Schedule Behaviour for Auto-Launching Cases
Last updated
Last updated
This section describes how the system behaves when it comes to auto-creation of Case work items based upon schedule dates that have been uploaded into Builder. Specifically, it explains when the system does - and does not - create new Case work items retrospectively for schedule rows where the Start Date is in the past (which can occur is e.g. a Schedule with dates is paused and then resumed at a later point, or if historic dates are loaded into the sytem.
The logic which underpins this is explained, and a number of specific scenarios are described to help highlight how this determines system behaviour.
The underlying logic which determines when the system does and does not launch a Case work item based on a schedule centres on the date that a Case process version is set live when it is linked to a schedule and is set to auto-start work items. The rules are as follows:
If a Case version has the 'Autostart by Schedule' set to OFF will never automatically start any Case work items when it gets set live.
When a Case version has 'Autostart by Schedule' set to ON and is linked to a Schedule, the system will kick off a Case for any unlaunched rows which have a Start Date AFTER the date that Case process version was set live*. The schedule must be in a state of running for the cases to be created.
In that scenario, if the schedule gets paused then when it is set to resume it WILL retrospectively create Cases for any schedule rows with a Start Date AFTER that key Case process version set live date.
Anything with a Start Date BEFORE that key data will never auto-launch a Case.
Future-dated rows will also obviously kick off a new Case work item when their start date is reached.
*This logic for launching a Case for historic schedule rows is true no matter when that schedule row is added - i.e. if it existed at the point where the Case process version was set live, or even if it is subsequently added to the Schedule after that point.
The following infographic explains how the system determines whether or not to auto-launch a Case based on linked schedule row dates.
| Scenario | Sytem Behaviour | Example |
|---|---|---|
A Schedule exists and is running. A case process is currently linked to the schedule, with 'Autostart by Schedule' ON. The Case process then gets set live.
The system will generate new Case work Items each time it hits a schedule row with today's date as its Start Date. All rows with a Start Date before the data this Case process version was set live will be ignored.
A schedule has 12 rows for 2023, each with a start date of 1st of the month. It gets created on Dec 31st 2022 and is set running, and is linked to a Case process with Autostart set to ON. As each schedule row's start date is hit on the 1st of each month, the system will create a new Case work item.
A Schedule exists and is running. A case process is currently linked to the schedule, with 'Autostart by Schedule' OFF. The Case process then gets set live.
No Case work items will be automatically generated by the system, no matter what their Start Date is.
A schedule has 12 rows for 2023, each with a start date of 1st of the month. It gets created on Dec 31st 2022 and is set running, and is linked to a Case process with Autostart set to ON. The system does not auto-generate any Case work items as each Start Date on the schedule is reached throughout the year.* *Note: If someone creates a new version of the Case process where they switch Autostart to ON, on setting that process version live, the system will not retrospectively create any Cases from beforehand.
A Schedule exists and is running. A case process is currently linked to the schedule, with 'Autostart by Schedule' ON, but the schedule is put on Pause after 2 periods. The Schedule then gets resumed (after enough time has passed that there are some rows which would have been automatically started if it had been running during that period).
On the schedule resuming, the system will retrospectively launch new Case work items for the now historic schedule rows, i.e. those with a Start Date which passed during the period the schedule was on pause, and which never had a Case created for them. In summary: it will catch up.
A schedule has 12 rows for 2023, each with a start date of 1st of the month. It gets created on Dec 31st 2022 and is set running, and is linked to a Case process with Autostart set to ON.
The system autogenerates a new Case work item on Jan 1st and Feb 1st.
The schedule is then put on pause from Feb 5th to April 5th, at which point it is resumed. The system will create retrospective Cases for the missed March 1st and April 1st schedule rows. When it hits May 1st it will create a new Case, and so on throughout the year.
A schedule exists and is currently Paused. A NEW Case process gets created, gets linked to that schedule, with 'Autostart by Schedule' set to ON, and the Case gets set to Live. The Schedule then gets set to resume.
After resuming, the system will ignore any unlaunched historic rows which have a start date before the date that Case process version was set to live. It will create Cases for any historic rows with a start date after that Case process version was set to live. Ongoing, it will start new Case work items each time it hits a schedule row with today's date as its Start Date
A schedule has 12 rows for 2023, each with a start date of 1st of the month. It gets created on Jan 1st but is set on Pause.
On April 10th a Case process gets linked to that Schedule, with Autostart on, and gets set live on April 10th.
On May 15th the Schedule is resumed. The system will create a retrospective Case for the missed May 1st schedule row, but will ignore all the previous schedule rows. When it hits June 1st it will create a new Case, and so on throughout the year.
