Infor ION Data Flow, Calling an API in a Workflow, and Task Dropdowns
infor ion dataflow
Also searched as
- infor ion api within a workflow
- dropdown in infor ion task
- ion workflow task form dropdown values
Short answer
A data flow moves documents or data from a source to a target, with mapping in between. Inside an ION workflow you call an API through a service step that uses ION API credentials, and a task dropdown gets its options either from a fixed list defined on the form or from values your workflow loaded earlier. Details depend on your ION version.
Applies to: Infor OS ION (Connect, Workflow, ION API), cloud and on-premise. Step and form control names vary by version.
How to wire a data flow, an API call and a dropdown
- 1Build the data flow first: define source and target connection points, add the mapping and test with a sample document.
- 2Create the service account and authorized app for ION API access, and download the .ionapi credential file for the caller.
- 3In the workflow designer add a step that calls the API (service or script-style activity in your version), set method, URL and body.
- 4Map the response to workflow variables so later steps can use the returned values.
- 5On the user task form, add a dropdown field and choose its option source: a static list or a variable holding a list.
- 6If options come from an API, call the API before the task, build a list variable of value and label pairs, and bind the dropdown to it.
- 7Handle failures: add a branch for non-success responses that notifies an administrator rather than failing silently.
- 8Test the full path in a non-production tenant, including permissions of the user opening the task.
Data flow basics
A data flow connects a source to a target and carries the documents in between, often with a mapping. Monitor the flow to see each document's state, and use resubmit for failed ones after fixing the cause.
Keep flows small and named for their business purpose. One flow per document type and direction is easier to support than a catch-all.
Calling an ION API from a workflow
ION API is the gateway to Infor application APIs. A workflow call needs an access token from the service account or authorized app, then a request to the API path with the proper headers.
Parse the JSON response into variables. Treat any non-2xx status as an error branch, and log the response body so you can diagnose it later.
GET https://<ion-api-host>/<tenant>/<application>/<service>/<resource> Authorization: Bearer <access token> Accept: application/json
Dropdown values in a task
For stable choices such as approve, reject and send back, define a static list on the form. For values that change, such as a list of warehouses, load them from the source system in an earlier step and bind the dropdown to that list.
If the dropdown shows empty, the usual cause is that the list variable is not populated before the task starts, or its structure does not match the value and label the control expects.
Try it here, free
Agentic Workflow ROI Calculator
Turn monthly task volume, manual handling time, and automation rate into a realistic monthly and annual ROI for an agentic AI workflow, net of platform and token costs.
Common pitfalls
- !Calling the API with an expired token and not handling the 401.
- !Binding a dropdown to a variable that is empty at task creation.
- !Hard-coding environment URLs, which breaks when promoting from test to production.
- !Making the workflow depend on a slow API without a timeout path.
- !Giving the service account broader ION API scopes than the workflow needs.
How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this
An assistant can draft the API request for a workflow step from the endpoint's documentation, check the response structure against the dropdown binding, and explain failures from the monitor. Running it on a local model keeps tokens and tenant details inside your network. Netray builds this for sites with on-prem Infor systems.
Frequently asked questions
How do I call an ION API inside a workflow?
Use a service-style step that sends an authenticated request to the ION API gateway, using a service account credential, then map the JSON response to workflow variables for later steps.
Why is my dropdown in an ION task empty?
Usually the list variable is not populated before the task is created or its fields do not match what the control expects. Populate and verify it in a prior step.
What is an ION data flow?
A configured route that moves documents or data from one connection point to another with optional mapping, visible and resubmittable in the ION monitor.
Where do I get the credentials to call ION API?
From an authorized app and service account created in Infor OS, which provides the .ionapi file used to obtain tokens. Treat it as a secret.
Related
Fix a 401 Unauthorized error from Infor ION API
A 401 from ION API almost always means the credentials in the .ionapi file no longer match what ION API Gateway expects - not that the password is simply wrong. Check whether the Authorized App or service account behind the file was revoked, regenerated, expired, or issued for a different tenant, then re-test with a direct OAuth2 client_credentials call before touching any calling code.
How-toInfor ION API Connection Point and Enterprise Connector Setup
A connection point in ION Connect defines how ION talks to one system. An API connection point lets ION call or receive from a REST-style API, while enterprise connectors link ION to ERPs and other applications through Infor-provided integration. Cloud and on-premise deployments differ mainly in networking, security and how connectors are hosted.
