NetResults Tracker
Managing Workflows

Overview

Tracker allows you to customize workflows to match your organization's procedure for processing records. A workflow process is a set of steps, represented by states and transitions. Each record will move through the workflow steps to be processed by various users who enter information into the record throughout the process. Any number of workflows and states may be defined. Each state may have one or more transitions. A state group is a collection of states that can be used in workflow settings, transitions and reports. A transition is a path from one state to another state.

A Default Workflow is created in each workgroup. The name of the default workflow depends on the template that was used to create the workgroup. For example, the Product Development template has the "Product Development Issue Process" created by default and the Help Desk template has the "Help Desk Ticket Process" created by default. Information about the default settings in a particular template can be found in the template list in the Putting It All Together section.

The following sections describe aspects of the Workflow Customization in detail:

Managing Workflows
States
Transitions
Forms
Email Rules

Before customizing your workflow, it may be helpful to review the Tracking Defects with Tracker section to get a feel for how the workflow settings interact with other areas in Tracker.

Managing Workflows

Multiple workflows can be created and managed in the Manage Workflows section. By default, a single workflow called "Default Workflow" is configured in a workgroup.

To view the properties of a workflow:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. By default the Default Workflow's properties will be displayed. To view another workflow's properties, select a workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.

    The workflow properties include the states that are part of the workflow, the transitions available in each state, the forms which use the workflow and the email rules in effect for the workflow.

    Click on the Expand All link to the right of the workflow name to expand all of the sub-sections of the workflow. Click on the Collapse button to collapse the expanded sub-sections. The sub-sections include:

Please note: In the Manage Workflows section, a "+" icon is available for expanding sub-sections and a "-" icon is available for collapsing sub-sections.

Adding a Workflow

To add a workflow:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Click on the Add Workflow button
  5. Enter a name for the workflow in the Workflow Name field. Select the forms which can use this workflow in the Make Available To Forms field
  6. Click OK to save the new workflow
  7. Click OK to view and manage the properties of the newly added workflow or click Set States to add states to the newly added workflow

Editing a Workflow Name

To edit the name of a workflow:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Edit button to the right of the Workflows pulldown
  6. Edit the name of the workflow in the Workflow Name field
  7. Click OK to save the change
  8. Click OK when the change is confirmed

Deleting a Workflow

A workflow can only be deleted if it is not currently being used by any project.

To delete a workflow:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Delete button to the right of the Workflows pulldown
  6. Click OK to confirm the operation
  7. If there were no projects using the workflow you are deleting, a warning will be displayed to note that by deleting the workflow all of its Transitions, Form Settings (such as Default Add State Settings, Email Common Content, Alerts) and Outgoing Email Rules will be permanently removed. Click OK to proceed.
  8. Click OK when the confirmation page is displayed

    If any projects are currently using the workflow you are deleting, you will be prompted to either change the workflow being used by the project or remove the form using this workflow from the project.

    To change the workflow being used by the project:

    1. Click on the Admin icon
    2. Click on the Manage Projects button
    3. In the Projects pulldown, select the project using the workflow you wish to delete
    4. In the Forms section, locate the form using the workflow you wish to delete
    5. Click on the Change link to the right of the Workflow field
    6. Select another workflow in the Workflow pulldown and click OK to save this change. Another workflow may not be available for selection depending on how your forms are configured. If another workflow is not available for selection, proceed to the steps below to remove the form from the project instead.
    7. Repeat the steps above starting with To delete a workflow to delete the workflow

    To remove the form from the project:

    1. Click on the Admin icon
    2. Click on the Manage Projects button
    3. In the Projects pulldown, select the project using the workflow you wish to delete
    4. Click on the Manage link to the right of the Forms section
    5. Click on the form, then click on the Remove button
    6. Click OK to confirm the operation
    7. A warning will be displayed to note that by removing the form from the project all records for this project that were created using this form will be permanently removed (along with related information such as History, Attachments, Record Security, Source Code Files, Alerts, Discussion Threads, etc.) as well as the form's State Manager and Incoming Email settings. Click OK to proceed.
    8. Click OK when the confirmation is displayed
    9. Repeat the steps above starting with To delete a workflow to delete the workflow

Setting a Default Workflow

You can select which workflow you would like to see by default when you go to the Manage Workflows page in the Admin section.

