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Actioning a Request

Once you have completed all of the necessary information in the Request Details window, you can action the request in a number of ways. All requests must be authorized, though this can be set up at template or request level. Then you can save, forward, defer or complete the request, as appropriate.

Authorizing the Request

For the request to be active, it must first be authorized.

Unless the workflow template on which the request is based was pre-authorized and Authorization was selected on the Workflow Management Settings window, you must manually authorize the request:

If Authorization was selected on the Workflow Management Settings window but the workflow template was not pre-authorized, select the Authorization explorer option on the Request Details window.
If Authorization was not selected on the Workflow Management Settings window, the request will be authorized as soon as you click Save (whether the workflow template was pre-authorized or not).

Tasks added to a pre-authorized request or to a request after it is authorized must also be authorized.

When an analyst logs a request, if the analyst has manager rights, then they are set as the request manager of that request. If the logging analyst does not have manager rights, then the request manager will be the authorizer, in the case where the template is pre-authorized, or the template creator, in the case where the template is not pre-authorized.

If a user logs a request through the Portal or an analyst without Manager rights in their Workflow Management security role logs a request through the main application or the Portal, the request manager will be set to the analyst who authorizes the request and the tasks within the request will be forwarded to the request recipient.

Saving a Request

The Save button is used to save any information that you have entered on the request while keeping the Request Details window open. This is useful when you are working on a request over a period of time to save the information you have entered so that it does not get lost (such as in the event of a power failure).

If you want to save the information you have added and then close the Request Details window, you should click Defer. This allows you to save and close the request to work on it later.

Deferring a Request

The Defer option is used when you wish to record an action you have taken, or expenses etc. but are not ready to complete a request and do not need to forward it. When deferring a request, the request details and the actions taken to complete it are saved but action is temporarily postponed. This is useful, for example, if you are not ready to complete a request but do not need to forward it to another analyst at the present time.

On the Request Details window, click Defer. The Defer Request <Request Number> window is displayed.
Select the reason that best describes why you are deferring the request in the Request Status list.
To suspend the request, select the Suspended option and specify the date and time until when to suspend the request. Requests that are suspended can be viewed using the Suspended Requests filter on the Requests Outstanding window.

All tasks linked to a suspended request appear in the Suspended Tasks view of the Tasks Outstanding window for the analysts to whom the tasks are assigned. This is regardless to whether the tasks are active, inactive, authorized, or unauthorized.

Click OK to defer the request and close the window or Back to Main to return to the Request Details window without deferring the request.
The request details and history are updated. The request remains in your Requests Outstanding window.

Forwarding a Request Internally

If you cannot complete a request, the request can be forwarded to another analyst or support group within the same organization.

You can forward a request in two different situations:

To forward an existing request to an Analyst or group, use the Internal explorer option or button on the Request Details window for a request, as described below.
To assign an Analyst or group as the manager of a template, select the Assign button on the Workflow Template Details window for a workflow template

When a request is forwarded to another analyst or group, the forwarding analyst or group remains the owner of all tasks within the request. Ownership remains with the forwarding analyst when a task is already active beforehand.

Assigned tasks are also forwarded to their assigned analysts, while unassigned tasks are not forwarded to any analyst.

On the Request Details window, click Internal. The Forward Request <Request Number> Internally window is displayed.
Complete the details.

Select Analyst/Group

Use the radio buttons to select an analyst or group to receive the request. Double-clicking the name of a group or analyst immediately forwards the request to that analyst or group.

Analysts

to view all support analysts in your system. To view the groups to which an analyst belongs, click the

symbol next to the analyst’s name. In this view, even if you click a group to which an analyst belongs, the request is still forwarded to the selected analyst and not the group.

Groups

to view all workflow groups that you have access to and that are linked to the partition in which the request was created.

It is possible to forward requests to empty groups (groups with no analysts assigned to them). This can be useful as a way to control workflow. Analysts with access to all requests in their respective security role would be able to action these requests.

Analysts By Groups

to view a list of all analysts according to the workflow group(s) to which they belong. To view a list of analysts in a group, click the

symbol next to the group’s name. An analyst who belongs to multiple groups is displayed more than once in the list. In this view, you can select to forward the request either to a particular analyst or to an entire group.

Status

Select the situation that best reflects the current state of the request in the drop-down list.

The Request Status can also be set automatically when a task is closed. The status to which the request will be set can be specified when a workflow template is created, and tasks are added to it.

When a request is actioned, other Analysts cannot update the Request Status because this status will be overridden when the request analyst defers or saves the request.

Action cannot be taken on approvals when the linked request has been actioned by an Analyst

Suspended

To suspend the request, select the option and specify the date and time until when to suspend the request.

Suspending requests enables you to view these requests through the Suspended Requests filter on the Requests Outstanding window. When the suspension time has passed, the request returns to the Requests Outstanding list. If Email at Unsuspension and/or Pager at Unsuspension are selected under Workflow Management on the Messaging administration window, an email and/or pager message are sent when the request is unsuspended.

If you suspend a request, all tasks linked to the request will be displayed in the Suspended Tasks view of the Tasks Outstanding window for the analysts to whom the tasks are assigned. This is regardless to whether the tasks are active or inactive.

Email must be selected on the Messaging window for this option to be enabled.

Select to send an email to the analyst or group to whom you are forwarding the request.

If you are forwarding the request to an MMA analyst or a group whose members are MMA analysts, an email is sent, whether or not you select Email on the Request Internally window.

Pager

Pager must be selected on the Messaging window for this option to be enabled.

