The Administrator can specify values on business process upper or lower forms that enable auto-sequencing, or that specify unique values (upper form only). These features are available for both company-level and project-level business processes, and can be used on workflow and non-workflow business processes.
Auto-sequencing
The Administrator can configure auto-sequencing for certain data elements on a business process form. This is in addition to the standard business process numbering, and allows the numbering of up to two fields on an upper form, and two fields on a lower form. For example, the Administrator can specify that a "Name" field uses auto-sequencing in order to number business processes that have similar names. Auto-sequencing generation occurs for the business process when you click:
- Send on workflow business processes
- Save on non-workflow business processes
- Finish Editing on non-workflow business processes for line items
- Apply or OK for line items
Note: Fields configured for auto-sequencing are not available for Bulk Edit, since the values for these fields are system-generated.
The following explains how the auto-sequenced fields work:
In Unifier, you can generate sequence numbers based on the unique values of parameters that have been used in formatting the sequence number. You cannot modify the values of parameters once they have been generated.
If the data elements, or parameters, do not have values, then this type of sequencing number will not be generated.
The counter mechanism will increment based on the uniqueness of the value of the parameters.
Generating the sequence formatting is available for the following actions:
- “Send” on WF BPs, including the line items
- “Save” on NWF BPs
- “Finish Editing” on NWF BPs for line items
If you remove a sequence-based data element from configuration, then data will not be generated for any newly created BP records. The existing data will remain as is and will be read-only.
Unifier audits the data elements based on the SYS Auto Sequence.
When you create a BP record by way of the user interface:
- Unifier will not generate auto-sequence numbering if you reset one of the parameters.
- Translation will not impact generating the sequence number.
- Since the auto-sequence fields are defined as formulas and formulas will always consider the value and not the label, you can use a parameter in an auto-sequence definition that has a data-set, and one of the values does not have a label.
The configuration of auto-sequence setup will be retained in BPs:
- When creating and updating BP records through the user interface (UI).
- When creating and updating BP records through the bulk update and bulk edit.
- When creating BP records and line items by way of CSV files.
- When auto-creating BP records.
- When copying a BP record and then submitting, or sending, the copied BP record.
- When updating a BP record by way of opening the BP record through a reference link, or through a form sheet such as Cost Sheet.
- When submitting a BP record after creating a line item, through line item consolidation.
- When submitting a BP record after creating a line item and updating the line item through the grid.
- When creating and updating BP records through web services.
Unique values
The Administrator can configure unique value validation on data elements on business process upper forms. For example, if a business process has a field called Invoice, and should enforce that each invoice number is a unique string, this field can be configured to validate for a unique value. If you attempt to enter a string that is not unique (has been entered on another business process), you will get a warning message that an alternate value must be entered. Unique value validation occurs for the business process when you click:
- Send on workflow business processes
- Save on non-workflow business processes
- Finish Editing on non-workflow business processes for line items
Note: If you use Bulk Edit to update multiple records, and attempt to update a field that has value uniqueness configured, only the first record will update (and is therefore unique).