To set the default workflow:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow you wish to make the default in the Workflows pulldown at the top
  5. Click on the Set as Default button to the right of the Workflows pulldown. If the Set as Default button is not available, this indicates that the workflow is already set as the default workflow.

States

The states included in a workflow are managed in the States section.

To manage states:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Manage link to the right of States for the workflow you wish to modify
  6. The states in the States In Use column are states currently used by the selected workflow. The states in the States Not In Use column are states that are not currently used by the selected workflow. The states available for selection in the States Not In Use column are created in the Workflow States section.

    To add a state to the workflow, click on a state in the States Not In Use column, then click on the Add button. To remove a state from the workflow, click on the state in the States In Use column, then click on the Remove button.

  7. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section or click on a state and click on the Transitions button to manage the transitions for a state. Details about managing transitions can be found in the Workflow Transitions Help section.

Transitions

Expanding a state listed in the States section for a workflow will display the state's Next States, Transitions, Transition properties, Task Fields and Alerts. Next States are states selected as the "New State" for a transition configured in the selected state. For example, if you have expanded the "Reported" state and it has a transition that will move records to the "Scheduled" state, The Scheduled state will be listed in "Next States" for the Reported state.

In the Transitions section of a state, there are links available for a detailed view of all of the transitions for a given state, editing a particular transition, managing task fields and editing Alerts settings from the Manage Workflows section.

To see a detailed view of all of the transitions for a given state:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" to the left of a state to expand it.
  6. Click on the Manage link to the right of Transitions to see a detailed view of the transitions configured for the state. Information for about this detailed view of the transitions can be found in the Workflow Transitions Help section.

To edit a particular transition:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" to the left of a state to expand it
  6. Click on the Edit button to the right of the transition you wish to modify Details for editing a transition can be found in the Workflow Transitions Help section.

To manage the task fields for a transition:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" to the left of a state to expand it
  6. Click on the "+" to the left of a transition to expand it
  7. Click on the Manage link to the right of Task Fields for the transition you wish to modify. Details for managing task fields can be found in the Workflow Transitions Help section.

To edit the alerts settings for a transition:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" to the left of a state to expand it
  6. Click on the "+" to the left of a transition to expand it
  7. Click on the Edit link to the right of Alerts for the transition you wish to modify. Details for editing alerts settings can be found in the Alerts Help section.

Forms

The forms in use by a workflow are managed in the Forms section.

To manage forms:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Manage link to the right of Forms
  6. Any forms currently in use by the selected workflow will be displayed in the Forms In Use column. Any forms available for selection will be displayed in the Forms Not In Use column. The forms that are listed in the Forms Not In Use column are created in the Manage Forms Help section.

    To add a form to be used by the workflow, click on the form in the Forms Not In Use column, then click on the Add button. To remove a form from being used by the workflow, click on the form in the Forms In Use column, then click on the Remove button.

  7. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section or click on a form in the Forms In Use column and click on the Add State, Email Content or Alert buttons to modify the form's properties.

Properties of Forms

Expanding a form in the Forms section of a workflow will display the form's Default Add State Settings, Email Common Content and Alerts settings. You can configure Default Add State Settings, Email Content and Alerts for the form or configure each section based on each option menu item in a pulldown field.

Default Add State Settings

A form's Default Add State Settings determine what states are available and what state is selected by default in the Status field on the Add form. Default Add State Settings can be configured for a form or based on each option menu item in a particular pulldown.

To manage the Default Add State Settings for a form:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the Manage link to the right of Default Add State Settings
  7. The Default Add State settings for the form will be displayed.

    If a <Pulldown Name> <Default> Default Add State Settings field is displayed (where <Pulldown Name> is the selected pulldown), this indicates that the default add state settings are set based on the option menu item selected in a particular pulldown field. If the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Default Add State Settings field is not displayed, this indicates that the Default Add State Settings are not different for each option menu item in a pulldown (the Default Add State Settings will be the same for all records added with this combination of Project and Form). The <Pulldown Name> <Default> Default Add State Settings field can be set using the Edit Based On link in the Manage Workflows section.

    Select an option in the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Default Add State Settings field to set the Default Add State Settings that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. When selecting an option in this field, the page will be refreshed to display the Default Add State Settings that correspond to that selection.

