Due dates specify when an activity is due to be completed once it has become active. They also specify what will happen when the due date is reached and the activity has not been completed. For example, the activity could be escalated to other users or an email could be sent. Due dates can be defined for Process Definitions, Activity Nodes, Voting Activity Nodes, and Compound Nodes.
Timers trigger certain actions when they expire. They can be used, for example, with Delay Nodes to suspend process execution for a certain amount of time. Timers may operate only once or repeatedly. They can be defined for the process definition as a whole, for individual activities (Activity Nodes, Voting Activity Nodes, and Compound Nodes), for and Delay Nodes
When defining due dates and timers, you specify an absolute or relative time. A relative time can be based on the regular calendar or on a business calendar that counts only business hours.
The following sections explain how to define due dates and timers. They also provide instructions on using your own business calendars.
