Updating tasks and tracking progress

While working on a case, you can perform actions on tasks, such as updating the status of tasks, updating the assignee of tasks, handling failed tasks, tracking the progress of tasks, and so on. You might also need to add additional tasks to the case. You can add either manual, automated, or external tasks to a case. To track a task, you can view the task activities on the Activity tab on the task details page. To view task activities, you must have read or write access to the task. 

To update a task or add an additional task to a case, use the Tasks tab on the case details page. The following video (2:11) describes how to add adhoc tasks to a case:

 https://youtu.be/SOCR4pYXY-g

To add a task to a case

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.

2. Navigate to Workspace > Cases.
3. From the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
4. To open a case in the Cases workspace, click the required case ID.
5. To view the task flow associated with the case, on the Tasks tab, select Task Flow.
   The task flow associated to the case is displayed. You can view the tasks in the task flow and verify if you need to add any additional tasks to the case.

6. To add additional tasks, on the Tasks tab, select Task List, and perform the following actions:

   Task	Action	Example
   To append tasks to the predefined tasks in the task flow	On the Tasks tab, select Task List, click Add Task, and perform the following steps: To add predefined manual, automated, or external tasks by using templates, click Add Task from Template, and add the required tasks. On adding a task by using a task template, a set of task-related dynamic fields is displayed on the page. Enter the responses to the dynamic fields and click Ok. These responses are added to the task as additional details. To add ad-hoc manual tasks by entering the task details, click Add Adhoc Task, and complete the required fields.
   To add tasks after the execution of a predefined task in the task flow	On the Tasks tab, select Task List, click on the task after which you want to add a task, and add a task by using templates or add a task by defining the task details.

   Important

   • While adding a task, the case line of business is selected as the task line of business by default. To add tasks for another line of business, you must have access to the line of business.
   • You cannot add adhoc tasks prior to tasks that are in progress.
   • You cannot add conditions for task execution.

7. To change the order of execution of tasks in the task flow, drag and drop the tasks in the required order, and click Save.

   Important

   Case agents cannot change the order of execution of tasks defined by the case business analyst. Case agents can only change the order of execution of tasks added by them.

All tasks in the task flow associated to a case are displayed in the Task List section. After you add a task, it appears stacked below the task after which you add them. The following figure shows an example Task List section:

A case agent cannot delete any additional task and the tasks that are predefined by a case business analyst. However, a case agent can cancel such tasks. If a case agent cancels a case, all the tasks in the task flow that is associated to the case are also cancelled.

To track the progress of a task

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.

2. Navigate to Workspace > Cases.
3. From the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
4. To open a case in the Cases workspace, click the required case ID.
5. (Optional) To view a case on a separate tab, right-click the case and select Open link in new tab.

6. On the Tasks tab, click Task List.
   All the tasks associated with the case are categorized in the following sections based on their status:

   Task status section	Description
   Active Tasks	Displays all the tasks that are started. Important: If a task fails, the task is displayed in this section. You must change the status of the task or rerun the task to complete it.
   Upcoming Tasks	Displays the tasks that are executed after the completion of In Progress tasks. Only the tasks that are defined in a straight path are displayed in the Upcoming tasks section. Conditional and parallel tasks that are defined in the flow are not displayed in this section. They are displayed as In Progress tasks only when they are activated. View all tasks in a task flow and their details on the Task Flow tab. For example, if you have a condition in a task flow, all the upcoming tasks prior to the condition are displayed. After the execution of the condition, the upcoming tasks are displayed based on the condition results.
   Completed Tasks	Displays all the completed tasks.

   The following figure shows an example representation of tasks:
   

To start work on a task or to complete a task

As a case agent, you can change the status of a manual or external task to In progress or the next status in the task lifecycle, or Complete in a single click. You must have write access to change the task status. One-click status change options are available only in the Task List view in cases, and not in the task edit mode. When you change the task status, the next task in the list is activated.

