Task Type

Last Updated On
Print
You are here:

A task type is the category of a task and is used to differentiate between tasks. A Task Type may be created in response to maintenance activities, environmental requirements, or safety initiatives.

Add a new task type

  1. Expand the “Configuration” menu on the sidebar navigation. 
  2. Expand the “Lists” menu under “Configuration”.
  3. Expand the “Type” menu under “Lists”.
  4. Select the “Task” menu.
  5. Select “Add” to add a task type.
  6. Populate the fields.  Data fields with an asterisk (*) are required.
    • Name*: Enter the name of the type of task.
      • The system will not allow task types with duplicate names.
    • Allow Asset Associations: Toggle on if this task type allows associations to assets.
    • Allow Correspondence: Toggle on if this task type allows the storage of correspondence.
    • Allow Document Associations: Toggle on if this task type allows associations to documents.
    • Description: Enter a description of the type of task.
    • External Identifier: Enter a unique identifier that represents this record in an external system.
  7. Select “Save” upon completion.

Sections and attributes

See Sections and Attributes for instructions on how to create and manage sections and their attributes.

Manage task types

  1. Locate the task type record.
  2. If the In Use column displays “Yes”, click the “Yes” text to view a report of all tasks categorized as this type.
  3. To the right of each record, under the Actions menu, you may:
    • ​Edit the task type.
    • Download the task type definition for import into another database.
    • Copy the task type to immediately create a duplicated record in the database.  When used, update the new name of the copied record to a unique value.
    • Delete the task type. You may delete types only when they are not in use at any record.
      • If there are non-reminder workflows present that use the task type in an action or trigger, the associated workflow(s) will need to be deleted before the task type can be deleted.

Rules

Create a rule

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Select “Add” in the “Rules” section.
  3. Populate the fields.  Data fields with an asterisk (*) are required.
    • Name*: The name of the rule.
    • Comments: Any comments you would like to store for this rule.
  4. Select “Save” upon completion.

Manage rules

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Select the appropriate option for managing your rules within the “Rules” section:
    • Edit this rule.
    • Copy this rule.
    • Delete this rule and all associated logic.

Triggers

Triggers capture the preceding event(s) of any rule that initiates the action.

Create a trigger

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Locate the appropriate rule in the “Rules” section
  3. Select “Add” in the “Trigger” section.
  4. Populate the fields.  Data fields with an asterisk (*) are required.
    • Group*: Select the group of this trigger. Groups are used in conjunction with logical statements where the entire group evaluates to true or false.
      • If an OR statement will be included in the logic, the Group value defines the order of operations. Use additional groupings to ensure the filtering logic works as expected.
      • If the logic does not use OR statements (the logic only uses AND statements), or there is only a single filter, Group 1 will be sufficient.
      • For example, if your logic looks something like (A and B and C) OR (D and E), the filter elements within the first set of parenthesis will be in Group 1, and the filter elements within the second set of parenthesis will be in Group 2.
    • Precedence*: Enter the order of this trigger in relation to the other triggers within the group.
      • When adding, editing, and deleting a trigger, the system will automatically renumber the triggers by increments of 5.
    • Trigger Type*: Select the type of trigger to perform. Options include:
      • After Task Save
      • Attribute Comparison
        • If the attribute captures a dropdown list or radio button list of assets, contacts, documents, forms, or tasks that exist as records in the system, you will need to compare against the value (the 36-character GUID) and not the text.
        • The comparison is not case sensitive. For example, if the answer to a question is “Yes” and it is being evaluated against the value “yes”, this comparison will evaluate to True.
        • The Answer Comparison trigger can also be used to compare against the presence or lack of an attachment for questions with the Attachment or Photo datatype. Use the “is blank” or “is not blank” operator.
      • Before Task Save
      • Property Comparison
        • The comparison is not case sensitive. For example, if the answer to a question is “Yes” and it is being evaluated against the value “yes”, this comparison will evaluate to True.
        • The Answer Comparison trigger can also be used to compare against the presence or lack of an attachment for questions with the Attachment or Photo datatype. Use the “is blank” or “is not blank” operator.
    • Property: Select the task property.
      • This field is only visible when the Trigger Type is “Property Comparison”.
    • Attribute: Select the task attribute.
      • This field is only visible when the Trigger Type is “Attribute Comparison”.
    • Operator: Select the operator used against the value comparison.
      • This field is only visible when the Trigger Type is “Attribute Comparison” or “Property Comparison”.
    • Value: Enter the value to use for this trigger
      • This field is only visible when the Trigger Type is “Attribute Comparison” or “Property Comparison”.
    • Logical*: Selection the operator that defines how to relate this trigger to the other triggers.
      • If the trigger directly after this trigger is in a different group, then the logical field will describe how the two groups interact.
      • The AND statement has a higher precedence than the OR statement. See the table below for examples.
        • A OR B AND C MEANS A OR (B AND C)
        • A AND B OR C AND D MEANS (A AND B) OR (C AND D)
        • A AND B AND C OR D MEANS ((A AND B) AND C) OR D
  5. Select “Save” upon completion.

Manage triggers

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Select the appropriate option for managing your triggers within the “Rules” section:
    • Edit this trigger.
    • Delete this trigger.
      • When deleting a trigger, the system will automatically renumber the triggers by increments of 5. 

Actions

Actions are configured to be processed as a group when the triggers are met (“If these triggers are true then perform these actions”), in addition to as a group when triggers are not met (“Else perform these actions”). Specific actions are available based on the trigger(s) selected. 

Trigger / action matrix

The available actions are dependent upon which triggers are saved.

