Collaboration Tasks enable you to create simple adhoc workflows to do activities such as assigning work and requesting feedback from team members. They can include a single-step, or they can have multiple steps that involve various people. Collaboration Tasks are driven completely by the end-user. No configuration or coding is required.
One business example of using Collaboration Tasks would be requesting a colleague to provide feedback on a new HR policy. I create a draft of a new HR policy. Before moving on to the next stage, I could create a Collaboration Task, attach my draft, and request a colleague to review the new policy and provide feedback. I can give my colleague the opportunity to decline the work, I can set a deadline, and I can request to be notified when the work is completed.
If I wanted to get feedback from many people, I could include a quick response option which allows them to vote in order to provide their feedback.
Another example would be a series of tasks that I need accomplished. For example, I have just received a complaint from a customer. In the first step I send this complaint to a colleague, asking them to provide me with some customer information. In the second step, I will propose my recommendation to address the complaint. In the third step, I will ask my manager to approve my plan of action. Then, if I am lucky, I can have a fourth step where I assign someone else to execute my plan of action.
Collaboration Tasks enable you to easily collaborate with others, and they provide reporting and tracking capabilities to see the status of the tasks.
The major benefits of Collaboration Tasks include:
- Gives users the power to deal with quickly changing business conditions. Users use Collaboration Tasks to spontaneously collaborate without needing to wait for company-wide business process change
- Makes it easy to define one-time processes. The minimal effort required means that users will use Collaboration Tasks to deal with many one-time situations
- End-users can check the status of processes they have created and ensure that work is completed on time
- Users can link new processes to work items they receive. This provides them with an easy way to perform and track additional work that may be required in response to a work request
You can access Collaboration Tasks via the Collaboration Launch Pad as seen in the following graphic:
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Once you open up the Collaboration Launch Pad you can select which type of task you want to create.
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You can also access the Collaboration Tasks by going to the Universal Worklist via Home - Work. From the Universal Worklist you can select to create a new task.
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Once you create a new task, you can select from various task types.
Task types include:
- Single Step Task..for example, asking someone to perform a specific task
- Multiple Step Task...two or three steps that could vary between the different step types
- Request for Feedback...request specific feedback, you can include voting options
- Request for Nomination...request nomination for someone to perform a specific task
You can also assign the task to someone, and set a due date.
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If you select "Show Options" you can access other features of task creation.
At the bottom of the task screen is a Show Options
area. If you select this, you will see additional features.
These features include setting someone to track the task, allowing the recipient to decline the task, adding attachments, and being notified if the task changes.
Collaboration Tasks are a great feature available in NetWeaver. They do not require any additional configuration...so, collaborate and enjoy!
Look for a continuation of this series where we will discuss reporting and administration for Collaboration Tasks.
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