Future Actions#
Future Actions in Critical Manufacturing MES are predefined actions that will be triggered when a specific context is met during the journey of a Material through a process Flow.
These actions facilitate operations by automating activities such as changing Flow or Step, placing Materials on hold, executing Rules, setting Services or Resources, splitting or merging Materials, and more — all based on specific triggers.
Overview#
The goal of this tutorial is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how Future Actions work within Critical Manufacturing MES, by covering the following key topics:
- Definition: Learn how to define Future Actions that are directly tied to individual Materials, or set at the Step level.
- Precedence: Understand how Future Actions behave when defined at multiple levels.
- Future Action Types: Get familiar with the different types of Future Actions available in the system.
- Manage vs Special Manage: Learn how to manage Future Actions, including how to create, edit, and delete them.
- Scenarios: Watch guided videos demonstrating examples of configuring and executing Future Actions.
Topics#
Definition#
The Future Actions section in the Material Details View allows users to view planned actions specifically defined for the Material, which will be triggered when the appropriate context is met.
Also, the Future Actions section in the Step Details View displays actions defined at the Step level, which will be applied to all Materials passing through the step under the right conditions.
From both views, Future Actions can be managed and edited. Additionally, in the Material Details View, even terminated Future Actions can be displayed for reference.
For more information, see these pages
- Material - Manage Material Future Actions
- Step - Manage Future Actions
- Perform Future Action
Precedence#
Future Actions can be defined at the Material or Step level. When multiple actions are configured for the same context, the system needs to determine which one should be executed, this is where precedence comes into play.
Precedence defines the execution priority of overlapping actions. By default, Experiment-level Future Actions take precedence, meaning they will override actions defined at the Material or Step level if a conflict occurs.
However, it is possible to manually adjust this behavior. When configuring a Future Action on a Material or Step, selecting the High precedence option in the Action details will elevate its priority above the default.
Info
You can find the predefined Future Actions precedence keys listed here: Future Actions Precedence Keys.
Future Action Types#
The system supports a wide range of Future Actions that can be triggered based on defined conditions. These actions are used to facilitate the production process and user experience, by triggering common tasks such as changing Flow and Step, setting Resources or splitting Materials.
The following table outlines the available types of Future Actions, indicating whether each action can be configured at the Step or Material level, along with relevant notes or requirements for its execution.
| Future Action | On Step Entity | On Material Entity | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change Flow And Step | Yes | Yes | Configuration of Flow and Step is required |
| Collapse | Yes | Yes | Applicable for Sub Materials |
| Create Send-Ahead Run | Yes | Yes | |
| Execute Rule | Yes | Yes | Configuration of the Rule is required |
| Hold | Yes | Yes | Configuration of the Hold Reason and optionally a Release Role is required |
| Merge | No | Yes | Execution can be automatic or manual |
| Send Mail | Yes | Yes | |
| Set Note | Yes | Yes | |
| Set Resource | Yes | Yes | Configuration of the Resource to be used is required |
| Set Service | Yes | Yes | Configuration of the Service to be used is required |
| Skip Process | No | Yes | Step should be skippable |
| Split | No | Yes | Execution can be automatic or manual |
| Split For Step | No | Yes | Execution can be automatic or manual |
| Temporary Off Flow | No | Yes | Configuration of the Off Flow Reason and Flow and Step is required |
| Terminate | Yes | Yes | Configuration of the Loss Reason with Terminate option is required |
Manage vs Special Manage#
Within both the Step and Material Detail Views, users have access to a Manage Future Actions option. This functionality allows users to create, edit, or remove Future Actions associated with the selected Step or Material. It is typically used to manage actions that the user has previously created.
In addition, the system provides a Special Manage Future Actions option. This extended capability enables users to manage Future Actions that were created by other users. However, this option is only available if the user has been granted the FutureAction.SpecialEdit feature.
For more information, see these pages
Scenarios#
This section includes a series of short video demonstrations showcasing how to create and manage Future Actions at both the Step and Material levels. These examples illustrate practical use cases and guide you through the expected behavior and execution logic.
Create Future Actions on a Step#
In this scenario, we walk through a process flow composed of five Steps, where the first is a line Step, each configured with specific Future Action:
- Step 1 (Line Step): Collapse action triggered when the Material is Processed
- Step 2: Set Note when the Material is Queued, and Hold when it is Processed
- Step 3: Set Service on when the Material is Queued, and Execute Rule when it is Processed
- Step 4: Set Resource when the Material is Queued, and Detach when it is Processed
- Step 5: Change Flow and Step when the Material is Queued
- New Flow Step: Terminate action triggered when the Material is Queued
Watch how this scenario unfolds in the video below.
Create Future Actions on a Material#
In this scenario, the Material follows a Flow composed of three Steps, with configured Future Actions:
- Step 1: Send to Temporary Off Flow when the Material is Processed.
- Off Flow Step: Split the Material when the it is in the Queued state.
- Step 2: Skip Process, followed by an Automatic Merge when the Material is Processed.
- Step 3: Split for Step action is triggered.
Take a closer look at how this scenario plays out in the video below.