Workflow Delegates

Pretend you are going to take a real vacation, two weeks in Spain with no work laptop. You have planned and prepared for your trip but, what about all the work that is going to keep going while you are away? Work orders still need to be reviewed, assigned, and approved by someone. Purchase Orders and Invoices need to be approved so vendors can get paid. You know that giving your username and password to your co-workers so they can log in and do your work is against company policy (and no one wants to get on IT’s bad side). Lucky for you Maximo has a way to help you out so you can eat tapas in peace knowing work is being handled, it is called Workflow Delegates.

Workflow delegates allow you to select a single person to receive all records that are sent to you via workflow in Maximo. Maximo allows you to set a start and end date for your delegate to receive the records or you can just enter a start date and never select an end date.

There are some things to think about when selecting a workflow delegate.

  • Any records that were sent to them while they are acting as a delegate will stay with them even after the delegation ends.
  • For financial records if the delegate does not have sufficient limits and tolerances they will not be able to approve the record. Depending on how Maximo is configured this may result in an error message or the record may be routed to an approver with higher limits and tolerances.
  • If the delegate does not have security access to the application the record was created in then the delegate will not be able to view the record. Selecting a delegate with the equal or greater security privileges is advised.

Once you return from your trip to Spain you can log into Maximo knowing that work has continued without you.

How to set a workflow delegate:

  1. Navigate People application from Administration > Resources > People and open a Person record.maximo_workflow
  2. Populate the Workflow Delegate field and at least the Delegate From field.maximo_workflow

Automations with Selenium IDE

ibm_maximo_managed_service_predictive_maintenance_reliability_enhancements_it_support_configuration_maximo_as_a_service_cmms_system_patching_environment_upgrade_troubleshoot_change_management_automation_script_report_software_deployment_integration_data_loading_analysis_bug_fix_enterprise_asset

While automations themselves were developed to mitigate repetitive and time consuming tasks, ironically developing them faces the same challenges. The Selenium IDE web browser plugin, however, makes the process of developing automations significantly easier. The tool simplifies the process of automating tasks in a do it once, repeat forever format. In this fashion Selenium IDE reduces much of the stress and hassle associated with developing automations, providing a user-friendly interface for creating and executing test scripts.

Every element on a webpage has a unique identifier, which is necessary for directing mouse and keyboard events. These identifiers can range from simple, short strings to complex and lengthy strings. In the case of Maximo, the identifiers are typically the later, making manual testing and automation a challenging task. However, with the Selenium IDE, this process is streamlined and simplified.

With the Selenium IDE running, you can provide the application with a start page, such as the Maximo login screen. Then, press the record button and begin performing all the steps required to complete the desired process. The tool will capture all your actions, including mouse and keyboard events, and record them in detail with multiple identifiers for each element. The recorded actions can then be replayed either in Selenium IDE directly or you can use the easy-to-read notation to write your code.

In addition to its automation capabilities, the Selenium IDE also provides a flexible and scalable platform for writing and executing test scripts. The tool supports multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, C#, and Ruby, making it easy to integrate with other development tools and technologies. This allows developers to take advantage of the power of the Selenium IDE, even if they already have existing development tools and processes in place.

In conclusion, the Selenium IDE is a powerful and user-friendly tool that makes the process of developing automations easier, faster, and more efficient. With its ability to automate repetitive tasks, record and replay actions, and support multiple programming languages, the Selenium IDE provides a flexible and scalable platform for automating software testing and development tasks. Whether you are a software developer, tester, or other professional involved in software development, the Selenium IDE is a tool that you should consider using to streamline your work and improve your productivity.

Using a Global System Properties in an Automation Script

Maximo has a neat feature where you can set any value in the global property, and it will default to that value you have entered. In order to use a global property, you first must create one. In our example we created a global property for the person who does the PO Reorder.

After you create the global property, ensure you click on Live Refresh, so you can use the new global property created.

This is helpful because I could now use this global property in my automation script.  In order to get the global property, First must create a variable like down below. “configData = MXServer.getMXServer().getSystemProperties()”

After that create another variable and get the property you have created.

