Batching Runs

How behavior changes and what to expect when runs are part of a batch

Run batches

When working with many parts at once it can get repetitive to manually input information for runs that go through the same operation. The Batch function groups into batches where updates to the runs are synchronized to save time.

Any runs can batched together, regardless of what steps they contain

Run batches work by propagating changes made to one run to the others it is batched with. It doesn't matter which run you make changes to. The run's assigned user, due date and step progress will be synchronized.

ION will intelligently pick steps to synchronize based on step data - see the full list of rules below in Batch Propagation. This allows runs to be batched together even if they go through different processes in the past or future.

Example of batching three runs with different steps

Creating a batch

Runs can be added to batches during creation using the "batch runs" checkbox or any time after using the Batch column in the runs table view.

A run can only be in one batch at a time, but you can remove a run from a batch and add it to another at any time.

Batching runs during run creation

Run batch status in runs table

Viewing a Batch

Runs in a batch display a batch information banner at the top of Run Execution and Run Summary. Click the Batch link to get a sidebar with more information.

Batch edit interface

Batch Propagation

Batch Siblings

ION automatically picks steps in the batch to synchronize based on data in the step. ION looks for the similarity based on the following criteria:

• The step title is the same

• If the step has Fields, the fields must be identical, including order and validations

• If the step has a Datagrid, the datagrid columns and rows must be identical

• If the step has any child steps, they must be identical

• The step must be in a state where it can be worked. Steps already completed, blocked by dependencies, or in administrative states like redline or canceled before batching will not update

• If a run contains multiple steps that match these criteria, ION will match like with like in order of position. For example, if there are four identical steps at position 1-2 in run A and position 7-8 in run B, ION will synchronize step 1 with 7 and step 2 with 8

The step content does not have to match for ION to synchronize steps. Differences in content are allowed.

When on a step in Run Execution, clicking a different run in the batch header will navigate you automatically to the step synchronized with the step you're arriving from.

Click into the run header to navigate between synchronized steps

Data propagation

When a runstep is synchronized in a batch, changes to the following step data will be made to all synchronized steps:

• Status

• Scheduled start

• Scheduled end

• Assigned user

• Lead time

• Workcenter

• Field entries

• Datagrid entries

• Check-in data

• Comments

• File Attachments

Redline propagation

Redline changes are also propagated across all synchronized steps. Along with matching the above criteria, synchronized steps must be from the same procedure to have redline changes propagate between them.

Adding and removing individual runs

If the data/process of a particular run have a need to diverge from other runs in the batch, the run can be removed from the batch and modified independently. Similarly, other runs can be added after batch creation too.

Click on the batch label and use the batch edit sidebar to add and remove individual runs.