have low-latency requirements with systems handling a high volume of transactions/executions. Typically, their existing infrastructure/external systems are already on-prem due to the exact reason. For these… more

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   0 comments  ·  Clients (Webclient, Android, iOS)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

2. Better Offline Data Caching

   Today, a customer can download offline data. But if the app crashes, or the user in the field (who is offline) makes changes and then app crashes or they quit out by accident, its confusing to the user as to what has been completed. To the user, it feels like the data has been lost.

   An example, lets say I have an offline flow which downloads 10 records in a table. While offline, I add 2 new records to that table, and go to the next step. If the app crashes when the app reopens, and the flow is rerun, the user will only see the 10 records. Not knowing they submitted the 2 additional records. This could be true if they quit out of the app by mistake, instead of the app crashing.

   Today, a customer can download offline data. But if the app crashes, or the user in the field (who is offline) makes changes and then app crashes or they quit out by accident, its confusing to the user as to what has been completed. To the user, it feels like the data has been lost.

   An example, lets say I have an offline flow which downloads 10 records in a table. While offline, I add 2 new records to that table, and go to the next step. If the app crashes when the app reopens, and the flow is rerun,… more

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   5 comments  ·  Clients (Webclient, Android, iOS)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

3. Generic Database connector with ODBC

   A generic database connector that can connect to any database for which an ODBC driver is available

   Databases that we can Connect to via ODBC
   IBM Db2 (all variants)
   MySQL / MariaDB (MySQL Connector/ODBC, MariaDB Connector/ODBC)
   PostgreSQL (psqlODBC driver)
   SQLite (SQLite ODBC driver)
   SAP HANA (SAP HANA ODBC driver)

   13 votes

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   started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

4. FTP Connector in Connect

   To be able to communicate with FTP servers in Flow Connect. The FTP Connector can be used to upload and download files from an FTP server. It can also perform other operations such as creating remote directories and list files and directories on the FTP server

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   started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

5. Direct Client-to-External System calls via OpenID Connect

   Enable connect Apps built on Novacura Flow Connect to communicate directly to external systems (e.g., IFS Cloud or other REST-based services) when the external system supports OpenID Connect (OIDC) for client authentication.
   This will allow secure, client-only communication, reducing dependency on the Flow Connect Cloud for certain REST API calls and improving performance by eliminating unnecessary round trips through the cloud.

   Business Value
   Performance: Reduce latency by avoiding cloud roundtrip.

   Scalability: Offload traffic from the Flow Connect cloud.

   Security: Leverage OpenID Connect’s standardized authentication and token handling.

   Scope
   Applicable only for Mobile & windows clients (assuming it will not work for web clients due to COARS issues)
   Supported only for external systems with OIDC and HTTPS endpoints

   Enable connect Apps built on Novacura Flow Connect to communicate directly to external systems (e.g., IFS Cloud or other REST-based services) when the external system supports OpenID Connect (OIDC) for client authentication.
   This will allow secure, client-only communication, reducing dependency on the Flow Connect Cloud for certain REST API calls and improving performance by eliminating unnecessary round trips through the cloud.

   Business Value
   Performance: Reduce latency by avoiding cloud roundtrip.

   Scalability: Offload traffic from the Flow Connect cloud.

   Security: Leverage OpenID Connect’s standardized authentication and token handling.

   Scope
   Applicable only for Mobile & windows clients (assuming it will not work… more

   5 votes

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   started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

6. Gantt Portlet in Flow Connect

   Support for Gantt Portlet in Flow Connect

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   0 comments  ·  Portal  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

7. Provide information to Hub users on app versions that are deployed to environments other than DEV.

   Use case: we use TEST environment to maintain stable apps that are share-worthy with customers. And use DEV to continue our developments, enhancements, testing etc.

   Problem: No share option for applications that are deployed to TEST.

   Idea: Provide information to Hub users on app versions that are deployed to environments other than DEV, so that users can generate share links to match deployed app versions more efficiently.

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   started  ·  AdminAndreas Berggren (Admin, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

8. Option for Daylight Saving Adjustments in Addition to Static UTC for Scheduled Workflows

   As a user, I would like the option for scheduled workflows to adjust for daylight saving changes, as the system currently only supports a static UTC setting. Adding this flexibility would accommodate different timing needs, allowing for both local time adjustments and consistent UTC scheduling.

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   started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature in Flow Connect. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

9. Facilitate debugging of offline flows in flow studio

   Currently, the inability to run offline flows in debug mode in Studio complicates development and testing, significantly increasing development time. Resolving this issue soon will streamline the process and improve efficiency

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   3 comments  ·  Clients (Webclient, Android, iOS)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   started  ·  AdminMalin Johansson (Admin, Novacura) responded

   We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

10. Portal Page Navigator

    As a developer, I want to be able to edit my portal page navigation and deploy that navigation across environments in Flow Connect (Dev, Test, Prod). This should take into account access restrictions from End User Groups.