“reorderAgent = configData.getProperty(“POReorderBuyer”)”

Once you completed these steps you can now use the variable “reorderAgent” which is grabbing the system property and you could use in the automation script any where you want. In our case we are setting the “PURCHASEAGENT” to the “reorderAgent” when the po description has reorder in it.

I highly recommend using this as it is helpful because now you don’t have to create a variable with the value hardcoded. So, example if this person ever goes on vacation, we could simply just adjust the global property value and this automation script will adjust the reorderAgent based on the new person we put. Instead of going into the automation script and changing the variable that was hardcoded.

We have a culture of education and paying it forward at A3J Group. Subscribe below to be the first to get the latest releases from our knowledge bank.

Product Launch: Ninja Fix – Duplicate Service Request Identifier

So you have an A-team that is super proactive about reporting issues and creating service requests, right? Great! However, this often can lead to scenarios where multiple users submit service requests about the same issue.

The Ninja Fix Duplicate Service Request Identifier combats that issue. This product adds a table to the Service Request application in Maximo. The table will show potential duplicate work order records created from SRs for the same asset and/or location. Only service requests that are open and not canceled, closed or completed will be displayed.

If the new SR is a duplicate, the user that created the SR can choose to link the duplicate SR to the work.

Scenario:

A call comes in from a user complaining that a room is too cold. The representative that takes the call creates a service request record, creates a work order for work to be performed and routes the work order to a technician. While the technician is on route to the location another call comes in from a different user for the same location. An entry will appear in the Potential Duplicate Work Orders table alerting the user that there may already be a work order dispatched to fix the problem at the location. This development can eliminate duplicate work and help your team stay focused.

If you find this solution valuable to your facility, you are able to purchase and download the installer which will automatically configure your Maximo Environment to include this helpful feature. Click here to purchase.

A3J Group Launches New Ninja Fix Solution: Approval Summary Tab Creator

A3J Group continues to produce products that can be purchased through our Ninja Fix suite of self-service IBM Maximo configuration options. The Approval Summary Tab solution was released March of 2022 and acts as a one-stop shop for viewing specific records in IBM Maximo.

The A3J Approval Summary solution introduces a new tab, Approval Summary, to the Work Order Tracking, Purchase Requisition, Purchase Order and Invoice applications. The Approval Summary tab is designed to show both the Active Assignee, to whom the record is currently assigned, and a history of approvals. At a glance you will know immediately who is responsible for approving the record as well as where the record is at in the approval chain. Instead of having users navigate the workflow history and assignment applications to determine the approval status for a record you can simply point them to the Approval Summary tab for all the pertinent information.

The Approval Summary solution consists of a tab with two tables. The first table displays the current active assignee(s) for the record.

ibm-maximo-self-service-managed-service-configuration

This table contains the user ID and display name of the active assignee(s). In addition, a description of the assignment is included for easy reference.

The second table lists the approval history of the record. The user can see who previously approved the record, any memo that was included with approval of the record as well as some workflow details.

ibm-maximo-automation-scripts-work-order-tracking-purchase-requistion-purchase-order-invoice-application

The Approval Summary tab focuses only on workflow transactions originating from an Input node and that are either assigned or reassigned in order to reduce clutter and help the user focus solely on the assignment. Additional nodes may be included by simply updating the A3JWFTRANSACTION relationship on the parent object. You can also contact A3J Group for assistance with expanding the Approval Summary design to other use cases.

 

ibm-maximo-configuration-approval-summary-tab-record-approval-status-history-assignment

 

Learn more about the Approval Summary Tab creator and other solutions from Ninja Fix here. If the solution is a fit, purchase, download and experience immediate IBM Maximo enhancements from A3J Group today!

MxMobile Update March 2022 Release

A3J Group is #AlwaysInnovating in order to bring state-of-the-art enhancements to the IBM Maximo community. Our 20+ years of experience in Maximo allows us to deliver end users the proper support and solutions needed to maximize efficiency. We strive to remain thought leaders in the community and we face common issues and challenges head-on. Our suite of mobile apps for IBM Maximo, MxMobile, gives users access to IBM Maximo from their mobile device. Our apps allow Maximo users the ability to create and edit work orders, generate meter readings, manage inventory and more.

