Service request workflow stuck at approval task after custom activity addition

PLM Aras Innovator
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1

Our service request workflows in Aras 14.0 are getting stuck at a custom approval activity we added last week. The workflow progresses normally through the initial assignment and work activities, but when it reaches our new “Department Head Approval” activity, it just sits there indefinitely.

The activity is configured as a voting activity with a single assigned identity (Department_Heads group). The workflow map shows the activity as active (yellow), but no approval tasks are appearing in the Department Heads’ inbaskets. I’ve verified that the group membership is correct and the users are active.

When I check the workflow process history, it shows the activity started but there’s no assignment record created. The workflow logs don’t show any errors - it’s like the activity just starts and then nothing happens. We need to get this fixed urgently as service requests are piling up. Has anyone seen approval activities fail to generate assignment tasks like this?

2

Check if there are any workflow variable issues. If your assignment uses a workflow variable to determine the approver (like a dynamic assignment based on the service request properties), and that variable isn’t being populated correctly, the assignment will fail silently. Review the workflow variables and any server methods that set them. You can add debug logging to workflow methods to trace variable values at runtime and see what’s actually being passed to the assignment.

3

I’ve encountered similar issues with group-based assignments. The problem might be that your Department_Heads group doesn’t have the right permissions on the Service Request ItemType. Groups need explicit read/write permissions on the ItemType to receive workflow assignments. Go to Administration > ItemTypes > Service Request > Permissions and verify the Department_Heads identity has at least read access and can get workflow assignments.

4

I can help you resolve this workflow assignment issue. Based on your description, this is almost certainly a configuration problem with the activity assignment setup. Here’s the comprehensive solution:

Root Cause: The activity isn’t creating assignment work items because one or more critical assignment properties are missing or misconfigured. Workflow activities need specific configuration to generate inbox tasks.

Diagnostic Steps:

  1. Check Activity Assignment Configuration:

    • Open your Service Request workflow map in the Workflow Map designer
    • Double-click the “Department Head Approval” activity
    • Verify the “Assignment” field contains a valid identity reference
    • Confirm “Activity Assignment” type is selected (not just “Activity”)

  2. Verify Group Membership:

    • Navigate to Administration > Identities > Department_Heads
    • Confirm the group has active members
    • Check that member users have “Is Enabled” set to true
    • Verify group type allows workflow assignments

  3. Check Workflow Process Logs:

    • Query the Workflow Process Activity table for your stuck workflows
    • Look for assignment records with null or invalid assigned_to values
    • Check the activity state (should be “Active” not “Pending”)

Solution Steps:

Fix 1: Configure Activity Assignment Properly

  • Open the workflow activity definition
  • Set Assignment field to: ${Department_Heads} (use workflow variable syntax)
  • OR set to direct identity: Select Department_Heads from identity picker
  • Enable “Create Work Item” checkbox
  • Set “Can Delegate” to true
  • Save the activity

Fix 2: Verify Identity Permissions

  • Administration > ItemTypes > Service Request
  • Click Permissions tab
  • Add Department_Heads identity if missing
  • Grant permissions: Get, Can Add, Can Update
  • Ensure “Workflow Assignment” permission is enabled
  • Save permissions

Fix 3: Validate Voting Configuration For approval activities:

  • Open activity > Voting tab
  • Set “Voting Behavior” to “Single Approve Required” or “Majority Approve”
  • Configure “Approval Paths” for approve/reject outcomes
  • Ensure paths connect to subsequent workflow activities
  • Verify “Complete Activity” settings

Fix 4: Promote Workflow Map

  • Open the workflow map
  • Check current state (should show “In Work” or similar)
  • If changes were made, promote to “Released” state
  • This ensures active workflows use the updated definition

Fix 5: Handle Stuck Workflows For workflows already stuck:

  • Open each stuck Service Request
  • Go to Workflow tab
  • Click “Show Workflow” to see current state
  • Option A: Manually complete the stuck activity (requires admin rights)
  • Option B: Delegate the assignment to a specific user temporarily
  • Option C: Reset workflow to restart from beginning

Verification:

  • Create a new test Service Request
  • Progress it to the Department Head Approval activity
  • Verify approval task appears in Department Heads’ inbaskets
  • Test approve/reject paths work correctly
  • Check workflow completes successfully

Preventive Measures:

  • Always test workflow changes in a development environment first
  • Document assignment configurations for all activities
  • Use workflow variables for dynamic assignments
  • Implement error handling in custom workflow methods
  • Monitor workflow process logs regularly for stuck activities

After applying these fixes, your approval activities should generate assignment tasks correctly. The most common issue is missing “Create Work Item” configuration or incorrect identity permissions, so verify those first.