    The <Pulldown Name> Values field contains the following options:

    • <Default>
      Selecting this option will allow you to choose the Default Add State Settings that will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). When this option is selected, the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Default Add State Settings that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    • Option Menu Items for the Based On pulldown
      Each option menu item configured for the pulldown field selected in the Based On field will be listed. Selecting an option menu item will allow you to set the Default Add State Settings that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Default Add State Settings configured for <Default> to be filled into the Default Add State Settings for the option menu item selected.

    The Allowed Add States option allows you to select a state group to limit the states to which a newly record can be routed. When Based On is set to "None" and a record is added using the selected form, the Status field will only display the states that are included in the state group selected in the Allowed Add States option. When Based On is set to a pulldown field and a record is added using the selected form and the option menu item in the <Pulldown Name> values field, the Status field will only display the states that are included in the state group selected in the Allowed Add States option. State Groups can be configured in the Workflow States section.

    The Default Add State option allows you to select to which state a newly added record will be routed by default. When Based On is set to "None" and a record is added using the selected form, the default selection in the Status field will be the state selected in the Default Add State option. When Based On is set to a pulldown field and a record is added using the selected form and the option menu item in the <Pulldown Name> values field, the default selection in the Status field will be the state selected in the Default Add State option.

  8. Click OK to save the selections

Another way to reach the configuration page for the Default Add State Settings for a form is:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Manage link to the right of Forms
  6. Click on a form in the Forms In Use column
  7. Click on the Add State button
  8. The Default Add State settings for the form will be displayed. The options available on this page are explained in the section above.

To edit the pulldown that the Default Add State Settings are based on:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the Edit Based On link to the right of Default Add State Settings
  7. Select a pulldown in the Based on Pulldown so that you can configure different Default Add State Settings for each option menu item in this pulldown
  8. Click OK to save your selection
  9. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section or click Set Default Add State Settings to configure the settings for each option menu item in the selected pulldown

To edit the default add state properties for a specific pulldown option menu item:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the "+" icon to the left of Default Add State Settings
  7. Click on the Edit link to the right of the pulldown option menu item
  8. The Default Add State Settings for the selected option menu item will be displayed.

    If you are editing the settings for the option menu item <Default>, the Default Add State Settings displayed will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). The option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available when editing the settings for <Default>. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Default Add State Settings that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    If you are editing the settings for an option menu item in the pulldown, the Default Add State Settings displayed will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Default Add State Settings configured for <Default> to be filled into the Default Add State Settings for the option menu item selected.

    The Allowed Add States option allows you to select a state group to limit the states to which a newly record with the selected option menu item can be routed. The Status field will only display the states that are included in the state group selected in the Allowed Add States option. State Groups can be configured in the Workflow States section.

    The Default Add State option allows you to select to which state a newly added record with the selected option menu item will be routed by default. The default selection in the Status field will be the state selected in the Default Add State option.

  9. Click OK to save the selections
  10. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section

Email Common Content

Email Common Content are the parts of the email message that will be included in outgoing email notifications sent for records added using the selected form. A Greeting, Introduction and Signature are available in the Email Common Content for each form.

To manage the Email Common Content for a form:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the Manage link to the right of Email Common Content
  7. The Email Common Content settings for the form will be displayed.

    If the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Common Content field is displayed (where <Pulldown Name> is the selected pulldown), this indicates that the email common content can be set differently for each option menu item in a particular pulldown field. If the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Common Content field is not displayed, this indicates that the Email Common Content settings are not different for each option menu item in a pulldown (the Email Common Content Settings will be the same for all records added with this combination of Project and Form). The <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Common Content field can be set using the Edit Based On link in the Manage Workflows section.

    Select an option in the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Common Content field to set the Email Common Content that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. When selecting an option in this field, the page will be refreshed to display the Email Common Content that correspond to that selection.

    The <Pulldown Name> Values field contains the following options:

    • <Default>
      Selecting this option will allow you to choose the Email Common Content that will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). When this option is selected, the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Email Common Content that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    • Option Menu Items for the Based On pulldown
      Each option menu item configured for the pulldown field selected in the Based On field will be listed. Selecting an option menu item will allow you to set the Email Common Content that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Email Common Content configured for <Default> to be filled into the Email Common Content for the option menu item selected.

