Relative Date Time Support in Automation

Relative date-time works by using a specified time frame before or after the current time for every execution in automation.

Relative date-time support condition

In time trigger automation, the following operators are now available for date and date-time type fields in condition settings.

• Next: Return records within a specified time frame after the current time.
• Last: Return records within a specified time frame before the current time.
• Execution Date (for date-type fields): Return records corresponding to the current trigger execution date.
• Execution Date & Time (for date-time type fields): Return records corresponding to the current trigger execution date & time within 1 hour.

Relative date-time support action

Relative date-time support has been implemented for date and date-time type fields in the create, update and time trigger automation used as actioning items.
For date type fields: When selecting the execution date from the dropdown, the value represents the number of days to be added to the current execution date.
For date-time type fields: When selecting the execution date & time from the dropdown, the value represents the number of hours to be added to the current execution date-time.

Note

The Business Hours field is included in both Create and Update triggers and is specifically applicable for date and date-time type fields. However, unlike in the Time Trigger, the Create and Update triggers do not run based on business hours when an event is triggered. Business hours are only used for updating date and date-time type fields in actions, specifically when using Execution Date/Execution Date-Time and Current Field Value Operator Support. This ensures that date and date-time field values are updated based on the business hours defined in the rule.

Example 1

Rule: If the closing date-time property of a ticket is within 1 hour of the current execution time, and the ticket’s status is not solved, the following action is performed:
Action: Update the closing date-time property by adding 24 hours (based on working hours) to the current execution date-time.

Example 2

Rule: If a ticket’s created date matches the current execution date and the ticket’s priority is high, the following action is performed:
Action: Set the due date to 2 days based on the business hours defined in the rule, after the current execution date.

Example 3

Rule: If a ticket’s due date-time property value is within the last 5 hours of working hours, and the ticket’s status is solved, the following actions are performed:
Actions:

1. Set the closing date-time to the current execution date-time, as the value is set to 0.
2. Update the ticket’s status to closed.

Example 4

Rule: If a ticket’s Hours Since Resolved property value is greater than 48 working hours, the following actions are performed:
Actions:

1. Update the close date time property value to 48 hours before the current execution time, based on the working hours.
2. Update the ticket’s status to closed.

Current field value operator support action

We have also included a Current Field Value Operator in create, update, and time trigger automation actions for date, date-time, numeric, and decimal type fields. This allows adding or subtracting values based on the existing ticket’s field values.

• For Date Type Fields: Add/subtract the specified number of days from the existing ticket’s field value in the ticket.
• For Date-Time Type Fields: Add/subtract the specified number of hours from the existing ticket’s field value.
• For Numeric Fields: Add/subtract the specified numeric value from the existing ticket’s field value.
• For Decimal Fields: Add/subtract the specified decimal value from the existing ticket’s field value.

Behavior with Default or Null Values

• If the specified field type is date/date-time and the field value in the ticket is null, the update is processed from the execution date-time by adding/subtracting the requested days/hours.
• If the specified field type is numeric/decimal and the field value in the ticket is null, the update is processed by adding/subtracting the requested value from 0.

Example 5

Rule: If a ticket’s priority is changed from low to high, the following action is performed:
Action: Set the close date to 2 days based on the business hours defined in the rule, after the current ticket’s close date field value.

Example 6

Rule: If a ticket’s status is not solved, the following actions are performed:
Actions:

1. Add value 8 to the current work hours logged field.
2. Add value 8.00 to the current Task Expense field.

Example 7

Rule: If a ticket’s priority is changed from high to low, the following actions are performed:
Actions:

1. Reduce 16 hours from the close date time field value of the current ticket based on the business hours defined in the rule.
2. Reduce 16.00 from the estimated work cost field value of the current ticket.
3. Reduce 16 hours from the estimated work hours field value of the current ticket based on the business hours defined in the rule.