This article details how to set up and configure Triggers in Insight Legal.
What are Triggers
Triggers sit within a task and dictate how that task can be activated. If you want to create a task called Attach File, you would open Attach File and add a trigger to determine how it is activated.
Once set, Triggers are prerequisites for the task they are connected to. They all must be met by default; this can be changed by using the "expression builder" detailed below.
Why are Triggers Useful
Triggers can determine when a user will enter a given Phase or Task. Within a Law Firm, there might be tasks that are dependent on others being completed. Using triggers can ensure that certain Tasks or Phases do not become active until another task, which is a prerequisite of that action, is completed.
Where are Triggers Located
To find Triggers in Insight Legal:
- Go to Case Management.
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Select Tasks.
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In the Tasks panel select the kind of Task required, Triggers are available in the following Tasks
002 - Attach Files
006 - New Task
10 - Attach File
234 - Capture User Data
71 - Capture User Data
8 - Link Contact Info
98 - Client Files
- In the Task Detail window, scroll down and click on the Triggers dropdown arrow.
Trigger Types
7 different types of triggers can be added to tasks, and each will be detailed below.
Phase State
This is when a Phase enters a state which falls under the category of Inactive/Active/Complete. This can be used when you need to spawn a task when a phase enters any kind of a certain phase state. So, for instance, if you have 10 phase complete statuses. But it doesn’t matter which one is used. This is the perfect trigger for that.
Milestone Hit
This is when a matter has been linked to another matter, the Milestones Hit Action Type has been completed on the latter. The Milestones Hit Action Type and the type of Link Matter used need to be added to the trigger.
The trigger is always placed on the dependant workflow, such as a Purchase of a house dependent on the Sale completing first. The action would be on the sale workflow and the trigger on the purchase workflow.
Property Search Returned
This is when Property Searches have been returned after using the Property Search Order Action Type. The trigger allows you to drag and drop a Property Search Order action that is part of your workflow into it.
Until the Property Search Order that you have created has been completed and the searches have returned the necessary files in the matter files section of Case Enquiry, the task the trigger is on will not spawn.
User Defined Field
This trigger will only fire when the relevant UDFs fields have been initialised or changed in the following areas of Insight:
- Case Enquiry – User Defined Data Tab (Only fires when you press Save after making a change to a UDF in this screen.
- Case Enquiry – User Defined Data Workflow action.
For this trigger to work in the User Defined Field definition screen there is a checkbox which will define whether a UDF can be included in a UDF trigger. You will need to do this on each individual UDF that you wish to use in the workflow as part of the trigger.
In the Task Definition screen, you will firstly need to select which UDF you want as part of the trigger, this is the UDF that will make the trigger fire when its value is modified. In the field selection it will only show you the UDFs which you have marked as Can Fire Triggers as stated above.
There are 3 modes for UDF triggers so you can customise when tasks are spawned:
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Changes Value: The trigger will fire when the selected UDF simply changes value.
Supported UDF types: All types. - Is Initialised mode: The trigger will fire when the selected UDF gets a value while previously was null. This is useful for the first time a value is populated on a matter. Supported UDF types: All types.
- Gets Specific Value mode: This mode requires you to provide an expected value. The trigger will fire only when the selected UDF changes value and the value is the same as the one provided in the trigger definition. Supported UDF types: Boolean, Dropdown.
Once the trigger has been saved you will not be able to amend its mode. You will need to delete the trigger by clicking the red X and re-enter the Trigger again.
Task State
This is the same as above but for tasks and the categories are Active/Complete. The trigger behaviour is identical to the phase version of this task, although it only applies to tasks.
Exact Task Status
This is when a task enters a specific state that can be identified from the list of Task States. This list is completely customisable to you and you can add in here as many as you wish. There are also 3 options for Complete states which come as a default with Insight however this list is also custom to you. These indicate how a phase ended e.g. Not Applicable, Complete, and Dismissed.
Exact Phase Status
This is the same as above but for Phases. The trigger behaviour is identical to the Task version of this Phase, although it only applies to Phases.
Trigger Name & Rehit
The Trigger Name and Rehit checkbox are common between all trigger types.
Trigger Name
The trigger name is generated automatically based on the following formula: (Task/Phase Name) _ (Status Name)
This can be over written by you by deleting any text that has been generated and then typing in the new name. Renaming the trigger will help greatly if building a more complex trigger expressions
Rehit
If you have a repeatable task with a Phase trigger then if Rehit is set to true you will only be able to create the task manually once in that phase. If they want to create it multiple times you will need to leave and re-enter the phase.
If Rehit is off then you can create the task as many times as you wish without changing the phase status.
Statuses
Statuses can be added to the Exact Phase/Task trigger.
Active or Inactive statuses cannot be created but new complete statuses can be created. For phases this is done of the Phase Maintenance screen. For tasks this can be done by clicking on the + icon next to Complete.
Expression Builder
The expression builder allows you to create a more complex method of spawning the task. To do this you add Triggers to the builder to build up a logical expression that tells the task when to spawn.
This is needed when hitting all the triggers is not required to spawn the task. e.g. when only one of two conditions/triggers must be met.
Expression Builder
In the example below we have 3 triggers. If the Expression builder was empty it would be treated as if every trigger must be complete to spawn the task. The expression that has been built dictates that; Either the Searches and Checks Phase becomes Active, OR Draft Letter Task is Completed AND the Initial Letter Task is Created.
To get the expression to evaluate in the correct order we use grouping to put brackets around the triggers to dictate the order of operations.
| To learn more about Triggers, click here to watch a video tutorial. |