Working on assigned tasks

When the change request reaches the Implement stage, you can start working on the task assigned to you. When a change request is set to Scheduled and a task is not assigned, the task status is set to Pending. If the task is assigned, its status is set to Work in Progress.

To send an email note from a task

You can send an email note from the task; for example, to request more information about the task or to request a clarification or assistance from another help desk agent. You can also send a note to the originator of the task to let that person know that the task is complete, and to ask the originator to verify the work.

1. On the Task form, click Email System.
2. Indicate the recipient by performing any one, or a combination of the following actions:
   1. Select one of the following options:
      • Select Current Customer—Enter the email address of the customer associated with the task in the Internet Email address field. If the button is not available, no customer is associated with the task.
      • Select Current Assignee—Enter the email address of the current task assignee in the Internet E-Mail address field. If the button is not available, no assignee is associated with the task.
   2. To select another recipient, perform the following steps:
      1. Complete the fields under People Search Criteria. Provide as much information as you can.
      2. Click Search.
      3. Click the recipient's name in the search results table to place their email address in the Internet E-Mail field.
         If you need help determining the correct name in the list, you can see more information about an individual by selecting their name from the list, and then clicking View. This opens the People form, which contains detailed information about the recipient.
   3. If you know the email address of the recipient, enter it directly in the Internet E-Mail field.

3. Enter values for the remaining fields on the Email System form. 

   Field	Description
   Email Subject Line	By default, the subject line contains the task ID number, to which you can append text, or which you can type over.
   Email Message Body	Type the message text. By using the buttons to the right of this field, you can also automatically insert text from the record into the message text. If any of these buttons is not active, the corresponding field in the Task form does not contain any information.  Status Summary Details  Resolution
   Email Attachment	Attach a file to the email message (Service Desk limits you to one attachment). To attach a file, right-click in the Email Attachment table, and then click Add. In the Add Attachment dialog box, browse and select the file that you want to attach and click Open. The details of the attached file are displayed in the table.

4. Click Send Email Now.

To add work information to a task

You can add work information to each task included in the change request. The work information for each task is displayed in the Work Info of Selected Task table on the Change form.

1. Open the task and then click the Work Info tab.
2. Modify the work information type.
3. From the Source list, select the source of this information.
   Information sources can include email, system assignment, or the web.
4. Enter details of your work information record in the Date, Summary, and Work Info Notes fields.
5. To add attachments, right-click in the attachment table, and then select Add.
6. From the Locked list, select Yes or No to lock the log.
7. Select the view access:
   • If you want only users within your organization to see the entry, select Internal.
   • If you want everyone with access to the system to see the entry, select External.
8. When you finish updating, click Save.
   Your entry is added to the task's work history. The Show field enables you to filter specific work entries based on the type of activity shown in the table.
9. To see a report of the activities that you performed against this task, click Report.

10. To see all the work information history entries, click View.

    Important

    When you return to the Change form, you might need to refresh the Work Info of Assigned Task table to see all the entries.

To view the tasks assigned to you

1. Open the Change Management Console.
2. From the View By filter, select Personal.
3. Click the Show Tasks Details link in the Change Details and Tasks section to view the Task table.
4. In the Assigned Tasks table, select the task to accept, and then click View.
   Tasks are identified by the prefix of TAS. 
5. On the Task Management screen, click Open next to the Request ID field to open the parent change request.
6. If you are ready to begin working on the task, that is; if the Status field of the change request is set to Scheduled, set the value of the Status field to Work in Progress.
   This is an important step, because the task then moves to the Work in Progress status. In addition, different escalations occur based on the task's status. If the task is still in the Scheduled status while you are working on it, an inaccurate escalation can occur.
7. Click the Assignment tab.
8. Enter the time spent.
   When you are ready to start working on the task, you can use the start and stop clock or the effort log to keep track of how much time you spent.
9. Click the Work Info tab, and then enter the progress you have made on the task. 
10. (Optional) You can add relevant information to the Task Plans field to describe how you intend to complete the task.
11. Click Save.
    If this task is the first to be moved to Work in Progress status, the following changes are automatically made to the change request:
    • The status of the change request is moved to Implementation in Progress, including all the tasks that are part of the change request. The change manager is notified of the changed status, and the requester is notified when the status of the change is set to Scheduled.
    • On the Assignments tab of the Task form, the Start Date field is filled with the date and time at which the task was saved.
    • The Actual Start Date of the task and that of the change request is updated with the date and time of the status change.

For additional responsibilities (for example, closing a task), see Managing-tasks-related-to-a-request.

To view the assigned tasks and task groups

To view your assigned tasks and task groups, click the Show Tasks Details link in the Change Details And Tasks section of the Change Management console. Tasks are prefixed with TAS, and task groups with TGR. You can also view tasks and task groups related to a change request on the Tasks tab of the Change form.

1. In the Assigned Tasks table on the Change Management console, or from within the Tasks tab of a change request, select the task group or the task to view.

   Important

   If you have enabled Task Phase Management, use the Phase field menu above the Tasks and Task Groups table in the Tasks tab to display tasks and task groups that only belong to a particular phase in the task lifecycle. By default, only tasks and task groups that belong to the current task phase are displayed.

   Select the Clear option in the Phase menu, which displays a list of tasks and task groups from all task phases.

2. Click View.
3. Modify the task details.
4. Click Save.