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Question

Workflow reassignment dilemma

Workflow Version 10
Updated March 7, 2019
asked on February 20, 2019

I have a workflow that monitors new mail to ensure that users tasked with dealing with new mail in a timely manner follow through with the necessary steps within 2 days.  (I get notified if they don't and I must follow up with ensuring these tasks get completed.)

My dilemma is when the entry is reassigned to another individual.  

Two Options already tried:

  1. The first user drops the entry into the User InBox of the new person being assigned the tasks.
  2. A user can drop the entry into the folders that activate the workflows to monitor the steps.  (The line in the clipshot shown above was reassigned this way and the starting name got "New Mail" and the ID # added twice via the two workflows activating on this same entry.)

 

What happens:

  1. In Option #1 above, my workflows still think User #1 is assigned and I end up following up with the wrong users (unless I spend time reviewing the history of each one I have to follow up on first).
  2. In Option #2 above, I end up with two workflows monitoring the same Entry (and, unless I happen to notice that or spend time reviewing the history again, I might still end up contacting the wrong person.)

 

In either case, I can adapt and make sure I double check whether or not the Entry was reassigned, but it would be better if I can know who is currently assigned without having to check for that first.

QUESTION:  Can a workflow be configured to cancel a previous workflow on the same entry?  I could tell it to look for the words "New Mail" in the name (which is added by the first instance of the workflow.  But, can it then cancel the previous workflow? 

If not, is there something else that I can do, other than having it email me when this happens?

 

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Answer

SELECTED ANSWER
replied on February 20, 2019

You could modify your wait condition to be "user approved" OR "Entry Path has changed". That way, the workflow can end when the entry is reassigned. You could do some checking on the new path and if it's not the one that activates your workflow, then invoke the workflow again. That way you always get a second instance monitoring the second user.

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replied on February 20, 2019

You say, "...the workflow can end when the entry is reassigned...".  You got me thinking!  So, I could add another branch to watch in case the document is moved to another User Inbox where the name does not match the current.  And then, on that branch, I could tell it to re-invoke the WF!  Would that work?  This would have to be a parallel condition, which I think I've already got it on.  I'm going to try that!

I have "entry path has changed" built into the WF, only so that the BP history will show that it was filed appropriately (one of the specified tasks).

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replied on February 20, 2019

It worked!  Awesome, thanks Miruna!

 

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replied on February 20, 2019

You got it. I was getting all fancy by adding input parameters to the workflow so I can pass in the new user:

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replied on February 26, 2019

Miruna:  I think I have a problem with my solution!  I'm using a parallel condition, so, even though the tests worked, other instances that don't get reassigned are not finishing when all the tasks are done because it is still waiting for one of the parallel branches:  the one set up in case of reassignment.  Is there a way around this?

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replied on February 26, 2019 • Show version history

I think I got it!  I had a branch waiting for the document to be moved already, so I added a conditional branch for "Where was it moved to?" that allows for this option.  (I deleted the other parallel branch.)

UPDATE A FEW WEEKS LATER:  I discovered that the conditions on the yellow box shown above need some tweaking.  I changed the name of a starting entry on one of these and it therefore Invoked a new WF on that starting entry and ended the original one unnecessarily.  So now the conditions on this branch are:

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Replies

replied on February 20, 2019

1. How does your workflow determine who is "assigned?"

2. Do you have two workflows with overlapping starting rules or is the same workflow activating twice on an entry?  

 

 

 

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replied on February 20, 2019

The new entries are dropped into these target folders by our receptionist, who opens the mail, scans the mail, and then distributes them to the administrators responsible for their department's LF records:

The name of the person found at the end of the folder name is the user that gets assigned.  The WF moves the document to that person's User Inbox and then notifies that user of the new mail.  When following up, I can see that user's name in the WF search window "Original Path" when I do a search for any running New Mail BP's.

An entirely second WF starts up if User #1 moves this document into another of the target folders shown above, but the first WF doesn't know that and so it continues waiting for the specified tasks.

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