    Variables can be used when customizing the Email Common Content. The Email Greeting is the first line of the body of email notification message, e.g. "Hello Sue Smith,".

    The Email Introduction is a few lines in the body of the email notification message to introduce the email, e.g. a sentence or two to let the user know this is an automated response from Tracker.

    The Email Signature is the last section of the body of the email notification message, typically used for the signature at the bottom of the email, e.g. contact information.

  8. Click OK to save the selections

Another way to reach the configuration page for the Email Common Content of a form is:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Manage link to the right of Forms
  6. Click on a form in the Forms In Use column
  7. Click on the Email Content button
  8. The Email Common Content settings for the form will be displayed. The options available are described in the section above.

To edit the pulldown that the Email Common Content is based on:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the Edit Based On link to the right of Email Common Content
  7. Select a pulldown in the Based on Pulldown so that you can configure different Email Common Content for each option menu item in this pulldown
  8. Click OK to save your selection
  9. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section or click Set Email Common Content Settings to configure the settings for each option menu item in the selected pulldown

To edit the email common content for a specific pulldown option menu item:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the "+" icon to the left of Email Common Content
  7. Click on the Edit link to the right of the pulldown option menu item
  8. The Email Common Content settings for the selected option menu item will be displayed

    If you are editing the settings for the option menu item <Default>, the Email Common Content settings displayed will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). The option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Email Common Content that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    If you are editing the settings for for an option menu item in the pulldown, the Email Common Content settings displayed will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Email Common Content configured for <Default> to be filled into the Email Common Content for the option menu item selected.

    Variables can be used when customizing the Email Common Content. The Email Greeting is the first line of the body of email notification message, e.g. "Hello Sue Smith,".

    The Email Introduction is a few lines in the body of the email notification message to introduce the email, e.g. a sentence or two to let the user know this is an automated response from Tracker.

    The Email Signature is the last section of the body of the email notification message, typically used for the signature at the bottom of the email, e.g. contact information.

  9. Click OK to save the selections
  10. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section

Alerts

Alert settings for a form determine when alert email notifications will be triggered when records are added to Tracker. The alert settings can also be set based on the option menu item selected in a particular field when a record is added (e.g. Product, Priority, Severity or any pulldown field you customize). The alert settings configured for a form can be applied automatically as records are added to the system or you can allow the end users to view and make changes to the alert settings when adding a record.

To manage the alert settings for a form:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the Manage link to the right of Alerts.
  7. The Alert settings for the form will be displayed.

    If a <Pulldown Name> <Default> Alert Settings field is displayed (where <Pulldown Name> is the selected pulldown), this indicates that the Alert settings can be set differently for each option menu item in the selected pulldown. If the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Alert Settings field is not displayed, this indicates that the Alert settings are not different for each option menu item in a pulldown (the Alert settings will be the same for all records added with this combination of Project and Form). The <Pulldown Name> <Default> Alert Settings field can be set using the Edit Based On link in the Manage Workflows section.

    Select an option in the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Alert Settings field to set the Alert settings that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. When selecting an option in this field, the page will be refreshed to display the Alert settings that correspond to that selection.

    The <Pulldown Name> Values field contains the following options:

    • <Default>
      Selecting this option will allow you to choose the Alert settings that will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). When this option is selected, the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Alert settings that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    • Option Menu Items for the Based On pulldown
      Each option menu item configured for the pulldown field selected in the Based On field will be listed. Selecting an option menu item will allow you to set the Alert settings that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Alert settings configured for <Default> to be filled into the Alert settings for the option menu item selected.

    Set Alert
    Selecting Yes indicates an alert should be generated for a newly added record using the selected form and if applicable, the selected pulldown value.

    Send Alert
    The period of time that should pass before the alert is sent. You can enter a number from 1 - 99, select the interval (hour, day, week, or month), select "before" or "after" as the point of reference for the alert, and a starting point for the time period. The starting point can be "<Now>", or can be based on any of the date fields in the record.
    Example 1: By entering "1 day after <Now>", the alert will be sent 1 day after the record is added.
    Example 2: By entering "1 day before <Date Field>", the alert will be sent 1 day before the date entered in the date field selected.

    If a date field is selected as the date to generate an alert and this date field has no value in a record, an alert will not be generated. If a date field is selected as the date to generate an alert and this date field is later removed from the record (deleted in the Manage Fields section, then <Now> will be set as the date to generate an alert (to replace the date field that was removed).

