How You Manage Work Definition Versions

A work definition version defines the dates for which a production process is effective. A work definition always has an effective start date, whereas the effective end date can be null. A work definition with an effective end date as null means that it's open ended and is effective.

The following table explains the predefined rules that govern the creation of a work definition version

Change	Predefined Business Rule
Adding a new operation	A new version is mandatory only if the work definition being edited is currently effective, that's, the version start date is earlier than or equal to the system date.
Deleting an existing operation	A new version is mandatory only if the work definition being edited is currently effective, that's, the version start date is earlier than or equal to the system date.
Any other changes	A new version is optional. Changes to an existing version would make them applicable from the effective start date of that version.

Note: If an operation is effective across multiple work definition versions, then any changes to the operation such as adding or deleting operation items, operation outputs, or operation resources, will be applicable in the work definition versions where that operation is effective.

Create a Work Definition Version

You can use either of the following navigational flows to create a work definition version:

On the Manage Work Definitions page, click the Versions icon. The Manage Versions dialog box opens. Click the Add icon and a new row with prepopulated data is shown. You can modify this pre-populated data.
On the Edit Work Definition page, from the Actions menu, select Manage Versions.

When you create a new version, and if the prior version is current effective, the start date is defaulted to the current system date and time. If the prior version is future effective, the start date is left blank. Ensure to enter the correct start date, the date on which the version becomes effective. After it gets saved, the version start date can't be updated. After a new version is created, the prior version will be end dated automatically by the application. The version end date can’t be updated.

In the new version, the operations from the prior version continue to be effective unless they are deleted. When you delete an operation, that operation will be end dated automatically by the application in the prior version. The end date of the operation is equal to the end date of that prior version.

Generally, upcoming production process changes would necessitate creating a future effective work definition version. For example, you need to create a new operation, and reassign either an operation item, operation output, or an operation resource from an existing operation to the new operation. To ensure that these changes are reflected only in the new version, and not prior version (due to operation effectivity spanning across versions), here are the steps that you need to perform:

Create a new work definition version, for example, Version 2.
Specify the start date of the new version.
Create a new operation, for example, OP40.
Select the operation to which the item needs reassigning is currently assigned, for example, OP10.
Right-click and select Duplicate.

This action creates a new OP10 operation and copy the operation items, operation outputs, and operation resources.
Delete the old OP10 operation.
Delete the operation item that needs reassigning from the new OP10 operation.
Assign the operation item to the new operation OP40.
Save the work definition.

Edit a Work Definition Version

Once you save a version, you can't edit the Version and Start Date attributes. These are the unique identifiers of the version and hence, can't be edited. Editing a work definition version is same as explained in the Edit Work Definitions: Explained topic.

Delete a Work Definition Version

You can delete a work definition version by clicking the Version icon on the Manage Work Definitions page. You can't delete past and current effective work definition versions. You can delete a future effective version if it's not the first version created. To maintain data integrity, you can't delete a future effective version if it's referenced by work orders or used in published cost scenarios.