Mass Replace User in Assigned Tasks for Open Workflows

[BrianToussaint]

Currently there is no way to do a replacement of a user on a mass scale for open workflows.  If a user leaves or switches positions and are assigned to tasks in open workflows, both within the change process and otherwise, there is no way to replace the user on a mass scale.  You have to open each process up and replace the user in the Members section of the Process tab one by one.  Since groups are used on the Team page, replacement is not allowed.

Idea:  Have the ability to do a mass replace of a user on any task they are assigned to for any workflow if it has not been resolved.  The need for all open workflows is necessary incase there is a need for rework so that the task can go to someone.  The replacement would need to leave a comment stating that the change took place.

[JeffZemsky]

You can do this on a per context level today (Product, Library) on the Task page.  You can also do this today with Advanced Search by searching for Work Item and the doing the re-assign from there.

[BrianToussaint]

The task page only shows current tasks and not future tasks in the process that have not been activated in the workflow.  Do you have any examples of how to do the Advance Search for a Work Item?  We also have rework built into the workflow to go backwards to users to fix mistakes.

[BenPerry]

Brian, the Windchill Calendar can handle delegations to any future tasks.  The screenshot of Advanced Search is shown below, for example.

Criteria: Owner=Ben Perry;Status≠Completed;Type=Work Item;Context=All Contexts

[jreding]

The calendar means I am delegating all of my tasks for all processes.  I would want to more reassign the user in the role for a full change process.  I cannot delegate all because delegation does not honor the resource pool identified in the workflow task and may assign a task to someone who is not trained to do that work.  this would be a compliance issue for us.

[BrianToussaint]

Ben,

Thanks for the screen shot of the search criteria.

[JeffZemsky]

Thanks Ben!

[JeffZemsky]

Brian - for these future cases -is it all as in the user left the company?  For a time period?  For a given product or project?

[BrianToussaint]

Jeff - Yes the user has left the company.  It would also be if the user changed positions in the company.  It could be any product or project.  We mainly deal with change requests, change notices and workflows tied to documents.  I could also see it with any product or project that person is in.

[RajuPulavarthi]

At St. Jude, we have developed a custom User interface, where we search for Change Objects, Promotion Notices and Documents that are not in the final life cycle states and user is present in at least one role of the teams associated to the Objects.

Once All of the Objects are displayed, users can select a replacement user and submit the request to the server where we update the team role with new user and remove the old user. We also augument the lifecycles.

Once this is done, the new user gets the current and future tasks that would have gone to the old user. It will be great if PTC can provide this functionality OOTB.

[JeffZemsky]

Raju - this seems more like a Team update rather than a Task re-assignment.  is that the goal of your customization - to update the Team assignments?

[ybagul]

we developed something similar. Its a command line utility with following features.

- Allows users in a specific group to run it

- Takes leaving and an existing user as parameters

- Verifies that both users are currently Windchill users

- Search for all the current and future assignments for leaving user

- Updates RolePrincipalMap in Team from leaving to other existing user for non-completed workflow objects

- Permanently delegate non-completed workitems (related to workflow objects) where leaving user = workItemOwner to other existing user

[RajuPulavarthi]

Jeff - It does the team update(RolePrincipalMaps of Teams connected to primary business objects) resulting in reassigning the current task reassignment as well as any future task re-assignment.

[jfrankovich]

We face this same challenge with our change process and users leaving or changing roles in the company. Our change processes use sequenced implementation plans and the tasks may be assigned to groups defined in the context teams and/or may be assigned directly to specifically chosen users. Therefore if a user changes positions in the company, we need to quickly change their team roles (simple) AND change their assignment to any currently existing future tasks that are assigned to them directly (not so simple). The directly assigned future tasks are where we usually get burned when a CN gets stuck with a former employee or goes to someone who has completely changed jobs.

A nice OOTB means of quickly identifying and changing a user's team roles and assignments en mass (or selectively) along with tracking comments would be very useful.

[JeffZemsky]

It seems there are two challenges being described and maybe we should update the Idea to reflect

a) Re-assign tasks - task needs to be re-assigned as the user is out or unavailable for a temporary reason

b) Re-assign Role - user got a new job, left company, etc. and all of that users Tasks and Role assignments need to be updated

In a broad sense do these two categories make sense?

[ybagul]

yes, it does.

[jfrankovich]

Yes. They do.

[BrianToussaint]

Yes they do.

[DOUGRCSAIL]

Jeff I agree with the summary you provided for this idea.

a) Re-assign tasks - task needs to be re-assigned as the user is out or unavailable for a temporary reason

b) Re-assign Role - user got a new job, left company, etc. and all of that users Tasks and Role assignments need to be updated

This was posted in 2015, was this capability delivered, or is there an enhancement in the works? 

[olivierlp]

Hello,

We are archiving your idea as part of a general review. This action is based on the age of your idea and the total number of votes received, as per this announcement.

You can always post a new idea with all the details required in the form.

Thank you for your participation.