Problems with consecutive Update List Item actions - SharePoint 2010

Question

I'm wondering why a SP 2010 workflow has problems handling consecutive Update List Item actions in a workflow.

I've got a workflow with two consecutive Update List Item actions which is not working properly.  Only the first Update List Item action is actually making a change.  The second Update List Item action does not make a the expected change.

However, when I place a one minute Pause for Duration action between them, both Update List Item actions make the expected changes.

I cannot afford to wait for one minute to update the next list item, as my workflow requires 5 consecutive Update List Item actions in quick succession.

Any idea why the workflow is not properly processing consecutive Update List Item actions?

Thanks!
Drew

Answer 1

Hi drewhaub,

I used 5 update list items actions in my workflow without Pause for Duration action, and still can't reproduce your issue.

Can you tell us why you need 5 update list items actions in a workflow? If you want to update multiple fields for one list item, then we only need one update list items action. Or how about use a Wait for a field change in current item, set field in current item and Log to history list action to separate each of them.

Best regards,
Emir

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Emir Liu

TechNet Community Support

Answer 2

Emir,

Thanks for taking some time to look at this issue.  What I've got is two lists: PerformaceReview and Contacts.  Each Performance Review item can contain up to 5 contacts, each to be stored as individual list items in the Contacts list.  When a PerformanceReview item is changed, I need to update each of the related contacts in the Contacts list with the new information.  Each of the items is correlated based on a matching ID field in each list.

I haven't been able to update the contacts by putting all of the Update List Item actions in a single workflow.  However, I can create a workflow for each item update which seems to work well but that means I've got to create and manage more than one workflow for each List Item Update action.

Hope that sheds a bit more light on my issue.

Drew

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Drew

Answer 3

Hi drewhaub,

You may have added a lookup filed in Contacts list to lookup some field (maybe the ID field) from PerformanceReivew list. If you need to update the changed text to contact list, how about add some addtional fields which can be added when you create the lookup field, then we will no need to use workflow anymore.

If above can't be used here, 2 workflows should be a good solution.

Best regards,
Emir

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Emir Liu

TechNet Community Support