Hi Sharpharp1,

Even if you could get the actions into the mail, you wont be able to action the worklist item using the escalation email.

ClientEvent Notifications send using EWS, and emails and Escalation Email are send using SMTP.

What you can do is to add a loop in your process, and then perhaps use a GOTO Escalation to loop out of the Client Event and back to the Client Event to resend the notification email.

Creating looping process are considered bad design, but reading your process requirements, this will be fine, as it will be stopped at a client event.

-Jean

To clarify Jean's point, looping isn't necessarily a bad design and a very common activity needed in a process. Polling is a very bad idea. Looping can be fine if you are using it in a human centric way, aren't polling and the loop always stops at an asynchronous event such as a client event.

S.

Actually it is possible to action an item from a reminder email but it can be somewhat difficult.

You go in and set an escalation but not at the activity but at the event level.

1) Double click on the event itself and click on the clock on the left.

2) select Add

3) Choose Escalate After as the rule template, click next

4) Select the amount of days, minutes, hours and how many times to repeat, click next

5) Select working hours, click next

6) Chose email as the action template, click next

7) Set from, to subjects etc. of the email, For To: use "ActivityInstanceDestinationUser" (browse for this under Activity Destination instance and use user), click next

This is where it gets interesting

8) Put anything you want in the email make sure that you include how to action the workflow by email (hint copy from a default one) but at the very bottom put this

The serial number for this task, SN= _ , must be included in the thread in order for the server to process the action. You may also reply with 'Help' or 'Actions' to see further information and examples.

for SN=ProcessID_AcitivityDestId you must drag these two variables.

The activity destination instance is only available when the escalation is placed on the event itself. You can even place a worklist URL to open the form but it a little harder. We use the inline email editor from the marketplace as it makes it easier for storing all emails in a SharePoint list so they can be edited without changing workflow.

I am adding a word file with the screens on where to find the workflow context and how the email looks. It does work

Micki

I forgot to add you can still do a separate escalation of the activity after a specific time but you cannot include the necessary information to action the workflow as the activity does not have that context.

Hi Micki

Aboslutely superb solution!!!!!!!

I tried in on the Default Client Event (the one that send out the notification to the Authorisers in the first place) and set the To: field to ActivityInstanceDestUserEmail (i couldn't pick user) Also, i have multiple users who get the Authorisation request

I added some text to the body message "Reply with approved or declined" and included the SN= ProcessID_ ActivityInstanceDestId at the bottom.

This time it deployed, I have it to escalte after 2 mins (for testing purposes) and i soon get an email as follows:

Reply with approved or declined

ProcessId=10148_24

I replied to the email with approved and its gone through fine. -ONLY one query... How do i put Configured Actions at the bottom of the Email? Where is it in the context browser so that i can include them in the Reminder email?

So this is great for the 5 day reminder, however any ideas on the 7 day expiry?

For the 7 day expiry, I have a seperate activity box (called Expiry Acticvity) with 4 events, 2 emails (one to customer, one to authorisers - NO ACTIONS REQUIRED) saying the job has been cancelled) and then 2 events to delete the smartobject entry and pdf entry.

From the initial Acviity (the one that sends out the authorisation request) i have a line that goes to the Expiry Activity box. On the initial actiivty i have Escalate set to 4 miniutes (for testing) to the Expire Activity, but say if I approve/decline the request before that time, the Expiry emails are still coming through after 4 minutes...

Any ideas? All replies appreciated as always.

I hope I get all the questions

Configured actions

The configured actions are one of the things not in context for the escalation but consider that they are just text so copy it from the original email or better yet you might want to provide something a little better than out of the box text about actions. We use colors, bold etc. to get users to do what we need.

7 day expiration

To expire the activity you need to add the escalation to the activity. There are two basic ways to do this one is to redirect the activity to the Expire Activity and you do not need any line rules. Do not do this if you have any parallel activities because the redirect will also expire them. Found this the hard way. The other option is to expire the activity. This sounds like what you are doing.

The reason your workflow is going two directions has to do with the line rules and outcomes. For the line rule going to the expire activity you need to make sure that the outcome <> complete (or whatever your outcome is). While the one going to the next step should have outcome=complete.

I don’t know how experienced you are or which workflow design tool you use but I think it is K2 studio so you get to the line rules by right clicking the line and selecting properties.

I hope this helps

Micki

One thing I forgot to add is that only the person that a task is assigned to can email K2 with approved or declined all other users will get an error. If you have assigned the task to a group then any of them can action the task.

Hey Micki,

Got it working. - In the line Rule to the Activity box i added a false Rule i.e. Datafield = ABC (which it will never be)

So that means the Activity Box never runs unless i call it from an Escallation.

I tested it and its working spot on,

5 day reminder via the Event Escalation with ACTIONS (i manually typed in the expected response from the Authorisers)

7 day expiry via the Activity Escalation with a couple of emails (no actions) and then some Smartobject actions to delete the request from the Smartobject and PDF SMO

Can't thank you enough, much appreciated and quick responses.

Kind Regards