can a workflow look at both old and new value?

[DanaIrvine]

Here is what I am tryign to do (paraphrased):

If a ticket was in the "Closed" state AND

the ticket has a particular category assigned AND

the ticket status has been changed to "Waiting on Us" THEN

change the status to "New"

The problem I am running into is I can't figure out how to look at both the old value of the ticket status and the new one. This needs to only trigger if it is a certain category (I can make this work) and the status has moved from closed to waiting on us. Any other status change should be ignored. Is this possible?

[karstenkoehler]

Hi @DanaIrvine,

This can be done with an additional ticket property, same options as ticket status, but name it "Ticket status (delayed by 5 mins)".

Next, set up a ticket based workflow that enrolls records when the ticket status changes, then waits 5 minutes, then copies the ticket status in the new property.

In the enrollment criteria you can now reference this new property. If the ticket was in the closed status, the new property will hold that info for 5 minutes - long enough for the enrollment of your workflow.

Let me know if you have any questions about this!

[DanaIrvine]

How will this pick up the old status? If it triggers on the status change, it'll pick up the new status. I need to get the status before the change happens.

[karstenkoehler]

@DanaIrvine the "Ticket status (delayed by 5 minutes)" contains the old value. For five minutes at least, long enough for your workflow to consider it as the old value.

[DanaIrvine]

I must be missing something. how do I copy the value before it gets changed? you said to create a trigger, wait 5 minuts then copy the status. by that time it's already been changed.

[karstenkoehler]

@DanaIrvine here's what would happen chronologically:

1. A ticket is in closed. Both "Ticket status" and "Ticket status (delayed by 5 mins)" have the value closed.
2. The ticket moves back to waiting on us. "Ticket status" reflects that immediately.
3. The move triggers the workflow I described: The ticket will enroll, wait 5 minutes, and only then the "Ticket status (delayed by 5 mins)" will reflect the latest "Ticket status" value. During those 5 minutes, "Ticket status (delayed by 5 mins)" will still have the value closed.
4. While those 5 minutes pass, your actual workflow can enroll tickets by checking whether "Ticket status" is waiting on us and "Ticket status (delayed by 5 mins)" is closed. Because of the delay, and for 5 more minutes, that is true, and the ticket can enroll.

That's why "Ticket status (delayed by 5 mins)" is effectively the old ticket status, at least for the purpose of your enrollment. It'll update after, but by then your workflow (step 4) will have completed what it's doing.

[DanaIrvine]

How does the old value get to "Ticket status (delayed by 5 mins)"?

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

@DanaIrvine via the workflow from my first reply:

"set up a ticket based workflow that enrolls records when the ticket status changes, then waits 5 minutes, then copies the ticket status in the new property."

It is not that an old value is speciacifically set. The about-to-be old value simply has 5 minutes until it gets updated as well.

[DanaIrvine]

I figured it out, thanks