Designing a workflow to create a request activity log

As a catalog administrator or internal supplier, you can design a new workflow to create a request activity log or update an existing one. This option enables you to automatically post a comment or several comments to service requests after end users submit the requests. For example, in a comment to a request, you might provide a list of SAP approvers or any other data that is relevant to the business task. This information helps the end users in creating their service requests.

This option is supported for the following types of service requests:

• Native catalog services and service bundles
• Imported service request definitions (SRDs)

To configure a workflow with a request activity log

1. Log in the Catalog console and go to Services > Workflows.

2. Create a new workflow or open an existing workflow that you want to configure.

   Important

   To create a request activity log for a native BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog service bundle, use the workflow of the service bundle instead of using the workflows of separate services that are included to the service bundle.

3. In Workflow Designer, in the Digital Workplace Catalog palette section, select the Create Activity Log For Service Request element and drag it onto the canvas. 
   
   
   
   

4. Configure the Input Map parameters as required:

   Input Map parameter	Description	Required for native services and service bundles	Required for imported SRDs
   (Required) Request ID	Indicates a service request ID.	Yes	Yes
   Author Login ID	A value provided in this field is displayed as an author of the activity log. You must add a valid login ID in quotes. If you leave this field blank, a requester's name is displayed as an author of the activity log.	Yes	Yes
   (Required) Text	Indicates a text message to be shown as a comment for a requester. You can add any text in quotes.	Yes	Yes
   Visibility	Indicates if the activity log is public or internal. You can enter "Public" or "Internal" values (in quotes). If you choose an internal type of visibility, the activity log is hidden from a requester. If you choose a public type of visibility, the activity log is shown for a requester. If you leave the field blank, the activity log is shown for a requester.	No	Yes
   Broadcast	Enter "True" to display the comment in other systems such as BMC Helix ITSM. Enter "False" to restrict its visibility to BMC Helix Digital Workplace.	No	Yes
   Rtf	Enter "True" to display a string as a rich text format text. Enter "False" to display a string as a plain text.	No	No

5. (Optional) If you need one more comment to be shown for end users, add and configure another Create Activity Log For Service Request element with a different name in the same workflow.

   Important

   The Create Activity Log For Service Request element can be used several times with different names and in any place of the workflow.

6. (Optional) Update other elements of your workflow if required.

7. Save the changes.

   Important

   If you place the Create Activity Log For Service Request right after the Start External Activity action in a workflow, the comment will be displayed twice in the service request details. If you place the Create Activity Log For Service Request right after the Submit Service Request, the comment will not be duplicated.

View of a request activity log

After the workflow is configured and saved, if an end user submits a corresponding service request, the activity log is displayed as follows:

• In BMC Helix Digital Workplace, comments from the workflow are automatically added to the request details and are shown on the Details page of the submitted request, as shown in the following illustration:
  
  
• Information about the request activity log for the imported SRD is automatically populated in the Request Details form of BMC Helix ITSM, as shown in the following illustration: