MAM 7.6.1.2:

It's my understanding that WOs can only be cancelled when the WO status is WAPPR.
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/mam/7.6.1.2?topic=orders-work-order-statuses

I have a problem where my users are closing invalid WOs, rather than cancelling them. Even with training, users don't realize that cancelling a WO is an option, because most of the time, CAN is not available in the change status window. The user would need to change a WO back to WAPPR in order to cancel it, which isn't very intuitive (and is easy to forget).

So we're now in a situation where we have a bunch of invalid WOs that were closed instead of canceled. The closed status for those WOs is misleading -- it implies that the WO was valid and was executed. But that's not the case.

Is there a way to allow users to cancel a WO (via the change status window) when the WO is at other statuses -- such as APPR, INPRG, WMATL, WSCH?
Thanks. And feel free to let me know if I misunderstood something.
#Maximo
#AssetandFacilitiesManagement

You specifically asked this:

Is there a way to allow users to cancel a WO (via the change status window) when the WO is at other statuses -- such as APPR, INPRG, WMATL, WSCH?

Out-of-the-box functionality is that you can change the status to CAN when there are no actuals and the status is one of the following:

WAPPR
WSCH
WPCOND
WMATL
APPR
(or a synonym of any of these)

If that's not what you're experiencing in your system, then either the user doesn't have the rights in Security Groups to change to those statuses, or you have something restricting it -- probably Conditional Expressions.

So really the only problem that leaves you is when the Work Order is INPRG.

We created a status called NOTDONE (synonym of COMP) to handle such situations.  Training is still required, but the idea is:

if the supervisor/planner denies it before putting it in the hands of field technicians (before it reaches APPR status), the supervisor should CAN it.
Technicians have Security settings that don't allow them to cancel it.  I want the supervisor to push that button.
So if the technicians have it, it is in APPR status, and the expectation is that they would soon change it to INPRG and work on it -- and therefore have Actuals, so then Maximo won't let it be CAN'd -- if they don't actually complete the job they should change the status to NOTDONE. (and they should include a Memo or a Work Log entry, which can be enforced by Conditional Expressions or a script)

This way we can look back and, if everyone followed the plan, we can see what legitimately was done vs. what was otherwise removed from the to-do list.

If you do choose to do this, you may also want to make some kind of synonym of CLOSED (for example, I'll call it NDCLOSE), so that if the Work Order was COMP it would eventually go to CLOSED, but if it was NOTDONE it would eventually go to NDCLOSE.  Then at least use Conditional Expressions to enforce that COMP can only go to CLOSE and that NOTDONE can only go to NDCLOSE -- or better, let an Escalation handle this last stage and take it out of user's hands entirely.

------------------------------
Travis Herron
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed August 04, 2021 02:44 PM
From: User1971
Subject: Cancel WO at status other than WAPPR

MAM 7.6.1.2:

It's my understanding that WOs can only be cancelled when the WO status is WAPPR.
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/mam/7.6.1.2?topic=orders-work-order-statuses

I have a problem where my users are closing invalid WOs, rather than cancelling them.

• Maximo allows WOs without actuals to be closed -- and that actually fits a few of our business processes. 

Even with training, users don't realize that cancelling a WO is an option, because most of the time, CAN is not available in the change status window. The user would need to change a WO back to WAPPR in order to cancel it, which isn't very intuitive (and is easy to forget).

So we're now in a situation where we have a bunch of invalid WOs that were closed instead of canceled. The closed status for those WOs is misleading -- it implies that the WO was valid and was executed. But that's not the case.

Is there a way to allow users to cancel a WO (via the change status window) when the WO is at other statuses -- such as APPR, INPRG, WMATL, WSCH?

• I'm aware that workflow can be used to help with this kind of thing. We use workflow in some scenarios, but not for others. In this case, I'm looking for a non-workflow solution that would apply to all WOs.

Thanks. And feel free to let me know if I misunderstood something.
#AssetandFacilitiesManagement
#Maximo

I see what you mean.

I checked the Maximo Preview Site / demo environment, and as you said, CAN is available when a WO is APPR.



I wonder why the IBM documentation suggests that CAN is only available at WAPPR:

Are the docs really just flat out wrong? Seems strange.

