How to Troubleshoot SyteLine Workflow Errors
Workflow errors in SyteLine disrupt automated approval routing, status transitions, and business event processing. These errors stem from misconfigured event handlers, broken approval chains, invalid notification templates, and ION integration failures. When workflows fail silently, transactions stall in intermediate states without user visibility. This guide covers systematic debugging of SyteLine's event-driven workflow system including event handler diagnostics, approval workflow tracing, and ION Connect troubleshooting for enterprise workflow integration.
Debugging Event Handler and Notification Failures
SyteLine workflows trigger through the Event System configured in the Event Manager form. When events fail to fire, check the Event Handler Log at Administration > Event Handler Log filtered by date and event name. Common failures include 'Handler assembly not found' (DLL deployment issue), 'Email send failed' (SMTP configuration), and 'Condition evaluation error' (invalid filter expression). For email notification failures, verify SMTP settings in Email Configuration: server address, port (typically 587 for TLS or 25 for relay), authentication credentials, and sender address. Test SMTP connectivity independently using PowerShell: Send-MailMessage -SmtpServer 'your.smtp.server' -From 'syteline@company.com' -To 'test@company.com' -Subject 'Test' -Body 'Test'.
- Review Event Handler Log at Administration > Event Handler Log filtered by event name and date range for error details
- Verify event handler DLLs are deployed to the correct path and match the assembly version referenced in Event Manager
- Test SMTP independently with PowerShell Send-MailMessage to isolate email failures from SyteLine event processing
- Check event filter conditions in Event Manager for syntax errors — invalid property references cause silent event skipping
Tracing Approval Workflow Routing Issues
Approval workflows stall when routing rules cannot determine the next approver or when approvers are inactive. Check the Approval Transaction form for transactions stuck in Pending status and review the approval chain: SELECT at.trans_num, at.status, at.current_approver, at.approval_level, s.staff_name FROM dbo.approval_trans at JOIN dbo.staff s ON at.current_approver = s.staff_id WHERE at.status = 'Pending' ORDER BY at.create_date. Verify the Approval Template configuration has valid approvers assigned at each level and that the dollar-amount thresholds are set correctly. For requisition approvals, check that the approval hierarchy in Approval Groups matches the organizational structure and that substitute approvers are configured for employees on leave. Reset stuck approvals by updating the status to Rejected and resubmitting the transaction.
- Query approval_trans table for Pending transactions to identify stuck workflows and their current approver assignment
- Validate Approval Template configuration: verify approvers at each level are active employees with SyteLine access
- Configure substitute approvers in Approval Groups for employees on leave to prevent workflow stalls during absences
- Reset stuck approvals by setting status to Rejected, fixing the routing configuration, and resubmitting the transaction
Resolving ION Workflow and BOD Processing Errors
For SyteLine installations using Infor ION for enterprise workflow integration, BOD (Business Object Document) processing failures appear in the ION Desk event log. Access ION Desk through the Infor Ming.le portal and navigate to ION Desk > Event Management > Failed Events. Common BOD errors include 'Document schema validation failed' (malformed XML), 'Connection point offline' (SyteLine connector down), and 'Mapping transformation error' (field mapping mismatch). Check the SyteLine ION connector service status in Windows Services — the Infor ION Grid service must be running. For mapping errors, open the ION Desk Data Flow and verify the document flow mapping between SyteLine and the target application. Re-activate failed BODs from ION Desk after fixing the underlying issue to avoid manual data re-entry.
- Monitor ION Desk > Event Management > Failed Events for BOD processing errors with detailed error descriptions
- Verify Infor ION Grid service is running in Windows Services on the SyteLine utility server
- Check document flow mappings in ION Desk Data Flow for field mapping mismatches between source and target systems
- Re-activate failed BODs from ION Desk after resolving issues rather than manually re-entering transactions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I test SyteLine workflows without affecting production data?
Use the SyteLine test environment with the Event System set to Test Mode in Event Manager configuration. Create test transactions with a designated test prefix (e.g., TEST-PO-001) and route them through the approval chain. For ION workflows, configure a separate ION test connection point that routes BODs to a sandbox environment. Always test with at least 3 approval levels and include boundary conditions like threshold amounts.
Why do SyteLine email notifications show HTML tags instead of formatted content?
This occurs when the notification template content type is set to Plain Text instead of HTML, or when the SMTP server strips HTML formatting. In the Notification Template form, verify the Content Type is set to HTML. Check if your email server or spam filter is converting HTML to plain text. Also ensure the template uses inline CSS rather than external stylesheets, as most email clients strip external CSS references.
Can I create custom workflow triggers based on field changes in SyteLine?
Yes. Use the Event Manager to create field-change triggers by selecting the IDO collection, specifying the property to monitor, and defining the condition (e.g., Status changed from 'Open' to 'Approved'). The event handler can execute custom IDO methods, send notifications, or trigger ION BOD publications. Limit field-change events to critical business transitions to avoid performance overhead from excessive event firing on high-volume tables.
Key Takeaways
- 1Debugging Event Handler and Notification Failures: SyteLine workflows trigger through the Event System configured in the Event Manager form. When events fail to fire, check the Event Handler Log at Administration > Event Handler Log filtered by date and event name.
- 2Tracing Approval Workflow Routing Issues: Approval workflows stall when routing rules cannot determine the next approver or when approvers are inactive. Check the Approval Transaction form for transactions stuck in Pending status and review the approval chain: SELECT at.trans_num, at.status, at.current_approver, at.approval_level, s.staff_name FROM dbo.approval_trans at JOIN dbo.staff s ON at.current_approver = s.staff_id WHERE at.status = 'Pending' ORDER BY at.create_date.
- 3Resolving ION Workflow and BOD Processing Errors: For SyteLine installations using Infor ION for enterprise workflow integration, BOD (Business Object Document) processing failures appear in the ION Desk event log. Access ION Desk through the Infor Ming.le portal and navigate to ION Desk > Event Management > Failed Events.
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