I have a simple workflow where a user puts in a request to the responders group that can handle it. (The group currently has 5 members.) Any member of the responders group can handle the request and close it out or send it back. That's fine. A "Assign Flexi Task" where the first response rules.
But, a lot of requests come in over the course of the day, some can be handled quickly and others will take long time (half hour to an hour--in time away from their desk). They want a way to tell that someone else is working on a task (and know who is working it) so they can skip it and work on the next one.
I'm working on setting up a State Machine where they can set the status to "Complete" "Return to Originator" and now "In Process" (or "I've got it."), and also "Initial". The idea is that the workflow goes to the original Flexi Task and all 5 get it. One of them looks at it and sets it to "In Process". That completes the Flexi Task, but it comes right back around to another Flexi Task that is assigned only to that respondent. Then when they complete the job, they go back to SharePoint and bring up that task and complete it. Alternatively, if they take it on, and for some reason can't finish and need to throw it back to the others in the group, they can set the status to "Initial", in which case the State Machine goes back to the original Flexi Task, and the other group members see this task again.
Is there a better way to do this? Also, even if one of them starts working a task, and then gets a phone call or something while they are in the middle, someone else could jump in and either do the task, or "Return" the task because the job they were supposed to do was already partially done and so they got confused because the initial conditions were wrong.
Or maybe I should make two Flexi Tasks inside a loop. The first one is where the responders group members select between "I got this one" or "Skip it". If they take it, then the second Flexi Task is only assigned to them and they either "Complete" or "Return" it or "Skip it". If they "Skip it" in either task, it goes back into the pool.
Ideas?
Thanks in advance!
