diff --git a/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/helper/WorkItemUpdateHelper.java b/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/helper/WorkItemUpdateHelper.java
index 22ab703..7091ead 100644
--- a/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/helper/WorkItemUpdateHelper.java
+++ b/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/helper/WorkItemUpdateHelper.java
@@ -653,10 +653,10 @@ private Object getRepresentation(ParameterValue parameter, List<Exception> excep
 						isEmpty = true;
 					}
 					if (attribType.equals(AttributeTypes.INTEGER)) {
-						return Integer.getInteger(value);
+						return Integer.valueOf(value);
 					}
 					if (attribType.equals(AttributeTypes.LONG)) {
-						return Long.getLong(value);
+						return Long.valueOf(value);
 					}
 					if (attribType.equals(AttributeTypes.FLOAT)) {
 						return Float.parseFloat(value);
@@ -2727,9 +2727,17 @@ private void setWorkFlowAction(ParameterValue parameter) throws TeamRepositoryEx
 	 *         representation like "1 hour 3 minutes"
 	 */
 	private long getDurationFromString(String value) {
-		return SimpleDateFormatUtil.convertDurationToMiliseconds(value);
+		long duration;
+		try {
+			duration = SimpleDateFormatUtil.convertDurationToMiliseconds(value);
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			throw new WorkItemCommandLineException(
+					"can not convert duration, value was: " + value, e);
+		}
+		return duration;
 	}
-
+	
+	
 	/**
 	 * Gets a list of Tags
 	 * 
diff --git a/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/SimpleDateFormatUtil.java b/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/SimpleDateFormatUtil.java
index 571d56f..9b1d196 100644
--- a/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/SimpleDateFormatUtil.java
+++ b/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/SimpleDateFormatUtil.java
@@ -114,11 +114,11 @@ public static Long convertDurationToMiliseconds(String duration) {
 		int hoursIndex = duration.indexOf(DURATION_HOURS);
 		int minsIndex = duration.indexOf(DURATION_MINUTES);
 		if (hoursIndex < 0 && minsIndex < 0) {
-			return Long.getLong(duration);
+			return Long.valueOf(duration);
 		}
 		if (hoursIndex > 0) {
 			String hours = duration.substring(0, hoursIndex - 1).trim();
-			time += TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(Long.getLong(hours));
+			time += TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(Long.valueOf(hours));
 		}
 		if (minsIndex > 0) {
 			int start = 0;
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public static Long convertDurationToMiliseconds(String duration) {
 				start = hoursIndex + DURATION_HOURS.length();
 			}
 			String minutes = duration.substring(start, duration.length() - DURATION_MINUTES.length()).trim();
-			time += TimeUnit.MINUTES.toMillis(Long.getLong(minutes));
+			time += TimeUnit.MINUTES.toMillis(Long.valueOf(minutes));
 		}
 		return time;
 	}
diff --git a/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/WorkItemUtil.java b/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/WorkItemUtil.java
index 9d803d9..5e4f6cb 100644
--- a/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/WorkItemUtil.java
+++ b/com.ibm.js.team.workitem.commandline/src/main/java/com/ibm/js/team/workitem/commandline/utils/WorkItemUtil.java
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ public class WorkItemUtil {
 	 */
 	public static IWorkItem findWorkItemByID(String id, ItemProfile<IWorkItem> profile, IWorkItemCommon workitemCommon,
 			IProgressMonitor monitor) throws TeamRepositoryException {
-		Integer idVal;
+		Integer idVal=null;
 		try {
-			idVal = Integer.getInteger(id);
+			idVal = Integer.valueOf(id);
 		} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
 			throw new WorkItemCommandLineException(" WorkItem ID: Number format exception, ID is not a number: " + id);
 		}