Charge out physical entities

Since physical entities cannot be seen online, you need to arrange to have the items sent to you. This process, called charge out, also launches the Physical Records Management (PRM) workflow that keeps track of where the entities are at each step. You can charge out individual records (one at a time) or any of the containers that hold physical items.

The PRM workflow spans the entire cycle of reserving, receiving, and releasing the entity to the next user. The workflow also tracks delays in receiving or releasing the entity. In addition, it tracks entities lost in transit or by the user who is currently listed as being in possession of the entity. Of course, keeping track of an entity via the PRM workflow requires that all participants accurately note where an entity is at all times by responding to tasks in their inboxes in a timely manner.

You can charge out physical entities through Workplace or IBM InfoSphere Enterprise Records. If you do this from Workplace, navigate to the FPOS and open the Records Management folder. Then open the file plan folder and navigate to the object in the appropriate file plan location.

For information on the charge-out status of an entity, select its Get Info icon and select the Detail page. In the Physical section of this page, you can see the entity's location, home location, its charge-out status, and who has it charged out. If the entity has a barcode, you can also check its charge-out status using Scan Physical Items in the Physical tab. See Scan a physical entity. Finally, you can select the Status button in the PRM workflow step to get status via the Tracker application.

Inboxes used by the PRM workflow

As the entity travels and users receive and release it, work items are generated. Some of these appear in a user's inbox and some appear in public inboxes. User and group security settings determine who can see the public inboxes, open a workflow step, and see the charge-out status of an entity using Scan Physical Items. The PRM workflow can populate the following public inboxes with work items.

Charge out procedure

Charging out an entity begins with selecting Launch / Charge out from its context menu. Thereafter, work items show up in the personal inboxes of participants or work items go to the public inboxes. When an entity is first charged out, the system shows that the requesting user has charged it out to the specified location. However, the keeper must release the item before the requesting user actually has it.

When an item is already charged out, other requesting users set a Reservation Date. The reservation date is used to prioritize multiple requests. The entity is passed on other users based on the earliest reservation date, as shown by work items in the PhysicalEntitiesReserveQueue. The system does not wait for the reservation date to arrive to generate new work items.

If the keeper or other current entity holder requests a delivery service instead of manual delivery, then the delivery queue gets a work item. The delivery service either delivers the item or indicates that it is lost. When the keeper or the delivery service indicates that the item is delivered, the requesting user gets a Receive work item. If the delivery service indicates that the item is lost, a work item goes to the Find Lost queue.

When the requesting user completes the Receive work item by indicating that the item has been received, a Release work item replaces the Receive work item in the personal inbox. If the requesting user indicates that the item has not been received, this sends a work item to the Find Lost queue.

The Find Lost group either finds and delivers the item or indicates that it is permanently lost. Finding and delivering the item generates a Receive work item in the user's inbox. Indicating that the item is lost sends messages to affected participants (users in the Wait and Reserve queues) and all remaining work items are terminated. Indicating that an item is permanently lost should be done only if you are sure that the entity will not be found in the future. There is no way to indicate later that a lost entity has been found. All users who attempt to charge out the entity in the future will receive a message about the lost status.

When the current entity holder is done using the item, he or she completes the Release work item and delivers the entity to the next person or to the keeper, who then completes the Receive work item.

If you try to charge out an entity whose parent container is charged out, you will get a message and your only option is to close the Launch step window. You can either charge out the parent container, which puts you in the queue with others who may be waiting, or you can try charging out the child entity at a later time.

Similarly, if you try to charge out a container when one or more of its content items are charged out, you will get a message that there is a Child Charge Out. You will need to try again later.

Launch Workflow

To charge out a physical object

  1. From either IBM InfoSphere Enterprise Records or Workplace, right-click the name of the physical entity and select Launch / Charge Out.
  2. Click Launch under the name of the workflow subscription you want to use. A default subscription is supplied for each physical entity type. See the various steps that are described in later text.
  3. After completing the Launch step, close the window that lists the workflow subscriptions.

The various steps of the workflow share some common items.

Instructions

At the top of the window, there should be instructions for completing the step. These are written by the workflow designer. If you do not see the instructions, click the arrowhead beside the word Instructions.

Entity Name

If the entity is a container, you can click the name to open the container and see what it contains. If the entity is a single physical record, it has no content, so you will get a message to that effect.

Comments

You can enter comments directly in the Comments box, or you can click the yellow icon at the bottom of the text box for a larger window in which to write or to read longer comments without scrolling.

Action menu

Items in the menu vary with the step. See information below for each type of step. Also, the instructions at the top of the workflow window should offer guidance on what to select.

Location

Click Location to see a list of locations. Click Select beneath the location where you want an entity delivered.

Reservation Date

Click the calendar icon to select the date you want to reserve an entity. If the entity is not currently charged out, you must select today's date. If the entity is charged out, you can select today or a future date, but the system doesn't necessarily display the date you select. The system determines reservation dates as the entity moves from one location to another.

Informational columns

Different steps might show who had the item, where it is located, the reservation and request dates, and who should receive it next.

