MAXIMO Work Flow Tips from functional experts.
MAXIMO work flow is an exceptional tool for enforcing processes, validating record information and controlling the ‘status’ life cycle of various application records. In MAXIMO, work flow is typically applied to work order tracking, purchase requisitions and purchase orders, incidents, investigations and management of change applications.
Here are a couple of tips to consider when creating a new work flow in any application.
Create excellent documentation by developing the work flow in a tool like MS VISIO first. This will insure the business users can read, review and understand the of work flow and how it impacts on their business. Do this prior to allowing the development to begin in the MAXIMO work flow engine. A typical document will have:
o A title box explaining the business action or process to be achieved and the status of the record as it enters.
o A role or roles that would be performing the work flow task.
o A list of work flow options with the most common first on the list and Cancel or Negative paths should always be at the bottom.
o An ability to leave work flow.
o Options that are supported by arrows leading to the next step in the work flow to ensure that the users can follow the business flow.
o Color applied to options and arrows to help make the document easier to read and understand. Typically, Blue is positive and red is negative.
o Try if possible to maintain the document into a single page.
Here is an example illustrating a work order work flow document.
Once complete and validated by the business, the document can be turned over to the MAXIMO system analyst to begin the design. During the design phase, some important features to consider are;
o Insure that nodes have entrances that relate to the status or statuses of the record being work flowed. This allows existing, orphaned or records created by other systems to enter work flow at the appropriate point.
o Insure that all the nodes and validations have a title that is word for word with the business documentation.
o Insure that the options in work flow are in the same order as the options in the business documentation.
The benefits of following these tips are:
· The business document can be readily used for training manuals.
· The document can be used by the business during testing.
· When the business user encounters a problem, they can pin-point the node in work flow and communicate that to support, without needing to be a MAXIMO expert.
McGregor Analytics Ltd. Is an independent consulting company providing expert MAXIMO functional services across North America. We have designed work flows for work order tracking, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, item master, incidents, investigations and management of change.