As an IBM Maximo mobile solution provider, A3J Group consistently improves the functionality and features of MxMobile. Enriching the experience of MxMobile users is not only our passion, but necessary. Our users enjoy the freedom of Maximo mobility and are happy to report bugs and request interface features, and our team actively delivers on those requests. You can download MxMobile apps from the Apple App or Google Play store and enjoy a 30-day trial.

Here are the improvements that the A3J Group developers have made to MxMobile as of March 7, 2022:

MxWork:

  • Added logic that will auto-route to the login page with a toast message if the LTPA or CSRF error messages occur. Previously, some users would get force logged out of the app due to a session timeout in IBM Maximo, but the mobile app would not notify the user indicating this was the cause for the force logout. Now, users will be informed how to remedy their IBM Maximo session to resolve the issue.
  • Created a “Costs” tab within the details page of a work order with basic planned and actual information
    • Page is configurable
  • Improved the labor submission feature such that fields are configurable, not hard coded. When entering labor time, user can now input a start and end time, rather than a single number of hours worked. This improves labor time accuracy for work orders.
  • Bug fix for labor time submissions: In previous version(s), if a user input labor time then pressed the “Enter” button on their keyboard to submit the record, the labor time record would be submitted twice. This issue is resolved.
  • Priority code bug fix: in previous version(s), if a priority code look-up is categorized as value “0” in the Work Order Priority field then the priority code would not register. This has been resolved in the new update.

MxCount:

  • Upgraded to latest version of Ionic Framework
  • Bug fix for Offline mode: If a user generates a list of items to operate MxCount in Offline mode then uses the barcode scanner feature to query an item lookup, the initial list would be superseded by the item that was scanned in. In that instance, the list of items that was generated for offline use would no longer be accessible. With this update, users are now able to create their offline list, and query their offline list using the barcode scan feature without losing access to their generated list for offline mode.

 

We hope that you enjoy the new updates of A3J Group’s MxMobile suite of IBM Maximo mobile apps. If you have any suggestions, feature requests or need to report a bug, please contact support@a3jgroup.com. If you would like to be notified via email when A3J Group posts a new blog sign up in the form below.

 

 

 

Unable to Find Records in IBM Maximo

If you are searching for items and your descriptions do not present any search returns then you may need to read this article…

IBM Maximo attributes such as the Description field are natively configured to use TEXT search instead of WILDCARD.  A text search will use the database’s text search engine.  This is important because text searches are more efficient due to the database using indexes to locate records.  In addition, a text search is not case-sensitive so users typically prefer this type of search over WILDCARD.

I recently had an experience where an IBM Maximo environment using a Microsoft SQL Server database was unable to locate item records using the search term ‘WELL PUMP’ on the Description field.  A search for ‘WELL’, ‘%WELL%’, or ‘WELL PUMP’ brought back zero records.  The pump could only be found by searching for ‘PUMP’.

Since ITEM.DESCRIPTION is a text search enabled attribute, I knew it had to be full text search related. However I was unsure how it was related.  I first rebuilt the text catalog located under Databases > [database_name] > Storage > Full Text Catalogs > [text_catalog_name].

Maximo-Object-Explorer

A rebuild of the catalog had no effect.  Next I increased logging on the ITEM object so I could get the exact query IBM Maximo was sending to the Microsoft SQL Server.  This produced the following query:

select *

from item 

where ((status != 'OBSOLETE' and contains(description , 'FORMSOF(INFLECTIONAL,"WELL")') 

and itemsetid = ITEMSET1))

and (itemtype in (select value from synonymdomain where domainid='ITEMTYPE' and maxvalue = 'ITEM'))

Running the above query in SQL Server Management Studio produces zero records.  I was getting closer! The complexity of some of IBM Maximo enterprise asset management system requires much patience, and thoroughness, especially when troubleshooting…

The downside is that there is no shortage of articles on the Web discussing SQL Servers Full Text search capabilities.  I found myself down quite the rabbit hole.  My esteemed coworker, Kelly Nimmo, dropped in to set me down the correct path as she so often does.  She suggested I look into something called a Stop List.