    Repeat options
    Check the box to allow the alert to be sent multiple times after the initial time period (in Send Alert field above) has passed. Select the repeat period by entering a number from 1 - 99 and the interval (hour, day, week, month). Then, select how many times the alert should be repeated. Select either Stop after X alerts where X is a number from 1 - 10 or Repeat forever. Repeat forever will continue to repeat the alert periodically until the state of the record is changed.

    Send Alerts To
    Click on the groups and / or users who should receive the alert messages. To select multiple users and / or groups, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on each user and group you would like to select.

    Show Alert settings during the Add operation
    Selecting Yes indicates that the user should be prompted to select alert settings on the Add page when creating a new record.

    Groups / Users that can edit alert settings during the Add operation
    Click on the groups and / or users that should be allowed to edit the alert settings on the Add page when creating a new record. To select multiple users and / or groups, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on each user and group you would like to select.

  8. Click OK to save the selections

Another way to reach the configuration page for Alert settings for a form is:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Manage link to the right of Forms
  6. Click on a form in the Forms In Use column
  7. Click on the Alert button
  8. The Alert settings for the form will be displayed. The options available are described in the section above.

To edit the pulldown that the Alert settings are based on:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the Edit Based On link to the right of Alert
  7. Select a pulldown in the Based on Pulldown so that you can configure different Alert settings for each option menu item in this pulldown. The fields Status, Assigned To and Reported By are not available for selection. Alerts based on Status can be achieved by configuring Alerts for transitions.
  8. Click OK to save your selection
  9. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section or click Set Default Alert Settings to configure the settings for each option menu item in the selected pulldown

To edit the alerts settings for a specific pulldown option menu item:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the "+" icon to the left of the form you wish to modify
  6. Click on the "+" icon to the left of Alerts
  7. Click on the Edit link to the right of the pulldown option menu item
  8. The current Alert settings for the selected option menu item will be displayed.

    If you are editing the settings for the option menu item <Default>, the Alert settings displayed will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). The option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Alert settings that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    If you are editing the settings for an option menu item in the pulldown, the Alert settings displayed will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Alert settings configured for <Default> to be filled into the Alert settings for the option menu item selected.

    Set Alert
    Selecting Yes indicates an alert should be generated for a newly added record with the selected option menu item.

    Send Alert
    The period of time that should pass before the alert is sent. You can enter a number from 1 - 99, select the interval (hour, day, week, or month), select "before" or "after" as the point of reference for the alert, and a starting point for the time period. The starting point can be "<Now>", or can be based on any of the date fields in the record.
    Example 1: By entering "1 day after <Now>", the alert will be sent 1 day after the record is added.
    Example 2: By entering "1 day before <Date Field>", the alert will be sent 1 day before the date entered in the date field selected.

    If a date field is selected as the date to generate an alert and this date field has no value in a record, an alert will not be generated. If a date field is selected as the date to generate an alert and this date field is later removed from the record (deleted in the Manage Fields section, then <Now> will be set as the date to generate an alert (to replace the date field that was removed).

    Repeat options
    Check the box to allow the alert to be sent multiple times after the initial time period (in Send Alert field above) has passed. Select the repeat period by entering a number from 1 - 99 and the interval (hour, day, week, month). Then, select how many times the alert should be repeated. Select either Stop after X alerts where X is a number from 1 - 10 or Repeat forever. Repeat forever will continue to repeat the alert periodically until the state of the record is changed.

    Send Alerts To
    Click on the groups and / or users who should receive the alert messages. To select multiple users and / or groups, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on each user and group you would like to select.

    Show Alert settings during the Add operation
    Selecting Yes indicates that the user should be prompted to select alert settings on the Add page when creating a new record.

    Groups / Users that can edit alert settings during the Add operation
    Click on the groups and / or users that should be allowed to edit the alert settings on the Add page when creating a new record. To select multiple users and / or groups, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on each user and group you would like to select.

