Creating Product Lifecycle Management Rules

You can use rules to ensure that all necessary product lifecycle management processes occur when needed and are performed by the appropriate people. You can also create alert rules to inform you when a process does not run as you had planned.

The following table summarizes the three types of product lifecycle management rules.

Rule Type	Purpose	Example
Workflow	Define criteria for which workflow definitions are performed	Perform workflow definition A for all products in product line X.
Team	Define criteria for which product lifecycle management teams are responsible	Assign team A as responsible for all products in product line X.
Alert	Define criteria for which alerts are created	Create an alert if a product inspection must occur within three days.

Creating Workflow Rules

To create a workflow rule:

1. In Lifecycle Rule Maintenance, select the Workflow radio button.

2. Enter a workflow type in the Workflow Type field.

3. Enter a workflow level in the Workflow Level field.

4. Click the New button in the ribbon. The Lifecycle Rule Entry window appears.

5. Select filter criteria for the rule. The available criteria depend on the workflow level you selected in step 3.

6. Enter a range of dates for which the rule is active in the Start Date and End Date fields.

7. Click the Assignment tab.

8. If no workflow should be performed for the rule, select the No Workflow Required check box, and skip to step 10.

9. Enter a workflow definition code or description in the Workflow Definition or Description field.

10. Enter a sequence number for the rule in the Rule Sequence field. The lower the number, the higher the rule is in the rule hierarchy. The hierarchy determines which rules take precedence over other rules. You can later change the sequence in Lifecycle Rule Maintenance.

11. Select the status of the rule.

12. Click the OK button in the ribbon. The rule is created.

Creating Team Rules

To create a team rule:

1. In Lifecycle Rule Maintenance, select the Team radio button.

2. Enter a workflow type in the Workflow Type field.

3. Enter a workflow level in the Workflow Level field.

4. Click the New button in the ribbon. The Lifecycle Rule Entry window appears.

5. If you want to select specific tasks for the rule, clear the All check box to the left of the Task field. You can then enter a specific task in the Task field, or click the List button to select multiple tasks.

6. If you want to select specific workflow definitions for the rule, clear the All check box to the left of the Definition Code field. You can then enter a specific workflow definition code in the Definition Code field, or click the List button to select multiple workflow definitions.

7. Select additional filter criteria for the rule. The available criteria depend on the workflow level you selected in step 3.

8. Enter a range of dates for which the rule is active in the Start Date and End Date fields.

9. Click the Assignment tab.

10. Enter the product lifecycle management team or description for the rule in the Team or Name field.

11. Enter a sequence number for the rule in the Rule Sequence field. The lower the number, the higher the rule is in the rule hierarchy. The hierarchy determines which rules take precedence over other rules. You can later change the sequence in Lifecycle Rule Maintenance.

12. Select the status of the rule.

13. Click the OK button in the ribbon. The rule is created.

Creating Alert Rules

To create an alert rule:

1. In Lifecycle Rule Maintenance, select the Alert radio button.

2. Enter a workflow type in the Workflow Type field.

3. Enter a workflow level in the Workflow Level field.

4. Click the New button in the ribbon. The Lifecycle Rule Entry window appears.

5. If you want to select specific tasks for the rule, clear the All check box to the left of the Task field. You can then enter a specific task in the Task field, or click the List button to select multiple tasks.

6. If you want to select specific workflow definitions for the rule, clear the All check box to the left of the Definition Code field. You can then enter a specific workflow definition code in the Definition Code field, or click the List button to select multiple workflow definitions.

7. Select additional filter criteria for the rule. The available criteria depend on the workflow level you selected in step 3.

8. Enter a range of dates for which the rule is active in the Start Date and End Date fields.

9. Click the Assignment tab.

10. Click the Lookup button to the right of the Alert Rule field, and select a condition that will trigger an alert.

11. In the grid, enter values for the condition that will trigger an alert (if required for the alert rule you selected in step 10).

12. Enter a sequence number for the rule in the Rule Sequence field. The lower the number, the higher the rule is in the rule hierarchy. The hierarchy determines which rules take precedence over other rules. You can later change the sequence in Lifecycle Rule Maintenance.

13. Select the status of the rule.

14. If you want the rule to send alerts for teams other than the team assigned to tasks, click the Teams tab, clear the Only delivered to the team assigned to the task check box, and specify the teams.

15. Click the OK button in the ribbon. The rule is created.

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