Enhancement: Allow variables input (Human Task) in AutoTasks

[Berto2002]

Hi,

I am getting used to the AutoTask idea but I get limited by the fact it cannot accept inputs from the Agent on which to act. I request you please enable a Human Task node type to be used in Autotasks. The node would 'pop-up' just like any other Human Task but would send it's variables, outcomes and results to the AutoTask not the core BPM.

Example use cases:

1. My Service Desk periodically need to make updates to Assets (e.g. phones, laptops) including altering the Used By and changing the status to show, say, if they are deployed or in storage. This happens in a number of workflows such as leavers, starters, movers and sometimes standard service requests. Users are unpredictable beasts and they don't always turn-up and want or give stuff at the exact moment the Hornbill workflow expects it. To keep our assets under control (and without asking our SDesk to browse into Asset Manager and do the updates there), I want a Custom Button that starts an AutoTask that allows the Agent to update Asset fields at almost any time (I will set criteria such as status.open and assigned to Service Desk, etc). To do that, I need a Human Task in the AutoTask with the usual configurable form to specify what can be updated.
2. I want to start sending communications to my users through workflow but workflow is overly prescriptive because it pre-defines when I may or may not need to send comms (i.e. the stage or node at the time). I need to send "at any time" when I am in a major incident or a change. If a Custom Button could launch an AutoTask that had a Human Task to capture text like, say, "The Incident impact on users", "what we are doing about it", the "service" (from RequestID), the subscriber list or email address/es to send to and "when we will next update you", then I would be able to use that button when necessary. Meanwhile, the core workflow is uninterrupted but the AutoTask can update a custom field to state comms have been sent
3. More to come. I will append to this post when I come-up with the next reason why a Human Task in AutoTasks would be extremely useful.

Berto

[Berto2002]

3. Use case. At some point I need to have my CR re-authorised for some reason so I need an AutoTask to update the RequestID to be unauthorised and then for me to INPUT the name of the person to whom I am pushing the Approval out to; with a choice to use the internal Authorisation or External Authorisation nodes. The result of that is received and updates the RequestID again. I can have 'gates' in certain other nodes that only allow the workflow to proceed if the authorisation is still present.

[Guest Paul Alexander]

+1 for having human tasks available in an Auto Task. Being able to input some information would be really useful.

[samwoo]

+1

[Sam P]

+1

[Alisha]

+1 for as as well please. We would also like Auto Tasks to be able to trigger an email pop up so we can edit the text in the email before sending it.

[Frank Reay]

+1

[Berto2002]

Additional Use Case: I want to use the External Authorisation at any time during the lifecycle of an Incident or Request but this can only be achieved if I can have this as an AutoTask/Custom Button and allow the Agent to specify the approver.

[Smurfy]

+1

[Daniel]

+1

[QEHNick]

+1

[Steve Giller]

What you're asking for here is basically a sub-Request, not an Auto Task.

As soon as you're stopping the flow to wait for a User Input it's no longer Automatic.

The idea of a sub-Request, falling somewhere between a Human Task and a Request isn't invalid in itself, but the sole point of an Auto Task is to click a button and it does "stuff"

You could, of course, be creative and use a Human Task to gather the information, and populate Custom Fields within the Request with the BPM before clicking the AutoTask button and utilising those fields.

[Berto2002]

One year on, I wonder if any other customers would welcome enhancement in this area: Enhancing the Autotask functionality to be more of an on-demand sub-workflow that can accept, update and process variables.

I believe this will be very powerful. The main reason to have it would be to enable execution of operations any time in the lifecycle of the Request where the chronological nature of the main Request Workflow/BPM normally only allows those operations at certain points in time. The example of booking a calendar appointment is good: you cannot predict when it will be possible due to the variable of when the customer replies with availability so an ability for an on-demand 'task' to pop an input box and use that input to update a Request variable field/custom field and then operate on it would be very useful

[Steve Giller]

If your requirement is something to capture information to pass on to a Workflow, we have that available already.

Instead of a Custom Button launching an Auto Task you can achieve this with a Custom Button that is a link to a CI, raising a simple, single-form Intelligent Capture for the required date and any description or notes, with a Workflow behind the Request that automates the process and closes itself off.