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Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

  • 1.  Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Mon October 25, 2021 11:15 AM
    Edited by System Admin Wed March 22, 2023 11:44 AM
    MAM 7.6.1.2:

    In the Organizations application, the "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" setting is enabled (and it has always been enabled).



    Despite that setting being enabled, I've noticed that there are labor actuals in Maximo that are unapproved:

    select
    refwo,
    genapprservreceipt
from
    maximo.labtrans
where
    genapprservreceipt = 0


REFWO      GENAPPRSERVRECEIPT
---------- ------------------
WO135                     0
WO142                     0
WO75                      0
WO135                     0

4 rows selected.


    Question:

    Under what circumstances can a labor actual be unapproved, despite the automatic approval setting being enabled?

    Thanks.
    #AssetandFacilitiesManagement
    #Maximo


  • 2.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Mon October 25, 2021 11:39 AM
    At first I wondered if those labor actuals had been created from planned labor with zero hours. I tried testing that, but the labor actuals became approved when I hit save. So that doesn't seem to be it.
    And the WOs weren't used in Anywhere at all – so it wouldn't be an Anywhere thing either.
    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Mon October 25, 2021 11:50 AM
    The only reason I can think of for this to happen is if the labor entry bypasses core business logic somehow, so potentially an Automation Script with NOACTION specified or potentially a third party application or interface that doesn't adhere to Maximo business rules.

    ------------------------------
    Tim Ferrill
    Solutions Consultant
    Intelligent Technology Solutions
    tferrill@webuildits.com
    www.webuildits.com
    @tferrill/@webuildits
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Mon October 25, 2021 11:59 AM
    Thanks. It would be interesting to hear if anyone has similar results when running that query in a production environment (select * from labtrans where genapprservreceipt = 0).
    Does anyone else see any unapproved labtrans?
    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Mon October 25, 2021 03:29 PM
    I think I figured it out.

    My organization has a custom Java start/stop timer for tasks (in WOTRACK and Quick Reporting). A user can click the start time button in a task, which will automatically create a labor actual for the task (populates the start time in the labor actual). The labor actual gets unapproved by default. (No need to save -- the task labor actual is saved by default.)
    When the user is done working on the task, they hit the stop button in the task, which populates the end time in the task labor actual. The labor actual gets automatically set to approved.

    The team that created that Java customization must have set it up so that the task labor actual is unapproved by default. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not.



    I suppose it hasn't caused any problems yet. So I'll leave it as is.

    For what it's worth, it isn't possible to reproduce this scenario manually (without the task timer). If I were to manually create a task labor actual, and only enter the start time (no hours; no end time) and save, the task labor actual would get automatically approved (unlike what happens with the custom task timer).
    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Tue October 26, 2021 06:17 PM
    User1971,

    This is really interesting.  I see that your technical team has created some technical debt for you organization that perhaps you could have avoided.  The Activities and Tasks does exactly what you have created a custom Java class to perform.  The Starttimer and Stoptimer options will create the labor transaction for you in unapproved status, change the task status (to INPRG)) and then provide a dialog box for the user to complete the labor transaction and approve it.  

    This functionality does not work in WOTRACK on the task level.  However if you are organizatinoally processing transactions at a task level, that is what the Activites and Task application was designed to address.  Further, with a little bit of training you can access the Activities and Task direct from the WOTRACK application (as the breadcrumb trail indicates in the attached image.) 

    Perhaps you can retrain your users and roll out "an enhancement" (i.e. revert to out of the box capabilities) and relieve your organization of technical debt?  Maybe not, but it might be worth the effort.


    ------------------------------
    Bradley K. Downing , MBA
    Solutions Engineer
    IBM
    Bakersfield CA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Wed October 27, 2021 12:18 AM
    Thanks Bradley. 

    I'd forgotten about the "WOTRACK-->Task-->Go To Activities and Tasks" button until you mentioned it just now.



    Ultimately, I think our users still wanted the task timer buttons to be right in WOTRACK and Quick Reporting...so that they could keep things simple and stay in those applications. It can be confusing for non-technical people to navigate away from the main application they use. This particular division has users who had never used a PC before (a few of them don't even have cell phones or use bank machines). They had to get basic computer skills training in order to use Maximo. So that division wanted to simplify things as much as possible...i.e. do everything in WOTRACK and Quick Reporting.
    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Wed October 27, 2021 01:12 AM

    Umm... maybe I'm missing something here, but – Start Timer and Stop Timer used to be available for the WOTRACK screen.  Taking a look just now, I realize they've been removed in 7.6 (none of my clients use it so I hadn't noticed until now).  However, the security options still exist, and you can add them back again, as per this Support article:

     

    https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/adding-start-and-stop-timer-quick-reporting

     

     

     




    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Wed October 27, 2021 02:00 AM
    Edited by System Admin Wed March 22, 2023 11:47 AM
    Good point.

