Defining task flows in a case template

As a case business analyst, you can define a task flow for a case template to specify the required tasks and define the order in which they must be executed. When designing a task flow, you can add tasks, define their execution order, and add conditions for executing tasks. When defining conditions for executing the tasks, you can use dynamic fields and case data fields. While working on a case, a case agent might need to add additional tasks to the task flow. Learn how to work with tasks in a case in Updating tasks and tracking progress.

Before you begin

Ensure that you create a case template to associate a task flow to it, and also create a task template to include the tasks in the task flow. Learn about creating case templates and task templates in Creating case templates and task templates.

To define a task flow

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.

2. Click My Application Settings.

3. Select Case Management > Templates.
4. From the template details page, from the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case template.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
5. Click the case template in which you want to add a task flow.
6. On the Case Templates page, on the Tasks tab, click Task flow.

7. The Task flow designer is displayed.

8. From Palette, drag the any of the following element to the canvas:
   • Create Task—Use this element to create a task in a case by using the defined task template.
   • Create Task Without Template—Use this element to create a task in a case without using a task template.

9. In the Element properties pane, enter values in the required fields such as Label.

10. In the INPUT MAP section, complete the following steps based on the element you use:

    Element	Field	Description
    Create Task	Task Summary	By default, this field is populated with the task summary details of the task template that you select. You can modify the task summary to specify the details in context to a particular case. To modify the task summary, perform the following steps: Click Click to build an expression. Enter the description of the task. Click Save.
    	Case ID	This field is automatically populated with the case ID variable.
    	Task Template ID	Click Select Template. Select the Line of Business. From the available list of active task templates in the line of business, select the desired task template for the task you want to add in the task flow. You can add all types of tasks in a task flow, such as manual tasks, automated tasks, and external tasks. Click Save.
    Create Task Without Template	Case ID	This field is automatically populated with the case ID variable.
    	Task Summary	Perform the following steps: Click Click to build an expression. Enter the description of the task. Click Save.
    	Dynamic Fields	Perform the following steps: Click Click to build an expression. Add the dynamic fields. Click Save.
    	Line of Business	This field is automatically populated with the line of business value of the case template.
    	Assignment Selection Mode	Select one of the following modes to specify the new assignee: View—Displays the Assignment view, which enables you to select an assignee based on a selected combination of company, business unit, and department. Expression—Displays the Expression Builder, which enables you to specify an expression to select a support group and an assignee.
    	Assignee/Assignee Group Name	If your assignment selection mode is View, click Change Assignment, and complete the following steps: Select the Support Group and Assignee. Click Save. If your assignment selection mode is Expression, complete the following steps: For Assigned Group and Assignee, click Click to build an expression. Define the expression for the assigned group and assignee. Click Save.

11. As per your requirements, add tasks in the task flow by using the Create Task element, define parallel execution of tasks by using the Parallel element, and define conditional execution of tasks by using the Exclusive element.
    The following table describes how to add tasks in a task flow based on the type of task execution:

    Type of task execution	Elements to use	Example
    Sequential	Add Create Task elements one after the other, based on the successive dependency of tasks.
    Parallel	Add Create Task elements and a Parallel elements to define the concurrency of tasks.
    Conditional	Add Exclusive element to add conditions for task execution. To add a condition, perform the following steps: Select the Exclusive element and drag the sequence flow element (arrow) and connect to the element that defines the default path. Select the Exclusive element and drag the sequence flow element and connect to the  element that defines a path when the condition is true. In the Properties pane, click Click to build an expression. In the Edit Expression window, specify the condition by using dynamic fields and case data fields, and click OK.

12. Click Save.

To use a case template to create cases, you must change the status of the template to Active.

Task completion notifications

While creating a task flow, if you use the User task or Receive task elements, the Modified By field shows that the task is updated by Process Orchestrator. When a task assignee changes the task status to Completed, the notification that is sent about the task completion shows that the task is completed by the system and not by the task assignee.

Parallel action flows

When you use parallel action for tasks in a task flow process, ensure that the tasks end in the parallel action element. The following figures show the correct way of creating a parallel action flow for tasks:

When a case has parallel tasks, and the task preceding the parallel tasks is in progress, the parallel tasks are not listed as upcoming tasks in the Task List. The following image shows the In Progress tasks:

After the preceding task is completed, the parallel tasks are shown in progress. To view all the tasks, click Task Flow:

The in progress task is shown in green in the Task Flow view.

Example: Conditional triggering of a task

Consider the following scenario:

Hannah is a case business analyst in Calbro Services. She wants to create a task flow in a case template for onboarding an employee that consists of a condition for performing a legal review of the employee contract. Hannah wants to add the following tasks in the task flow:

• Verify employee documents
• Add a new user
• Conduct IT induction
• Create a contract
• Perform legal review

She must also add a condition before the task Perform legal review to determine if a standard contract or a custom contract is created for the employee. So that based on the condition, if the contract is a custom contract, a legal review is done.

To create the task flow, Hannah creates a case template and a task flow as shown in the following figures:

The following table explains the elements in the task flow:

When Hannah sets the status of the case template to Active, the task flow is ready to use. A case agent can create cases by using the case template and view the task flow.

Example: Defining a task flow to create multiple tasks by using a dynamic field value

Hannah is a case business analyst in Calbro Services. She wants to create a task flow in a case template for providing laptop peripherals. Hannah wants to include the following tasks in the task flow:

• Check laptop details
• Create a report
• Send a notification to the requester

The case template consists of a dynamic field Devices to receive requester response about the required peripherals. The dynamic field consists of a list of peripherals that are comma separated values. Hannah wants to create additional separate tasks for each peripheral in the list. If the dynamic field value is mouse, headphones, and keyboard, Hannah wants to create the following tasks:

• Allocate a mouse
• Allocate a headphone
• Allocate a keyboard

Hannah also wants to add these tasks in parallel so that these tasks are processed concurrently at runtime. To create these multiple tasks, Hannah creates an automated task and then creates a process for the automated task as shown in the following figure. She also adds the Devices dynamic field to the automated task template.

The following table explains the elements in the process:

The process for the automated task calls the following process for adding tasks:

To create this process, Hannah copies the out-of-the-box com.bmc.dsm.task-lib:Task - Save Adhoc Task process in the Task Management Service library. She sets the scope of the copied process to Public so that the Call Activity element in the process for automated task template can use this process.

Hannah then creates the task flow and adds the automated task in the task flow as shown in the following figure:

The following table explains the elements in the task flow:

When Hannah sets the status of the case template to Active, the task flow is ready to use. When a case agent creates a case by using the case template, the case includes the main tasks that are displayed on the Tasks tab of the case. When the automated task in the case is completed, the tasks based on the dynamic field value in addition to the main tasks are displayed on the Tasks tab as shown in the following figures:

Related topics

Task flow

Updating tasks and tracking progress

Process designer elements