The goal of this RFE is to show that workflow should allow negative Action Lines anywhere that positive Action Lines are used, with the noted exception that Subprocess and Condition nodes should still require one positive and one negative Action Line. Due to the nature of the subject matter, this RFE Description is on the long side and may require multiple reads. Thank you for your attention.
https://bigblue.aha.io/ideas/ideas/MASM-I-298/choose_release
Consider the following workflow configuration.
----- start workflow configuration -----
Process: "Super Workflow"
Nodes:
1. Start: START
2. Subprocess: CALLSUB
2.1. Subprocess: Sub Workflow
3. Stop: STOP
Action Lines:
1. START --positive--> CALLSUB
2. CALLSUB --positive--> STOP
3.1. Send notification that CALLSUB returned a positive.
3. CALLSUB --negative--> STOP
3.1. Send notification that CALLSUB returned a negative.
Process: "Sub Workflow"
Nodes:
1. Start: START
2. Input: LIKE IT?
3. Condition: VALID?
3.1. Expression: 1=2
4. Interaction: SORRY
4.1. Directions Title: Sorry
4.2. Directions Body: So sorry..
5. Stop: STOP
Action Lines
1. START --positive--> LIKE IT?
2. LIKE IT? --positive--> VALID?
2.1. Instruction: Like it.
3. LIKE IT? --positive--> STOP
3.1. Instruction: Do not like it.
2. VALID? --positive--> STOP
3. VALID? --negative--> SORRY
4. SORRY --positive--> STOP
----- end workflow configuration -----
There are three Maximo-imposed problems here.
Problem 1: In the Sub Workflow process, Action Line 3, from LIKE IT? to STOP, has instruction "Do not like it." It is illogical that the Action Line has to be positive in what the user considers to be a negative case, but Maximo won't let us use a negative Action Line from an Input node.
Problem 2: In the Sub Workflow process, Interaction node SORRY did not fix the problem that arrived from VALID? on negative Action Line 3. So, it is illogical to use a positive Action Line to leave SORRY on, but Maximo won't let us use a negative Action Line from an Interaction node.
Problem 3. In the Super Workflow process, Action Line 3 will never be used. Instead, regardless of whether the user "liked it" or whether it was valid, a notification that the subprocess finished positively will be sent. This knock-on problem is due to Problems 1 and 2, above.
Acknowledgement:
Yes, there are ways to work around the above problems with Task nodes and extra Condition nodes, but those workarounds add unnecessary complexity, clutter and clicks for both the developer and the user.
Conclusion:
Understandably, each Subprocess node and each Condition node must have one positive and one negative Action Line exiting it. However, in all other cases, I submit that the developer should be allowed to use positive and negative Action Lines as he or she deems appropriate, including both Action Lines on a Task.
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately this is not something that is priroitzed for the next several releases.
Good idea