The Tasks Requests application allows Administrative Information Systems to publicly receive and manage task requests (formerly PWOs). The premise is that anyone can ask for work and view the stages toward completion. Items that are submitted can be edited by the submitter, by AIS staff and by AIS management to create priorities and work flows. You will find the link to the application on the home page for AIS, or you may want to set this link (http://sharepoint.sys.ilstu.edu/sites/CorasDocs/dashIPTDev/default.aspx) as a bookmark.

Internet Explorer and browser choices

The Tasks application is built on SharePoint using Microsoft technologies. It generally is far happier when using Internet Explorer, although for the most part FireFox (PC and Mac) work also. Netscape mostly works. Safari works slightly less elegantly, mostly losing track of some icons.

Log into SharePoint Services

User name: adilstu\ULID

Password: uLiDpass

SharePoint uses your ldap or ad or e-mail login credentials. Most of the time, you will be required to use the “adilstu\” prefix to ensure that you are authenticated against the proper server. The dialog may show a variety of domains, but the proper login will use the AD credentials. Since SharePoint re-authenticates frequently, you may want to check the “Remember my password” box. To be clear, the “\” is a “back slash” (typically over the “Enter” key), not a “slash” (typically with the “?” key).

Security Zones

Sometimes it is useful to set the security zone of your browser so that the task application is in the local internet security zone. You can then allow more liberal settings for security than you may be comfortable with in the Internet zone. After you have logged in to the Tasks application, double click the security zone icon in your browser and adjust the settings appropriately.

Mail and Notifications

The application has several ways to help you keep in touch with your requests. The recommended way to get alerts is with the “Item Mail” option described below.

Item Mail. When creating a new request (or when editing an existing request), you can place your name in the CC field. When the system generates mail from an edit, you will be notified that the item has been modified.
Direct e-mail. In the edit window, setting “Mail” to “yes” and adding a message and destination will send an e-mail with the chosen values and an item link.
SharePoint notifications. After a request has been created, you may view the item by clicking on the item link in any report window. The action bar at the top of the item allows you to have SharePoint “Alert Me,” which will generate an e-mail any time the item changes. Alerts can be set for immediate, daily and weekly reports.

Reports and further mail requests

The Reports available are designed to help you monitor the progress on your requests. Each page has a drop down box to filter the list by “Requesting Department” and an “Action” menu to allow you to send e-mail to the developer or to, when requested, indicate your acceptance of the task. These “action” items will set and store the actions.

Another feature of the “Reports” is that you can, if you wish, export the rows to an Excel spreadsheet. “Right-Clicking” or “Off-clicking” in the report body will present you with a dialog box for exporting the report segment to Excel.

Getting lost in the application

The underlying technology for this application is SharePoint. All of the pages contain a “Home” button that takes you to the starting page for the application (New Task, and Tasks Recently Added).

Workflow and field values

About Workflow

The application uses the “Status” flag to “move” the task document from a request to an assignment to a completed action. The values for the status flag are:

Not Stated. This is the default value assigned when the request is first filed. Items with this value will appear in the tabs that AIS monitors for assigning projects.
Selected. These items have been selected and assigned to a manager. The manager can view these items in their “My Tasks” view and monitor the progress toward completion.
Assigned. When items are assigned to a lead staff person, the status flag is set to “assigned” and the task appears in the assignees “My Task” views and can be edited as progress is made.
In Progress, Deferred, Waiting on someone else. These status flags indicate various stages in the completion process. Items with these status flags appear in the Lead staff, Manager, and Administration views.
Completed.

Action items

The application uses “Action Items” to help manage the workflow. Reports have available actions. Select an item or multiple items with the checkmark, and then execute an action against the item(s) with the action dropdown menu. Actions are the preferred way of performing the steps, since they combine several steps into one procedure.

Typical Workflow and Getting Started

Create a new request

The application home page displays “tasks added today” and has a button for a “New Item” which takes you to the form for making a new request. The “New Item” form is divided into three parts; request, notification, and management. The top section (requests) allows for attachments through the “Attach File” button. Typically, you will put your e-mail address in the “CC” field so you will get notifications as the request is worked.

Tabs

By Department

Search Tasks

Open Tasks

Completed Tasks

Assign Tasks

To Managers

To Lead

By Recently Added

By Due Date

My Tasks

Tasks By Due Date

Tasks By Status

Tasks Outlook

Appendix

More information