Task Type Trigger and Action Matrix
Task Type Trigger and Action Matrix

Create an action

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Locate the appropriate rule in the “Rules” section
  3. Select “Add” in the “Action” section.
  4. On the next page, populate the fields based on the action selected. Data fields with an asterisk (*) are required.
  5. Select “Save” upon completion.

Add or Remove Task Tag

The Add/ Remove Task Tag action adds a new task tag or removes an existing task tag when the rule triggers are met. This action must be paired with a “Before Task Save” trigger.

Create multiple actions when adding or removing multiple tags.

  • Action Type*: Select the type of action to perform. Select “Add Task Tag” or “Remove Task Tag”.
  • Value*: Enter the value to use for this action.
  • Create Corresponding “Remove” or “Add” Action: Toggle on to create the corresponding action.
    • For example, choose to create the corresponding action to complete the reverse when the criteria are not met.
    • This field is visible upon creation and hidden when the record is edited. It is defaulted to be selected.

Lock Task

The Lock Task action locks the task and prevents further edits when the rule triggers are met. This action must be paired with an “After Task Save” trigger.

  • Action Type*: Select the type of action to perform. Select “Lock Task”. 

Prevent Task Save

The Prevent Task Save action does not allow the user to save the task when the rule triggers are met. This action must be paired with a “Before Task Save” trigger.

  • Action Type*: Select the type of action to perform. Select “Prevent Task Save”. 

Set Asset Attribute

The Set Asset Attribute action sets the answer to an existing asset attribute type when the rule triggers are met. This action will set the attribute for each asset associated with the task where the attribute type exists. This action must be paired with an “After Task Save” trigger.

NOTE:  The “Set Asset Attribute” action type will function after creating the task and after associating asset(s) to the task.

  • Action Type*: Select the type of action to perform. Select “Set Asset Attribute”.
  • Asset Attribute Type*: Select the asset attribute type where the answer will be set.
  • Value: Enter the value to set for the asset attribute type identified above. You may append variables to make the value dynamic.
    • If you use the {CurrentUser} variable to set an answer, the Data Type of the asset attribute type where the answer is being set needs to be a Dropdown List with the List specifying a Contact Selection List report. Otherwise, a 36-character GUID will display instead of the current user’s name.
    • The {EVALUATE:} function may be used in this field. See the Evaluate page for examples of how to use this function.

Show Error Message

The Show Error Message action displays an error message when the rule triggers are met. This action can be used with any trigger and is often paired with a “Before Task Save”. 

  • Action Type*: Select the type of action to perform. Select “Show Error Message”.
  • Message Title*: Enter the title to use for the message. You may append variables to make the title dynamic.
  • Message Body*: Enter the body to use for the message. You may append variables to make the body dynamic.

Show Information Message

The Show Information Message action displays an information message when the rule triggers are met. This action can be used with any trigger and is often paired with a “Before Task Save” or an “Answer Comparison” trigger. 

  • Action Type*: Select the type of action to perform. Select “Show Informational Message”.
  • Message Title*: Enter the title to use for the message. You may append variables to make the title dynamic.
  • Message Body*: Enter the body to use for the message. You may append variables to make the body dynamic.

Show Success Message

The Show Success Message action displays an information message when the rule triggers are met. This action must be paired with an “After Task Save” trigger type.

  • Action Type*: Select the type of action to perform. Select “Show Success Message”.
  • Message Title*: Enter the title to use for the message. You may append variables to make the title dynamic.
  • Message Body*: Enter the body to use for the message. You may append variables to make the body dynamic.

Manage actions

Once actions have been created, manage these records to maintain accurate information. 

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Select the appropriate option for managing your actions within the “Rules” section:
    • Edit this action.
    • Delete this action.

Reminders and Escalation

Reminders and escalations generate automated emails to notify assignee(s) and/or their manager(s) to drive accountability. 

Creating a reminder will automatically create the associated Workflow and Scheduled Job. Scheduled jobs will run daily by default, starting the day after the reminder is created. Run the scheduled job manually by updating the Scheduled Job Start Date to today if you want to test the process after creation.

By default, email reminders will be sent for tasks without a Closed Date, regardless of the task status. To custom configure the Workflow and triggers that generate a reminder, please see the associated Workflow.

Create a reminder

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Select “Add” in the “Reminders and Escalation” section.
  3. Populate the fields.  Data fields with an asterisk (*) are required.
    • Reminder Details
      • Notify the Assignees*:  Toggle on to notify the task assignees.
        • This field is toggled on by default.
      • Notify the Assignees’ Managers: Toggle on to notify the managers of the task assignees.
        • The manager of the task assignee is configured at the Contact record.
      • Offset*: Enter the due date offset that triggers the reminder email.
        • This value is expressed in calendar days and paired with a field to define the relationship to the due date (i.e., before or after the due date).
        • This value can range from 0 days (on the due date) to 180 days.
      • Send Time*: Enter the time of day to send the reminder email.
        • If the send time of an existing reminder is edited and saved, the next start date will automatically adjust to the following day.
      • Comments: Enter any comments you would like to store for the reminder.
        • The comments will not display in the reminder itself.
    • Email Details
      • Send Email Notification: Toggle on to send an email notification.
      • Email Subject: Enter the subject of the reminder email.
      • Email Body*: Enter the body of the reminder email.
    • SMS Details
      • Send SMS Notification: Toggle on to send an SMS notification.
      • SMS Message: Enter the SMS reminder message. 
  4. Select “Save” upon completion.

Manage reminders

  1. Locate the task type and select the “Edit” button for the desired task type.
  2. Select the appropriate option for managing your reminders within the “Reminders and Escalation” section:
    • Edit this reminder.
    • View or edit this reminder as a workflow.
    • Delete this reminder.
      • Deleting a reminder will also delete the corresponding workflow.
Table of Contents