Automations with Selenium IDE

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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.

MxMobile Update February 2023 Release

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A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile releases below. The releases will be available on Monday, February 13, 2023.

All apps are now able to be deployed on a windows device. If you are interested in using MxMobile on a windows device, please reach out to support@a3jgroup.com for more information.

What do you need to do?

  • Updates are available to current clients automatically by updating your apps via the appropriate app store.
  • If you would like to request a new feature or report a bug, please follow our new support ticket guidelines submitting a video and a support form describing the request.

To learn more about MxMobile or other A3J Group products and services fill in the contact form below.

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.

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MxMobile Update January 2023 Release

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.

A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile news below. This release is available as of Monday, January 23, 2023.

January Release Updates 

MxWork:

  • Ability to upload and remove files from Inspections
  • Conditionally hide fields on Inspections
  • Support for entering continuous meter readings on Inspections
  • New calendar date / time picker
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxAsset

  • New calendar date / time picker
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxAsk:

  • New calendar date / time picker
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

What do you need to do? 

  • Updates are available to current clients automatically by updating your apps via the appropriate app store.
  • If you would like to request a new feature or report a bug, please follow our new support ticket guidelines submitting a video and a support form describing the request.
  • If you would like to opt out of receiving these communications in the future, please reply STOP to this email.

We hope 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.

MxMobile Update October 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 in the palm of their hand. 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.

A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile news below. This release is available as of Monday, October 3, 2022.

Policy Update

We have a new MxMobile support ticket policy! Going forward we ask that all MxMobile support tickets be submitted the following way: 

By doing this we hope to expedite support issues and requests providing the highest level of customer satisfaction. As always, you can also email support@a3jgroup.com or call 877-235-4774 ext 1 with any questions regarding the new process. 

October Release Updates

A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile news below. The releases will be available on Monday, October 3, 2022.

MxWork 

  • Ability to create Follow Up Work Orders
  • Ability to enter Failure Reporting information
  • Conduct Inspections from a Work Order
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxTicket 

  • Sending communications from a service request
    • Please note this requires some Maximo components, such as an automation script, to be installed.
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxApprove 

  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxAsset 

  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxCount

  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxMeter 

  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

 

What do you need to do?

  • Updates are available to current clients automatically by updating your apps via the appropriate app store.  
  • If you would like to request a new feature or report a bug, please follow our new support ticket guidelines by submitting a video and a support form describing the request.  

We hope 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.

MxMobile Update September 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 in the palm of their hand. 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.

A3J Group is happy to announce the latest MxMobile news below. The releases will be available on Monday, September 5, 2022.

Policy Update

We have a new MxMobile support ticket policy! Going forward we ask that all MxMobile support tickets be submitted the following way: 

By doing this we hope to expedite support issues and requests providing the highest level of customer satisfaction. As always, you can also email support@a3jgroup.com or call 877-235-4774 ext 1 with any questions regarding the new process. 

September Release Updates

MxApprove 

  • Push notifications are enabled in MxApprove, allowing proactive notifications when a new workflow assignment is received.
    • Please note this requires some Maximo components, such as an automation script, to be installed. The solution also comes with minor additional cost.
  • MxApprove is now available within the MxMobile app
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxAsset 

  • Filter for historical work orders
  • Create a new asset
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxWork 

  • Ability to create meter readings from a work order
  • Bug fix for Dark Mode on Android
  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

MxTicket 

  • New app available within MxMobile
  • This is a ticket management app for interacting with Service Requests and other ticket types

MxCount

  • General bug fixes and performance improvements

What do you need to do?

  • Updates are available to current clients automatically by updating your apps via the appropriate app store.  
  • If you would like to request a new feature or report a bug, please follow our new support ticket guidelines by submitting a video and a support form describing the request. 

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

 

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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: Using Saved Queries with A3J Group’s Mobile Apps for IBM Maximo

As we all know, saved queries can make our workload much easier to manage when you’re having to sort through hundreds of records in Maximo.  However, have you ever created a saved query in Maximo and you weren’t able to find that query on one of A3J Group’s mobile apps?  You’re not alone, it’s happened to me too and the solution is very simple to follow.

 

For this example, I will use MxWork as the mobile app. In Maximo, I created a query on the Work Order Tracking application called “Environmental Group WOs” that displays all of the work orders with a person group of “ENV” and with a status of “APPR” and “INPRG”.

