How can we implement Task Escalation Model in IBM BPM based on "Detour Pattern" ?

Question

• delegation - where a resource allocates a work item previous allocated to it to another resource
• escalation - where the system attempts to progress a work item that has stalled by offering or allocating it to another resource
• deallocation - where a resource makes a previously allocated or started work item available for offer and subsequent allocation
• stateful reallocation - where a resource allocates a work item that it has started to another resource and the current state of the work item is retained
• stateless reallocation - where a resource allocates a work item that it has started to another resource but the current state is not retained (i.e. the work item is restarted)
• suspension/resumption - where a resource temporarily suspends execution of a work item or recommences execution of a previously suspended work item
• skipping - where a resource elects to skip the execution of a work item allocated to it
• redo - where a resource repeats execution of a work item completed earlier
• pre-do - where a resource executes a work item that is ahead of the current execution point in a case

Answer 1

Delegation - Means that a user X has been specifically assigned a task, but if he has set a delegate for a certain duration  the task should get assigned to Y during that duration, any tasks after that duration will get assigned to X, e.g. he is on vacation and all tasks during vacation should get assigned to a peer/next in command. So we need to implement it before the task assignment happens. One way of doing this is to maintain a delegation schedule table and before assigning the task check the current delegate in the table and assign it to Y. Then comes the question if he is back early either Y can reassign it back to X or X can pick it up from Y. We will also need a stand alone Human Service UI to maintain the delegation schedule. We also need to keep in mind if a single delegation can happen or it is recursive delegation, to keep it simple we should avoid recursive delegation.To avoid cluttering in the Primary BPD we can use a sub-process and have a delegation check before assigning the task and update the user to a different user, we may also want to maintain the delegation state in a variable and pass it on to the task if something specific for a delegated task needs to be done along with the original user.

Answer 2

Escalation - means after certain duration of task being assigned/picked up/commenced if it is not picked up/not worked upon/not completed, either it is reassigned to another person(s) or notification is sent to another person(s) with ability to pick it up or assign to another person. Also for preemptive load balancing or manual decision an administrator/system can perform this activity.

One way of implementing it is to attach a timer event to the task and perform the desired operation via a task specific or generic service if it is assigned, this will take care of assigned tasks, Picked up tasks can also be reassigned, notified upon using the same approach.

Answer 3

Deallocation -  is a users ability to relinquish a task which he/she has picked up, it can be a release back to the original group, or to a new group/user. This can be accomplished by creating a reassignment coupled with a post in the task, you can optionally have a internediate UI where they can search for existing groups/users and then ask it to be released/reassigned to them.

Answer 4

Statefull Reallocation and Stateless Reallocation The user is reassigning his/her task to a specific user and for statefull the task will commence at the current step (Coach) and for stateless the task will resume from the beginning with all data cleared out. This can be accomplished by doing a reassignement which connects back to the beginning of the task through a reinitialization of all variables script for stateless or to the coach itself for statefull. Due to save execution enabled for a coach all the variables will retain there values unless you specifically clear out the values to defaults.

STATEFULL

STATELESS