Workflow without promotion request

[pburtsev]

Hello everybody. My question is - how to create workflow without creating promotion request? I want to create task for group of users.

What i need to do - there are printing group that print released drawings. But not all released drawings are necessary to print.

I want to choose some released drawings and create task for printing group to print and take this drawings to manufacturing shop.

My lifecycle states:

In work - Approved - Released - Chanceled - On Review

I can create state Printed

In work - Approved - Released - Printed - Chanceled - On Review

It is a simple example. Whole question is - can i create workflow task without promoting?

[MikeLockwood]

Some options to consider:

A) Use an Action Item for each Drawing that needs to be printed. Select from the Drawing. The "Owner" of the Action Item gets a Task. It's essentially a non-configurable one-Task workflow process. There is a record of it. One can gather Action Items and report on if desired.

B) Use a Discussion posting on each Drawing that needs to be printed and subscribe to it. Forward the email to the person / group who needs to do the work. The email has a link.

C) POSIf you have ProjectLink, add each Drawing to a Project and use Route. This is a true workflow process. Set up so that the group involved can be selected / is pre-configured.

D) Packages are not intended for this really, but you can add each Drawing that needs to be printed to a Package, then Route the Package. This is also a true workflow process and can be configured as needed. Advantage: All within PDMLink.

[pburtsev]

Thank you for your answers. I think for real workflow i need to customize projectlink. But now i want to create some tasks with pdmlink functionality.

I want to try one else functions.

Now my lifecycle states is:

In work - Approved - Released - Chanceled - On Review

In Lifecycle Administration i choose for state Released workflow "Print drawings".

Workflow "Print drawings" is simple workflow that create task for Printer group roles.

After promoting pbjects (parts, cad-models, cad-drawings) from state Approved to Released. Printer group recives huge amount of "one object" task, wich included parts, cad-models

and cad-drawings

And my question is:

1) Can workflow create tasks only for cad-drawings?

2) What i need to do in my workflow template to create such filter?

3) Can i customize workflow to create task with 2 ore 5 drawings included in it, not only 1 object?

[MikeLockwood]

Multiple things here...

1. OTB, the requested state change from Promotion only occurs after the workflow process completes. If you use watermarking that is dynamic by state, printing can only be done after the promotion workflow, not during it. This may be ok if the printing jobs are just notifications but will be a problem if they need to be completed before the process ends. Not an issue if you don't publish and use dynamic watermarking (but why would anyone not use these?).

2. You can add a conditional in the workflow template after the user choice to route to printing that branches around print (skips it) if the affected objects do not include any Drawings (need to get code for this from others).

3. If the Task is tied to the Promotion Request, not the affected objects on it, then this will result in one task for each promotion request, regardless of the number of drawings on that request.

4. By the way, it's absurd that the default "Basic" lifecycle template includes Canceled (spelled wrong above); what real business would ever use Canceled? May want to remove this state. I don't see above a set state robot in the workflow template. May want one just in the branch used for printing (if it's helpful to know that the process is waiting for printing to get done). If it's just an open-ended notification, then no such need.

[pburtsev]

Thank you for your answer, sorry for my bad english =).

I think we need to create workflow process with our integrators, with all new steps i have more questions than answers, and understand "nothing" 😃

1. What is OOTB or OTB how stands it abbreviation? We don't use watermarking in our drawing, can you show what is it?

I think may be create a notification robot in promotion request that create e-mail for printers group with notification such this:

"Objects from promotion request # are in released state, please print all drawings in it"

2. I think about this but dont know how to create such filter.

3. ... no idea

4. Yes canceled (chanceld is my "mistake") We can promote objects to canceled state to prevent users to use this objects in their projects - this objects are old development, that not recomended to use in new products.

My promotion template from approved to released

Releasers can choose "Release", if promotion request includes only cad-models and parts, or choose "Print" and create for printer group task.

[MikeLockwood]

So - this is a big and complex subject (but fun!). A lot like Sudoku and chess and so forth all together. Too big to go into more detail here.

Can help you thru my consulting company if you like.

[dschenken]

OOTB and OTB = Out of the Box; generally, the way the software works as it is originally delivered, and before any customization.