The Physical Record Management (PRM) workflow manages
and tracks the status of all physical entities. Each time you need
to access a physical entity, the PRM workflow is launched. End users
can then charge out, charge in, and reserve entities, without the
intervention of any authority. Therefore, the current record holder
decides the duration for keeping the entity (even if there is a delay).
The record holder is only required to notify the system of the period
for which the entity will be charged out; the system informs other
users in queue about the availability of the entity.
The PRM
workflow is manually launched by end users, when they need to charge
out or reserve a physical entity. The workflow lasts the entire cycle
of reserving, receiving, and releasing the entity to the next user.
If there is a delay in releasing the entity or if the current holder
has lost the entity, the workflow informs all of the end users associated
with the entity, including the keeper of the entity.
After the
PRM workflow is launched, it is associated with the following general
step processors and component steps:
- Release Item
- Is a general step processor wherein the current record holder
releases the entity to the user who is next in queue to use the entity.
The record holder can choose to:
- Release the entity
- The current record holder can choose to manually deliver the entity
or use a delivery service to send the entity to the user who is next
in queue.
- Request delay
- The current record holder can choose to delay the release of the
entity, and is required to notify the system about the delay. The
system then notifies other users in queue of the delay in releasing
the entity.
- Notify loss of the entity
- It is possible that the record holder has lost the entity. In
such a situation, the record holder is required to notify the system
that the entity is lost. The system then notifies other users in queue
of the loss of the entity.
- Wait for Delivery Item
- In this step, the end user is awaiting for the delivery of the
entity. In such a situation, the end user can either receive the item,
or be notified of a delay in receiving the entity, or that the entity
is lost.
- Receive Item
- Is a general step processor, wherein the end user waiting in queue
makes a request to release the entity, and if the item is released,
it is sent to the recipient's inbox as soon as the previous record
holder releases the entity.