A: Although both solutions are deployed on-premises, K2 is built from the ground up on a completely separate engine that operates independently from SharePoint, while Nintex for SharePoint is built on top of the SharePoint workflow engine. When using K2: 

• SharePoint is just one data source option among many (SQL, CRM, web services, etc.) 

• Business logic can be implemented on reusable views/forms” and/or in the workflow and/or reusable components such as SQL or API’s. The platform is extremely flexible when it comes to this function 

• You can build entire workflows and applications completely outside of SharePoint 
• K2 has its own database and workflow engine 

A: SmartObjects are entities in K2 that provide a layer of abstraction for data integration.  

• Allow you to access directly or retrieve and manipulate data from external systems while honoring permissions and business system security 

• Feed data to forms, processes, and reports 

• Can combine data from multiple sources (composite SmartObjects) 

• Are Designed to be reusable components.  Build once, update and manage in one location, but use across many workflows and applications. 

A: K2 uses a hierarchical category structure to organize artifacts: 

• Categories help differentiate artifacts between applications 

• SharePoint-based artifacts are automatically stored under “SharePoint 2013” categories (or similar) 

• Each site collection gets its own subcategory 

• You can create custom categories for applications outside of SharePoint 

• Permissions can be managed at the category level (i.e. think of folders per project or a folder of many projects) 

A: K2 gives you flexibility in choosing your data storage approach: 

• SharePoint lists: Continue if required by compliance but is not recommended if you are recreating relational databases. 

• SQL Database: Recommended for relational database designs, this also allows more control over row level security (RLS) and transparent data encryption (TDE). You can fine tune SQL procedures for performance and memory optimization. 

• Hybrid approach: Use SharePoint for some data, SQL for others 

• The SQL database doesn’t need to be on the same server as K2 

A: K2 uses a more robust approach than Nintex’s XML storage: 

• Create separate lists/tables for repeating data (master-detail relationship) 

• Link with foreign keys or lookup columns 

• Display using K2’s list views within forms.  These forms are also customizable in terms of functionality, data loading and filtering 

• This provides better maintenance, performance, and user interface options 

• Recommendation: Rebuild the architecture rather than trying to parse existing XML 

A: Each k2 environment can only be integrated with a single SP environment. However, we can collate information from any site/list within that tenant seamlessly, given that the site/list specific permissions allow it. K2 supports: 

• Create composite SmartObjects that pull data from multiple sites 

• Use foreign keys to link data across different SharePoint sites 

• Can combine SharePoint data with other systems (SQL, web services, etc.) 

• Authentication is handled per service instance 

A: K2 forms are much more powerful: 

• Nintex: Primarily for data collection, then hand off to workflow 

• K2: Can perform complex operations directly without workflows 

• Can execute multiple SmartObject calls from a single form 

• Support multiple action buttons with different functions 

• Can handle on-change events and dynamic data loading 

• Can create, update, and delete data directly from forms 

A: K2 forms provide extensive interaction capabilities: 

• Multiple action buttons with different SmartObject calls 

• On-change events (e.g., populate dropdown based on another selection) 

• Direct integration with web services from forms 

• Dynamic field population 
• List views embedded within forms for master-detail scenarios 

A: Use K2 processes for: 

• Approval workflows 

• Long-running integrations 

• Operations that require time (notifications, batch processing) 

• Background tasks 

Use K2 forms for: 

• Data entry and validation 

• Immediate data operations 

• Simple CRUD operations 

• User interface interactions 

A: K2 supports both synchronous and asynchronous sub-processes: 

• Synchronous: Main process waits for sub-process completion 

• Asynchronous: Main process continues regardless of sub-process status 

• You can set deadlines for synchronous processes 

• Failed sub-processes don’t automatically fail the main process in async mode 

• Best Practice: Use status fields to track process completion 

A: K2 provides multiple integration options: 

• SOAP Web Services: For legacy web services using WSDL 

• REST Services: Using Swagger 2.0 definitions 

• Custom Service Brokers: C# libraries for custom integrations 
• JavaScript Service Providers: Available from version 5.8.1 

 A: Yes, K2 supports web service calls from both locations: 

• From Forms: Direct SmartObject calls to web services 

• From Workflows: SmartObject calls within process steps 

• Authentication is configured at the service instance level 

• Can use different authentication methods (static, OAuth, impersonation) 