 

saved queries MxMobile IBM Maximo Mobile App

 

When I save this query and log into the MxWork mobile application and navigate to the Saved Queries list, I won’t see this query.  Why is that?  Well, the saved query has to be available in the API in order to access it from the mobile apps.  So, with the addition of Query Definitions in Maximo 7.6.0.3, we can select the query in the Object Structure for that specific application which will then allow the query to be accessible from the API.

 

If you open the details of the Object Structure, in this example we’re looking at MXWODETAIL, you’ll see Query Definitions listed under More Actions.  This is where you will add your query.  If you do not see your query in the lookup, you may need to make your query public by accessing View/Manage Queries and checking the box underneath Public.  Below are the three fields that are required:

  • Query Type: appclause
  • App Name: WOTRACK
  • Query Clause Name: Environmental Group WOs

asset management saved queries MxMobile IBM Maximo Mobile App

 

After I click OK and reload the Saved Queries list in MxWork, I now see the Environmental Group WOs query.  What’s also great about this solution is that the same process applies to all of A3J Group’s mobile apps!

using saved queries MxMobile IBM Maximo Mobile App

Maximo Mobile App saved queries used in MxMobile A3J Group asset management

MBOs in Maximo Automation Scripts: Intro – Using Java Methods

Maximo has consistently remained at the top of the list of Enterprise Asset Management systems throughout the years. While there are many reasons for this, one of the most important reasons has been its ability to easily adapt to different business requirements through configuration of the system.

In earlier versions, developers were able to extend core Maximo Java classes to invoke specific business logic. This offered an unprecedented amount of control for organizations to be able to tweak the solution to fit their needs. While this capability still exists, many organizations have subsequently shied away from these types of changes as they have upgraded their systems over the years. The skills necessary to maintain these customizations were difficult for a lot of organizations to supply, and IBM, understandably so, did not offer support for those heavily customized systems.

Automation Scripting was a new feature that was introduced in Maximo v7.5 based on the feedback from the user community. Customers yearned to have a simpler, yet effective way of customizing the product without having to go through the pain of system downtime and adopting the steep learning curve that came with Java coding and extending the existing Maximo classes.

Automation Scripting provides a lot of benefits to make custom business logic easy within Maximo. However, having knowledge of the Java methods available on Maximo Business Objects (MBOs) can greatly enhance your ability to perform meaningful or deep business logic changes within the system.

Subsequent blog article entries will cover in detail how to:

  1. Working with collection objects (MBO Sets)
  2. Reading single attributes of a collection
  3. Reading multiple attributes of a collection
  4. Modifying an object in a collection
  5. Adding new objects to the collection
  6. Exception handling
  7. Attributes with value lists
  8. Changing status
  9. Object relationships
  10. Query by example
  11. Long descriptions

… and more.

Hopefully these articles will unlock the ability to make the most out of the Automation Scripting capabilities of Maximo, and allow users to develop some useful business logic enhancements to their Maximo systems.  Look for our MBOs in Automation Scripts Series to run on the third Thursday of the month until completion.  And also check out some of our other articles here.

A3J – A Blog Life

One of our goals at A3J is to share, specifically information.  We’ve never found it very useful to keep the cards close to our chests, and we’ve always had a great admiration for those who aren’t afraid to put it all out there without regard to profit or fame.  The simple good will of getting information out that could help someone else is very uplifting.  With each blog article, we are paying it forward as a result of benefiting from other’s good will in the past.

We wrote our first blog piece in December of 2016, more than two years ago.  Hard to believe.  Like any new company with all of the players wearing too many hats, blog pieces were a scarcity, only happening sporadically and without planning.

Then one day we wrote the article that would go down in A3J lore as the lightbulb moment.  It was a little article on SSL and how to create a secure connection thereby protecting your Maximo environment.  It was an issue we had struggled with.  We knew many others who had as well.  So we wrote something on how we went about this task.  Needless to say it took off.

From then on we got serious about writing and recently we’ve created an internal initiative to make the writing more consistent.  As with any company filled with techies, the elation was vast, and their pens began to scrawl poetic words to rival Fitzgerald.  We jest.  Some came more willingly than others to the writing table, but everyone could appreciate putting out helpful content that made someone’s job somewhere a little easier.

So look for these blogs to post on the first Thursday of the month with the first one starting in April.  Many will be technically oriented but it’s all hands on deck and everyone will be writing an article.  Along with the technical articles, some will have a marketing focus or a professional services/management focus or brand new to EAM/Maximo deer in headlight focus.  Either way we hope they are helpful, insightful and maybe even occasionally entertaining.  In the meantime, check out all of our blog articles at www.a3jgroup.com/a3j-group-blog