Adding data from the record to notifications (emails) going out to the user

[Former Member]

Hello all,

We have a process where users can request a new material from our master data "approver". When they do so, they should leave the material number blank, and we have a validation to make sure they do leave it blank (which will come up later).

When the "approver" approves the new material request, he enters the Material number and Communicates the Decision in Workflow. This sends an email to the requestor notifying them that their material has been accepted (and will get syndicated to ECC), and triggers the syndication to ECC.

We would like to include the Material number in the email to the user. But, the documentation regarding Notifications seems to indicate that the only way to include data in the email is via the %Records% variable. And, that seems to only pull in the Display fields.

I changed the Material to a Display field, and it then comes across on the email. But, it causes issues with the validation I mentioned earlier. The validation that ensures the requestor leaves the Material blank doesn't work. It pops up the error message, even if the material is blank. The only way to not get the error is to do the following:

1. enter a character in the material field, then save (getting the error)

2. Delete the character that was just entered in the material field.

3. When saving after deleting the character, I don't get the Validation error.

The validation works well if the Material is not a Display field, but has issues if it is a Display field. Does this sound like a bug I should enter an OSS note about? Or, is it just an issue with how Display fields work? Everything I've read about Display fields talks about them being a reference to the whole record (almost like a key).

Please let me know your thoughts. And, please let me know if you know of another way to get data from the main table into an email / notification.

Thanks,

Chuck

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Chuck,

Setting the dispaly Field property should in no way affect your validation execution.

The valiadtion if is working fine on the field value when it is not a display field it should do so when a display field as well.

Besides if you are working on MDM main table all the main table fields are display fields.even if you do not set the property.As main table fields are always visible in MDM Data manager.

Which version of MDM you are currently working on.

As I have tried on the SP06 version on MDM and the Null validation runs fine on Display fields as well.

Check your MDM version and also your MDM clients as well as MDM server be on the same version.

What I am finding confusing here is that initially you wish to keep the material number as Blank for the approver to enter the material number which will be send through a mail.

But the validation is checking for the material field to be balnk then how are you poulating the same field with Material number in the later stage.As it will fail the validation here.As per teh vlaidation it should remain blank as soon as someone enters a value it will throw an error.

Or in either which wise you need to mainatin 2 valiadtion steps before and after the Approver for blank and filled field check.

Just check your process flow correctly and the order of it in case that is causing the records to fail.

Hope It Helped

Thanks & Regards

Simona Pinto

[Former Member]

Hello all,

It actually was the Display field causing the validation issue. I put in an OSS message and they came back and gave me a workaround. They said it was fixed in a later release, but in the meantime I could check for Null in the Material field or for "New Item" in the Material field. After setting the material to a Display field, the system was setting it to "New Item" in the background. It didn't display the New Item in the new record, but it was obviously there. When I changed it to look for Null Material, or for "New Item" in the Material, the validation worked again.

I wanted to let everyone know how it was resolved, just in case anyone else experiences the issue.

Thanks,

Chuck

[Former Member]

PS. I forgot to include the version. Our version is 5.5 SP06 (5.5.63.80). And, they are on the same version.

Thanks,

Chuck

[Former Member]

Hello Simona and Nisha,

Thank you both for your reply to my question. I agree that the Display field "shouldn't" impact the validation, but it does.

Part of the problem could be becuase of the key mapping set on the material feild. We can have multiple material numbers that are really the same thing. These came into MDM from ECC, where duplicates have been created at the different manufacturing locations. We merge these materials together, which blanks out the material number and add it to the key mapping table.

Simona, you mentioned the process of emailing the material number to the "requestor". Here's how it works. The "requestor" creates the material request, without entering the material number. The "approver" then updates the record, with the material number, in MDM and "Approves" the record. The material number is then sent in the email to the "requestor".

The reason the validation doesn't throw up the error in this case is because it looks at the Approval Status before checking for IS_NULL(Material Number). It only requires material to be blank before the material is approved.

%Records% will only pull in fields (from the main table) that are listed as Display fields in the Console. We originally only had 1 field in the main table as a Display field (A Global ID, derived from the Auto ID). The Material number was only changed to a Display field to get it on the email.

I tested the Validation before making the Material a Display field, and the validation worked. I unloaded the repository, made the material a Display field, then loaded the repository. After only changing the material field to a display field, the Validation had a issue. Doesn't make sense to me, which is why I wanted to see if anyone else had experienced the same thing.

Thanks,

Chuck

[Former Member]

Hi,

As stated above Display field is not the reason for validation failure.

Just try this one.

When requestor creates a new material trigger a workflow immediately with steps as

Start-Branch1(ith validation to check IS_NULL(Material NO))(if yes)Process(where approver approves by adding material no else if disapproved leave blank)-Branch2(with validation to check IS_NOT_NULL(Material no)--(f Yes)Notify that material is approved ---Stop.

If for Branch1 validation fails then use Notify step telling user that leave material no blank--Stop.

If For branch2 validation fails also use Notify to tell user that material is disapproved-Stop.

%Records% is the way to get the records in Mail Notification.

Regards

Nisha