  9. Click OK to save the selections
  10. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section

Viewing and Editing Alert Settings during the Add Operation

In order for the user to view the alert settings when adding a new record, the alert settings for the form used to submit the record must have Show Alert Settings during Add Operation set to "Yes" and the user must be a member of a group with the View Alerts Settings user group privilege. On the Add page, the user meeting the criteria mentioned above will see the Set Alert field with a check box. Checking the box will allow the user to view the alert settings. When the user clicks OK to add a new record, the alert settings will be displayed, but cannot be modified. The Additional Information field can be modified to add a note or other information to be included in the alert notification message. Click OK to save the information entered.

For a user to edit the alert settings when adding a new record, the alert settings for the form used to submit the record must have Show Alert Settings during Add Operation set to "Yes" and the user (or a group of which the user is a member) must be specified in Groups / Users that can edit Alert Settings during the Add operation. On the Add page, the user meeting the criteria mentioned above will see the Set Alert field with a check box. Checking the box will allow the user to edit the alert settings. When the user clicks Add or Add & Copy to add a new record, the alert settings will be displayed. The user can modify the following settings with respect to alerts. By default, the values displayed here will be the values selected in the alert settings for the form used to submit the record.

Basic Information About Email Notifications

The body of a Tracker email notification is divided into seven sections which you can configure. Listed from the top (first line of email body) to the bottom, they are as follows.

  1. Greeting - the first line of the email, e.g. "Hello Sue Smith,". The Greeting is configured in the Email Common Content settings for a form. Whether it is included in the notification message is determined by the "Greeting" Email Content user group privilege.
  2. Introduction - a few lines to introduce the email, e.g. a sentence or two to let the user know this is an automated response from Tracker. The Introduction is configured in the Email Common Content settings for each form. Whether it is included in the notification message is determined by the "Introduction" Email Content user group privilege.
  3. Operation Description - a few lines to describe why this email notification is being sent, e.g. this issue has been assigned to you (the recipient of the email). The Operation Description is configured within each Email Rule for a workflow. Whether it is included in the notification message is determined by the "Operation Description" Email Content user group privilege.
  4. Link - link (URL) to the record in Tracker (record is displayed after you enter your login information). Whether this is included in the notification message is determined by the "Link" Email Content user group privilege.
  5. History Comment - the History Comment that was entered by the user who triggered the email, e.g. comment they entered when using the Edit operation to update a record. Whether this is included in the notification message is determined by the "History Comment" Email Content user group privilege.
  6. Fields - the fields of the record this email notification references. Which fields are included can be limited by User Group in the Field Visibility settings for each field. Whether any fields are included in the notification message is determined by the "Fields" Email Content user group privilege.
  7. Signature - the last section of the email, typically used for the signature at the bottom of the email (contact information). The Signature is configured in the Email Common Content settings for each form. Whether it is included in the notification message is determined by the "Signature" Email Content user group privilege.
The Greeting, Introduction, and Signature can be configured per form. The Subject line of the email as well as the Operation Description part of the email body can be configured per email rule in a workflow. Each workflow can have its own unique set of conditions (defined by the email notification rules) which trigger email notifications. User Group membership (privileges) of the recipient can be used to determine which parts of the email are sent. And, each recipient's personal preferences are used to customize the content of the email they receive. For example, Date/Time fields will be formatted according to the recipient's time zone and date and time format preferences.

Email Rules

Outgoing email notifications can be configured for a workflow using Email Rules. You can configure a set of email rules that are applied to a workflow or you can configure a set of email rules for each option menu item in a pulldown. Review the Basic Information About Email Notifications section for details about the structure of email notification messages.

To manage email rules for a workflow:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Manage link to the right of Email Rules
  6. The Email Rules for the form will be displayed.

    If the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Rules field is displayed (where <Pulldown Name> is the selected pulldown), this indicates that the Email Rules can be set differently based on the option menu item that was selected in the pulldown. If <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Rules field is not displayed, this indicates that the Email Rules are not different for each option menu item in a pulldown (the Email Rules will be the same for all records added with this combination of Project and Form). The pulldown selected in the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Rules field can be set using the Edit Based On link in the Manage Workflows section.

    Select an option in the <Pulldown Name> <Default> Email Rules field to set the Email Rules that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. When selecting an option in this field, the page will be refreshed to display the Email Rules that correspond to that selection.