How-toInfor ION Workflow Examples: Approval and Notification Flows
ION Workflow models a business process as triggers, tasks, decisions and notifications, and users act on those tasks through ION Desk. A typical example is a purchase or change approval that starts from an application event, routes to an approver, and writes the decision back. Infor VISUAL's workflow features are separate from ION.
Error fixDiagnose and fix a failed BOD document flow in ION Desk
A Document Flow showing Failed in ION Desk means a BOD (Business Object Document) stopped either at schema validation, at the mapping step, or at the target application. Open the failed instance's detail to see the exact failing element, fix the source data or mapping, then use Resubmit rather than re-triggering the original transaction to avoid duplicates.
How-toHow to query Infor Data Lake with Compass SQL
Compass is the SQL query layer in Infor OS for querying Infor Data Lake, where flattened copies of BODs published over ION are stored by Noun and Verb. Open a Compass SQL Workbench tab, browse the schema for the correct table, and run a filtered SELECT rather than pulling the full history, since Data Lake tables can hold years of append-only data.
Error fixFix a Ming.le homepage widget that will not load
A blank or endlessly spinning Ming.le widget is usually a permissions, session, or backend availability problem, not a broken widget itself. Confirm the issue is widget-specific, check the user's Security Group access to the underlying app, and look at the widget's network calls in browser dev tools to see whether it is failing with 401/403 or simply timing out against a down service.
AI for ERPAI Agents Over Infor ION API, BODs, and the Infor Data Lake
Build AI agents on Infor ION API Gateway, BODs, and Data Lake, alongside or instead of Infor's own GenAI features, with your choice of model and hosting.
AI for ERPInfor M3 AI: A Practical Path from MI Programs to a Private Assistant
Infor M3 AI explained: grounded natural-language answers over MI programs and MEC, agents for distribution and manufacturing, on-prem or EU private cloud.
Stuck on Infor ION (Infor OS)?
Talk to engineers who work inside Infor ION (Infor OS) every week, and who build private AI that answers these questions from your own ERP data.
Keep exploring
Free tools
- Agentic Workflow ROI CalculatorTurn monthly task volume, manual handling time, and automation rate into a realistic monthly and annual ROI for an agentic AI workflow, net of platform and token costs.
- SAP PM Task List Upload WorksheetBuild equipment or general task list operations row by row, total the work hours and export a clean Excel file for your SAP upload.
- NetSuite Script and Workflow Inventory WorksheetAn editable inventory of the scripts, workflows and scheduled jobs in your NetSuite account, with owners, schedules, daily run minutes and risk level.
ERP fixes and how-tos
- Infor ION Workflow Examples: Approval and Notification FlowsWorked Infor ION Workflow and ION Desk examples: an approval flow, a notification flow, how triggers and tasks fit together, and how this differs from Infor VISUAL.
- How to Set Up an ION Workflow Approval for SyteLine Purchase OrdersHow to build an ION workflow approval for SyteLine purchase orders: trigger from a BOD, route to approvers by amount, and write the result back safely.
- Infor ION API Connection Point and Enterprise Connector SetupHow to set up an API connection point and an enterprise connector in Infor ION, and what changes between cloud and on-premise deployments.
Runs with your ERP
- Infor EDI Managed Service and Infor M3 over IONHow Infor's EDI managed service connects to Infor M3 through ION with pre-built trading partner links: data flows, setup steps, pitfalls and a private AI layer.
- XEDI EDI Integration with Infor LN (ION BODs)How XEDI translates X12 and EDIFACT into Infor BODs routed through ION for Infor LN, plus SyteLine and M3. Setup steps, data flows, pitfalls and FAQ.
Guides
- Infor ION Connect Setup for SyteLine IntegrationConfigure Infor ION Connect for SyteLine data integration. Set up connection points, document flows, BODs, and ION API Gateway for CloudSuite Industrial.
- Infor ION Workflow Automation GuideBuild automated workflows in Infor ION with event-driven triggers, approval chains, escalation rules, and integration with CloudSuite Industrial processes.
- Infor OS Platform: Architecture and CapabilitiesTechnical deep dive into Infor OS platform architecture. ION, Ming.le, Data Lake, Coleman AI, and how they integrate with CloudSuite applications.