Overview
When you create an Assignment, Mobaro looks for open Assignments that look like the same work and tells you about them. You can open the existing Assignment and add to it instead of creating a second one for the same issue.
The check only suggests; it never blocks. If the work really is separate, you can still create the new Assignment.
At a glance |
|
Who can do this | Any User in the organization can create Assignments, unless an Assignment Definition's Who can create limits it. You only see suggestions you have access to. |
Where | Backend: Assignments › Create. Mobile app: any new Assignment. |
Works on | Backend (web) and Mobile app (online only) |
Availability | All organizations |
💡 Why this matters: Duplicate Assignments split one fault across several records: two people work on it, the history is scattered, and reports count one problem twice. Catching the duplicate at creation keeps one Assignment, one owner and one thread of activity.
How similar Assignments are found
Mobaro suggests an existing Assignment only when all of these match:
Match | Rule |
Status | Open only: Created or Started. Finished Assignments are never suggested. |
Assignment Definition | The same Definition. Assignments without a Definition only match each other. |
Location | The same Location. |
Asset | The same Asset, or no Asset on either. |
Title | A similar title. Small differences in spelling or wording still match. |
Access | Only Assignments you can see, for example at Locations you're a member of. |
The check runs once the new Assignment has a title and a Location, and runs again whenever you change the title, Location or Asset. For who can see which Assignments, see How access works in Mobaro.
⚠️ Heads-up: The check is skipped for titles longer than 50 words, and the Backend shows Duplicate assignment check has been skipped since the title exceeds 50 words. Keep titles short and put the detail in the description.
Check for duplicates in the Backend
1. Start a new Assignment
Go to Assignments, click Create, and fill in the Title and Location. Add the Asset and Assignment Definition if they apply, since both are part of the match.
2. Review the suggestions
If similar Assignments exist, a notice appears under the title, for example There are 2 similar assignments. Click it to open Similar assignments, which lists each one's Name, Priority, Status and Created date.
3. Open the existing Assignment, or carry on
Click a suggestion and confirm Open suggested assignment with Ok to switch to it; what you typed in the new Assignment is discarded. If none of the suggestions is the same work, close the list and save your new Assignment.
Check for duplicates in the app
When you create an Assignment in the Mobaro mobile app while it's online, a Similar assignments found panel appears if there are matches. Tap See … similar assignment(s) to open the list, then tap one and Open it. Opening it discards the changes you made to the new Assignment.
When you add an Assignment to a Checklist question, the button is Reference instead of Open: the existing Assignment is linked to the question rather than duplicated. See Referenced Assignments in Checklist Results.
ℹ️ Note: The app checks only while it has a connection, and compares against the Assignments in its downloaded data. Offline, no suggestions are shown.
Duplicates from Assignment triggers
When an Assignment trigger fires on a Select Question and an open Assignment already exists for the same question and option at the same Location or Asset, the app first asks: Would you like to choose an existing assignment instead of creating a new one? Pick one existing Assignment to link, or create a new one. The app doesn't ask when the trigger has Require no user intervention when creating assignment ticked. See Assignment triggers in Checklists.
Best practices
Standardise which Assignment Definition each kind of work uses, so repeat reports of the same fault land under one Definition where the check can match them.
Be consistent about Assets: raise faults on the Asset, not sometimes on the Asset and sometimes only on its Location.
Start titles with the component and fault, for example Lap bar row 3 not locking, so similar titles match.
In Checklists, reference an existing Assignment rather than creating a new one when it's the same fault.
Close Assignments when the work is done, so the suggestion list stays short and relevant.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop duplicate assignments?
Mobaro can't block them, but it shows similar open Assignments when you create one, so you can open that one instead. Consistent Definitions, Assets and titles make the matches reliable. From a Checklist, reference the existing Assignment.
Why didn't it catch an obvious duplicate?
Something in the match differs: another Assignment Definition, Location or Asset, a finished Assignment, a very different title, or one you can't see. The app doesn't check while offline, and the Backend skips titles over 50 words.
Can one checklist answer be linked to more than one existing assignment?
Not from the trigger prompt: there you choose one existing Assignment or create a new one. To link another open Assignment afterwards, add an Assignment to the question and use Reference on a matching suggestion. Other open Assignments stay as they are.
Do users need a special permission to create assignments?
No. There's no Role permission for creating Assignments: any User in the organization can create one. An Assignment Definition can limit who can create its Assignments with Who can create. See Using Assignment Definitions.