Action Template Overview

Action Templates are used to update jobs

Action Templates are pre-made actions that can be used to quickly and consistently update jobs. Action Templates are one of the most-used, and core features of HelpMaster. Having a good set of Action Templates will allow you to configure HelpMaster to realize its maximum potential.

Icons used throughout HelpMaster

Action Template

Why use Action templates?

Adding an action to an existing job (updating a job) is one of the most common and fundamental things to do when working with a job. When you add an action to a job, you can achieve several things, for example, you can:

Add a summary of what you just did
Re-assign the job to someone else
Change the status of a job
Provide time and expense details
Update details in an associated Control Set

For specific details about updating a job see Performing Actions on a Job - Overview.

Action templates allow you to encapsulate each of these functions into a single, ready to use template. Action templates are beneficial because of the following factors:

Speed. Action templates are used to speed up the process of adding an action to a job, because all of the configuration has been pre-made, and ready to use.
Consistency. Rather than “free-forming” an update to a job, an Action Template “stamps” out a common, pre-made configuration for the update. When you use an action template, whatever information is stored in the template is transferred into the new action. When you have consistency in updating jobs via actions, it means that you can enforce workflows, get greater meaning from reports, as well as capturing all of the information that you require. It also allow correct validation for data entry.
Email response management. Action templates are used by the Email Manager to convert incoming email into action which is then added to an existing job.
Web self-service. Action templates are used by the Web Portal to allow clients and staff to update their jobs.
Workflow. Action templates are a key workflow component.

Action Template

How Action Templates are linked to other template types

Template actions can link to Job Templates, Email Templates, as well as actual jobs. Linking Action templates to each of these entities are an integral part of creating acomplete workflow solution for your workgroup environment.

Linking a Job Template to an Action Template

A job template is used to log a job, and part of the job logging process is to use an action to assign the job, set the job status as well as other information. This is where a template action can be used. When an action template is linked to a job template, the job logging process becomes even quicker and easier - all you need to do is log a job via a job template, and the linked action template will automatically be applied when the action screen appears.

job logging and updating via templates

Linking Email Templates to Action Templates

Whenever an action is applied to a job, HelpMaster allows you to send different email to different people. Often you will want to send a client one type of email, and staff members a different type of email. The content of this email is often generic, or repetitive by nature, so rather than typing out the same or similar email every time, you can link specific email templates to an action template for each type of outgoing email. The following diagram represents this.

Multiple Email templates can be linked to a single Action Template. This means that when an Action Template is used, whatever email templates have been linked to that action template will also be used.

Linking an Action Template to an existing job (not a job template)

Action templates can be used during the log-job process, however they can also be linked to a job after it has been logged. When action templates are linked to jobs in this manner, they become known as “Actions to do” and they appear in the “Links” tab of the job, under the “Actions to do” section.

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