Original Message:
Sent: Thu August 05, 2021 09:37 AM
From: Travis Herron
Subject: Cancel WO at status other than WAPPR

You specifically asked this:

Is there a way to allow users to cancel a WO (via the change status window) when the WO is at other statuses -- such as APPR, INPRG, WMATL, WSCH?

Out-of-the-box functionality is that you can change the status to CAN when there are no actuals and the status is one of the following:

WAPPR
WSCH
WPCOND
WMATL
APPR
(or a synonym of any of these)

If that's not what you're experiencing in your system, then either the user doesn't have the rights in Security Groups to change to those statuses, or you have something restricting it -- probably Conditional Expressions.

So really the only problem that leaves you is when the Work Order is INPRG.

We created a status called NOTDONE (synonym of COMP) to handle such situations.  Training is still required, but the idea is:

if the supervisor/planner denies it before putting it in the hands of field technicians (before it reaches APPR status), the supervisor should CAN it.
Technicians have Security settings that don't allow them to cancel it.  I want the supervisor to push that button.
So if the technicians have it, it is in APPR status, and the expectation is that they would soon change it to INPRG and work on it -- and therefore have Actuals, so then Maximo won't let it be CAN'd -- if they don't actually complete the job they should change the status to NOTDONE. (and they should include a Memo or a Work Log entry, which can be enforced by Conditional Expressions or a script)

This way we can look back and, if everyone followed the plan, we can see what legitimately was done vs. what was otherwise removed from the to-do list.

If you do choose to do this, you may also want to make some kind of synonym of CLOSED (for example, I'll call it NDCLOSE), so that if the Work Order was COMP it would eventually go to CLOSED, but if it was NOTDONE it would eventually go to NDCLOSE.  Then at least use Conditional Expressions to enforce that COMP can only go to CLOSE and that NOTDONE can only go to NDCLOSE -- or better, let an Escalation handle this last stage and take it out of user's hands entirely.

------------------------------
Travis Herron

Original Message:
Sent: Wed August 04, 2021 02:44 PM
From: User1971
Subject: Cancel WO at status other than WAPPR

MAM 7.6.1.2:

It's my understanding that WOs can only be cancelled when the WO status is WAPPR.
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/mam/7.6.1.2?topic=orders-work-order-statuses

I have a problem where my users are closing invalid WOs, rather than cancelling them.

• Maximo allows WOs without actuals to be closed -- and that actually fits a few of our business processes. 

Even with training, users don't realize that cancelling a WO is an option, because most of the time, CAN is not available in the change status window. The user would need to change a WO back to WAPPR in order to cancel it, which isn't very intuitive (and is easy to forget).

So we're now in a situation where we have a bunch of invalid WOs that were closed instead of canceled. The closed status for those WOs is misleading -- it implies that the WO was valid and was executed. But that's not the case.

Is there a way to allow users to cancel a WO (via the change status window) when the WO is at other statuses -- such as APPR, INPRG, WMATL, WSCH?

• I'm aware that workflow can be used to help with this kind of thing. We use workflow in some scenarios, but not for others. In this case, I'm looking for a non-workflow solution that would apply to all WOs.

Thanks. And feel free to let me know if I misunderstood something.
#Maximo
#AssetandFacilitiesManagement

Whenever I find that I am able to find demonstrably lacking or incorrect documentation I make it a point to submit feedback to the Site.  It is often easy to overlook some aspects to documentation.  With Maximo having over 150 applications in its core offering over 4000 columns, and on and on and on, I am not surprised at all that there are things that get overlooked.  As a community I believe it is in our best interests to provide this kind of critical feedback to help each other out.  I know you have benefited.

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

Original Message:
Sent: Fri August 06, 2021 10:30 AM
From: User1971
Subject: Cancel WO at status other than WAPPR

I see what you mean.

I checked the Maximo Preview Site / demo environment, and as you said, CAN is available when a WO is APPR.



I wonder why the IBM documentation suggests that CAN is only available at WAPPR:

Are the docs really just flat out wrong? Seems strange.

Original Message:
Sent: Thu August 05, 2021 09:37 AM
From: Travis Herron
Subject: Cancel WO at status other than WAPPR

You specifically asked this:

Is there a way to allow users to cancel a WO (via the change status window) when the WO is at other statuses -- such as APPR, INPRG, WMATL, WSCH?

