Adding dynamic fields for storing additional case information

As a case business analyst, you can add dynamic fields to a case or task template to store additional information related to a case or task. You can add a dynamic field of data type text, Boolean, numeric, date, attachment, and so on. These dynamic fields are displayed to case agents when they create a case or task by using the templates. Dynamic fields enable agents to gather and store additional case-related information.

You can create dynamic groups to organize dynamic fields. For information about how to create dynamic groups, see Adding dynamic groups for categorizing dynamic fields.

Advantages

Adding dynamic fields to a template provides the following advantages:

• You can use dynamic fields to store case data without any customizations to the case and task record definitions and views.
• You can track the changes to dynamic fields in an audit record.
• You can use dynamic fields in an automated task process for building conditional expressions, integrating with third-party applications, and updating the fields automatically.
• You can use dynamic fields in a taskflow for conditional branching of tasks and sharing information with a task assignee.
• You can designate a dynamic field as confidential so that users' sensitive and personal data is classified and treated as confidential.
  For information about how to designate dynamic fields as confidential, see Designating case data as confidential.
• While creating a case, you can add responses to the dynamic field based on the requester's inputs.

• While approving a case, on the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced approval console, a case approver can view the data in the dynamic fields that are marked for requester inputs.

• You can add temporary or private dynamic fields to case or task templates. You can configure to hide the fields in the case when that case or task template is used. However, a user who has the permission to view the process history, such as an administrator, can view the hidden dynamic fields in the Manage Process.
  

Ways to add a dynamic field to a template

You can add dynamic fields to a template by using any of the following actions:

To add a dynamic field to the dynamic field library

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.
2. Click My Application Settings .
3. Navigate to Application Configuration > Dynamic Field Library. 
4. On the Dynamic Field Library page, from the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to add a dynamic field, and click Dynamic Field.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.

5. On the Create Dynamic Field dialog box, complete the details as described in the following table:

   Field	Description
   Field Name	Enter a name for the dynamic field. The name must be unique for every field. Important: While creating a dynamic field or group, do not use dot (.) parenthesis (), [], {}, and quotes (“) (‘) in the field name. These special characters are not rendered correctly when used in notification templates or in processes. In the dynamic field library, you cannot add fields with duplicate names. You cannot create different dynamic fields with the same name and different data types.
   Field Description	Click Localize to enter a field description.  On the Localize Value page, enter the values for Default Locale and other locales. The value added for the Default Locale option is displayed as the field description. When you create a case, the system automatically displays the value entered for the locale related to the region where you have logged in.
   Required	To make the response to the dynamic field mandatory while creating a case, select Required .
   Status	Select a status from the list. The list displays two options—Active or Inactive. If the dynamic field is set to the Inactive status, on the case or task template page, you cannot view the dynamic field when you click the Manage Dynamic Fields option.
   Field Value Type	Select the type of the dynamic field from the list. The field values support all value types except multi-select and radio button types.
   Information Source	Select the source from which you want to collect the response for the dynamic field associated with a case. You can choose one of the following sources from the list: Requester—A requester provides responses for the dynamic field while requesting a service. If you select Requester as the information source, while creating a case, the Requester's Response dialog box is displayed, case agents can add responses to the dynamic field based on the requester's inputs. While approving a case, a case approver can view the dynamic fields on the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced approval console. Agent—A case agent provides responses as required while working on a case. Task Assignee—A Task assignee provides responses when executing a task associated with the case. System—Select this option when you want an automated task to populate the information.
   Confidential	Select Confidential to mark the dynamic field as confidential.

6. Click Save.

7. (Optional) To edit an existing dynamic field, click the dynamic field and update the details such as Required, Status, and Information Source.

   You cannot edit the Field Name, Field Description, and Field Value Type details. You cannot edit a dynamic field that is designated as confidential.

To add a dynamic field to a case template or task template

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.

2. Click My Application Settings .

3. To add a dynamic field to a template, perform one of the following steps:

   • To add a dynamic field to a case template, select Case Management > Templates.

   • To add a dynamic field to a task template, select Task Management > Templates.

4. From the template details page, from the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want add a dynamic field.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.

