Allocating Tasks to Workers

You can allocate tasks to workers in several different ways:

• Using Direct Allocation
  
• Using Automatic Pool Allocation
  
• Using Manual Allocation by Term
  
• Tracking Users' Workloads
  

Using Direct Allocation

To use direct allocation, follow the instructions in Setting Up Task Allocation. Direct allocation then proceeds automatically, allocating tasks as soon as an omission, unapproved VTA, or unapproved Action assignment is created in any way.

Check the Maintain Direct Allocation Log Files window periodically to see if direct allocation has completed with errors. Each time direct allocation fails, the system enters the information in this window.

For each failed job, the system displays an error log ID, the user ID of the person who ran the job that created the omission(s), VTA(s), or Action(s), and the timestamp of that job. The system displays a detail ID for the error and an error message in the lower portion of the window for the error log selected in the upper portion of the window. The thi_term_id may appear in the error message.

You can use a SQL*Plus tool to determine the name of the term, domain, and base dictionary from their respective IDs and then correct each problem manually.

Using Automatic Pool Allocation

In the Task Allocation by Quantity window you can invoke an algorithm to automatically allocate tasks. You have more control over the process than with Direct Allocation, but you must explicitly invoke the algorithm. You can allocate only one type of task at a time: omissions, unapproved VTAs, or unapproved Action assignments. You can allocate tasks in only one domain/dictionary combination at a time.

You can specify the workers to whom you want to allocate tasks and set workers' capacities each time you run the job. You can choose either an algorithm that allocates tasks based on workers' current workload as well as their capacities, or use an algorithm that uses only their relative capacities.

Reallocating and Unallocating Tasks

You can use the same method to reallocate tasks from one worker to one or more different workers and to unallocate tasks—that is, remove task assignments from a worker and put the tasks back into the Unallocated pool.

Note:

Unlike direct allocation, automatic pool allocation allows assigning an approval task to the same user who created the VTA or Action assignment requiring approval, if the user has the required privileges.

To use automatic pool allocation, reallocation, or unallocation, do the following:

1. From the "From" Worker drop-down list, do one of the following:

   • To allocate tasks that are currently unallocated, select UNALLOCATED.

   • To reallocate tasks from one worker to one or more other workers or to unallocate tasks that are currently allocated, select the name of the worker from whom you want to remove the tasks.

2. From the Domains drop-down list, select either a single domain or All.

   • If you select a single domain, the system returns omissions, unapproved Action assignments, or unapproved VTAs that apply only to the domain you select.

   • If you select All, the system returns all omissions, unapproved Action assignments, or unapproved VTAs, including unapproved global VTAs.

   In either case, the system returns only unallocated tasks or tasks assigned to a particular user, depending on your selection in the "From" Worker field.

3. From the Dictionary drop-down list, select either a single dictionary or All (to signify that you want omissions, unapproved Action assignments, or unapproved VTAs from all dictionaries).
4. If you wish, click the Filter button to refine the query with information from the external system, or to check the current settings. If you have changed these settings in another TMS window during this session, the changed settings are still in effect.

   In the pop-up window, select the external source data system and database, and then select values for any or all of the fields that are specific to the source data system you select.

5. Click the tab for the type of task you wish to allocate: Omissions, Verbatim Term Assignments, or Action Assignments.
6. Press F8 or select Execute Query from the Query menu.

   The system retrieves information on all omissions, VTAs, or Action assignments for the worker or unallocated pool in the domain/dictionary combination you specified at the top of the window, applying any additional external system criteria you specified in the Filter pop-up.

7. Select the domain/dictionary combination you want to work on by clicking in any field in the relevant row.
8. In the # to give away column, specify the number of tasks you want to allocate. By default the number in the column is the same as the number of tasks—omissions, VTAs, or actions, depending on the tab—either unallocated or allocated to the worker you selected in the From Worker field at the top of the window.

   If you enter a number greater than the number of tasks either unallocated or allocated to the worker you specified, the system stops allocating tasks when there are no more available to allocate. The system gives an error if you enter a negative number.

9. In the Worker field in the lower part of the window, the system displays all the workers who are allowed to work on the dictionary/domain combination selected in the Domain and Dictionary fields in the upper portion of the tab. Use the scroll bar to see additional workers or query for a particular worker in the Worker field; see Querying in Windows.

   For each worker to whom you want to allocate tasks, enter a number between 0-99999 in the Capacity field, inclusive, as the worker's capacity relative to other workers' capacities to whom you are allocating tasks; see Setting Each Worker's Capacity. Click Clr to reset the number to zero (0) or Set to set the number to 100.

   Note:

   UNALLOCATED is the last value listed in the Worker column. To deallocate tasks, enter any number greater than zero (0) as the capacity for the UNALLOCATED row and 0 for all others.