A: K2 provides comprehensive error handling: 

• Process errors are visible in the K2 Management site 

• Error details include timestamp, user, description, and process instance 

• Create automated error notification processes and automated error resolution processes that will handle known issues in a defined way. 
• Error notification processes can be filtered by workflow name or application 

A: Create a dedicated error handling process: 

1. Use “Start when a workflow errors” event 
2. Configure email notifications to specific users/groups 
3. Include error details (workflow name, error message, timestamp) 
4. Can filter for specific workflows or applications 
5. Can integrate with custom logging solutions 

A: Form errors need to be handled within the form itself: 

• Use built in field/data validations 

• Implement custom error messaging 

• For web service calls from forms, handle timeouts and failures appropriately 

A: K2 supports multiple permission layers: 

• SharePoint level: Standard SharePoint permissions apply to lists/libraries 

• K2 artifact level: Permissions on forms, views, and processes 

• Category level: Control access to entire applications 
• Service instance level: Authentication for external systems 

 A: Yes, K2 integrates seamlessly with your existing group structures: 

• K2 can utilize SharePoint groups for permissions 

• Can also use Active Directory groups 

• Can create custom K2 roles 

• Email notifications can be sent to SharePoint or AD groups 

 A: A typical K2 setup includes these recommended environments: 

• Development: Free with K2 license 

• UAT/Test: Requires separate license 

• Production: Requires separate license 
• Each environment needs the K2 for SharePoint app installed and configured 

A: Managing multiple SharePoint sites is straightforward: 

• Install K2 app on each site that needs K2 functionality 

• App installation can be automated via PowerShell 

• Each site creates its own service instance in K2 
• You can reuse SmartObjects across sites by providing site URL parameters 

A: Multiple subsites present some deployment considerations: 

• Changes to content types require manual SmartObject refresh on each site 

• No automatic synchronization mechanism 

• Recommendation: Consider restructuring to reduce the number of subsites 

• Alternative: Use custom scripts or web service calls for bulk updates 

A: Redesigning workflows typically delivers better results than direct migration: 

• K2’s capabilities allow for better architecture – especially their reusable form, workflow, and SmartObject components. 

• Opportunity to eliminate complex workarounds 

• Can consolidate multiple simple workflows 
• Take advantage of K2’s form capabilities to reduce process complexity 

A: We recommend a structured four-phase approach to ensure migration success: 

1. Assessment: Use “Know Your Workflows” script to inventory existing processes 

2. Categorization: Group workflows by complexity (simple, medium, complex) 

3. Strategy Development: 

• Option A: Minimal changes, keep existing structure 
• Option B: Moderate redesign 
• Option C: Complete rebuild with optimal K2 architecture 

4. Phased Implementation: Start with simple workflows, build up to complex applications 

A: You have several approaches for handling existing repeating section data: 

• Recommended: Export data and restructure into proper master-detail tables 

• Alternative: Create custom SmartObject to parse XML (not recommended) 

• Consider data transformation scripts during migration 

• Test data integrity thoroughly after restructuring 

A: K2 is designed to scale with your business needs with strategic planning.  You’ll want to look at these areas: 

• No hard limits on tasks (stored in K2 database) 
• Performance depends on server resources and implementation 

Best Practices:  

• Limit SmartObject calls to necessary fields only 
• Use paging for large data sets 
• Optimize composite SmartObjects carefully 
• Monitor server resources as usage scales 

A: There are several optimization strategies you want to look at, including: 

• Select only required fields in SmartObjects 

• Use appropriate data sources (SQL vs. SharePoint) 

• Implement proper indexing 

• Use caching where appropriate 

• Consider composite SmartObject impact on performance 

• Test with realistic data volumes 

A: The biggest resource for more detailed documentation on how K2 works would be to visit our help site at help.nintex.com.  The complete K2 documentation is located there. 

For specific resources on SharePoint to K2 migration, visit our main web site and search for  “Microsoft End of Support”. The top page will have a link of resource available, including signup for webinars for more information as well as some preparatory checklist for evaluating your current setup.  Finally on the same end-of-support page is a form you can fill out to engage Nintex in helping you do a discovery call to go over your specific environment and review all the options available to you.