    Although, as far as I can tell, the timer can't be used for tasks. It seems like it can only be used to create non-task labor actuals (associated with the main WO).

    I tried manually entering the task ID into the labor actual that was created by the timer:
    1. Click Start Timer button in the left pane. The labor actual gets created (Task ID is blank).
    2. Manually enter the Task ID.
    3. Save the WO.
    4. Click the Stop Timer button.
    5. Error: BMXAA2554E - Timer not started. 
    But the timer clearly has been started.


    I don't get that error if I leave the Task ID blank.

    I wonder if the timer gets confused because the REFWO in the LABTRANS has changed from the main WO's WONUM to the Task's WONUM?





    Related:
    TS007343687 - Use start/stop timer for tasks: BMXAA2554E - Timer not started.
    Stop Timer in Work Order prompts "Timer Not Started"

    #AssetandFacilitiesManagement
    #Maximo


  • 10.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Wed October 27, 2021 03:02 AM
    You had the security options enabled in your test, right?  



    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Tue October 26, 2021 08:58 AM
    Hi User1971

    As I understand it, there is a system property that should automatically approve internal labor transactions which is not consistently being applied.

    I am expressing a sense of disbelief, why?  There is nothing for me to say with any confidence that the labor your adding is in fact internal.

    In the crafts, have you selected one with a Vendor?  See screenshot.  If the craft being selected with a vendor then the labor is internal.  Approval should be automatic.  Of course the reverse for outside/external.  More information please.



    ------------------------------
    ===============================
    Craig Kokay,
    Lead Senior Maximo/IoT Consultant
    ISW
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Ph: 0411-682-040
    =================================
    #IBMChampion2021
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Tue October 26, 2021 10:07 AM
    Hi Craig,

    Yes, the "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" setting is enabled in the Organizations application.



    If I create a labor actual using the OOB Maximo UI, then the labor actual gets approved automatically when the labor actual gets saved (as expected):



    The labor is an internal/inside labor. We don't have any external/outside labors.
    The labor's craft doesn't have a outside rate/vendor. 




    However, if I create a labor actual using the custom Java task timer (mentioned in a previous reply in this post), then the labor actual doesn't  get approved automatically when the labor actual is saved. It remains unapproved until the user stops the task timer using the custom Java tool.



    Hopefully that answers your questions. 
    I'm guessing the custom Java task timer isn't honoring the "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" setting.

    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Tue October 26, 2021 10:55 AM
    I shared the Java code from that custom tool here:
    Start/stop timer for tasks (WOTRACK and Quick Reporting)

    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Tue October 26, 2021 02:54 PM

    Hey User1971,

    What you're seeing happen is just how Maximo handles any labor transaction with a timer status set that isn't COMPLETE and I think it's handling them appropriately.  I don't think it's an oversight or flaw in the way that Java customization was written.

    When you approve a labor transaction, that transaction is locked as final.  Maximo expects the start and end time, total hours, etc. on an approved transaction to all be fully defined and complete.  The transaction becomes read-only at that point so that you cannot adjust it.

    A transaction that is part of a ongoing timer is still in-progress so it is inherently not approved.  It still needs additional data (end time and total hours).

    As you've noticed, though, as soon as the timer is completed, Maximo recognizes the transaction is complete and auto-approves it then.  I'm guessing the only unapproved labor transactions you see in your database are ones where the TIMERSTATUS field is ACTIVE.



    ------------------------------
    Adam Davis
    Maximo Consultant
    Asset Partners
    Chicago IL
    312-224-8300
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Actual labors are unapproved, even though "Automatically Approve Inside Labor Transactions" is enabled

    Posted Tue October 26, 2021 11:37 PM
    Edited by System Admin Wed March 22, 2023 11:43 AM
    Thank Adam. That really helps.

    I hadn't noticed the LABTRANS.TIMERSTATUS field until you mentioned it. Good to know.
    #Maximo
    #AssetandFacilitiesManagement


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