The Create key date toolbox item allows you to create (or set) a Key Date at a given time in the workflow.
Common Uses
In its basic form, this toolbox item is commonly used for setting key dates against work items. It is commonly paired with the Date calculations toolbox item in order to achieve the desired outcome.
The toolbox item also creates key dates against individual participants, for key date types that are striped by participant role. This is useful in split or threaded workflows where each thread handles one participant. For example, a workflow issues a letter of claim to each defendant on a matter, then stamps the letter of claim key date against that defendant.
Pre-requisites
- Parent Work Item ID - To use the Create key date toolbox item, you will need to configure the parent work item ID.
- Step - You will need to have a step on your canvas into which to drag this toolbox item.
- Participant role on the key date type - to create a key date against a participant, the key date type must have a participant role set on the work type.
- Participant holds the role - the ODS entity you stamp the key date against must hold that participant role on the work item.
Note: The key dates screen and the key date APIs treat participant striping differently. The workflow block creates the key date whether or not the configuration above is in place, but the key date only displays on the work item's key dates screen when the key date type has a participant role set and the ODS entity holds that role. Check this configuration before testing.
Configuring Create key date
- Click on the toolbox tab of your workflow canvas.
- Select the Create key date option and drag it onto the step in which you wish to place it.
- Click on the Create key date item you have dragged onto the canvas to add the configuration.
- Enter the configuration for the toolbox item.
| Action Name | Give the action a descriptive name e.g. "Set Limitation Date" |
| Parent work item | Select the parent work item ID from the drop-down list. |
| Key date type | Choose the appropriate key date type. |
| Set complete | Select whether the Key Date should set to complete upon creation. |
| For ODS entity |
Set to Yes to create the key date against a participant rather than against the work item as a whole. Leave as No to create the key date against the work item. |
| Ods entity |
Displays when For ODS entity is set to Yes. Select the variable that holds the participant's ODS ID, for example `Ods Id (odsId)`. In a split or threaded workflow, select the variable that resolves to the participant for the current thread. Creating a key date against a participantWhen For ODS entity is set to Yes, the toolbox item creates the key date against the ODS entity held in the Ods entity variable. The block sets the key date title to include the ODS entity's name, matching the behaviour of the key dates screen. A letter of claim key date created against Marc Bryant displays as `Letter of Claim - Marc Bryant`. The block creates one key date per execution. To create a key date for every participant holding a role, split the workflow so that each branch or thread resolves to a single participant, then place a Create key date item in each branch. Pair this with the Date calculations toolbox item where each participant needs a different due date. |
| Due date | You have 2 options for setting the due date: Due on date - Select the desired variable from the drop-down list. This may have been output from a Date calculations toolbox item. Or due after how many days - Manually enter the due after days value. |
| Phase Outlets |
When the work type that will be created is selected the system will automatically add all of the available phases on the work type into the phase outlets section. When clicked Yes the phase will appear on the workflow canvas as an outlet for the workflow. |
| Output |
The output gives you an option to store the work item ID of the item you have just created into a variable. This is often a good idea as after you have done the original creation you may want to perform some further activities on the new work item. |
Additional Guidance
The block errors if you attempt to create a key date that already exists on the work item, unless the key date type allows multiple instances.
Where For ODS entity is set to Yes, the key date is unique to the combination of work item and ODS entity. Creating the same key date type against a different participant on the same work item does not error.