Task Templates

Task templates are useful tools that simplify the process of adding tasks in a case. Tasks that frequently need to be performed can be saved as templates, which can then be selected when adding a task to automatically fill in all of the details of that task. Task templates can even be used to trigger case status changes and/or automatically assign new tasks on completion. The Task Templates administrative page is where you can create and manage task templates. The page contains a table listing all of the task templates in the SmartAdvocate system. The table's available columns are:

Task Name: The name of the task template. When adding multiple tasks using the Add Multiple Tasks function, the name of the template is used as the subject of the task.
Task Category: The category of the task created when using this template.
Task Groups: A list of all the task groups containing the task template.
Priority: The priority level of the task created by using this template.
Subject: The subject of the task template.
Due Date Shift (days): The number of days after the day the task is assigned that it will be due.
Default Assignee Role: The staff role whose occupant will be set as the "Assigned To:" staff member when the task is added if that role is present in the case staff.
Description: A description of the task template. When adding multiple tasks using templates, the description of the template is used as the description of the task. However, when adding a single task using a template, the description of the template is used as the subject of the task.
Document Template: The document template that will be generated when the Perform Task icon for the task is clicked, if any.
Document Template Keyword: Not currently functional; may be implemented in a future version.
Note Type: A list of all the note types that, if added to a case while this task is incomplete, will trigger an option to mark this task complete. (See below for clarification.)
Case Group: The case groups for which the task template will appear in the list of Status Based task templates. If this column contains "All," all case groups are included. (See note below.)
Linked Tasks: A list of all the tasks that are automatically generated upon the completion of this task.
Actions: An action column containing an Edit icon and a Delete icon.

You can also add a new task template by clicking the Add Task Template button. The add/edit form contains the following fields:

Task Name: A text input field.
Task Groups: A multi-select checkbox dropdown.
Type: A dropdown. Determines Task Type.
Note Type: A multi-select checkbox dropdown. There is a question-mark icon that, when hovered over, displays the text, "When note of this type is added to the case, user will be offered to mark this task complete." The purpose of this feature is to allow you to create a note indicating that you have accomplished the necessary action while simultaneously clearing the task from SmartAdvocate. So, for example, if the task were to call a client, you might set the note type to Plaintiff - Contacted. Then, rather than have to separately note the contact and mark the task complete, you could do both at once by simply adding a Plaintiff - Contacted note.
Priority: A dropdown.
Subject: A text input field. A brief statement of the subject of the Task Category can be entered here.
Description: A text input field. A more detailed description of the Task Category can be entered here.
Due date shift (in days): A text input field. There is a question-mark icon that, when hovered over, displays the text, "Default due date (in days from now)."
Primary Assignee Role: A dropdown. Determines Default Assignee Role. See note below.
Secondary Assignee Role: A dropdown. See note immediately below.
Default Assignee: A dropdown. Note: Primary Assignee Role, Secondary Assignee Role, and Default Assignee are all potentially used to determine the staff member listed in the "Assigned To:" field when the template is chosen. However, there is a hierarchy. If Primary Assignee Role contains a role (i.e. is not blank), then if that role exists in the case, its occupant will be the one listed. If it contains a role but that role does not exist in the case, then the staff member assigning the task will be the one listed, regardless of the contents of Secondary Assignee Role or Default Assignee. If Primary Assignee Role is left blank, then Secondary Assignee Role behaves in much the same way as Primary Assignee Role. If it contains a role that exists in the case, its occupant will be the one listed. If it contains a role that does not exist in the case, the assigning staff member will be the one listed. If it is also blank, then the staff member selected in Default Assignee will be the one listed. If all three are blank, then the staff member assigning the task will be the one listed.
Document Template: A dropdown. There is a question-mark icon that, when hovered over, displays the text, "Generate document" with this id when perform task action is selected."
Document Template Keyword: A text input field.
Case Groups: A checkbox-select dropdown. See note immediately below.
Case Statuses: A checkbox-select dropdown. Note: Case Groups and Case Statuses are all potentially used to determine whether the task template will appear in the list of Status Based task templates. However, there is a hierarchy. If Case Groups contains at least one group (i.e. is not blank), then if a given case is in one of the case groups included the template will appear in the list for that case, regardless of the content of Case Statuses. If Case Groups contains at least one group, and a given case is not in any of the case groups included, the template will not appear in the list for that case, regardless of the content of Case Statuses. If Case Groups is left blank, then Case Statuses will determine whether the template appears in the list for a given case. If Case Statuses contains at least one status, and a given case's status is one of the statuses included, the template will appear in the list for that case. If Case Statuses contains at least one status, and a given case's status is not one of the statuses included, the template will not appear in the list for that case. If Case Statuses is also blank, then the template will not appear in the list for that case (or any case).
Automatic Status Change: contains two dropdowns, one for New Status and one for From Status. New Status has a question-mark icon that, when hovered over, displays the text, "New Case status after task is marked as complete." From Status has a question-mark icon that, when hovered over, displays the text, "Only change status if current status was this one." If New Status is empty, completing the task has no effect on the case status. If New Status contains a status, and From Status is empty, completing the task changes the case status to the one in New Status, regardless of its prior status. If New Status and From Status both contain statuses, completing the task changes the case status to the one in New Status only if its status was the one in From Status at the time the task was completed.
Automatic Task Generation on Completion: A checkbox-select dropdown. Determines Linked Tasks.