A Stop List in SQL Server is a list of commonly occurring words that SQL Server will discard while searching.  These words are omitted from the full-text index.  A query of the SYS.FULLTEXT_SYSTEM_STOPWORDS table

SELECT * FROM sys.fulltext_system_stopwords where stopword = 'WELL'

for the word ‘WELL’ reveals the following entries:

Search-feature-Stopword

Bingo!  I now had a decision to make.  I could look at removing these entries from the table. Instead, I chose to omit the ITEM table from using the Stop Word list via the following statement:

ALTER FULLTEXT INDEX ON dbo.item SET STOPLIST = OFF

I will roll this out to other tables where WELL may be used to prevent this behavior in the future.

Editing Font Sizes in IBM Maximo – Long Description and Log Defaults

How to change the Long Description and Log Default font sizes for all apps in IBM Maximo:

If you’re like me, you might not have the greatest eyesight in the world. Logs and long descriptions in IBM Maximo are a very useful way to let your co-workers know:

  1. What’s going on with a particular Work Order
  2. Asset, Purchase Order, Item or any of the various applications that would need more description, or a log information put onto it.

IBM Maximo defaults the size for the Long Descriptions and Logs to xx-small type. It’s great for fitting a lot more on a little page. However, it’s very hard to read and for the majority of the world’s population, we need glasses to do so. This begs the question, “Can I customize my Maximo user interface to improve these issues?” The Short

 

How do we go about making the font size larger?

Open the Long Description or Log. From the middle drop-down column (size) you can choose your font size.

The catch…

You must go into system properties and make a change to the global property (webcient.richtext.blocknode.)

If you do not take the step above, each carriage return (geek speak for hitting enter) makes the font size small again. Every subsequent Log or Description that you edit will also need to be changed when you open it to edit.

Is there a way to just have the font size bigger than xx-small in when you open any new or old log or long description in IBM Maximo?

The answer is yes, but you’ll have to roll your sleeves up and do a little bit of work to make it so.

Font sizes in IBM Maximo’s Long Descriptions and Logs revolve around the rich text editor. The rich text editor does not allow for sizing fonts easily. With some determination, you can get those fonts changed into something you won’t have to strain your eyes to read. If you want to make those Long Descriptions and Logs readable then you’re going to have to edit some CSS (cascading style sheets) files. CSS allows for bulk “styles” to re-occur across the website that they are applied to. IBM Maximo is a web application, so this is where we start.

Here’s how…

Buried in the IBM Maximo directories are files that make Maximo work. The ear file will be our focus, but there are others that also assist in Maximo’s functionality. On the application server (the machine that hosts IBM Maximo), you will have a directory that gets installed that contains the CSS information to display Maximo. Navigate to [maximo-folder]\applications\maximo\maximouiweb\webmodule\webclient\css and search for the ‘extended.css’ file. Open it and add the following lines of code to the end of the page.

#dijitEditorBody {

Font-size: 20px

}

 

The second location of an extended.css file that needs to be edited is in the following path, [maximo-folder]\applications\maximo\maximouiweb\webmodule\webclient\skins\iot18\css.

For the latest versions of IBM Maximo (7.6+), the iot18 folder is significant. The reason for this is, other articles mention to add the edited extended.css file to a folder called tivoli09. To save time, understand that the Tivoli directories were made for older versions of Maximo like 7.5 and prior. If you are using a newer version of Maximo look for the iot18 directory. You will edit this extended.css file in the same manner as the last one by adding the lines below to the end of the css file:

#dijitEditorBody {

Font-size: 20px

}

Next, you will need to rebuild the ear file for IBM Maximo and re-deploy it to your Maximo user interface. The 20px setting will default the text to medium in the logs and Long Descriptions.

