See also: Working with tracking states

Tracking state workflows define restrictions for adding tracking state entries for a specific reference object against the background of its Tracking state history. For this purpose, a tracking state workflow includes one or more Tracking state transformation matrices that define which transitions (or 'transformations') between Tracking state codes should be allowed or disallowed for a given Tracking state type.

All business transaction objects that support the assignment of Tracking state are suitable as reference objects. Their data model provides a tracking state attribute for each Tracking state type, each of which can refer to a specific Tracking state history entry to indicate the current Tracking state for the Tracking state type. For each reference object, the same chronological Tracking state history may result in a different 'current Tracking state' per Tracking state type. Whether and, if so, how the 'current Tracking state', i.e. the values of tracking state attributes of the reference object, are updated when a specific tracking state entry is added, is in turn governed by the Tracking state transformation matrices of the tracking state workflow applicable in the respective context. This is determined via Association criteria according to the best-matching principle - i.e. uniquely for each context. Since only one tracking state workflow is ever assigned for a context, it must explicitly provide Tracking state transformation matrices for each Tracking state type that is relevant with regard to restrictions for transitions or a possible update of the associated tracking state attribute of the reference object.

►NOTE◄ The Association criteria for Tracking state workflows can also include the values of tracking state attributes of the reference object. The transformation legitimized on the basis of the currently assigned tracking state workflow for a particular current Tracking state of the reference object can therefore also have the effect of assigning a different tracking state workflow after the change of state. The potentially complex 'life cycle' of a reference object can be structured by using multiple Tracking state workflows for different sections to be run selectively or in series.