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Actions are resources that enable you to track the progress for assigned tasks. The same action record can be used multiple times in different locations, if appropriate. Actions can be created, displayed and/or managed: a) via My Portal in all Synthesis applications, b) via the Resource Manager in all Synthesis applications except MPC and c) in FMEAs and DFR plans in Xfmea/RCM++/RBI.
This topic focuses on general considerations that will be applicable regardless of which application you are using and where the action is being used. For specific instructions regarding how to create or edit an action in each location, please consult the documentation for that particular feature. The following topics are discussed here:
As with any other Synthesis resource:
Any changes to the action properties will be reflected in all locations where the resource is used.
If you remove an action from an FMEA or DFR plan, it will remain in the project unless/until an authorized user deletes it from the database.
If an action resource is not currently used in an FMEA or DFR plan, an authorized user (i.e., the project owner, the action creator or any user with the "Create/edit/delete all resources" permission) can delete it via My Portal or the Resource Manager.
In addition, the Trace Usage icon at the bottom of the window opens the Dependency Viewer, which allows you to see where the resource is used and what other resources are associated with it.
The action status is determined automatically based on the dates defined for the action:
An action is Overdue
if its due date is prior to today's date.
An action is Not
Started if its start date is later than today's date.
An action is In
Progress if its start date is today's date or earlier and its due
date is today's date or later.
An action is Completed
if a completion date has been entered and no approver has been assigned.
An action is Pending
Approval if a completion date has been entered and an approver
has been assigned.
An action is Approved
if an approval date has been entered.
The properties enabled in the Action window (and their display names) will depend on the interface style settings that have been defined for the current project in Xfmea/RCM++/RBI. If you have one of those applications installed and have permission to edit the project properties, you can choose Project > Management > Configurable Settings > Interface Style to view or change the settings for the current project.
In the Action area, note the following:
The Action Description is required.
The Short Description is a shortened version of the record description that will be used in locations where the full description would be too long to display (e.g., diagrams). If the field is blank when you save the record, the software automatically populates it based on the first 50 characters of the record description. This will not be automatically updated if you later change the full description.
For the Person Responsible, you can type a description (up to 150 characters) or select a specific database user from the drop-down list. If you select a database user, the action will be displayed in that user's My Portal and he/she can also receive automated e-mail notifications, if applicable.
In the Timeline area, note the following:
The Planned Start Date and Planned Due Date are for bookkeeping purposes only; they are not used in determining the action status.
The Start Date, Duration and Due Date fields are used to determine the action status. In addition, once you have entered the start date:
If you enter/change the due date, the duration will be updated automatically.
If you enter/change the duration, the due date will be updated automatically.
Entering a Completion Date will change the action's status from due/overdue to complete. It also triggers an automated e-mail notification if the database is configured to send e-mails "Upon completion."
In the Approval area, note the following:
If you decide to assign an Approver to review and approve the action after it is completed, you must select a database user who has the "Approve actions" permission. The action will be displayed in that user's My Portal and he/she can also receive automated e-mail notifications, if applicable.
The Approval Date will be entered automatically when the assigned approver chooses the Approve command.
The Approval Comments field will not be available until the assigned approver has entered an approval date.
The Action Status Updates area displays any notes that have been added to report progress toward the completion of the action.
To add a new note, click the heading and then click the Add icon that becomes visible.
Note that if an action has not yet been completed, you can choose any action status update type from the drop-down list in the Action Status Update window. Choosing Not Started or In Progress will not affect the action's status. Choosing Completed will enter a completion date for the action and will change the action's status to complete. If an action has already been completed, the only action status update type that will be available is Completed.
To delete an existing note, click inside the field and then click the Delete icon that becomes visible. There is no undo for delete.
The E-mail Notifications area allows you to access the Action Notifications window, which identifies the database users who can receive notifications regarding the current action. These settings apply to automated e-mail notifications (if any) and the Actions page of the My Portal window.
The History area provides information about the creation and last modification of the resource. If the history log has been activated at the project level, you can click the View Item History icon to open the Record History Log for the resource.
Three commands will be enabled only when applicable. For most applications, they will be available as buttons at the bottom of the window. If you are using Xfmea/RCM++/RBI and working with an action that's used in an FMEA or DFR plan, they will be available from the Ribbon at the top of the window.
The Approve command will be enabled if you are assigned to review/approve the action and a completion date has been entered. When you choose the command, the software automatically enters the approval date, and the comments field becomes enabled so you can add any relevant notes.
The E-mail command will be enabled if an authorized user has defined a valid SMTP server via the E-mail Settings window. This allows you to manually send an e-mail containing the current action details to any valid e-mail address.
The Outlook command will be enabled if Microsoft Outlook is installed on your computer. This provides a quick way to add the task to your Outlook calendar. By default, the event will be scheduled for the action's due date, but you can make modifications before saving the new event to your calendar. Note that you may need to give focus to the Outlook application in order to see the window.
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