Managing holds

Available with Standard or Advanced license.

Available with Workflow Manager license.

The Holds tab allows you to suspend the job for an indefinite amount of time. Holds are categorized by hold type, which are configured by the Workflow Manager Administrator. Examples of reasons to hold a job could include the following:

• Insufficient funding
• Technical problems
• Missing data
• Lack of resources

Along with the hold type, the job hold stores the following information:

• Unique hold ID
• User placing hold
• Date of hold
• Comment given when adding hold
• User releasing hold
• Date of release
• Comment given when releasing hold

Holds can be beneficial in many ways, from job control to accountability and reporting. The following are two specific benefits:

• A hold prevents any action being carried out on a job for whatever period the hold is set for. This includes job execution along with updating of properties. A few of these properties can be overridden with certain privileges. As long as you do not have these privileges, you are restricted from working a job that is not supposed to be worked.
• The information about the hold does not get deleted, even when the hold is released. This information can be used for determining productivity while taking into account setbacks like those suggested above.

Note:

This functionality is controlled through privileges. If you are unable to interact with the holds, consult with your Workflow Manager (Classic) administrator.

Clicking the Holds tab when a job is selected in the job list shows something similar to the figure above. The option buttons on the right-hand side allow you to select which subset of holds are currently in view. These are the options:

• All—All holds ever to be put on this job
• Active—Only the holds that are currently restricting the job
• Inactive—Only the holds that have been released

While looking at the holds in the main table, the Active field will show whether the hold is currently restricting the job.

The date the hold was created is also displayed on the tab and the user that released the job hold if it is an inactive hold.

Note:

Holds cannot be added, viewed or released in offline jobs.

Putting a hold on a job

You can put a hold on a job to prevent actions like executing workflows or updating properties. This is necessary when tracking reasons why a job took longer than expected for better auditing.

1. Choose a job and click the Holds tab.
2. Click Add in the side panel.

   

3. Choose the hold type from the Hold Type drop-down menu.
4. Enter a comment or reason for the hold being placed.
5. Click OK.

Viewing a job hold

You can view the details of a job hold through the Holds tab.

1. Choose the hold in the list.
2. Click View in the side panel.

   The Job Hold Viewer dialog box appears.

   

Releasing a hold

When a hold is active on a job, it prevents the assigned person from executing workflow steps and updating properties associated with the job. If the reason for the hold is no longer valid, you can release the hold on the job so that work can resume.

1. Choose the hold from the list.
2. Click Release in the side panel.

   

3. Enter a comment or reason for releasing.
4. Click OK.