    The <Pulldown Name> Values field contains the following options:

    • <Default>
      Selecting this option will allow you to choose the Email Rules that will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). When this option is selected, the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Email Rules that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    • Option Menu Items for the Based On pulldown
      Each option menu item configured for the pulldown field selected in the Based On field will be listed. Selecting an option menu item will allow you to set the Email Rules that will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Email Rules configured for <Default> to be filled into the Email Rules for the option menu item selected.

    Decide whether you would like to add, edit or delete an email rule.

  7. Click OK to save the changes

To add an email rule:

  1. Select a Condition (details of each option that can be selected are described in the Options section). Check the Notification Rule List to see if the condition you selected is already on the list. If so, you may wish to edit an existing preference rather than create a new one.
  2. In the Notification List, select the user(s) and / or user group(s) that should receive an email message when the condition occurs. Descriptions of the special user roles such as Assignee, Reporter, etc. can be found in the Notification List section.
  3. Enter information into the Subject field. This text will appear as the Subject line of the email message generated when the condition occurs. Up to 80 characters can be entered as the Subject.
  4. Enter information into the Operation Description field. This text will appear in the body of the email message after the Greeting and Introduction. Up to 255 characters can be entered as the Operation Description (end of line characters do count towards that limit).
  5. For the Subject and Operation Description, you can specify variables so that information from the issue that triggered the email notification is included. For an explanation and example of the variables that can be used, review the Variables section.
  6. Click on the Add Notification button. The email rule will now be displayed in the Notification Rule List. Except when the Notification Rule is selected, it will be displayed with a green background until you click the OK button. This is to let you know that this rule has been added, but has not yet been saved. You can continue to create or modify rules, or you can click the OK button to save your changes.

To edit an email rule:

  1. In the Notification Rule List, click on the Notification Rule you wish to modify, then click on the Edit Notification button (you can also simply double click on the Notification Rule).
  2. The fields in the Notification Rule section will be updated with the information associated with the Notification Rule you selected.
  3. Make changes to the fields in the Notification Rule section.
  4. Click on the Update Notification button. The Notification Rule will be displayed with an orange background color until you click the OK button. This is to let you know that this rule has been edited, but the changes have not yet been saved. You can continue to edit more rules, or you can click the OK button to save your changes.

To delete an email rule:

  1. In the Notification Rule List, click on the preference you wish to delete, then click on the Delete Notification button
  2. Click on the OK button to save this change.

Options Available When Configuring Email Rules

The following options are available when configuring email rules.

Conditions
The Conditions below are the actions that can trigger an email rule to be sent. For all conditions you can select whether the condition applies to records added using a particular form configured for the workflow to which the email rules pertain (by selecting a specific form in the 2nd pulldown in the Condition selection) or to all records added using the workflow to which the email rules pertain (by selecting <Record> in the 2nd pulldown in the Condition selection). The forms available for selection in the 2nd pulldown in the Condition selection are based on the forms that have been associated with this workflow.

Variables that can be used in the Email Content

There are a list of variables that are supported so that you can reference the specific record number, status, assignees when entering the content for email notifications. For example, if you want the Subject line for a rule to say "PRN 31 previously assigned to Development Manager has been re-assigned to Developer One", but since each record has an individual record number and may have various possible users that can be assigned at any point in the process, it is necessary to enter the content using variables. To set the Subject line such that it will enter the relevant PRN and User IDs for each record, enter the following into the Subject field exactly as it appears below:

PRN <number> previously assigned to <old assignee> has been re-assigned to <new assignee>

The variables supported by Tracker are listed below

To specify this information in the email content Enter this variable into the field
record number - PRN <number>
form + record number <formnumber>
form name <form>
project <project>
workgroup name <workgroup>
current user selected in the Assignee field <assignee>
previous user selected in the Assignee field <old assignee>
new user selected in the Assignee field <new assignee>
current state selected in the Status field <status>
previous state selected in the Status field <old status>
new value selected in the Status field <new status>
the current value of the History pulldown <product>
the user selected in the Reporter field <reporter>
the user receiving the email notification message <recipient>
the user whose action triggered the email <action user>

In addition to the variables listed above, you can also include the value of any field in the record (except for TextArea and Date fields) by specifying the Field Name (in all lower case characters) and surrounding the name with < and >. For example, <text1>, <pulldown23>, or <reporter>. To find the Field Name for a particular field, click on the Admin icon, click on the Manage Forms, click on the Fields button, click on the field you wish to use as a variable, then click on the Edit button. Take note of the name listed for "API Field Name". Note: The field name variable must be specified in all lower case characters (e.g. <text1> not <Text1>) to be properly recognized by the Tracker email processor. Special fields like PRN and the History pulldown have variable names that differ from the API Field Name. These exceptions are listed in the table above.