Select to send a pager message to the analyst or group to whom you are forwarding the request.

Click OK to forward the request and close the window, or Back to Main to return to the Request Details window without forwarding the request.

Unless the request is suspended, the forwarded request appears on the Requests Outstanding window for both you and the receiving analyst or group:

On your Requests Outstanding window, the request displays a physical status of Forward Internally.
On the Requests Outstanding window of the receiving analyst or group, the request displays a physical status of Forward To You or Forward to Your Group.

The request stops being displayed in your Requests Outstanding window as soon as the receiving analyst or a member of the receiving group actions the request.

Bulk Forwarding Requests

Before you start

The Request Bulk Forward option must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management security role

Rather than having to forward requests to an analyst or group one at a time, vFire Core provides the option of forwarding multiple requests simultaneously.

Use the Ctrl and/or Shift keys to select the requests you want to forward on the Request Search or Requests Outstanding window.
Click . The Bulk Forward Requests window is displayed.
Complete the details.

Forward to	Select the analyst or group you want to forward the requests to.
Description	Enter any details relating to the requests
Request Status	Select the situation that best reflects the current state of the request
Security	The Security field is only visible if security profiles are enabled and you have access to more than one security profile. Use the drop-down list to specify which security profile you want to apply to these requests.
Portal	Select to enable users to view these requests through the vFire Self Service portal.
Email	Select to send an email to the analyst or group to whom you are forwarding the requests.
Internal Message	Select to send a system message to all analysts logged into the system
Pager	Select to send a pager message to the analyst or group to whom you are forwarding the requests

Select OK to forward the requests to the intended analyst or group, or Cancel not to forward the requests.

Unassigning a Request Manager

If you have reached the Workflow Template Forward window by clicking the Assign button on a template, an Unassign button is displayed on the window after the request is assigned to an analyst. To unassign a request, select the current managing analyst/group from the list and click Unassign to remove them as the default manager for this template.

Completing a Request

When all the tasks in a request have been completed or if a decision has been made to no longer continue the implementation of a request, the request manager can complete the current request.

Any completed requests will no longer appear in any Requests Outstanding windows; however, they can still be accessed when performing a search for requests.

On the Request Details window, click Complete. The Request <Request Number> Completion window is displayed.
Complete the implementation details, as necessary. Scroll down to the Implementation Details section to set the actions and states when this task is triggered/completed.

Automated	This field is only available at template level and is automatically selected to indicate that the closure task will be completed automatically. Deselect if you want it to be a manual procedure.
Implementation Script	Key in any additional information. The information entered in this field will be displayed on the Request Implementation window after the request is completed.
Implementation State	For an implementation state to be displayed in the Request Completion window, it must be linked to an implementation profile. If an implementation profile is deleted and had implementation states linked to it, the linked states are not available for selection. Select the situation which best reflects the state of implementation upon completion (such as Implementation Successful, Implementation Unsuccessful, etc.) from the drop-down list.
Implementation Profile	Specify a value for the field (such as Cancelled, Implemented, etc).
Implementation Review Date	This field is not visible at template level. Specify a date and time when you wish the implementation of this request to be reviewed. You can use Implementation Dates as search criteria on the Request Search window to look for requests that need a review of their implementation.
Status	Select the reason that best describes the state of the request at closure such as Request Completed, Request Rejected, In Progress, etc.) If Set Request Completion Status on Task Closure is selected on the Workflow Management Settings window, the completion status of a request is set automatically when a linked task is closed. The status to which the request must be set can be configured when you create your workflow template and add tasks to it. When a request is actioned, this prevents other analysts from updating the request status because, when the request analyst saves or defers the request, the request status will be overridden and any changes made by other analysts will not be saved. This field is only displayed when you define tasks in the template.
Details	Add a short description of the request closure.
Email User	Select to send an email to the user who logged the request. The option is only enabled if Email to Users is selected on the Messaging window. If the user is linked to an analyst, the email will be sent to the email address specified in the Person Details window for the analyst The email only includes the details entered in the Actions & Solutions field if Portal is selected on the field and the user has full access to the vFire Self Service portal.
Email Owner of Linked Case	Select to send an email to the manager of any linked requests and/or the current analyst of any linked calls that the current request is completed.
Page Owner of Linked Case	Select to send a pager message to the manager of any linked requests and/or the current analyst of any linked calls that the current request is completed.

Click OK to complete the request or Back to Main to cancel.
If there are tasks within the request that are still open (that is, that are not completed) or if the request has not been authorized for closure, one or more closure alert windows are displayed. Click Yes to continue with completion of the request; otherwise, click No to go back to the Request Details window.

Once a request has been completed, the Implementation button appears on the Request Details window, which takes you to the Request Implementation window with details of the implementation. This window is the same as the Complete Request window. These details cannot be edited because the request has been closed.

If you have a Closure task included in your workflow and you have specified additional information in the Implementation Script field of that task, this additional information is displayed in the Request Implementation window in the Details field.

For this update to happen, the Request Details window must not be open at the time when the Closure task is completed.

A completed request is still available for searching through the Request Search window by selecting the Closed filter. In addition, a request may also be reopened if necessary.

Viewing the Implementation Details

Once a request has been completed and you open the Request Details window, an Implementation button is displayed at the bottom of the window. Select it to view the details of the implementation. This window is the same as the Request Completion window except that the details are read-only (since the request has been closed).

If you have a Closure Task included in your workflow and you have specified additional information in the Implementation Script field of that task, this additional information is displayed in the Details field.

For this information to display properly, the Request Details window must not be open when the Closure task is completed.