Apply and Close buttons

You can change information, Apply it, and then Close the window without taking any further action. The work item remains in the same inbox. This is useful when you want to declare that an item is currently lost, but you think you can find it. This avoids taking the more permanent action that would be generated by using the Complete button.

Reassign button

This opens a window where you select another user to perform the step. Enter the first few characters of the name and click Search. Select the user and click Continue. See Reassign a work item for more information.

Status button

This opens the Tracker application. See View workflow status for more information.

Complete button

The Complete button completes the workflow step and is the usual choice.

Launch step

To complete the Launch step

  1. Click Location to select the location where the entity should be delivered.
  2. Click the calendar icon to set a Reservation Date. If the entity is not charged out, you must select today's date. If the entity is charged out, you can select today or a future date. The reservation date is used to prioritize multiple requests.
  3. Click Launch to initiate the workflow or Close to close the window without launching.

Receive step

A Receive step is listed as an Approve step in your inbox, but when you open it, the page title is Receive Step. You get the Receive step when the previous user (or keeper) releases the item and you are next in line to receive it. If you have not received it yet, you can see who will be delivering it, where it was last located and how it will be delivered. If you do not receive the item after waiting a reasonable amount of time, you can indicate that you have not received it. This generates a work item for the Find Lost queue. If you are the keeper, you get a Receive step when the last user releases the item.

To complete the Receive step

  1. Select the appropriate action. If you have received the entity, select Received; otherwise, select Not Received.
  2. Finish the step by selecting the appropriate button. See the options in Launch workflow.

NOTE  It is possible that you have not received the entity because of a delay caused by the delivery service or the user who has currently charged out the entity. It is also possible that the entity is lost in transit. In such a situation, you will receive a work item that displays a message notifying you of the status of the entity.

Release step

A Release step is listed as an Approve step in your inbox, but when you open it, the page title is Release Step. The Release step must be completed by the current entity holder, which can be either the keeper or a user who charged out the item. You indicate the method of delivery, if there is any delay in the delivery, or if the item is lost. Deliver the item to the requesting user at the charged out location.

To complete the Release step

  1. If appropriate, enter the Delay Time in hours to indicate the extent of a delay in releasing the entity.
  2. Enter any appropriate comments, such as an explanation for a delay.
  3. Select the appropriate option from the Action list.
  4. Finish the step by selecting the appropriate button. See the options in Launch workflow.

Wait Queue step

When a user reserves an entity and is next in line to receive it, the work item in the Wait queue shows that user name as the requesting user. Users authorized to access this queue can view information, but there is nothing to complete.

To view the Wait Queue step

  1. Click the work item in the PhysicalEntitiesWaitQueue public queue.
  2. After reviewing the work item, click Close.

Reserve Queue step

The PhysicalEntitiesReserveQueue public inbox contains work items for each user who is waiting for delivery. Authorized users can open each work item to see who has requested the entity, their request dates and the requested locations. You can modify the reservation dates to change the priorities of users.

To complete the Reserve Queue step

  1. Click the work item in the PhysicalEntitiesReserveQueue public inbox.
  2. Optionally modify the Reservation Date to change the priority of users waiting for the item.
  3. Click Apply and Close.

Find Lost Item step

When an entity is declared as Lost, the system sends a work item to the PhysicalEntitiesFindLostQueue public inbox. If you are authorized to access this inbox, you can click the work item to view the Find Lost Step page and update the status. Either you will find and deliver the entity or you will declare it as permanently lost. This notifies all affected users and terminates all PRM workflows launched for that entity. In addition, when a user attempts to launch a workflow for that entity, the system immediately sends a notification about the lost status of the entity.

To complete the Find Lost Item step

  1. Enter your comments.
  2. From Action menu, select Lost if you want to declare that the entity is permanently lost. Select Delivered if you have found the entity and delivered it to the user whose name appears in the Requested By field.
  3. Finish the step by selecting the appropriate button. See the options in Launch workflow.

CAUTION  Once an entity is marked as permanently lost, there is no way to indicate that it has been found at a later date. Anyone who attempts to charge out the entity in the future will receive the message that the entity is lost. If the lost item is a container that was found later, its contents cannot be charged out. Anyone attempting to charge out items from a previously lost container will get a message that the parent is charged out.

Delivery Service step

When a user selects the delivery service to send a physical entity, the system sends a work item to the PhysicalEntitiesDeliveryQueue public inbox. If you are authorized to access this public inbox, you can click the work item to complete the Delivery Step page.

To complete the Delivery step

  1. Enter any appropriate Comments.
  2. From the Action list, select Lost if you cannot find and deliver the entity. This sends a work item to the PhysicalEntitiesFindLostQueue public inbox. If necessary, that group will indicate that the entity is permanently lost. Select Delivered if you have delivered the entity to the user who requested it.
  3. Finish the step by selecting the appropriate button. See the options in Launch workflow.

Message step

The Message Step page notifies you of the status of the physical entity for which you have launched the PRM workflow. This page is sent as a work item to your inbox. You will receive it in any of the following situations:

To complete the Message step, click Complete.