Attempting to start workflow using specific column content - issue

[johnfb59]

Hi all,

I am trying to send an email when a SP 'Choice' column entitled 'Countries Affected' contains 'Test Region APAC' here is the simple workflow:

The email is being sent fine when the column contains 'Test Region APAC'

However the email is still being sent although there is nothing in that column or I choose another option e.g. 'Test Region NAM'.

Here are the conditions that I set:

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for your overview.

John

[emha]

do your variables contain what you expect?

try to write them to log before set condition action to see what do you compare exactly

[mtrividic]

Hi John,

If I understand, you want to send an email when your column contain some information.

But your problem is when you start the workflow only one occurrence of the action is executed (if the column already contain what you want the mail is sended and if not no action are exectued).

So, if you want to wait a changed value on your column and respect what you want it contains.

You must to use the wait for item update action :

And configure it with :

And after that you can place your test with the send mail.

I hope it could help you.

Best regards,

[mapeacock]

Hi John,

I notice that you have the value defined as some sort of reference:

You will need to interrogate what is populating this reference. It would seem to me that, if you are always getting the notification, this Test Region APAC reference is always matching the Countries Affected value. Could I suggest replacing the Reference with just the text "Test Region APAC".

Also be mindful that if you have multiple selections allowed on your choice column, the equals option won't be sufficient as you are effectively dealing with an array of sorts.

Cheers,

Mark

[#5]

Hello, why don't you use the conditional start options in the workflow settings? You can make the workflow trigger when the field value is Test Region APAC.

Let us know if that helps!

[johnfb59]

Chandra thanks for looking, I tried this and still not getting the response I need in fact emails have stopped completely

[johnfb59]

Mark, thanks for replying chaned settings to this and now getting no emails at all

[johnfb59]

As an update the request is getting slightly more complicated.

1. In the list the user wants to be able to tick a box that refers to a distribution list e.g. 'Test Region APAC' and when the list item is saved it goes to that distribution list.

2. The user also wants to be able to select multiple distribution lists, as an example: Test Region APAC and Test Region NAM and Test Region EMEA there are 80 distribution list options to consider.

it is easy to send one email to one distribution list IF it were to stay the same, but there could be 80 boxes ticked and then 80 different emails will be expected to be sent.

3. I have amended the column title from Countries affected to Distribution List, when the user puts a tick in any (or all) of the boxes the email needs to go to those lists, I can create workflow variables and associate the dl's accordingly but cannot figure how to send the email, I have only configured one email notification.

I am also concerned that if e.g. Germany is ticked and the emails contains all the variables all dl's will get the email intended just for Germany.

An interesting problem

[emha]

how do you map your countries/regions(/DLs?) to a mail addresses/mail distribution lists?

are they those workflow variables?

ie. you have one workflow variable for every single choice option?

and do you set static values to the variables within workflow or do you read/query them from somewhere?

do you fill workflow variable based on selected choices or do fill all the variables regardless of selection?

next, I do not understand your following sentence:

I am also concerned that if e.g. Germany is ticked and the emails contains all the variables all dl's will get the email intended just for Germany.

does that mean that despite you just tick Germany (and nothing else) you still want to send mail to other mails/DLs apart from Germany ones? what are the rules?

[johnfb59]

Hi Marion, in reply:

1. how do you map your countries/regions(/DLs?) to a mail addresses/mail distribution lists? are they those workflow variables? - Yes

ie. you have one workflow variable for every single choice option? - Yes

2. and do you set static values to the variables within workflow or do you read/query them from somewhere? - Yes static, I would expect to control this with a argument that IF 'x' contains e.g. 'Test APAC Region' then use the according w/f variable to send the email to that d/l in the email notification, but I do not know how to configure the email with all 80 variables.

3. do you fill workflow variable based on selected choices or do fill all the variables regardless of selection - I want to fill w/f variable based on selected choices

next, I do not understand your following sentence:

I am also concerned that if e.g. Germany is ticked and the emails contains all the variables all dl's will get the email intended just for Germany.

does that mean that despite you just tick Germany (and nothing else) you still want to send mail to other mails/DLs apart from Germany ones? what are the rules? - No, it means that I do not know how to set up the resultant emails, e.g. Distribution List choice 'Test APAC Region' is ticked, therefore the words 'Test APAC Region' appears in Column Distribution List, I want the email sent to just 'Test APAC Region'  only but if e.g. 'Test APAC Region' and 'Germany' is ticked I want the email to go to just those two - this goes back to how to configure the email, it needs to contain all the w/f variables to be able to select the correct one from when the DL is selected.