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows as a case agent.
2. Open a case for which a task is assigned to you.
3. To start working on a task, in the Task List view, click Start Progress.

4. After completing the task, click Mark Complete.
   The following image shows the options to change the status of the task quickly:
   

   Tip

   If the status of the task does not change after click Start progress or Mark Complete, click Refresh.

   Learn more about the status that are eligible for one-click status, see Status values applicable for one-click update.

To update the status of a task

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.

2. Navigate to Workspace > Cases.
3. From the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
4. To open a case in the Cases workspace, click the required case ID.
5. (Optional) To view a case on a separate tab, right-click the case and select Open link in new tab.

6. On the Tasks tab, select Task List, and perform the following steps based on the action that you want to perform:
   
   

   Action	Steps
   Change the status of manual tasks	Open the required task. (Optional) To view the task on a separate tab, right-click the task and select Open link in new tab. Click the displayed status to open the status pane. In the status pane, select the required value in the Status field.  Click Save. After you change the status of the task, notifications are sent to the assignee of the task and parent case. For more information about the statuses, see Task statuses and associated actions. When a task assignee marks a task Completed, the notification that a case assignee receives shows that the status is updated by the system instead of by the task assignee. To learn why the Modified By field shows System instead of the user, see Defining task flows in a case template.
   Change the status of a failed automated task	Open the failed automated task. (Optional) To view the task on a separate tab, right-click the task and select Open link in new tab. Click the displayed Failed status to open the status pane. Select the required value in the Status field. (Optional) If you selected the value Completed in the Status field, select the appropriate value in the Status Reason Task field. Click Save.
   Rerun a failed automated task	Select the failed automated task. (Optional) To view the task on a separate tab, right-click the task and select Open link in new tab. Click Rerun. After the rerun operation, the automated task can run successfully or may fail again. If required, you can manually change the status of the automated task. For more information, see Automated tasks.

As a case agent, when you add tasks to a case, by default, they are in the Staged status. When the case status is set to In Progress, the first task in the sequence is automatically set to Assigned. From Assigned, you can change the task status as required. 

• You can resolve a case only when you complete all the tasks in it.

• When a case is canceled, all the tasks associated with the case are also canceled.

For more information about the task lifecycle, see Task lifecycle.

Task status for associated actions

When you want to perform an action on a task, change its status accordingly. For example, when you start working on the task, change its status to In Progress.

The following table lists the required status change based on the actions you can perform on a task:

Status values applicable for one-click update

The following tables list the values for which one-click status update is applicable:

Default status values

Custom status values

The following table lists some sample status values:

To assign a task

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.
2. Navigate to Workspace > Cases.
3. From the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
4. To open a case in the Cases workspace, click the required case ID.
5. (Optional) To view the case on a separate tab, right-click the case and select Open link in new tab.
6. From the Tasks tab of the case, select Task List, and open the required task.

7. (Optional) To view task on a separate tab, right-click the task and select Open link in new tab.
   Important: If a manual task is not assigned to a user, and if the task assigned group and case assigned group for that task are the same, the task is automatically assigned to the case agent. A case agent can then reassign the task.

8. On the task details page, in the Assignee section, click Edit, and perform any of the following actions:

   Action	Steps
   Assign a task to a support group or agent	Select the Assigned Group. Select the Assignee or click Assign to me. The default support group that you belong to is automatically selected. If you do not belong to a default group, the first support group in the line of business is automatically selected. Click Save. Important: You can assign a case to a support group or user that belongs to a line of business to which you have access. If an assignee is not defined, you must add one before you can move the case to In Progress.
   Assign a task to yourself	Click . Important: If you belong to multiple support groups, in the Assigned Group field, your default support group is displayed.

To view task activities

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.
2. Select Workspace > Cases.
3. From the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.

4. To open a case in the Cases workspace, click the required case ID.

5. (Optional) To view the case on a separate tab, right-click the case and select Open link in new tab.

