Some customers were using the open and pending stages to track if they needed to take action or if they were waiting for the customer’s feedback.

In version 7.0, OpenERP has created the Action Needed indicator to that purpose. It is a figure that appears in the main menu, on the same line as the relevant menu entry. It indicates the number of objects requiring action from the user.

It can be the number of vacation requests to be validated by a manager, or the number of new resumes, which need to be reviewed by a recruiting officer.

"Action Needed indicator" are generated by actions you take.

for example an Quotation you receive notification in "Action Needed indicator" if Quotation sent or Sales Order Confirmed.

but in Incoming Shipments these actions do not exist only bulton Following.

then the Incoming Shipment not should indicate 1. but you can received a indicate in your Messaging inbox if another user send a message To users followers this Incoming Shipment.