--- title: Stuck Workflow Woes - Global Cents description: We’re occasionally contacted by OpenText customers because they find “stuck” workflow items in user queues. For example, in document signing workflows, documents may be fully signed but some of the individual work items are not completing. It can often be the case that work items have got “stuck” trying to execute an automated step, such […] image: https://www.globalcents.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/web-of-wires-1.jpg --- [Global Cents Blog](https://www.globalcents.com/blog) » Latest Articles [ Categories ](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/stuck-workflow-woes#) - [GCI PowerTools](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/gci-powertools) - [Enterprise Content Management (ECM)](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/enterprise-content-management-ecm) - [Announcements](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/announcements) - [accelerate contractual documentation](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/accelerate-contractual-documentation) - [Events](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/events) - [accelerate complex operations](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/accelerate-complex-operations) - [automate business processes](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/automate-business-processes) - [accelerate time-to-market](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/accelerate-time-to-market) - [automate document assembly](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/automate-document-assembly) - [automating business processes](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/automating-business-processes) - [Digital Transformation](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation) - [automated processes](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/automated-processes) - [Cloud](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/cloud) - [Uncategorized](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/uncategorized) - [annual reports](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/annual-reports) - [automate production of document](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/automate-production-of-document) - [automate reviews](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/automate-reviews) - [Microsoft Message Queue](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/microsoft-message-queue) - [press release](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/press-release) [Enterprise Content Management (ECM)](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/tag/enterprise-content-management-ecm) Jan 16, 2019 • [Global Cents](https://www.globalcents.com/blog/author/global-cents) # Stuck Workflow Woes We’re occasionally contacted by OpenText customers because they find “stuck” workflow items in user queues. For example, in document signing workflows, documents may be fully signed but some of the individual work items are not completing. It can often be the case that work items have got “stuck” trying to execute an automated step, such as an Item Handler step or a PowerTools step. In these cases, the problematic workflow is returned to a user’s Inbox queue so that it can be fixed or manually processes. Here’s a typical example. The Item Handler step is supposed to add the latest signed version to the original document. The Audit tab for the step shows many attempts, so many that upon reaching the maximum attempts, the work item was moved to the user’s queue. Now it is “stuck” there. ![Powertools stuck workflow](https://www.globalcents.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/stuck-workflow-1.png?width=700&height=319&name=stuck-workflow-1.png) We created SQL to reset the “stuck” work items. In particular, this SQL finds work items that are in a User Queue that should instead be assigned to the Workflow Agent. The statements below, one for MSSQL and one for Oracle, will select rows that are supposed to be completed by the Workflow Agent, but ended up in a user’s Inbox queue. First, run the correct select statement for your database type from below and verify that the returned data looks correct. ## MSSQL `Select SubWorkTask_SubWorkID, SubWorkTask_TaskID, SubWorkTask_Title from WSubWorkTask where exists ( select 1 from WWork, WSubWork, WSubWorkTask swt, WMapTask where SubWork_WorkID=Work_WorkID and swt.SubWorkTask_WorkID=Work_WorkID and swt.SubWorkTask_SubWorkID=SubWork_SubWorkID and Work_Status=2 and SubWork_Status=1 and swt.SubWorkTask_Status in ( 2, 5 ) and MapTask_MapID=SubWork_MapID and MapTask_TaskID=swt.SubWorkTask_TaskID and ( ( MapTask_Flags & 256 ) = 256 ) and WSubWorkTask.SubWorkTask_SubWorkID = swt.SubWorkTask_SubWorkID and WSubWorkTask.SubWorkTask_TaskID = swt.SubWorkTask_TaskID )` ## Oracle `Select SubWorkTask_SubWorkID, SubWorkTask_TaskID, SubWorkTask_Title from WSubWorkTask where exists ( select 1 from WWork, WSubWork, WSubWorkTask swt, WMapTask where SubWork_WorkID=Work_WorkID and swt.SubWorkTask_WorkID=Work_WorkID and swt.SubWorkTask_SubWorkID=SubWork_SubWorkID and Work_Status=2 and SubWork_Status=1 and swt.SubWorkTask_Status in ( 2, 5 ) and MapTask_MapID=SubWork_MapID and MapTask_TaskID=swt.SubWorkTask_TaskID and ( BITAND( MapTask_Flags, 256 ) = 256 ) and WSubWorkTask.SubWorkTask_SubWorkID = swt.SubWorkTask_SubWorkID and WSubWorkTask.SubWorkTask_TaskID = swt.SubWorkTask_TaskID )` If the data looks correct, then perform the following step to update the work items. Second, replace the select statement, `Select SubWorkTask_SubWorkID, SubWorkTask_TaskID, SubWorkTask_Title from WSubWorkTask where exists (` with the update statement below: `update WSubWorkTask set SubWorkTask_Status = 200 where exists (` The workflows should now be moved back to the automated process engine and continue actioning where they left off. 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