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    started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

    We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

11. Bring Your Own Identity Provider

    In Flow Connect, we would like to be able to use other identity providers to login. For example, we would like to be able to login via OKTA instead of Microsoft.

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    started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

    We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

12. AI Flow builder

    Problem: Creating workflows manually can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially for complex business processes. Businesses need a faster, more accurate way to generate workflows that align with their domain and data models.
    Why It Matters: Manual workflow creation delays application development and increases the risk of misalignment with business objectives, leading to inefficiencies and higher costs.
    Proposed Feature/Idea
    Solution: Use AI to automatically generate workflows from user inputs, such as:
    A prompt described in plain language (e.g., "Create a workflow to move inventory parts").
    Existing business process or data model diagrams (e.g., BPMN, UML).
    What It Does: AI analyzes the input to:
    Understand the business logic.
    Create workflows (like the one in the attached image) that can be directly used as a domain and data model in the low-code platform.
    Example: Input a business prompt or upload a diagram, and the system generates a workflow like the "Move Inventory" process diagram in the attachment.
    Business Impact
    Time Savings: Reduces workflow creation time by up to 80%.
    Error Reduction: Ensures workflows are consistent and accurate based on predefined business rules and domain models.
    Scalability: Enables faster scaling of applications by automating repetitive workflow design tasks.
    Key Features/Capabilities
    Input Options:
    Plain-language text prompts.
    Uploaded business process or data model diagrams (e.g., JSON, XML).
    AI-Powered Generation:
    Natural language processing to interpret text.
    Diagram parsing to identify workflows and relationships.
    Workflow Outputs:
    Fully editable workflows in the low-code platform.
    Integration-ready domain and data models.
    User Feedback Integration:
    Allow users to edit and refine workflows with suggestions provided by AI.

    Problem: Creating workflows manually can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially for complex business processes. Businesses need a faster, more accurate way to generate workflows that align with their domain and data models.
    Why It Matters: Manual workflow creation delays application development and increases the risk of misalignment with business objectives, leading to inefficiencies and higher costs.
    Proposed Feature/Idea
    Solution: Use AI to automatically generate workflows from user inputs, such as:
    A prompt described in plain language (e.g., "Create a workflow to move inventory parts").
    Existing business process or data model diagrams (e.g., BPMN, UML).
    What It Does: AI analyzes the… more

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    3 comments  ·  AI  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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    started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

    We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

13. Managing Agents in the Hub

    To provide more information & visibility about the connector agents so that it becomes easier to manage/maintain agents in Flow Hub. with this feature a hub admin can update the agent from the Hub

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    started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

    We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

14. OnClick Action in Custom Content Portlet

    Configure buttons with actions (e.g., run apps, navigate to pages).​

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    0 comments  ·  Portal  ·  Edit…  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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    started  ·  AdminMalin Johansson (Admin, Novacura) responded

    We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.

15. Direct Links to Applications for Seamless Execution

    Flow developers often need to create solutions that extend beyond Novacura Flow, enabling smoother integration with external systems and enhancing functionality without modifying the ERP. Direct links to applications make this possible by allowing users to trigger app executions instantly—whether from external applications or directly through emails.

    Typical Use Cases:
    External Links in Applications:
    For example, a custom menu in IFS can trigger an application execution with pre-filled input data, enabling developers to build custom apps that fill gaps or extend ERP functionality. This approach, often referred to as “extend on the outside,” allows for powerful customization without altering core systems.

    Emails with Direct Links to Applications:
    Emails can contain direct links with specified parameters, allowing users to take immediate action. For instance, if a purchase order requires approval, the approver can click a link in the email to instantly open the app and review the order—no additional searching required.

    We’re introducing new functionality to enable:

    -Direct Web Links in Hub: Create direct links to applications with specified inputs for execution.
    -Environment-Specific Links: Ensure that links trigger executions in the correct environment.
    -Direct Mobile Client Links: Enable seamless execution on mobile devices through direct app links.
    -Auto-Login and Execution: If the user is not logged in, the system will prompt for credentials and immediately proceed with the execution after login.
    -Return to Home After Execution: Once the application completes, users are returned to the client home page.

    These improvements will empower developers to create streamlined solutions that enhance productivity, automate tasks, and extend Flow’s capabilities to external systems—ensuring a more efficient and connected experience.

    Flow developers often need to create solutions that extend beyond Novacura Flow, enabling smoother integration with external systems and enhancing functionality without modifying the ERP. Direct links to applications make this possible by allowing users to trigger app executions instantly—whether from external applications or directly through emails.

    Typical Use Cases:
    External Links in Applications:
    For example, a custom menu in IFS can trigger an application execution with pre-filled input data, enabling developers to build custom apps that fill gaps or extend ERP functionality. This approach, often referred to as “extend on the outside,” allows for powerful customization without altering core… more

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    started  ·  AdminPaul Phillips (VP Product Management, Novacura) responded

    We are happy to inform you that development work has begun on your requested feature. Our product team has assigned resources and is actively working on implementing it. We will keep you updated on its progress.