Priority Rules

Priority rules define the relative importance of a work item in a workflow. They calculate a numerical value for a work item and assign it to the Priority field for the work item. The higher the number of points, the higher the priority for the work item.

When a trigger event occurs, a priority rule evaluates a work item field or attribute and assigns a number of points to the work item based on the field’s value or range of values. For example, you define the following priority rule that triggers when an operator updates a work item and is based on the After Update event:

XTRAC assigns 15 points to a 12-day work item whose amount is $20,000 (5 points for being 10-20 business days old and 10 points for having an amount between $10,000 and $50,000). If the same work item was 4 business days old, it would be assigned 11 priority points.

Priority rules that are defined for any node apply to all of the work items in all of the queues that are attached to that node (unless specifically defined in a rule condition for a particular queue). You can assign multiple priority rules to a node.

Priority rules use an organization’s business calendar. XTRAC Technical Services sets up the business calendar during installation.

The business calendar defines what days of the week are business days and the length of each business day.

By default, XTRAC applies the following sort order to work items:

• Highest priority first
• Ascending entry date
• Work item number, oldest item first

For example, consider the following work items:

Priority rules determine the order that work items display to the operator in both work list mode and work feed mode. However, if work selection rules are in effect for a node, queue, or operator, XTRAC uses those rules to order work items instead of priority rules. See Work Selection Rules.

IMPORTANT: For general XTRAC rule information, see XTRAC Rules.

Creating a Priority Rule

Note: To define a priority rule, you need the Create and Priority Rule security functions as part of the security group that is associated with your entitlement set.

To create a priority rule

1. In Feature Explorer, click Rules > Priority Rules.
2. In the Priority Rule Summary window, from the Node drop-down list box, select the node where you want to create the new rule.
3. Click New.
4. In the Priority Rule Detail window, in the Description field, type a description for the rule (up to 60 characters).
5. From the Event drop-down list box, select the event that you want to use.
6. Build the rule condition by selecting the fields, criteria, and values.

See Rule Conditions and Building a Rule Condition.

Note: To have priority points that are associated with a range of business days (a work item is between 1 and 9 business days old), add the following rule conditions:

• CreateBusinessDays > 1
• CreateBusinessDays < 9

7. Click Action.
8. In the Action tab, enter the number of priority points.
9. (Optional) In the Change Request ID field, type the ID of the change request (up to 30 characters).
10. (Optional) In the Memo field, type the reason for creating the rule (up to 60 characters).
11. Click Save.

XTRAC saves the rule, numbers it, and appends it to the bottom of the sequence list on the Priority Rule Summary window.

12. Specify the order that XTRAC executes the rules in.

See Ordering Rules.

13. Specify the node and rule association.

See Using Rules Stored at Another Node.

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