Out-of-the-box functionality is that you can change the status to CAN when there are no actuals and the status is one of the following:

WAPPR
WSCH
WPCOND
WMATL
APPR
(or a synonym of any of these)

If that's not what you're experiencing in your system, then either the user doesn't have the rights in Security Groups to change to those statuses, or you have something restricting it -- probably Conditional Expressions.

So really the only problem that leaves you is when the Work Order is INPRG.

We created a status called NOTDONE (synonym of COMP) to handle such situations.  Training is still required, but the idea is:

if the supervisor/planner denies it before putting it in the hands of field technicians (before it reaches APPR status), the supervisor should CAN it.
Technicians have Security settings that don't allow them to cancel it.  I want the supervisor to push that button.
So if the technicians have it, it is in APPR status, and the expectation is that they would soon change it to INPRG and work on it -- and therefore have Actuals, so then Maximo won't let it be CAN'd -- if they don't actually complete the job they should change the status to NOTDONE. (and they should include a Memo or a Work Log entry, which can be enforced by Conditional Expressions or a script)

This way we can look back and, if everyone followed the plan, we can see what legitimately was done vs. what was otherwise removed from the to-do list.

If you do choose to do this, you may also want to make some kind of synonym of CLOSED (for example, I'll call it NDCLOSE), so that if the Work Order was COMP it would eventually go to CLOSED, but if it was NOTDONE it would eventually go to NDCLOSE.  Then at least use Conditional Expressions to enforce that COMP can only go to CLOSE and that NOTDONE can only go to NDCLOSE -- or better, let an Escalation handle this last stage and take it out of user's hands entirely.

------------------------------
Travis Herron

Original Message:
Sent: Wed August 04, 2021 02:44 PM
From: User1971
Subject: Cancel WO at status other than WAPPR

MAM 7.6.1.2:

It's my understanding that WOs can only be cancelled when the WO status is WAPPR.
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/mam/7.6.1.2?topic=orders-work-order-statuses

I have a problem where my users are closing invalid WOs, rather than cancelling them.

• Maximo allows WOs without actuals to be closed -- and that actually fits a few of our business processes. 

Even with training, users don't realize that cancelling a WO is an option, because most of the time, CAN is not available in the change status window. The user would need to change a WO back to WAPPR in order to cancel it, which isn't very intuitive (and is easy to forget).

So we're now in a situation where we have a bunch of invalid WOs that were closed instead of canceled. The closed status for those WOs is misleading -- it implies that the WO was valid and was executed. But that's not the case.

Is there a way to allow users to cancel a WO (via the change status window) when the WO is at other statuses -- such as APPR, INPRG, WMATL, WSCH?

• I'm aware that workflow can be used to help with this kind of thing. We use workflow in some scenarios, but not for others. In this case, I'm looking for a non-workflow solution that would apply to all WOs.

Thanks. And feel free to let me know if I misunderstood something.
#Maximo
#AssetandFacilitiesManagement

Yes. I'd already sent ibmdocs@us.ibm.com an email about this issue (that email address is from the feedback link in the docs).

To be honest, I haven't had much luck with requests that I've sent to that email address. For example, I'd asked IBM to include a section in the docs about Maximo tasks, instead of the fragmented/out-of-date tech notes that we currently have, but I never heard back.
Hopefully this time is different.

Cheers.

#AssetandFacilitiesManagement
#Maximo

For what it's worth, there is a similar page here: Allowable Work Order Status Changes

That page is also incorrect about what WO statuses can be changed to CAN.


Note: I didn't heard back from ibmdocs@us.ibm.com about the first page that had incorrect information. The docs weren't corrected.
So I've submitted a case to IBM support to see if they're able to get the docs fixed. We'll see how it goes.
Original Message:
Sent: Sat August 07, 2021 04:15 PM
From: User1971
Subject: Cancel WO at status other than WAPPR

Yes. I'd already sent ibmdocs@us.ibm.com an email about this issue (that email address is from the feedback link in the docs).

To be honest, I haven't had much luck with requests that I've sent to that email address. For example, I'd asked IBM to include a section in the docs about Maximo tasks, instead of the fragmented/out-of-date tech notes that we currently have, but I never heard back.
Hopefully this time is different.

Cheers.

#AssetandFacilitiesManagement
#Maximo