SubmitTask vs. ExternalTask calling iwsubmit

System

I need to determine whether to implement submit in workflow as a SubmitTask or an ExternalTask calling iwsubmit. Below are the pros and cons I have come up with. Is anyone using iwsubmit instead of SubmitTask, or can you come up with additional pros and cons? I think the biggest ones are that I can't control the comment (without an externaltask to iwrmtaskfile and iwaddtaskfile with a new comment), and that the conflict resolution cannot be shared to a group (plus the UI is pretty bad for non-technical users).

Thanks,

-John

2.1 Benefits of Using SubmitTask
· Graphical user interface for conflict resolution
· Typical TeamSite implementation
2.2 Drawbacks of Using SubmitTask
· A conflict occurs when a user in one workarea edits a file that is not current or has been checked out into another workarea. Conflict resolution screen only appears at Submit time – right before content goes to production. This is a bad time to discover conflicts.
· Conflict resolution task can only be associated with a single user, so if that user is out of the office, a TeamSite administrator must get involved.
· Conflict resolution/Merge may require both the DCR and the output file to be merged, which means redundant effort.
· SubmitTask generally consumes more server resources. For instance, the typical sequence “generate templated output -> submit content -> deploy content” is implemented as 5-6 tasks when SubmitTask is used (generate/error control, submit/conflict resolution, deploy/error control).
· Comments in file history (such as who approved and what transition comment they entered) cannot be controlled as easily.
2.3 Benefits of Using ExternalTask to Submit
· Comments in file history are specified exactly.
· Requires developers to avoid conflict situations before submit time.
· Generally consumes fewer server resources. The typical sequence “generate templated output -> submit content -> deploy content” can be implemented as 2 tasks (generate, submit & deploy/error control).
· Error/conflict resolution can be shared to a group rather than an individual user.
2.4 Drawbacks of Using ExternalTask to Submit
· Requires some coding (coding would be required to control comments and avoid conflicts in any case).
· Does not provide conflict resolution screen.
· Comment length may be limited by NT command line length.