6. From the Tasks tab of the case, select Task List, and open the required task.

7. (Optional) To view the task on a separate tab, right-click the task and select Open link in new tab.

8. On the task details page, click the Activity tab.

   On this tab, the latest change in the task is displayed at the top.

9. (Optional) To filter task activities, click Filter, from the Task filtering options, select the desired options such as Status Change, Assignment Change, and so on, and click Apply.

10. (Optional) To view the updates made by a particular agent, click Filter, enter the name of an agent in the Author text box, and click Apply.

To add notes and attachments to a task

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.
2. Navigate to Workspace > Cases.
3. From the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
4. To open a case in the Cases workspace, click the required case ID.
5. (Optional) To view the case on a separate tab, right-click the case and select Open link in new tab.
6. From the Tasks tab of the case, select Task List, and open the required task.
7. (Optional) To view the task on a separate tab, right-click the task and select Open link in new tab.

8. On the task details page, perform any of the following actions:

   Action	Steps
   Add activity notes	Click the Activity tab, and click Add a note text box. Click Notes Template. A list of templates is displayed.  Select the template that you want to use from the list and click Apply. Enter details and click Post. (Optional) To attach files to your notes, click Attach.
   Add attachments to a task	Add an attachment to a task from the Activity tab or Description field. For more information about adding attachments to a task, see Adding documents to Document Library.

To send an email from a task

While working on a task, if you do not have access to the case that consists of the task, you can communicate with a case requester or other agents through emails.

To send an email, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.
2. Select Workspace > Tasks.
3. From the Line of Business list, select the line of business for which you want to update a case.
   If you have access to a single line of business, the line of business is selected by default.
4. To open a task in the Tasks workspace, click the required task ID.
5. (Optional) To view the task on a separate tab, right-click the task and select Open link in new tab.

6. Perform any of the following actions:
   
   

   Action	Description
   Compose a new email	On the task details page, click Email. Enter the recipients of the email. (Optional) To send the email to additional recipients, perform any of the following actions: Click Cc to include the Cc recipients. Click Bcc to include the Bcc recipients. The Bcc recipients are not shown to other recipients who receive the email. The Bcc option is available only if it is enabled for your line of business. (Optional) If you want to mark the email as high importance, select High Priority. You can also click the email ID of the requester, external user, or contact to compose an email.
   Reply to an email	On the Activity tab of the task, reply to an email by using the Reply and Reply All options: To send your response only to the person who sent you the email, click Reply. In the Compose Email pane, the previous email context is copied and To email address is updated. To send your response to all the recipients of the original email, click Reply All. In the Compose Email pane, the previous email context is copied, and the To and Cc email addresses are updated. You can also add additional recipients while replying to an email. If Bcc option is enabled for your line of business, you can include Bcc recipients. Also, you can select High Priority if you want to mark the email as high importance.

7. (Optional) In the Compose Email pane, if you want to use an email template, perform the following steps:
   1. Click Select Email Template.
   2. (Optional) From the Locale list, select the language for the email template.
   3. From the list displayed, select the required email template, and click Apply.
8. (Optional) If you want to attach a file, click Attach, and attach the file.
   You can add documents from the document library or attach files from a local drive and send the attachments through emails.
9. Compose your email and click Send.

After you send an email or reply to an email, the email content is displayed on the task Activity tab. The email content is added as a public or private note based on the email recipient:

• If you send an email to the requester of the case, the email content is displayed as a public note.

• If you send an email to an external user's email ID, the email content is displayed as a public note.

• If you send an email to other agents, the email content is added as a private note.

The email content is also displayed on the Activity tab of the case that consists of the task. The Modified Date and Modified By fields of the case are updated if a case business analyst has enabled the configuration.

Related topics

Defining task flows in a case template

Creating case templates and task templates

Communicating case updates

Task flow

Tracking activity updates in cases and tasks for your line of business