Task

Use this option to set up the automated creation of tasks. Transaction entry (in Customer Service), Transaction Processing, certain reports and Targeted Marketing can all create tasks. This option also allows you to define the task types available for manual task entry. You should add one entry for each process that should create tasks.

To configure task creation:

1. Select Setup | Task to display the Tasks window.

   
2. Click Add and specify the event, task type, assign-to group, and other options for task creation. The fields are described below.

   Field	Type	What to enter
   EVENT	predefined	Indicate which process should generate the task: Account Payment Entry, Audit, Disputed Invoice, Manual Entry, Payment Processing, Process Log Alert, Process Log Detail, Report Processing, Returns Import, Security Threshold, Targeted Marketing, Transaction Entry, or Transaction Processing. Select Manual Entry if you are specifying which task types can be entered manually.
   EVENT SPECIFIC	predefined	Select the specific event or item that should create the task. For example, to create a task when a complaint is processed, select “Transaction Processing” in Event and “Complaint” here. The events specifics available for each process are listed in the table on step 3.
   START DATE, END DATE	date	Enter the date range during which tasks should be generated for this event.
   GENERATE WHEN	yes/no	If more than one task is generated by this event, indicate whether a task with the task type below should always be created, or only if it has the highest priority, based on the Event Priority field. For example, a “call subscriber” task might be defined for stop entry with a priority of 5. Another task, “call carrier”, might also be defined for stop entry with a reason code of “Service” and a priority of 3. If a stop with a reason code of “Service” was entered, the “call carrier” task would be created, while the “call subscriber” would not. If one task has this field set to “always”, it will be created and the other tasks will not, regardless of the priority. If both are set to “always”, both tasks will be created.
   EVENT PRIORITY	integer (3)	If Generate When is set to “highest priority”, assign a priority to this task. This determines if the task will be generated, if more than one task is defined for a specific event. The lower the number, the higher the priority.
   TASK TYPE	setup	Select the task type that identifies this task. Task types are set up in advance.
   ASSIGN TYPE	setup	When tasks are created for this task type and event, indicate whether they should be assigned to an individual user or a group.
   ASSIGN TO	setup	Select the group or user to whom tasks created by this event and task type should be assigned. Note that only users who are assigned to at least one task group may be selected. When entering a manual task for an individual assign type, in addition to defined users, you can select <create user>, <group member>, and <supervisor>. If you enter <create user>, the user creating the manual task will automatically be assigned to it; <group member> and <supervisor> will allow the user entering the task to assign a user or supervisor belonging to the group entered in Event Specific. However, you cannot use <create user>, <group member> or <supervisor> for tasks that are intended to be used with the Circulation API.
   ESCALATE TYPE ESCALATE TO	setup	These fields are similar to Assign Type and Assign To, but they determine the group or user to which the tasks will be escalated, if escalation occurs.
   TASK PRIORITY	integer (1)	Indicate the priority for this task, when created. The priority will display with the task detail information when viewing tasks in Customer Service.
   DEFERRED START DAYS	integer (3)	The date on which the task will become active will be the event date plus the number of days entered here. Manual entry and report processing use the current date as the event date, while transaction entry and processing use the transaction date, and Targeted Marketing uses the delivery date entered in processing. For example, if 1 is entered in this field, and a task is set up to be created for stop entry, a stop entered for 7/2 would cause a task to be created with an activation date of 7/3.
   DAYS TO COMPLETE	integer (3)	Specify the number of days users should be given to complete the task. This number will be added to the task activation date to determine the due date.
   Options fields
   PRODUCT	setup	If tasks should be created for this event only if a certain product is entered, specify the product here, or select “*” to multi-select products using the Ctrl key. Note that this field will not be available for Targeted Marketing-generated tasks (the TM product is already specified in Event Specific).
   SELECTION TYPE	predefined	If a product is entered above, you can specify a particular area, region, zone, or district for the task, or choose mail. Leave this field blank to include all subscribers. If a value is selected here, tasks will only be created when the event involves a subscriber in the area, region, zone or district(s) entered below, or a mail subscriber. Selection Type and Selection cannot be used with manual entry tasks or TM.
   SELECTION	setup	If a value other than “mail” is entered in Selection Type, specify the area, region, zone or district that should trigger task creation. For example you may wish to create a dispatching task for complaints, but only in certain districts. You can multi-select items by using the Ctrl key.
   SOURCE, REASON	setup	You can specify a source or reason code that should trigger task creation, or select “*” to multi-select using the Ctrl key. If specified, tasks will only be created if the transaction has the source or reason code entered. Leave these fields blank to include all source and reason codes. Note that a source and reason may only be defined for transaction entry and Transaction Processing events.
   LOG TYPE	predefined	If the event is “Process Log Alert” or “Process Log Detail”, select which log type (Error, Fatal, Warning) should generate a task, or select “*” if all log types should generate a task.
   CREATE ON SUSPENDED	predefined	If the event is a Start transaction, you can specify how to handle suspended starts. If you select: • Yes, tasks will be created for both suspended and unsuspended starts • No, tasks will be created only for unsuspended starts • Only, tasks will be created only for suspended starts
   SUSPEND REASON	setup	If Create on Suspend is set to “Yes” or “Only,” select a suspend reason here. This will allow, for example, unroutable suspended starts to be handled differently than starts suspended until a payment is received.
   SECURITY ID	setup	If the event is a report or Targeted Marketing, you can specify a security ID for the Create Tasks field (see Tasks in Targeted Marketing and Reports). The field will open only when run by users belonging to this security ID.
   DUPLICATE TASK DAYS	integer (3)	If the event is a report or Targeted Marketing, you can specify a certain number of days that must pass before the event creates a duplicate task. For example, if a task was created for a subscriber by the End Grace report on 7/15, and the same subscriber is included again on the report when it is run on 7/18, a second task will not be created if this field is greater than 3.
   SEND EMAIL NOTIFICATION	yes/no	Select this checkbox if you want to send an e-mail notification to the user assigned the task. If this check box is selected, the assigned user will receive an e-mail notification when a task of this type is generated, even if Always Notify is set to “No” in User Notification Setup. E-mail notifications are not sent to groups, only individuals.
   TASK MESSAGE	open	Enter a message to go with this task, if applicable. Messages entered here will display with other task information when viewing generated tasks.

