Editing Entities

You can make changes to an entity if you created the entity or if you are assigned a role that allows you to do so.

There are several ways you can update an entity. You can perform a basic edit, perform a quick edit to edit multiple entities at the same time, or perform a mass update to make the same edit to multiple entities at the same time. For instructions, see the Demand Management User Guide.

If two users edit the same entity at the same time and both click Save, APM attempts to save the changes made by both users. If a change cannot be saved, APM advises the user who made the change to make the change again, and then attempt to save it again. The following examples demonstrate how APM handles simultaneous users.

Example: Two Users Editing Same Fields

Two users, Otumbo and Monette, are working in different locations and editing the same application entity.

  • Otumbo makes changes to the Version and Acronym fields, and adds text to the Notes field.

  • Monette makes changes to the Version and Alias fields, and adds text to the Notes field.

  1. Otumbo clicks Save first.

    All of Otumbo's changes are saved.

  2. Monette clicks Save next.

    Monette's notes are saved, but a message at the top of the page informs her that another user has made changes to the application entity and displays the changes. Monette must re-enter her changes to the Version and Alias fields.

  3. Monette again changes values in the Version and Alias fields, and then clicks Save.

    Monette's changes are saved.

Example: Two Users Editing Fields Plus Workflow Action

Two users, Otumbo and Monette, are working in different locations and editing the same entity. They both have permission to move the entity to its next workflow step.

  1. Otumbo adds a note to the entity's Notes section, and then clicks the workflow action button.

    Otumbo's changes are saved and the entity advances along its workflow.

  2. Monette adds an attachment to the entity, and then clicks the workflow action button.

    The attachment to the entity is saved, but a message at the top of the page informs Monette that the workflow action she attempted has already been performed. No further action is necessary.

Example: Parallel Workflow Step

Otumbo and Monette are editing the same entity that is being processed along parallel branches of a workflow. Both users can process the entity along these parallel branches independently without problems.