Task scheduled start date impact on SLA/OLA

[Tylor Hagerman]

Task scheduled start date impact on SLA/OLA

I'm trying to figure out what impact using a task's scheduled start has on the calculation of both the overall service's due date (SLA) as well as the task due date.

The problem I'm trying to solve is that I have a service with a 2 day SLA (one task with a 2 day OLA).  I would like the customer to enter their requested date into the service, use it to set when service delivery starts, have have the overall service SLA take that into account. 

Right now our metrics show that the service is missing most of its SLAs, but in reality it is due to customers requesting future delivery dates.

Any suggestions?

[Ed Contini - newScale]

The "Allow a scheduled start date" functionality in ServiceDesigner should resolve this for you. The scheduled start date will be used by the system to calculate the due date, using the duration configured for the task. Because the start date will be derived from the Scheduled Start Date, the calulated due date will then reflect that start date PLUS the duration for the task.

Are you familiar with the Scheduled Start Date feature?

[James Fuller]

When using this functionality, does RequestCenter keep the user from selecting a day to start that was in the past?

[Andy Green - KeyBank 2008.2]

What's the syntax used for the start date field condition? I've tried both ways the help text says for a non-bundled service and the tasks starts right away.

Data.dictionary.field

Data.field

[Tylor Hagerman]

I've never used that feature, but it looks pretty straightforward.  Now is it calculating the end date for just the specified task, or also for the entire service delivery?  So if the date ends up being in the past (maybe due to prolonged approvals), I'm assuming that the task will start immediately?  Also, when the scheduled start date is reached, when exactly does the task start?  At midnight or when the assignee's start time for that day is defined?

As to James comment, I wou

[Ed Contini - newScale]

Hi Andy,

The syntax is Data.Dictionary.Field

Also, the date value must be present before the delivery moment begins, and cannot be a date before which the task would have automatically started, based on previous tasks in the workflow. Are you seeing any messages in the System History about your scheduled task?

[Andy Green - KeyBank 2008.2]

Thanks for the reply Ed.

As I stated, I've tried using Data.Dictionary.Field and it's spawning a task right after the previous completes, with the same start time.

My field has been both straight Date, then Date/Time, both filled within the Ordering Moment.

There are no messages in the system history about the task, just that the previous had been completed. The task is firing fine, but it's like the scheduled start date isn't even being evaluated. Currently I have the task set evaluate

[Ed Contini - newScale]

Andy,

Probably a silly question, but....is the field from which you are getting the date configured as a Date field at the dictionary level, such that the date is being selected using the Date button?

Another test we can do is to look at the delivery plan as soon as the request is submitted. The scheduled task should be displaying a status of "Scheduled", as in the attached screen shot. Are you seeing this?

[Andy Green - KeyBank 2008.2]

Ed,

As I stated I tried both date and date/time field types in the dictionary, no change.

No, I'm not seeing it as scheduled. When the delivery plan starts it sits as new until it
reaches that point. When the condition is evaluated after the prior task closes it goes directly into Ongoing.

[Ed Contini - newScale]

Andy,

The only way I am able to reproduce what you are seeing is if I select a scheduled start date which is earlier than the earliest possible start date that would occur based on the durations of previous tasks in the delivery plan. Even then, however, I receive the following message in the System History:

 "The entered start for task Install and Test Equipment will be ignored. The date is prior to the earliest possible starting date."

Can we try one more thing, just

[Andy Green - KeyBank 2008.2]

Ed,

I tested again, and even with 2+ weeks as the value it's spawning the task automatically and it's right into ongoing, not scheduled.

[Ed Contini - newScale]

Can we please try one last thing before we refer this to customer care as a bug? I want to see if we can force the task into Scheduled status. Instead of using form data for the date, please hard code a date into the Form Data for Start Date field using this format:

"YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM"

HH:MM is in 24-hour time, and the quotes are required.

Then test the service. Please attach a screen shot of the delivery plan before any tasks (other than approvals) have been completed. Thanks.

[Andy Green - KeyBank 2008.2]

Ed, thanks for the reply. I hope I understood you correctly. I set a default value of a random date/time in the format you gave me, in ""s and used that as my test value. Unfortunately no change. Attached are the screen shots of the field type, plan step,
info entered into the form and the delivery plans.

[Meghan Williams]

just following this thread as I've just posted a similar issue to support. Am I correct in understanding the scheduled date has to be a field when the service is submitted? We have a scenario that a service team will ship an item, then we want the task to start 2 weeks after the item was shipped. Unfortunately the shipping date isn't set until service delivery. I've set the task to evaluate when it becomes active

Thanks,