Action - field descriptions

Fields are presented in the order that they are presented in a form. Click a link to see the field descriptions for the form.

Overview

An Optiva workflow is a series of instructions configured by an administrator to automate a process, such as approving a new production formula.

A workflow manages projects by:
  1. Notifying users when they need to perform an action.
  2. Processing user responses to determine the next action.
  3. Repeating steps 1 and 2 until the instructions are complete.
The Action page is used to write the scripts for each step in the workflow. For example, when an action is sent to a lab manager to approve a new formula, the action can be composed of three events:
  • View
  • Approve
  • Reject

The lab manager can open the formula (View) and either approve or reject it.

Some events are processed automatically by Optiva, such as: checking a formula’s status, updating formula security, notifying users, and generating XML for export.

If the Optiva administrator specified function codes for this page, then you can add notes and attachments.

Main tab

This tab provides general information about the action.

Action Can be Added

This check box is used only for Stage Gate action sets and only for workflows that are in progress.

Select this check box to enable users to select and add this action from the Project Management > Gantt tab.

Data Symbol
Informational only. Select a symbol from the list.
Group
Informational only. Select a group from the list.
View Type
Reserved for future use.

Script tab

Use this tab to write the code for the events associated with this action.

  • Events are defined in the Events tab. They govern the buttons that are available to users in the Pending Tasks page.

  • LAUNCH and START occur with no user initiation. Consequently, there are no buttons for these 2 events in the Pending Tasks page.

  • LAUNCH exists only for backwards compatibility. You will not see wf_launch in the action template and should not use it unless you have already included it in scripts for previous versions of scripts.

  • START can be used anywhere else in the action set for any tasks that require no user input.

  • Remember to include the behavior for the events that you have selected in the Events tab.

  • Click Validate to verify the syntax of the script complies with the Optiva coding standards.

Events tab

Use this tab to select the events you want associated with the action and to determine the types of user input required for each event.

The types of user input can vary for each event. For example, the Reject event may prompt users to confirm their action and enter a reason code, a comment, and their signature.

Other events may require only a subset of this information.

Confirm

Select this check box to require users to confirm their action.

Events

Select the types of events that will apply to the Action code and that will be available to users in the Pending Tasks page. See Event Types.

You can select every choice or a subset of choices. For example, if users are assigned to approve a formula, you may want them to see only these buttons in the Pending Tasks page: Approve, Reject, and Edit.

Reason

Select this check box to require users to specify a reason code.

Sign

Select this check box to require users to enter their electronic signature (i.e., user name and password).

Event Types

Approve

Use this event for users who must make an approval during a workflow. Consider including the complete script here, instead of adding a separate Complete event.

Assign

Use this event to enable users to reassign an action to another user.

Complete

Use this event to enable users to complete an action and move the workflow to the next action.

Edit

Use this event, with the Workflow.StartForm function, to open a form. Users must have security to edit a form.

Hold

Use this event to enable users to place an action on hold for an extended period of time.

Receipt

Use this event to acknowledge receipt of the action.

Consider adding the Notify function to send a mail message to other users.

Reject

Use this event to enable users to cancel an event, which could conceivably cancel the workflow.

Return

Use this event to enable users to send a workflow to a previous action using the looping function.

View

Use this event, with the Workflow.StartForm function, to open a form for the user. Users may or may not have security to edit the form.