3. Click OK to accept the task configuration. Once defined, you can link the task to alerts, and view and remove alerts currently linked. See Linking Alerts to Tasks for more information.

   Event Process	Items that may be selected
   Account Payment Entry	A bill source.
   Audit	An audit process. Currently “Credit Status Change” (the occupant’s credit status changed due to a stop or other transaction in Customer Service) is the only audit process available.
   Disputed Invoice	A bill source.
   Manual Entry	Any task groups that have been defined.
   Payment Processing	Payment-related transactions: auto renew, NSF payment, regular payment, payment cancel, payment decline.
   Process Log Alert, Process Log Detail	Processes that generate process log entries: Account Billing Processing, End Publishing Run, Subscriber Payment Processing, Transaction Processing. The Alert option will create one task if one or more qualifying Process Log entries are written during a single process. The Detail option will generate one task for each qualifying Process Log entry. In both cases, a process must be selected in the Process field when defining the task.
   Report Processing	The Account List, Change Credit Status, End Grace, Expiring Credit Cards, Office Pay Expirations, Past Due Letter, Route Type Change, Stopped Subscribers without Restart, Subscriber Activity Export, Summary Age Analysis, and Truck Check reports.
   Returns Import	Returns import validation errors: Invalid publication, invalid edition, no draw, over supply, out of date.
   Security Threshold	Transactions that can have security thresholds: complaint, expire change, extend grace, grace writeoff, refund variance, subscriber payment adjustment.
   Targeted Marketing	Any Targeted Marketing product.
   Transaction Entry	Most Customer Service transactions: billing change, complaint, complaints on route threshold, delivery schedule change, grace writeoff, move in, move out, note, delivery placement, rate change, refund, refund writeoff, reroute, restart, start, stop, temp address, temp address end, transfer in, and transfer out.
   Transaction Processing	Most transactions that are processed by Transaction Processing: billing change, complaint, delivery schedule change, end grace, expire, renewal, move in, move out, delivery placement, rate change, reroute, restart, start, stop, temp address, temp address end, transfer in, and transfer out.