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. For information about how to work with tasks in a case, see 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. For information about creating case templates and task templates, see Creating-case-templates-and-task-templates.

Best Practices
If a task flow is associated with open cases and you open the task flow, the system prompts an option to create a copy of the task flow. We recommend that you do not select the option to create a copy of the task flow when you are only viewing the task flow and not modifying it.

If you want to modify the task flow, we recommend that you select the option to create a copy and then modify the task flow. When a copy of the task flow is created, the previous task flow is used by the cases in progress and the copy of the task flow is available for edits. Any new cases that are created after the modification of the task flow use the updated task flow.

For example, you have two open cases, case1 and case2 that use the task flow task_flow1. A copy of task_flow1 (for example, task_flow1_copy) is created and you modify the copy. Then, you create two new cases, case3 and case4. In this scenario, case1 and case2 uses the task flow task_flow1. Case3 and case4 uses the task flow task_flow1_copy.

To define a task flow

  1. Log in to BMC Helix Business Workflows.
  2. Click My Application SettingsGear icon.PNG.
    The Settings page opens in a new browser tab.
  3. Select Case Management > Case Templates.
  4. (Version 20.08.01) 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.
  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.
    The Task flow designer is displayed.
  7. 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.
  8. In the Element properties pane, enter values in the required fields such as Label.

  9. In the INPUT MAP section, perform 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:

    1. Click Click to build an expression.
    2. Enter the description of the task.
    3. Click Save.

    Case ID

    This field is automatically populated with the case ID variable.

    Task Template ID

    1. Click Select Template.
    2. (Version 20.08.01) 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.
    3. (Version 20.08) From the available list of active task templates, 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.
    1. Click Save.

    Create Task Without Template

    Case ID

    This field is automatically populated with the case ID variable.

    Task Summary

    Perform the following steps:

    1. Click Click to build an expression.
    2. Enter the description of the task.
    3. Click Save.

    Dynamic Fields

    Perform the following steps:

    1. Click Click to build an expression.
    2. Add the dynamic fields.
    1. Click Save.

    (Version 20.08.01)
    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

    Perform the following actions based on your assignment selection mode:

    • If your assignment selection mode is View, click Change Assignment; specify the support group or the case agent to whom you want to assign a case, task, or knowledge article; and click Assign.
    • If your assignment selection mode is Expression, in the Edit Expression window, enter the expressions to specify the support group and agent to whom you want to assign a case, task, or knowledge article. Then, click OK.

  10. 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.

    1905_sequential tasks.png

    Parallel

    Add Create Task elements and a Parallel elements to define the concurrency of tasks.

    1905_parallel tasks.png

    Conditional

    Add Exclusive element to add conditions for task execution.
    To add a condition, perform the following steps:

    1. Select the Exclusive element and drag the sequence flow element (arrow) and connect to the element that defines the default path.
    2. Select the Exclusive element and drag the sequence flow element and connect to the  element that defines a path when the condition is true.
    3. In the Properties pane, click Click to build an expression.
    4. In the Edit Expression window, specify the condition by using dynamic fields and case data fields, and click OK.

    1905_conditional tasks.png

  11. Click Save.

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

Important

(Version 20.08.01) A task flow process is stored in the line of business bundle in which you create the task flow. For example, if you create a task flow in a case template in Facilities line of business, the task flow process is stored in com.bmc.Facilities bundle.

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:

Click to view the case template details

1905_case_templ_example.png

Click to view the task flow details

1905_add_task_flow.png

1905_taskflow_example.png

The following table explains the elements in the task flow:

Element

Properties

Create Task —Verify employee documents

1905_Verify employee documents.png

Create Task—Add a new user

1905_Add a new user.png

Create Task—Conduct IT induction

1905_Conduct IT induction.png

Create Task—Create a contract

1905_Create a contract.png

Exclusive—Condition to check if the contract is standard

1905_Exclusive element.png

Create Task—Perform legal review

1905_Perform legal review.png

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.

Create adhoc tasks in a case process.png

Click to view the process properties

Create adhoc tasks in a case properties.png

The Dynamic Data input variable consists of Device dynamic field. Hannah adds two local variables of the type text: Device list and Device input.

The following table explains the elements in the process:

Element

Properties

Exclusive element condition

Device field is not empty.png

This condition checks for the value of dynamic field. If the field value is blank, the sub process is not called.

Get Records By Query—Get current automated task registry

Get current automated task registry.png

Compute Value—Compute Device List

Compute Group List.png

This element converts the comma separated device values to a list and maps the output to the Device list local variable input.

Sub-process

Sub-process properties.png

The sub-process is runs in a loop for number of times based on the Device List input. As the Device List contains 3 devices, the sub-process runs for 3 times.

Elements in the sub-process

Call Activity—Call process to create adhoc tasks

Call process to create adhoc tasks.png

This element calls the process for adding tasks. The values of the element INPUT MAP fields such as Task Type and Task Execution Status are fixed. The values for the following fields are required:

  • Company—This field value is mapped to Process Variables > Record Instance > Company.
  • Requester—This field value is mapped to Process Variables > Record Instance > Requester.
  • Priority—This field value is mapped to Process Variables > Record Instance > Priority.
  • ActivityId—This field value is mapped to Activities > Get current automated task registry > Output > ActivityId.
  • Parent_ID—This field value is mapped to Process Variables > Record Instance > Parent_ID.
  • Summary—This field value is mapped to Process Variables > Device Input.

Get Records By Query—Get every adhoc task registry

Get every adhoc task registry.png

These properties are used to add the tasks in parallel.

Update Record—Update task registry sequence to parallel

Update task registry sequence to parallel.png

These properties are used to add the tasks in parallel.

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

Add adhoc tasks to a case.png

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:

Defining a task flow to create multiple tasks.png

The following table explains the elements in the task flow:

Element

Properties

Create Task—Check laptop details

Create Task—Check laptop details.png

Create Task—Create adhoc tasks based on dynamic field

Create adhoc tasks based on dynamic field.png

Create Task—Create report

Create Report.png

Create Task—Send notification to requester

Send notification to requester.png

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:

Provide laptop peripherals Tasks tab.pngProvide laptop peripherals additional tasks.png

Related topics

Task-flow

Updating-tasks-and-tracking-progressProcess designer elements


 

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