When Tasks Are Automatically Released to Approval Groups

When a workflow task is assigned to an approval group, anyone in the group can claim it. But if they don’t act on the task after a certain amount of time, the task is automatically released to the group.

While a task is claimed, no one else in the approval group can act on it. But when the task is released, anyone in the group can claim and act on it. The time that a user has before the task is automatically released can depend on multiple factors. The factors that you can control are the task priority and expiration policy.

No Expiration Is Set

If the task has no expiration, it’s automatically released based only on the task’s priority.

Duration Based on Priority

Task Priority	Duration in Days
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5

So, if a task has a priority of 3, the user who claimed the task has 3 days to act before it’s automatically released.

Expiration Is Set

If the task is configured to expire, it’s automatically released based on the task’s priority and the expiration policy. The priority determines the expiration percentage, which is used in this formula to calculate how much time there is before the task is automatically released:

(Expiration Date - Calendar Date) * Expiration %

Percentage Based on Priority

Task Priority	Expiration Percentage
1	30
2	40
3	50
4	60
5	76

For example, a task has a priority of 3, and its expiration policy is set to 10 days. Whether the policy is set at the task or assignee level, it doesn’t affect the calculation. Let’s say someone claimed the task on May 5, and today is May 10. The expiration date is May 15 because the expiration is set to 10 days. The calculation based on the formula would then be:

(15 – 10) * .50 = 2.5

So, the user has two and a half more days from today to act on the task before it’s automatically released.

Change the Workflow Task Priority

Workflow tasks can have a priority from 1 to 5, and they are most likely predefined with 3. You can change the priority to affect when the task is automatically released after someone claims but doesn’t act on it.

Here's how you check what the priority is and change it:

1. In the Setup and Maintenance work area, go to the Manage Task Configurations task in the Application Extensions functional area. Or, depending on your offering, you might use a different functional area or another approval setup task.
2. In BPM Worklist, on the Task Configuration tab, search for the workflow task in the Tasks to be configured pane.
3. Select the task from the search results and click the Edit task icon in the toolbar.
4. On the General subtab, select a new value for the Priority list, with 1 as the highest and 5 as the lowest.
5. Click the Commit task icon in the Tasks to be configured toolbar when you're ready to roll out your changes,