v3.2  User Guide 29 July 2006

Getting started | Calls | Tasks | Custom Forms | Email | Miscellaneous | Projects | Admin | Install

Tasks

Tasks are the various duties that need to be accomplished to solve the issue raised by a particular call.  Each call must have at least one task allocated to it (unless you log a General Phone Call).  Each call can have multiple tasks allocated to multiple team members.

By default there is a single task open with the same subject and details as the call itself.  It is however possible to have more than one task with different details, assigned to different team members. This allows you to split up the tasks pertaining to a single call.

To edit the current task, click on the folder in the status column that corresponds to the task you wish to edit.

Task Details

You are presented with the details of the task. 

 The data pertaining to the task is different to the overall call:

.     Status: Open, Closed, Re-open

.     Priority: You can change the priority of the task within the call (user configurable in List Management)

·     Allocate Task: You can allocate the task to any staff member as appropriate

.    Progress: You can update the progress of the task eg. New – Unread, Waiting reply (user configurable)

.     Task category: Choose the task category (user configurable)

·    Subject: You can change the subject to a specific task. 

·    Primary Service Note: The primary service note is a little more specific - enter more details.

·    Add Time: Each time you hit the task Update button, 5 minutes default time is added to the task record.  If however you wish to add more time to the task you can do this by entering the amount (in minutes) in the Add time box.  You can also remove time by entering a negative integer.  You can change the default unit of time for each task - see ADMINISTRATION

Service Note

The service note section is where you can write brief notes on the status of the task including people you have spoken to, specific issues that might need addressing or reminders of various aspects of the task.  You should add a new service note each time you attend to something relating to the task.

To add a service note, click on the “Add new service note” button.

Type the details of the note in the appropriate area and click on the “Add New” button.

The “Make this note a Solution” option is malfunctioning and should not be used in this screen.

You will then be returned to the Task Summary screen and your service note should appear in the service note box.  It is possible to edit the service note by clicking on the icon next to the corresponding service note.  The screen is similar to the “add service note” screen.  Click on “Update” when you have finished editing a previously added service note.

A service note can be emailed. Click on the email link beside the service note.

Add New File/Document

Often there is a need to have a screen dump or description of an error that has occurred.  When a user sends you a document such as this you should attach the file to the task that you have.  If it is a screen dump that is more general, attach the file to the call rather than the task.  The process is the same just use the button off the “Call Summary” page rather than the “Task Summary” page.

Click on the Add New File/Document link.

Click on the “Browse…” button to select the document that you wish to add.  Type a short description of what is contained in the file

Click on the “Submit” button.  The file will upload.

You can add more than one document should you wish.

To view the document once it is uploaded, you simply click on the document icon next to the document in question.

Attached files are available to all tasks within a call.

Closing a Task/call

Once you have completed a particular task, you should close the task.  To do this you should click on the task in question.  When you get to the task summary screen, change the status to “Closed” and click on the “Update” button.

Once the last task in the call is closed, the system will ask you if you want to close the call.  If so, you should change the “Close Call” to “Closed” and select a “Close Type”.  Close type may be the same as the original Call type or it may be a different type if, during the investigation you decide the problem was in fact due to another issue.

If you don’t want to close the call then don’t change the “CloseType” to closed.

Click “Update Call” to update the details.

As you can see, once a task is closed, the status is changed to closed.  If you close a call and later need to re-open a call, you can accomplish this by clicking on the “Close /Edit Call” link from the summary screen and selecting the close type as “Re-Open” and updating the call. If you need to re-open a task within a call, you can do this by clicking on the task in question and changing the status to “Re-Open” and clicking on the update button.

Audit Trail

All Tasks and Calls have an audit trail.  This allows you to track what has been done by each user.  To view the audit trail, click on the “Audit” link of the respective page.