Generic case configuration management overview
The process of generic case management has a number of contributory factors that need to be configured at the outset in order to inform daily activities, operations and functions. These configuration components enable the housing organisation to define specific parameters in line with their own procedures and internal standards. Additional values and attributes can be appended to the records at any time, as required, although maintaining comprehensive information from the start will reap its own rewards. There are three key components that fall under the category of generic case configuration management: generic case escalation rule maintenance, generic task maintenance and generic case classification maintenance. When devising generic case classifications and the underlying tasks that will drive forward their progression, it is important to remember that they should be solution-oriented, aimed at overcoming barriers and delivering successful outcomes. Their inherent structure and usability should also focus on making processes easier, more streamlined and less reliant on subject matter experts, particularly to cover times of overload and periods of staff absence.
Generic Case Escalation Rule Maintenance - All generic cases launched in response to a customer interaction - either directly or indirectly - can be service level driven and form an integral part of a wider Service Level Agreement (SLA). Escalation rules define the automatic events to be triggered in the instance where a case or inherent task exceeds the SLA target, or reaches a predefined warning period. The escalation process would typically notify the case or task owner, and potentially members of a stakeholder group using customised communication templates. The escalation process is not just a one-off exercise but rather subsequent follow-on rules can be defined and triggered in the event that, say, a task has stagnated beyond a defined period. Open cases and tasks can therefore be continually tracked and actively progressed through to a successful outcome.
Generic Task Maintenance - A task is a specific activity that must be undertaken as an outcome of a customer interaction or related service-oriented action, and for which a generic case has been generated. Each generic case is steered by its associated classification - also referred to as the case type - which in turn comprises one or more related tasks, and it is these tasks that define how the case will be progressed. Any number of discrete tasks can be linked to a generic case, with a specific attribute governing whether each can appear more than once within the same execution plan. Recurrent tasks can also be configured to facilitate specific activities that need to be repeated over a defined period, or until such time as a particular outcome is achieved. In structuring all the activities that are relevant to a case, tasks can be added manually at the point of need, or they can be be linked automatically by virtue of their existence within an underlying workflow path. Dictated by the nature of the assigned tasks, dependencies can be configured between them to restrict the point at which related tasks are commenced.
Generic Case Classification Maintenance - These are the building blocks of all generic cases, representing the structured framework that will empower end users in defining and nurturing standardised processes to be executed repeatedly for each new occurrence of a certain case type. Any number of customer-facing and internal classifications can be created to suit the working practices of the housing organisation, mapping out procedures and proactive response mechanisms that will underpin their service provision. Each new classification entry must be linked to a system component or focus area - referred to as an Entity - governing the range of related data components and communication tags that will be available during the progression of each associated case.
Separate help articles have been created for each key aspect of generic case configuration management, including: