Attribute can be deleted with active Launch Point associated

Maximo will allow an Attribute to be deleted from Database Configuration while there is an active Launch Point that references it. 

Steps to reproduce:
1. In Database Configuration application, add a new attribute to ASSET or some other object.
1.1. Turn on Admin Mode and Apply Configuration Changes.
2. In Automation Scripts application, Create a Script with an Attribute Launch Point.
2.1. The Object and Attribute should be the one you added in step 1.
2.2. Name the launch point and script something valid, and make the source code something simple, like print "Hello world!".
3. Go back to Database Configuration and delete the new attribute.
3.1. Apply Configuration Changes.

An error should be thrown at step 3, but it isn't.

Integrity Checker should catch the resulting anomaly, but it doesn't.

When you go to an application based on the object from step 1, now, you will get an error that the attribute is missing. 

Development mentioned this is working by design, but could be considered as an enhancement on the product (not a bug), which means that this functionality is not currently present in Maximo, and that this cannot be fixed on the current version since the fix would require changes to the product architecture.

There is no Automated Scripting (or any other MIF) awareness designed and coded into Database Configuration application. Therefore this is working as designed. 

BMXAA3279E and BMXAA3344E errors while trying to approve a Revised PO 0 people like this

Problem:

After closing a work order associated with a PO that is revised while trying to approve the PO revision, the following error is displayed:

BMXAA3279E - Could not change PO XXXX status to APPR.
BMXAA3344E - The purchase order cannot be approved. Line 1 contains a work order that is either closed, canceled, or waiting on approval.

Steps to replicate:

1. Go to Work Order Tracking application.

2. Create a new work order against any valid GL Account.

3. Save, approve the work order and take note of its number.

4. Go to the Purchase Orders application.

5. Create a new PO against any valid vendor and with just 01 PO line as the following:
    Line Type = Service
    Description = Test1
    Quantity = 1.00
    Order Unit = EACH
    Unit Cost = 1.00
    Charge To > Work Order = the WO above

6. Save, approve PO and take note of its number.

7. Go to the Work Order Tracking application.

8. Bring up the work order in question and close it.

    Note:
    The system warns user of the following but closes the work order anyway:
    "BMXAA4577W - Open purchase orders exist here or at some point below in the hierarchy. Would you still like to change the status to Closed?".

9. Go to the Purchase Orders application.

10. Bring up the PO and create a revision.

11. In the PO Revision 1, add a new PO Line as the following:
      Line Type = Service
      Description = Test2
      Quantity = 1.00
      Order Unit = EACH
      Unit Cost = 1.00
      Charge To > GL Debit Account = any valid GL Account

12. Save the PO and try to approve it.

At this point, system throws:

"BMXAA3279E - Could not change PO XXXX status to APPR.
BMXAA3344E - The purchase order cannot be approved. Line 1 contains a work order that is either closed, canceled, or waiting on approval."

Resolving the problem 

The workaround is:

Cancel the PO Revision 1, close the PO Revision 0 and create a new PO corresponding to the second PO Line you've tried to add in step #11.

If the suggested workaround does not apply to your case, please contact IBM Maximo Support.

Item Master vs Inventory for item records in Maximo

You may experience a scenario where some of your item records are available in different statuses in Maximo.

For example : The item is in PENDOBS status in Item Master app. But the same item is in ACTIVE in Inventory app.

But would you know why this happens ? Is my system broken ? No !

Have you asked your self about what is the difference between the Item Master and Inventory applications?
Do you understand how and when to use each ?

The reason for that is because the Item Master application is used to define Items that will be procured and stocked in
storerooms. 

You will learn to navigate to the Item Master application and use it to create, modify and manage Item records. 

Item master is for managing new items and items not associated in storerooms while Inventory app is for managing the items that are IN A SPECIFIC storeroom location, one item in Item Master can belong to MANY storeroom locations in Inventory app.

You manage data about an item record, for example vendors and classifications, in the Item
Master application, but you manage item balances in the Inventory application.

We know that there is existing relationship between those two Maximo applications (Item Master and Inventory ) but this does not mean that you can always update the Inventory data from Item Master via the relationship.

Maximo will check if the data can be updated or not based on the business rules. It is not advisable to use this relationship to update inventory data from Item
Master. This is not a one to one relationship. That is, one item in Item Master may have multiple records with same Itemnum in Inventory application.

10 Minute Tip - Scheduled reports sending multiple emails

Today we will discuss a couple of reasons why your users may be receiving multiple emails for a single scheduled report from Maximo. For example, the user has a weekly report sent to them yet, for some unknown reason, they get 2, or more copies of the report in their inbox. The "unknown" reason is usually one of two things.

• It's actually not a duplicate. Since scheduled reports do not indicate anywhere in the email where they came from - which Maximo server - we have seen times when the second email is actually not coming from the Production Maximo server. Perhaps they are testing functionality from a test server, or maybe a Sandbox server is being used and the same user has the same report set up on that server and the extra email(s) they are receiving are, in fact, being sent from this other server.  Double check the other servers - you can use the View Scheduled Reports option from Report Administration to aid in this effort.  One suggestion we have that may help is to put the server name in the email Subject or Comments section when the report is scheduled.

• The other known possible cause is related to the fact that a complex report that takes extra time to process will appear to Birt to be hung and it will restart it. Eventually these newly spawned jobs will all finish  and the emails will all be sent.  By default if the RUN phase of a report (the SQL phase) takes longer than 15 minutes the issue can present itself.  This 15 minute setting can be changed so if you feel this is the issue (and you can verify this usually be checking the report usage log to see how long the report took to complete)  you can change it as follows:

Goto -> System Configuration/Platform Configuration/Cron Task Setup

Select -> REPORTLOCKRELEASE cron task

Change Parameter-> LOCKINTERVALINMINUTES to the desired value - say 30, for example

Save changes

Restart the Maximo Application server to ensure new value is activated

There's generally no repercussions to making this change but bare in mind that it's for all scheduled reports. There is no ability to change it for specific reports.

In most cases the multiple emails are caused by one of the above situations.

That's all for now.

How I can close my requisitions automatically?

If you use the Desktop Requisition application and did a simple search on it, you may have noticed that you have a lot of useless requests there.

Well, requisitions can be closed in the following ways:                     
1) Direct Issue Materials that have a PO created. (line type = "Material" or "Service")                                               
This requisition will be closed when the PO is closed as well.         

2) Requisitions that have WO associated with them (Line type - other than "Material" or "Service")
These requisitions will be closed when the WO is closed as well        

3) You can create a new escalation or workflow to make the status change. You may change the requisition status to CLOSE or CANCEL
Regardless of what you choose to do this (WF or escalation), you must create a status change action for both.

Some Handy Links for Maximo 7.6

Hello again! This is a standalone blog entry, but I will also be adding it to a new blog post that is a compilation of the installation walk-through I posted in December 2014. Coming your way soon.

What to download for Maximo Asset Management

Maximo Upgrade Resources

Platform Configuration Matrix

Maximo Asset Management feature Packs

Version (links to technote)	Fix Central link
Maximo 7.6.0.1 Feature Pack	7.6.0.1-TIV-MAMMT-FP001
Maximo 7.6.0.2 Feature Pack	7.6.0.2-TIV-MAMMT-FP002
Maximo 7.6.0.3 Feature Pack	7.6.0.3-TIV-MAMMT-FP003
Maximo 7.6.0.4 Feature Pack	7.6.0.4-TIV-MAMMT-FP004
Maximo 7.6.0.5 Feature Pack	7.6.0.5-TIV-MAMMT-FP005
Maximo 7.6.0.6 Feature Pack	7.6.0.6-TIV-MAMMT-FP006
Maximo 7.6.0.7 Feature Pack	7.6.0.7-TIV-MAMMT-FP007
Maximo 7.6.0.8 Feature Pack	7.6.0.8-TIV-MAMMT-FP006

Installing a Feature Pack in Maximo 7.6

Installing an Interim Fix in Maximo 7.6

Maximo Best Practices for System Performance 7.6.x

Maximo Asset Management Wiki on developerWorks

Asset Management Forum on developerWorks

Maximo Request for Enhancement (RFE) Community

I will update this post periodically (and especially when new Feature Packs come out), so bookmark it!

Field required on Add to Storeroom screen

When you have an item record in Maximo, you have the option to Add Item to Storeroom, however, not every field is required.

For this example, we will use the IN20 field. If you would like to have the IN20 field in Inventory app to be required at the moment that you are adding the item to storeroom from Item app, here are some steps for you. 

All you have to do is this :

1. Go to Application Designer and search for ITEM app
2. Click on the Edit Dialogs button, on the toolbar
3. Select additemstostoreroom , which corresponds to Add Items to Storeroom
4. The dialog will appear for you to edit
5. Make sure you add a new table column for your required field (you can copy/paste an existing one and edit properties or add from Control Palette)
6. Change the properties of the new field to set :    Input Mode = Required
7. Save changes

Now, when you are in Item Master app and try to add an item to a Storeroom by using the Select Action > Add Items to Storeroom,  then Maximo will now require users to fill a value on that new field, which will be transferred over to Inventory app, preventing records with null values in that field.

See ya...