Solved: Task Completion

GregOlson · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Is there an easy way to stop a user from completing task until an earlier parallel task is completed? See attached picture, I want to block the Complete Customer Inspection from being completed until the Customer Inspection Reminder is completed.

DonSenchuk · ‎Oct 13, 2015

I think Bob Sindelar's loop link solution is the most appropriate.

However, that doesn't cover denying the CIR assignee the ability to modify after s/he has completed that work. This, I think, would require another life cycle state change -- I'll call it Post-CIR -- to be inserted after the CIR task is completed but before the AND node the brings both paths back together.

In your policy administration, the CIR assignee has +View but -Modify, -Modify Content for that workflow object while at the state Post-CIR. Meanwhile, the CCI assignee has +View, +Modify and +Modify Content for both life cycle states; Assigned and Post-CIR. After CCI completes their task the next life cycle state would deny any modify action from both assignees.

(edit to add: minor clarification)

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DonSenchuk · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Put them in sequence.

GregOlson · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Yes Don...the simplest answer is most of the time the best way to go, but I want the Complete Customer Inspection task to be visible on the users home page from the minute the PBO is created.

DonSenchuk · ‎Oct 13, 2015

I wondered if it was something like that but didn't want to make assumptions not supported in your post.

So, you want CCI to be a task on the assignee's homepage while CIR is ongoing. Can CCI do work on the task while CIR is ongoing?

I'm sure it's possible to get around this, just might need more info.

GregOlson · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Yes, both tasks get assigned and are on home pages of assignees. CIR can be completed first once date transition code allows...then and only then the CCI can be completed. Yes the CCI can work on the doc as needed...they are the original creators, the CIR will not be allow to modify at that time, only view.

DonSenchuk · ‎Oct 13, 2015

I think Bob Sindelar's loop link solution is the most appropriate.

However, that doesn't cover denying the CIR assignee the ability to modify after s/he has completed that work. This, I think, would require another life cycle state change -- I'll call it Post-CIR -- to be inserted after the CIR task is completed but before the AND node the brings both paths back together.

In your policy administration, the CIR assignee has +View but -Modify, -Modify Content for that workflow object while at the state Post-CIR. Meanwhile, the CCI assignee has +View, +Modify and +Modify Content for both life cycle states; Assigned and Post-CIR. After CCI completes their task the next life cycle state would deny any modify action from both assignees.

(edit to add: minor clarification)

bsindelar · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Maybe the obvious question here, but is there a particular reason both tasks have to be sent out in parallel? Why not just have Complete Customer Inspection not be sent until Customer Inspection Reminder is completed?

Other thing you can do (though not exactly what you asked for) is to have both of those tasks go to an "And" connector node before anything else in the workflow. While the two tasks can still be completed in either order, the workflow will wait for BOTH to be completed before going further, which is not what is happening in your image here.

GregOlson · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Bob, but the user can still complete task accidentally and the task disappears. If they have to wait until the prior task is completed, the work will then get done as the Customer will actually be on site. The next question I am sure you'll ask is what is stopping the first task from being completed..., I have code that checks against an attribute date and will not allow completion until a couple days before that date.

bsindelar · ‎Oct 13, 2015

One option you can have is to have "Complete Customer Inspection" on a loop link, where after completing it goes to check the value of a workflow variable (call it CIRComplete, initialized with value of 0). If this value is 0, go back to the "Complete Customer Inspection" task and rerun. If the value is "1", progress onward. This way, if a user does this task first, the task will just reappear in their list.

After the "Customer Inspection Reminder" task is completed, send it to an expression to change the value of CIRComplete to 1. NOW when the user completes "Complete Customer Inspection", it will progress.

GregOlson · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Bob, I do like your idea and was thinking that was going to be the answer, but how do I tackle the routing from CCI? If I am using a conditional node to control routing yes/no, but I still need the CCI to allow "Issues Found and No Issues Found" routing. Not sure how accomplish this. What needs to happen is I need transition code to check before allowing completion, not using a link loop. I already added a hidden Boolean variable to the CIR task that (I THINK) will set to true once they complete, now just need the code that will check for that before allowing completion in the CCI.

bsindelar · ‎Oct 13, 2015

You could do code to check for that, but what may be easier is to just use the loop-link variable method I suggested and make identical, but separate loops, one for each routing option. That way, the behavior is kept regardless of which routing option is chosen.

In general, I'm a fan of using the Windchill-supported methods/items in the WF Administrator wherever possible, and reducing the amount of custom code.

GregOlson · ‎Oct 13, 2015

Bob, thank you for your input.