Workflow enhancements in 9.0.0

Several enhancements have been made to help you administer, maintain, and support IBM OpenPages®.

Custom error messages

Administrators are now able to create custom messages that will display to users when a validation is triggered within a workflow. Instead of relying on auto-generated messages, administrators can now provide targeted guidance (up to 196 characters) to the end user regarding the actions that must be taken in order to advance the workflow and avoid triggering the validation. This is an optional feature, and the existing auto-generated validation message will display in instances when a custom message is not defined within the Workflow Designer.

Figure 1. The new Custom error message option within the Workflow Designer when creating a validation
The Validations panel is shown. It includes a field called Custom error message.

The image on the left shows an 8.3.0.2 system view. In this view, a validation that uses advanced logic was triggered from an out-of-the-box workflow. The image on the right shows a 9.0 system. In this view, the same validation was triggered but this time a custom error message was created for the validation. The custom error message directs the user to populate a text field because two field values do not match when they were expected to match.

Figure 2. The custom error message option for workflows
Two images are displayed. The first image shows a task view in version 8.3.0.2. A warning message is shown. It displays seven warnings. The second image shows the same task view in 9.0.0. A warning message is shown. It contains one warning. An indicator in the side panel shows that two fields have mismatched values. The side panel provides guidance about how to fix the issue.

Workflow stage auto-advance

The workflow stage auto-advance feature allows administrators to enable a setting within the Workflow Designer to advance a workflow stage automatically based on a condition on the workflow object. Administrators can use the calculation engine, a workflow action, or require a manual selection by the user for setting the field value on the workflow object to satisfy the condition that is set in the workflow to automatically advance the stage.

To use this feature, select an action on a workflow and select the Auto-Advance Stage option.

Figure 3. The new Auto-Advance Stage option within the Workflow Designer when creating an action
The Action Properties panel is shown. It includes a new toggle that is called Auto-Advance Stage. In this example, Auto-Advance Stage is enabled.

On the same action, set a condition on the object that is the subject of the workflow.

In the following example, when the Lifecycle Comment field has a value of Action Items Complete, the workflow stage automatically advances.

Figure 4. Defining the condition
The Action Properties panel is shown. In this example, a condition is set for the action: Issue Lifecycle Comment=Action Items Complete.

A sample workflow with the Auto-Advance Stage setting enabled is available in the Issue Review Workflow. This workflow is available in fresh installations of 9.0. In the sample workflow, the Awaiting completion stage advances automatically when the Lifecycle Comment field equals Action Items Complete. The Action Items Complete value for the Lifecycle Comment field is set by the Issue Workflow Stage Auto-Advance sample calculation. That calculation counts each child Action Item under the Issue. When all child Action Items are in a Closed status, the Lifecycle Comment field is set with the value that advances the workflow stage.

Figure 5. The Issue Review Workflow with the Auto-Advance Stage setting configured for the Awaiting completion stage
The Issue Review Workflow is shown in the Workflow Designer. The action between the Awaiting completion stage and the FInal Approval stage is selected. The Action Properties side panel is shown. The Auto-Advance Stage option is enabled.