Configure Entry and Exit Criteria for Change Objects

Entry and exit criteria are the rules that validate the progression of a change object through its workflow. These criteria serve as checkpoints when the change object enters and exits a workflow status. The criteria appear in the Workflow tab of a change type.

Here are some examples of entry and exit criteria:

A rule set that enforces need-by date value to be required for high priority change orders.
Ensure that the department code is be entered during a specific status.

How You Configure Entry and Exit Criteria

Create a change type.
Define the entry and exit criteria using the following tasks:
- Manage Change Order Entry and Exit Rule Sets - You can configure the Descriptive flexfields and Change Header attributes as required fields when the change order enters or exits a workflow state.
- Manage Item Rule Sets
Here's how you decide which task to use:
- To create the criteria for change orders in Product Development, use Manage Change Order Entry and Exit Rule Sets. Optionally, you can use Manage Item Rule Sets to add validations in the criteria.
- To create the criteria for change orders in Product Information Management, use Manage Item Rule Sets.
  
  You can define the criteria in a validation rule set. You must set the Association Type to Change order type.
  
  Note: If you create the criteria using Manage Item Rule Sets, don't add it to the master rule set.
Associate the criteria with the change type.

In each change type, assign the entry and exit criteria to a workflow status.

Define Entry and Exit Criteria Using Item Rule Sets

You can create one or more rule sets that include rules to validate the entry and exit criteria. Criteria can be based on attributes or descriptive flexfields.

Let's say that in the entry criteria for a change type you want to enforce Department Code as a required attribute. You can create a rule to display a relevant message in the absence of a department code.

Here's how you create the rule for a change type:

In the Setup and Maintenance work area, go to the following:
- Offering: Product Management
- Functional Area: Product Rules
- Task: Manage Item Rule Sets
Click Create to create a rule set.
In the Create Rule Set dialog, do the following:
1. Composite: Select No.
2. Type: Select Validations.
3. Association Type: Select Change order type.
4. Association Name: Select the change type which will use the exit criteria that you're about to define.
5. Click Save and Continue.
In the Edit Rule Set page, click Create to create a rule for the rule set.
In the Create Rule dialog, do the following.
1. Sequence: Enter the sequence number in which you want to execute this rule. This is required in case you have multiple rules.
  
  Severity is automatically set to Reject.
2. Click OK.
On the Edit Rule Set page, create the rule:
1. If Expression: Right-click and select Insert Descriptive Flexfield Segment to insert a flexfield that only applies to a specific change type.
  
  Business Entity: Select Change Header.
  
  Descriptive Flexfield: Select the flexfield against which you want to create a rule. To enforce department code as required, select the department code flexfield.
  
  Click Insert. The following expression is inserted:
```
[ChangeHeader].Flexfield[Department Code]
```
2. Insert IsNull at the beginning of the expression, to create the following expression:
```
IsNull([ChangeHeader].Flexfield[Department Code])
```
3. Validation Condition: Enter false.
4. User Message: Enter a message that you want to display in the absence of the department code. For example,
```
You must enter the department code to proceed with the workflow.
```
Validate the rule's syntax, by clicking the Validate button.
Click Save and Close.

Associate the Entry and Exit Criteria with Change Type

For a change type, you can assign the criteria that govern when a change order can exit a workflow status or enter into the next status.

Before that, you must complete the following:

Create a change type based on predefined change types.
Define the entry and exit criteria.

The table shows availability of entry and exit criteria based on the change order status:

Status Type	Configure Entry Criteria?	Configure Exit Criteria?
Open	No	Yes
Interim approval	Yes	Yes
Approval	Yes	No

Here's how you associate the entry and exit criteria with the change type:

In the Setup and Maintenance work area, go to the following:
- Offering: Product Management
- Functional Area: Change Orders
- Task: Manage Change Order Types
Select the change type for which you want to associate the entry and exit criteria and click Edit.
Click the Workflow tab and select the workflow status for which you want to setup the entry and exit criteria.
Select the entry and exit criteria.
Click Save.