5. On the template details page, click Manage Dynamic Fields. 

6. Click +Dynamic Field.

7. Specify the field details as described in the following table:

   Field	Action
   Field Name	Enter a name for the dynamic field. The name must be unique for every field. Important: While creating a dynamic field or group, do not use dot (.) parenthesis (), [], {}, and quotes (“) (‘) in the field name. These special characters are not rendered correctly when used in notification templates or in processes. In a template, you cannot add dynamic fields with duplicate names. You cannot create different dynamic fields with the same name and different data types.
   Field Description	Enter a description for the dynamic field.
   Field Value Type	Select the dynamic field type from the list.  The field values support all value types except multi-select and radio button types.
   Information Source	Choose one of the following sources from the list to provide dynamic field data: Requester—A requester provides responses to the case agent and the case agent updates the dynamic field data while creating a case. If you select Requester as the information source, while creating a case, the Requester's Response dialog box is displayed, case agents can add responses to the dynamic field based on the requester's inputs. While approving a case, a case approver can view the dynamic fields on the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced approval console. Agent—A case agent updates the dynamic field data while working on a case. Task Assignee—A task assignee updates the dynamic field data while running a task associated with the case. System—Select this option when you want an automated task to populate the information. When a case is created the dynamic field data is displayed on the case details page. However, the source who has updated the dynamic field data is not displayed on the case details page. Important: The dynamic fields associated to a case are visible to everyone who has access to the case.
   Required	To make the response to the dynamic field mandatory while creating a case, select Required .
   Confidential	To mark the dynamic field as confidential, select Confidential .
   Hidden	To hide the dynamic field from being displayed in the case, select Hidden .

8. (Optional) To add an existing dynamic field, in the Available Dynamic Fields section, search for the dynamic field, and drag the field to the fields section.

9. Click Save.

10. (Optional) To edit an existing dynamic field, click the dynamic field and update the details such as Required, Status, and Information Source.

    You cannot edit the Field Name, Field Description, and Field Value Type details. You cannot edit a dynamic field that is designated as confidential.

After you add dynamic fields to a template, consider the following points:

• If you modify a dynamic field's details in the dynamic field library, the changes made are not reflected in the existing template.
• When you create a case by using a case template, the case includes dynamic fields from the case template and dynamic fields from the associated task templates.
• If a dynamic field is associated with both the case template and the task template, the field is shared as a common field for the case.
  Any changes made to the value of the dynamic field either in the case or in the task are applicable to both the case and the task.
• If you add a dynamic field to a task template, the dynamic field is automatically available in the case template that leverages this task in the taskflow. However, if you add a dynamic field to a case template, the field is not available in the tasks of the case template.

To accept a dynamic field to a case template from BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced

While submitting a request by using BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced, a requester provides answers to the questionnaire available for that request. A corresponding case is created in BMC Helix Business Workflows for the request. After the case is created, the questions from the questionnaire are displayed on the case details page as dynamic fields and the answers are displayed as values. The dynamic fields are added to the case template used to create the case. To associate these dynamic fields to the case template, in the case template, you can accept the dynamic fields so that these fields are added to cases that are created by using the template. After accepting, the dynamic fields are added to the dynamic field library.

If you do not accept such dynamic fields, you must consider the following points:

• The dynamic fields that you do not accept are displayed in the existing case. However, they are not displayed in any other cases that are created by using the case template.
• The dynamic fields are displayed as read-only fields in the existing case and case agents cannot edit these fields.
• The dynamic fields are not added to the dynamic field library.

To accept a dynamic field in a case template, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.
2. Click My Application Settings .
   
3. Select Case Management > Templates.
4. On the Case Templates page, from the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to accept a dynamic field.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
   
5. Open the required case template.
   Ensure that the case template is not in the Active status.
   

6. On the case template page, click Manage Dynamic Fields.

7. On the Manage Dynamic Fields dialog box, select the required dynamic field associated with BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced from the list.

8. Edit Field Name, Field Description, and Field Value Type.

   Important

   By default, the Information Source field is set to Requester and you cannot edit it.

9. To make the response to the dynamic field mandatory while creating a case, select Required .

10. To add the dynamic field to the dynamic field library and allow case agents to edit the field, click Accept .
    You can only accept new dynamic fields and cannot accept fields with duplicate names.
    
11. To mark the dynamic field as confidential, click Confidential .
12. To hide the dynamic field from being displayed in the case, select Hidden .
    
13. Click Save.

After you accept a dynamic field, you cannot edit the Field Name, Field Description, Field Value Type details of the field. You cannot edit a dynamic field that is designated as confidential.

Related topics

Creating case templates and task templates

Enabling automatic case creation from BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced service requests

Automating tasks for quicker case resolution