Task Manager - Action Type: Open Workflow, Action Parameter Workflow Time

[wnindl]

Dear OneStream Community,
Is the action parameter |WFTime| supposed to take the WF Time associated with the task and bring the user to the workflow and that WF Time.  Cause it is not in our configuration.
We are in a task for 2022M8, Action Parameter |WFTime|.  Workflow page opens fine, we are in the correct Workflow, but that task time period seems to be no recognized.
Or are we interpreting this parameter incorrect?
thanks in advance  

[JackLacava]

I don't know the Task Manager solution well enough to know what you're trying to do, but |WFTime| is not a Parameter, it's a Substitution Variable that will contain the current Workflow Time selected by the user, as appearing in the Workflow Point of View - for example, 2020M2 here:

So the value of the property in which you drop that Substitution Variable will be "2020M2" when that thing is run.

[wnindl]

Thanks Jack,
Here is the situation in task manager, and it is rather important to look at it form a task manager point of view.
A task can have an Action:

and the action has four "parameters":
Action type, Workflow Profile, Workflow Scenario, a Workflow Time.
Workflow Time can take either a time such as 2022M12 or one of the available substitution variables.

My question is:
When selecting |WFTime| is this supposed to take the WFTime of the task and open the Workflow to that WFTime?
I am in Task Grid View, my Time is 2022M8:

the task has the action:

And WF Time set to:

when the task is executed the Workflow opens all right but the Workflow time is whatever time was last used in Workflow.

Thus my question:
What is the supposed effect of setting Workflow Time to |WFTime|?

Hope these details make more sense. 

[JackLacava]

Hey, thanks for the screenshots, that makes it clear.

|WFTime| is generic for OneStream (like the other variables in that dropdown list), and it will always be "whatever time was last used in Workflow" (i.e. the user's pre-existing Workflow POV, as appearing in the POV panel on the right or at the top of OnePlace panel on the left). When you set |WFTime| on a Task, you're telling the Task to go look up that value and use it; which I think is what you're experiencing.

The Time switch you see in Task Grid View is a solution-specific value that won't be linked to that substitution variable.

Does that explain it...?

[wnindl]

Hi Jack,

Love the quick response. 
We could go on here forever.  My blunt answer is that the |WFTime| is useless and misleading.  Of course I could created 12 tasks for each month and then execute the task and, I would hope but found it extreme to attempt, if that would then open the correct time in the workflow. I dont think it will go to our client and say, just create 13x12 tasks per year to open the correct workflow.
Let me just end with, I am a huge fan of Task Manager, and it needs a few more smart functions to be mature.

PS:
I am not sure what this means:

"The Time switch you see in Task Grid View is a solution-specific value that won't be linked to that substitution variable."

 

[JackLacava]

Hey,

I'm sorry, I don't know enough about Task Manager to suggest a way to make it work like you'd like; I guess the assumption is that the user would just set the current month in Workflow POV (i.e. from OnePlace) - as they have to do in most cases.

If you think that TM lacks features, feel free to propose them on the IdeaStream boards. Developers actively monitor those posts (unlike these) and will typically implement popular suggestions.

[mjohnson]

It might work better if your try |GlobalTime| or |POVTime|.  But I agree, it would be more useful if it new what period you were in for UTM and you could reference that in the Action.

[wnindl]

Thanks mjohnson,

I guess that could work, it would still require that the user (or an admin sets the global POV) for the close month and then the tasks would react to that month when i click on a workflow. We will try that today.  Would be easier than asking the admin to update all tasks' action parameters with the current close month (even though that would be a good test for mass update).