Predefined Work Item Fields

Part VI: Fields > Predefined Work Item Fields > Status Types

Predefined Work Item Fields

When operators fill in certain work item fields, they select from the valid values you define for that field. This list of values can include any value for a given field that you have defined within your entire organization or you can define collections of values called value groups that limit the number of values for the field.

For example, without a status value group, an operator selects a status value from all of the status values that are defined in your organization. A value group limits the operator to only the values that apply to the specific item.

Note: Remember that when a work item is routed to another node, that node should have the value specified in the work item as part of its work item rule. If the value is not specified at the other node, XTRAC Workbench displays the invalid value. However, if the operator changes the value, they must choose a valid value.

To see how operators interact with work item fields, see the XTRAC Workbench User Guide.

Note: Before you can create a value group, you must create values for the individual fields.

You can define value groups for the Cause, Communication, Status (Status field and Resolution Group field), Subcause, and Subtype fields.

You can define valid values for the following predefined fields:

Field	Description
Account Type	The account type of the party that is associated with the work item. XTRAC provides five predefined account types: FICL (Fidelity Investments Canada Limited), FPRS (Fidelity Participant Recordkeeping system), H&W (FESCo Health & Welfare system), Other (any other account type), and Retail (Retail Customer Account - CA system). You can define account types that are specific to your organization.
Cause and Subcause	The reason for generating a work item and additional details. For example, the cause value Not In Good Order can indicate that an operator generated a work item because some customer information is incorrect. The subcause value of bad address can indicate the specific information that is missing. Work item rules specify the cause and subcause values that apply to a work item at a particular node.
Communication	The source of a customer request. For example, FAX, letter, or telephone conversation. With work item rules, you can specify the communication values that apply to a work item at a particular node.
Country	A country as part of the address of each involved party in a work item.
Item Type	The type of transaction an operator enters in a work item. Combined with the current node, the item type determines what work item rule to use for the work item. When an operator begins to create a work item, they select an item type value. The work item rules that are used at the operator’s node determine the available item type and subtype values.
Note Name	A name for a note when the operator is creating the note. This name can also be used to access a note that is attached to a work item. Note names display when the operator views notes on the Notes tab of a work item.
Party	Categories of people or organizations that can be associated with a work item. XTRAC provides a standard ORIG party type that contains information about the person who originated the work item. You cannot remove the ORIG party type from the work item rule. For example, you can define a BANK party-type value to store contact information about a customer’s bank. Use work item rules to specify the party-type values that are available to a work item at a particular node. You can also specify that a party-type value displays for only a particular subtype. XTRAC can process up to eight party types at a time.
Reason	The reason an operator is suspending a work item. You cannot define a suspend rule until you specify a Reason value group.
Status (for both the Status field and the Resolution Group field of a work item)	The current standing or condition of a work item. Transfer rules typically evaluate a work item’s status to route it from one queue to another. For example, you define a Quality status code. You can then set up a transfer rule that routes work items with the Quality status to the quality assurance queue. See Status Types.
Subtype	Subdivisions for work item types. A work item can be associated with different custom fields and party types depending on the subtype. Rules that act on work items can evaluate subtype as well as item type. For example, transfer rules, priority rules, and duplicate search rules. When an operator creates a work item, they select an item type value. The work item rules that are used at the operator’s node determine the available item type and subtype values. You can also designate a default subtype. By default, all of the subtype values that are defined in XTRAC are available to the operator. You can limit the operator’s choices with a value group.

Status Types

Note: When a work item has a resolved status, the work item no longer appears in a work list, is not fed to operators in work feed mode, and rules are not evaluated for it. However, an operator can still find the work item by using the Search command.

You assign each status code one of the following status types:

Status Type	The Work Item is...
IN PROCESS	Being processed in the workflow.
PENDING	Awaiting further action. Note: Work items with a PENDING status type do not get fed to operators in work feed mode. Operators can use a work list or search to locate a work item and change its status. However, workflow rules do trigger on PENDING status types.
RESOLVED	Completed.
Status Type	The Work Item is...

Work items whose status value is an IN PROCESS or PENDING status type can age. During the nightly batch cycle, which runs at 12:00 midnight in the server’s time zone, XTRAC increments the age of work items by one day.

Work items whose status is a RESOLVED status type do not age.

If you define a status value group, you must indicate whether it is a resolution group, which is a status value group that contains only values whose status type is RESOLVED.

A status value group that is not a resolution group can contain both IN PROCESS and PENDING status types, but not RESOLVED status types.

After you add codes to a status value group, you cannot change the group’s resolution setting unless you first remove all of the status codes.

Use work item rules to apply a resolution group to work items at a particular node. By default, if you do not select a resolution group, all resolved status codes are available to the operator. If you specify a resolution group, only the resolved status codes in the resolution group are available.

You can also use work item rules to apply a status value group that contains the IN PROCESS and PENDING status types. XTRAC then presents the operator with the statuses from both the resolution group and the status value group.

Note: To prevent operators from resolving work items at a particular node, you can create an empty resolution group and associate the resolution group with the applicable work item rule. This arrangement prevents the operator from selecting any resolved statuses.

Creating Field Values

To create valid field values for any predefined field

In Feature Explorer, click Fields.
Click the field that you want to use.
In the <Field Name> Detail window, ensure that the Valid Values tab is selected.
In the grid, at the bottom, in the Click here to add a new valid value row, type a name (up to 60 characters) and a description (up to 60 characters) for the field value.
(Optional) In the Change Request ID field, type the ID for the change request (up to 30 characters).
(Optional) In the Memo field, type the reason for creating the value (up to 60 characters).
Click Save.

XTRAC adds the new value to the list.

Note: To remove a value from the list, select the value, and then click Delete. You can also check the Delete check box directly. The following rules apply when you delete a value:

If you delete a valid value that is not associated with a value group, XTRAC marks it for delete, sets the delete indicator, and continues to list the value until the delete batch job runs.

If you delete a valid value that is associated with a value group, XTRAC marks the value for delete, sets the delete indicator, and continues to list the value until the delete batch job runs.

If you delete an entire value group, XTRAC marks all of the associated valid values for delete, sets the delete indicator, and continues to list the values until the delete batch job runs.

For each valid value that you want to add, repeat Steps 4-7.

Creating a Value Group

When you have defined all of the valid values for the Cause, Communication, Status, Subcause, or Subtype fields, you can group these values into value groups.

To create a value group

In Feature Explorer, click Fields.
Click the field that you want to use.
In the <Field Name> Detail window, ensure that the Valid Values tab is selected, and then click Value Group.
In the <Field Name> Value Group Summary window, click New.
In the <Field Name> Value Group Detail window, in the Name field, type a name (up to 60 characters).
In the Description field, type a description for the value group (up to 60 characters).
Click Add.
In the Select Valid Values window, select the values that you want, and then click OK.

XTRAC closes the Select Valid Values window and lists the values on the <Field Name> Value Group Detail window.

Note: To remove a value from the value group, select the value, and then click Remove.

(Optional) In the Change Request ID field, type the ID of the change request (up to 30 characters).
(Optional) In the Memo field, type the reason for creating the value group (up to 60 characters).
Click Save.

XTRAC saves the new value group.