10. From the Distribution Algorithm field, select the algorithm you want to use to allocate the tasks: Pooled or Pooled By Workload. The Pooled By Workload algorithm takes into account the number of tasks already assigned to a worker as well as the capacity you set for the worker. The Pooled algorithm uses only the capacity.

    Both algorithms consider only the specified dictionary/domain combination and only the type of task currently being allocated.

11. If you wish, click Calculate Projections. The system displays the number of tasks that will be allocated to each user if you run the allocation job with the parameters you have entered, but does not actually allocate the tasks. You can make changes and calculate projections as many times as necessary.

    When the system calculates the projected allocations, it rounds up to the nearest whole task for each user. When the system actually allocates tasks, it stops when it comes to the last task. Therefore the calculated projection may be slightly different from the actual allocation total for each user, but the maximum difference should be one fewer tasks allocated than projected.

    To reset values to zero (0), click the Clr button at the top of the column. To reset values to 100, click the Set button at the top of the column. To reset the value for a single row, use the Clr or Set button for that row.

12. Click Allocate. The system allocates tasks to the users you specified.

Using Manual Allocation by Term

Use the Task Allocation by Term window to manually allocate, deallocate, or reallocate a single omission, unapproved VTA, or unapproved Action assignment to a particular user.

Note:

You can manually allocate multiple omissions, unapproved VTAs, or unapproved Action assignments to a single user in the Task Allocation by Quantity window; see Using Automatic Pool Allocation.

Note:

Unlike direct allocation, manual allocation allows assigning an approval task to the same user who created the VTA or Action assignment requiring approval, if the user has the required privileges.

To allocate, deallocate, or reallocate a single omission, unapproved VTA, or unapproved Action assignment, do the following:

1. In the Task Allocation by Term window, click the tab for the type of task you want to allocate: Omissions, Verbatim Term Assignments, or Action Assignments.
2. Click the Filter button to limit the tasks displayed. See Setting Filters and Creating Activity Lists for instructions.
3. Query for the particular task you want to allocate. You can use the following fields as criteria: Term, Domain, Dictionary, Substatus, and Assigned. The Assigned column includes both workers to whom a task is assigned and the value UNALLOCATED, for tasks not currently assigned to a worker.

   The system retrieves the tasks that meet the criteria you entered.

4. Select the task you want to allocate by clicking it in the Term column. You can use Shift+Click to select multiple consecutive tasks or Ctrl+Click to select multiple nonconsecutive tasks.

   Click Status/Notes to see its status history and Release Label information in the Status/Notes pop-up window. You can also add a note in the Status/Notes pop-up window. See Using the Status/Notes Pop-up Window.

5. Click the Assign To field. The List of Values ellipsis (…) appears.
6. Click the LOV ellipsis (…). The List of Values pop-up appears. You can enter a search for a particular user in the Find field, using the % wildcard.
7. Select the user to whom you want to allocate the task. Or, to deallocate the task, select UNALLOCATED.
8. Click Assign. TMS puts the name of the user to whom the task is now assigned in the Assigned column for the task.
9. Repeat for as many tasks as required.
10. Save.

Tracking Users' Workloads

You can see the current workload for any user in the Task Allocation by Quantity window and by creating a list of activities for any user. In either case, you can only view one task type—omissions, unapproved VTAs, or unapproved Action assignments—at a time.

For more information, see:

• Tracking Workloads in the Task Allocation by Quantity Window
  
• Tracking Workloads as Activities
  

Tracking Workloads in the Task Allocation by Quantity Window

To see a user's current number of tasks, do the following:

1. In the Task Allocation by Quantity window, "From" Worker field, select the user whose workload you want to see.
2. Select All for both the Domain and Dictionary. Do not enter a filter search.
3. Press F8 to retrieve all tasks.

   In the upper portion of each tab, the system lists omissions, VTAs, and Action assignments for the user, and lists the total number for each task type as well.

Tracking Workloads as Activities

You can use the filter pop-up window to create a list of omissions, unapproved VTAs, or unapproved Action assignments for a single user or for all users, for any dictionary/domain combination or for all dictionaries and all domains. If you save the filter as an activity, you can then view it at any time from the Activity List window in the Omission Management menu.

The Activity List window always displays a summary of the current results of the query you defined in the filter window, including the task type, dictionary, domain, term status, and current total.

You can double-click the activity name to see the individual tasks retrieved by the query.

You specify filter criteria in the Filter pop-up from the appropriate window, as follows:

• To retrieve allocated omissions, go to the Classify VT Omissions window.

• To retrieve allocated unapproved Action assignments, go to the Approve Action Assignments window.

• To retrieve unapproved VTAs, go to the approve VTAs window.

For instructions, see Creating and Using Activity Lists.