Notification List

The options below are available for selecting which users receive email notification messages for a particular rule.

<Assignee>
The user currently assigned to the record

<Assignee (new)>
The user assigned to the record after a change in the record's Assigned To field has been made. This user is only available for selection in rules for the condition "Change of <Record> Assigned To".

<Assignee (previous)>
The user who was assigned to the record prior to a change made in the record's Assigned To field. This user is only available for selection in rules for the condition "Change of <Record> Assigned To".

<Reporter>
The user who created the record using the Add, Submit Page or Submit via Email feature. When the Reported By field of a record is the "Inet" (Unregistered User), email notification messages are not sent to the Reporter.

<State Manager>
The user who is listed as the manager of the record's current state according to the State Manager settings for the combination of Form and Project set in the record (refer to Managing Projects for more information).

<State Manager (new)>
The user who is listed as the manager of the record's current state according to the State Manager settings for the combination of Form and Project set in the record (refer to Managing Projects for more information) after a change in the record's Status field has been made. This user is only available for selection in rules for the condition "Change of <Record> Status".

<State Manager (previous)>
The user who is listed as the manager of the record's previous state according to the State Manager settings for the combination of Form and Project set in the record (refer to Managing Projects for more information) prior to a change in the record's Status field. This user is only available for selection in rules for the condition "Change of <Record> Status".

<Unregistered User>
This will send email notification messages to the email address saved in the Unregistered User Email field of a record. The rules that will be used to send email notifications to unregistered users depend on the setting for the Send Email Notifications On option in the Unregistered User Options section of the General Preferences page.

User Groups
All user groups in this workgroup will be displayed to be selected for the Notification List

To edit the pulldown that the Email Rules are based on:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Edit Based On link to the right of Email Rules
  6. Select a pulldown in the Based on Pulldown so that you can configure different Email Rule settings for each option menu item in this pulldown
  7. Click OK to save your selection
  8. Click OK to return to the Manage Workflows section or click Set Email Rules to configure the settings for each option menu item in the selected pulldown

To edit the email rules for a specific pulldown option menu item:

  1. Login to the workgroup as Admin
  2. Click on the Admin icon
  3. Click on the Manage Workflows button
  4. Select the workflow in the Workflows pulldown at the top of the page. The page will be refreshed to display the properties of the selected workflow.
  5. Click on the Edit icon to the right of the option menu item
  6. The Email Rules for the form will be displayed.

    If you are editing the settings for the option menu item <Default>, the Email Rules displayed will be applied when new option menu items are added to this pulldown (the pulldown selected in the Based On field). The option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will be available. Checking the box for the option Apply these settings to other <Pulldown Name> values will show a list of the option menu items for the Based On pulldown. Select the option menu item(s) that should inherit the same Email Rules that you have set for <Default>. To select multiple option menu items, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while clicking on the desired option menu items.

    If you are editing the settings for an option menu item in the pulldown, the Email Rules displayed will be applied when records are added to Tracker with this option menu item selected. Click on the Load Defaults button if you wish to have the Email Rules configured for <Default> to be filled into the Email Rules for the option menu item selected.

    Decide whether you would like to add, edit or delete an email rule.

  7. Click OK to save the changes

Automatic Assignment for the Add and Task Operations

The Status and Assignee of a record can be determined automatically when records are created using the Add form or processed using the Task operation. Automatic assignment functions for the Add and Task operations are based on:

Automatic Assignment Guidelines for Add Page

When a field is visible on the Add page, this indicates that the field's visibility settings are configured such that the field is displayed on the Add page when a user creates a new record. Please review the Field Visibility section of the Managing Fields Help section for more information.

Tracker's automatic assignment for a new record is a combination of the values selected for Form, Project, a particular pulldown, Status and Assigned To fields on the Add page. These fields can either be selected by the user on the Add page or selected automatically based on the guidelines described below:

Automatic Assignment Guidelines for the Task Operation

When a record is processed using the Task Operation, the settings in the transition selected determine whether automatic assignment is used.