Hints for designing forms for Internal tasks

You can use internal task forms in your RefTracker system, to manage any task, or sub task to a Primary question, that has been requested by another RefTracker using staff member.  By designating it as an Internal task, it will be included in Internal task statistics and NOT included in Customer service statistics. 

For more information about how to use Internal tasks, click here.

The type of statistic (Service, Internal task or Direct to KB) generated for a request/task/sub task is set by the Request form used to generate that request/task/sub task.  Copy a form of the right type (e.g. Internal task) to create a new form of that type (e.g. Internal task).

An internal task has the client contact fields (if it uses client contact fields) set to those of the staff member who needs to know this work is competed.  Where this is a new Internal task, the client contact details default to those of the staff member entering the details of the Internal task, but a different staff member can be selected.  Where the Internal task form is being used for a sub task, the client contact fields are defaulted to those of the owner of the Primary question, to whom the response to the sub task will be delivered so they can incorporate the information provided by the sub task, into the answer to the Primary question. 

Because the requester for an Internal task is always a RefTracker using staff member, you only need select the staff member’s name.  Their email address and phone number will be automatically inserted by RefTracker.

Your system will have been distributed with an example Internal task form that is ready to use under New>Internal task and Actions>Create sub task.  There is nothing that you need to do to before first use of this form for a New>Internal task, but you can amend the form to meet your specific needs by changing labels and adding or removing fields. 

For example you should consider:

– Check out your Request group and type code tables.  It is highly desirable that you create at least one Request group that clearly indicates that it is for work that is not service related.

Create Request types under that Request group for the internal tasks that you want to manage, and collect any already existing Request types that are not directly customer service related under that same request types, e.g. Subscription renewal, Other activities, etc.

– In the Request type code table, there is an option to designate a Request type for use with Internal tasks.   Only requests of type Internal task will be able to use these Internal task Request types.  If a Request type has been used for Service requests, it cannot be changed to use with Internal tasks, and if a Request type has been used for Internal tasks it cannot be changed to use with Service requests or DeskStats, but new Request types can be set for any of these options, as appropriate to that new Request type. When working with DeskStats or Service requests these Internal task Request types will not be displayed.  Only Request forms that use these Internal task Request types, will show under New>Internal tasks, and Actions>Create sub task form.  Your system may also have a special Request group set up for these internal task Request types, but it is not essential to have a separate Request Group, though having one can help distinguish internal tasks though a special Request group icon showing for Internal tasks.

– There is a distribution Internal task request form, but you should customise it to meet your needs and create as many more of these forms as you need.  Usually you will create a Request form for each “Internal task” Request type that you create. 

If you have more than one Internal task Request type (and don’t want to create separate forms for each of the different types), you can include Request type in your Internal task form and it will just present the Internal task request types for selection.  Don’t forget to set a Default of [select option] for this field.

You can have as many different internal task forms as you need to be able to handle the different internal tasks performed by your organisation.  For example, many organisations will want internal tasks for digitization, for approvals, and many other purposes.  You may wish to discuss the internal tasks your organization performs, with your RefTracker support representative for assistance with setting them up as internal task forms.

As an example, to create a new internal task for digitization you would go to System>Request form summary>Internal tasks and Copy the standard Internal task form, rename its description and key, and then Update to save the change.  Always create a new form by copying a similar one of the right Service type, and then customizing the copy.

Then click [Options] for your new form and untick the Enabled option to turn it off while you customise this new form to meet your needs.

Using Edit layout mode, edit the form to include all of the information that your staff need to perform this task (e.g. the title field to record the title of the item to be digitized), and all the data that you want to be able to report about this process.  All of the form layout features for Service requests are available for use with Internal tasks.

Basic requester contact detail fields (Client name, email, and phone) are usually included in Internal task forms, but will always be filled with the contact details of the staff member entering the details of the task in the form under New>Internal tasks, or the staff member who owns of the Primary request by the Create internal task function.  The Client name and Client email address fields should be Mandatory fields when included (and for internal forms) the system will automatically set the Client name field to do a lookup of staff names that will fill the staff name, emails address and phone number fields.

However, Internal tasks can also be used for recording details of other staff activities that do not need any followup work – for example – you might want to create a form to collect the time used by staff on things like collection maintenance, current awareness, marketing and outreach, professional development, staff meeting, etc.  As no response is required for this sort of a form, the Client contact fields are not required.

Including an appropriate Subject line, with a default description of the type of task e.g. “Digitisation task”, is usually helpful when a task needs a response.

Then, as you would for any other form, check that any defaults you need for any field are set using Edit defaults.   Note that many defaults will be overwritten by data in the form being copied to create the Internal task, so, it is better to provide good instructions in the form, that to rely on defaults.

Then check that all the settings in Edit options are appropriate for this type of Internal task.  There are less Main access options for Internal tasks than for Service requests, but the ones that are provided have all the same meanings. 
Importantly, because you have copied an Internal task, the Form use parameter will already be correctly set to Internal task.
An important thing to check in this tab is “Allow sub copy”.  Your for will not appear under Create sub task (and so will not be able to be used to create sub tasks), unless you tick this box.

The Processing options are similar to those for Service requests but it is important to note that the email templates used for Internal tasks are the Internal group versions of the templates, as opposed to the Requester versions of the same templates (be sure to choose the right Recipient group, if you are looking to change these in the email template code table or email template editor).  Also note that some of the email templates are turned off as they are not necessary for internal tasks.

Similarly fewer options are available in the Other options tab, and those that are provided, provide the same functionality as for Service requests.

Implementation hints:  1. Check the layout of the distributed Internal task form to ensure it is collecting all of the information that your staff need to be able to manage both a stand alone task, and a sub task using this form, whilst gathering all of the data that you are going to need for statistics about this internal task.
2. Do you need more internal task forms?  If so, create them.
3. Every internal form must have a question field, a Response method field usually defaulted to email and a client email address field (which will have the email address of the staff member who owns the Primary question, or the staff member needing the response to the stand-alone staff task, inserted in it).
4. When an Internal task form is being used to create a sub task, often defaults set in your Internal task form will be overwritten by information in the request being copied to create the sub task, so, put instructions in the body of the form itself – don’t rely on defaults.
5. Internal tasks can be used with email importing – Do you have work for your staff coming in by email that could be handled in this way?
6. If you have been clever with the Request types you created, you should not only be able to separately report statistics for Customer service requests, and Internal tasks, and KB maintenance, but your reporting by Request type should also give you helpful information about the work that benefited end users versus the work that was done to support internal operations.