Originally there were some hesitations on using CSS to fix this problem. It was thought that the change could affect the reports and the way they looked when generated. We have not seen that happen after making these changes.

We want to hear your thoughts about our helpful guide. Please comment below or send your inquiries to:

info@a3jgroup.com

Stay tuned for more helpful articles that will #MaximizeYourMaximo experience and the capabilities of your user interface!

Configuring Item Kits in IBM Maximo

One of our favorite features in IBM Maximo is Item Kits. Over the years A3J Group has worked with hundreds of companies across several industries but have only come across a handful using Item Kits. Item Kits are exactly what they sound like – kits of preassembled items that are often requested together from warehouses.

Let’s consider the following scenario in which a warehouse storeroom supports Fleet maintenance.

When scheduled maintenance is due on a pickup truck, the technician comes into the warehouse with a work order and a list of items they need:

  • Oil
  • Oil Filter
  • Gloves
  • Rag
  • Air Filter

A warehouse clerk visits 5 different inventory bins in different areas across the warehouse to collect the necessary items, multiple times a day. Think of the time saving significance of an item kit named ‘Pickup Truck Oil Change’. That item kit would include: the oil, oil filter, rags and gloves. Suddenly a trip with 5 stops becomes a trip with 2 stops: 1 for the ‘Kit’ of always needed items and 1 for the air filter, which may or may not be needed for an oil change. Of course the make-up of these item kits is contingent on grouping items that are usually consumed concurrently.

How to create an Item Kit in Item Master…

  • From the Item Master application click the New Item icon. Update the Item ID if needed and provide a description. Ideally, the word “Kit” should be part of the description. This indicates to users that there will be multiple items when searching.
  • From the Item tab populate all other fields that are needed like the Commodity Group and Issue Unit. Did you take notice of a checkbox for Kit? An error will be displayed if this flag is set at this stage.
  • Save the record and navigate to the Item Assembly Structure tab.
  • In the Children section click the New Row button. Next, start adding the Items that will be part of the Kit. Include all items to the item kit that seem logical. Then, be sure to update the Quantity and Remarks fields if necessary.
  • Save the record and navigate back to the Item tab.
  • Check the Kit? Make sure your checkbox is error free.
  • The final step is to update to an active status and add the Kit to a Storeroom.

If your Kit Item Master is created and added to an inventory storeroom, then it is time to assemble the item kits. Navigate to the Inventory application to begin assembling the item kits you desire.

How to Assemble a Kit in Maximo Inventory:

  1. Click into the Inventory application and open the item kit that needs to be assembled.
  2. In the More Actions, menu click the Assemble Kit option.
  3. The Possible Quantity field contains total number of item kits that can be created. This is based on the availability of items in your inventory storeroom.
  4. Enter a value in the Assemble Quantity field. This will indicate how many item kits will be assembled. Next, click OK. The number entered must be less than or equal to the Possible Quantity value.
  5. Now, the Current Balance of your kit increased while the items that make up the kit decreased in balance.

Maximo Kits allow for measurable time savings in the Asset Maintenance Lifecyle: during the stocking of a single item kit for a Job Plan, reducing the research needed when planning a CM Work Order or lowering return trips to the storeroom. The small upfront investment of time to set up an Item Kit will pay off in big ways immediately.

Securing Attachments in IBM Maximo

Need help securing attachments in IBM Maximo?

 

So you have secured your IBM Maximo installation using SSL, perhaps by following one of the secure articles in our A3J Group blog library, and are feeling pretty comfortable that your IBM Maximo users are protected. Just as you are about ready to lean back in your chair and enjoy the fruits of your labor you receive an urgent communication with a screenshot showing an IBM Maximo attachment being served up with the unsecured HTTP rather than HTTPS. Sound familiar? Thankfully you will be back to your feeling of tranquility in no time as this fix is a piece of cake.

*Note you could have been prevented the above scenario from occurring by not binding IBM Maximo to an unsecure port. This would not have allowed the attachment to work but would have prevented an unsecure connection.