I've only been working with computers since 1964, or about 46 years; so I've only encountered this distressing message one place; at a certain BPO Company.

Server Error in '/VendorWorkflow' Application!

Object reference not set to an instance of an object:

Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

My "Friends" at this Company claim that this recurring problem is really quite common. Anyone here agree with them ? I think they're nuts !

But I could be wrong. It sure does make a mess anyway.

I got it once and was advised that the program was expecting something to be there that wasn't (like a photo or Parameter). It is not uncommon but I have only hit it once. Microsoft visualizer had an issue with it that they made a patch for.

If that is the company I believe it is then I've had this issue. I was told that it has to do with Silverlight. I've reinstalled that thing more than once but for some reason it comes back at random.

As I do a lot of work with this particular company, I get this error message frequently. It's frustrating for sure. I've had this error message pop up for no good reason whatsoever...one second everything is going along just fine, next second the blankety blank message shows up. And when it shows up, you can't save anything.

I don't have a fix for it. Just a workaround. Save your work frequently (after every comp is a good plan). Have a second computer up and running if possible. Open the order on the second computer, and if there's any new info you have input since your last save, copy it from computer one. Save it. Then close the order on your original computer.

From there you can re-open it on computer 1 again, with your most recent work now saved. Frustrating, but at least you don't have to go back and research your comps all over again.


Yeah, it would be nice if they fixed it...plus their security certificate with Microsoft. I do this company's work with Firefox to get around annoying security certificate messages. My comps don't map with Firefox, but I figure that's their problem, not mine.

It is interesting how our little forum works.

In this thread that probably should have at least a code name for the company in question - the name is purposely avoided.

Where in the past a company name would have been avoided at all costs - members lately don't hesitate -lol

So - if this is about a particular company - then it should be in that companies master thread - especially sine it involves an ongoing issue.

And yes - I remember this error message - but I haven't seen it for a long while.

Vermont's Earlier Post just for those that want to know

That is interesting since I looked at the previous thread and the error I have gotten comes from another company....hmmmm....but Vermont does goes off on them later in the thread....

Thanks neudot!

I've been talking to them (SLS/irepvm/NREIS) for months about this matter.

They have always said that it has to do with the internet connections.

But today, after losing about 2 hours of carefully compiled data (and some really neat verbiage), I realized that:

It’s more of a personnel and internal communication issue. Internet Explorer doesn’t erase data from their data bases. Something else is at work here.

Luckily, one of their own Technicians had told me, in writing, last month that:

“Object reference errors are typically rare but can occur with greater frequency when we are doing server maintenance. This is unavoidable sometimes.”

So I wrote back:

"Your people should schedule maintenance at a time when all users have been forewarned and can log off to avoid this frustrating and tedious activity. Simple emailed messages of impending maintenance could help prevent this wastage . . . . which ultimately diminishes the quality of the reports tendered to your Clients.

"Your Competitors know how to do this and usually can, as a business courtesy, communicate with Vendors when maintenance is scheduled so that they don’t waste their time!"

Today I'm told that this has now been taken to "upper management", so we'll see. Some personnel in these mills are truly oblivious as to how work is done in the field. That should be a management problem for them; NOT US!

I don't believe the technician about doing scheduled maintenance...

The last couple days IREP did a major drop of orders again...I have 12 in the past 2-3 days. My rep emailed her agents that nationwide there would be 9-10,000 orders this week.

That's no time to do scheduled maintenance, in my opinion.

FARVV is dumping orders on me at the same time...and they're all in far flung places, so I am tired, and anticipating being even more tired.

Correct. But he didn't tell me last month that it was "scheduled" maintenance. I got the impression that when they need to patch something, or re-route activity on a port or channel, they can just willy-nilly pull the plug, and the others can pick up the pieces later. He had no cognition that we might be collecting data during the day and processing the bulk of it in what they consider "after hours" for the normal people.

I've only had them talk about maintenance "after" they've already become engaged in it . . . . or after I've had a problem at, say, 9:00 PM. Then, the following morning I'll be told "Oh, well sure . . . . that's probably when we were doing maintenance!"

"Well, thanks alot Pal" !

I don't think there's anything "after hours" about it. I think it's just a glitch someplace that someone really smart with programming could fix. Sure would be nice if they did.

I just found it strange that IF I work with 22 or 23 companies with similar platforms; and IF this Error Message is so common . . . . then why haven't I bumped into it before ?

And why is it that no one here can think of another company where they've had this encounter ?

That's the reason I didn't want to immediately spell out WHO the culprit was. Let all Sinners repent!

But so far; my SLS/IREPVM/NREIS Friends are alone! Did I mention that they pay well . . . . and promptly ?

But no pay is enough to compensate me for that level of frustration. Mere words alone do not allow me to express how angry I was this AM. But then I remembered that saying "Forgive them for they know not what they do!"

Fat chance! They will know by the time I'm through. But it has to come down from management; and that will only happen IF management realizes that this backroom chaos has bottom line repercussions.

That part about paying well and promptly is the part I like the best. That and dealing with one AM (who speaks without dialect). As I have my workaround the glitches in their website, I'd rather do one of these than deal with FARVV's yucky horizontal tabbing and their miserable new Chase adjustment form.

I am glad you have had a change of heart, at least for now.

The last time you posted about this error this didn't seem to be as much of a concern, but we are all subject to change.

The frustration shows - getting the error is one thing - losing all your work is another. Can you divide your frustrations so it is not all on the error message?

I had the same thing happen today with eML - I don't ever recall their site just shutting down in my browser before, but it reminded me that I showed have saved my work more often.

If they have a stack trace, it's easy to find the problem in their code. It sounds like they just need to catch the exception and then handle it from there. It is literally 3 lines of code that need to be added. Also, if they are doing maintenance on their main servers during business hours, they're idiots. The correct way to do maintenance (if it is absolutely necessary during business hours) is one machine at a time, but take it offline. The other machines may experience a higher load, but the end user won't see any errors. Finally, if that error message has been happening for 6 months, they're either lazy or it's simply not a priority.

That is a problem . . . . because paying well and paying promptly does have its merits.

So yeah, though I walk through the valley of the prompt payers, I shall fear not, and still demand that they not be allowed to take my last ounce of sanity for a mere 40 pieces of Silver.

I refused to do that Order over this morning until they promised me that there was no maintenance planned for this afternoon but I told them I couldn't help being reminded of that Definition of Insanity being:

“Repeating the same Activity and expecting different Results."

"I hope that is not the case on this one.

"Please check and make sure that your people ARE NOT going to be performing some kind of maintenance this afternoon."

I did get that one back in successfully. It was a mite odd . . . . a Tiny Seasonal Lakeside Cottage that had been condominiumized with a group of 6 others about 10 years ago.

It's always hard to find good seasonal waterfront comps on bodies of water of similar quality. Good Fishin' though.