How to Coordinate Field Engineers Using Ticket Forwarding in BoldDesk

Organizations that work with external field engineers, contractors, or vendors may need to share incident details and receive progress updates without granting access to the BoldDesk agent portal.

In BoldDesk, agents can use Ticket Forwarding to send ticket information to external recipients by email. Forwarding an entire ticket or a specific ticket message creates a Forward Activity that remains associated with the original ticket. External recipients can reply directly to the forwarded email, and their responses are captured within the Forward Activity conversation. This enables support teams to coordinate fieldwork while maintaining a complete communication history within the related ticket.

This article explains how Ticket Forwarding can support incident response, site visits, maintenance activities, and other field operations.

Prerequisites

Before using this workflow, ensure that:

A ticket has been created for the incident, service request, or maintenance activity.
The field engineer’s email address is available.
Outgoing email is configured and functioning correctly.
The following contact email notifications are enabled:
- Ticket Forward Activity Created
- Ticket Forward Activity Replied
Ticket Forwarding and Activities are available in your BoldDesk subscription.

If Forward Activity email notifications are disabled, the Forward Activity may still be created, but the related email notifications will not be delivered to the recipient.

For information about configuring notification events, refer to Agent, Contact & Watchers Events Email Notification in BoldDesk.

Coordinate Fieldwork Using Ticket Forwarding

1. Prepare the Ticket Information

Open the ticket associated with the incident or field-service request and verify that it contains all information required by the field engineer.

Depending on the request, this information may include:

Site or customer details.
Incident description.
Equipment or asset information.
Troubleshooting steps already performed.
Priority and expected response time.
Site access instructions.
Relevant attachments, photos, or diagnostic files.

Before forwarding the ticket, review the content carefully and remove any information that the external recipient should not receive.

The ticket requester’s information is not automatically included in the Forward Activity email. If the field engineer requires requester or site-contact details, include the relevant information in the Forward Activity description.

2. Forward the Ticket to the Field Engineer

Forward the entire ticket or a specific ticket message to the field engineer. Include a clear subject, instructions, relevant ticket details, and any required attachments.

When the ticket is forwarded, BoldDesk creates a Forward Activity and sends the selected information to the external recipient via email. For detailed instructions, refer to How to Forward Tickets to External Recipients in BoldDesk.

Include the expected action, site details, priority, target completion time, and any required evidence in the Forward Activity description. Providing clear instructions helps reduce follow-up communication and enables the engineer to provide a complete and actionable update.

3. Track the Field Engineer’s Updates

After forwarding the ticket, agents can monitor the associated Forward Activity directly from the parent ticket.

The Forward Activity may include:

Activity status.
Assignee.
Due date.
Forwarded messages and attachments.
Replies from the field engineer.
Communication history.

When the field engineer replies to the forwarded email, the response is recorded in the Forward Activity conversation.

Common updates may include:

Arrival confirmation.
Initial assessment.
Troubleshooting findings.
Parts or equipment requirements.
Work-in-progress updates.
Service restoration confirmation.
Photos or supporting documentation.

Agents can also locate forwarded-ticket activities in the Activities module. For instructions, refer to How to View Forwarded Tickets in the BoldDesk Activities Module.

4. Update the Parent Ticket

Review the updates received from the field engineer and update the parent ticket as needed.

Depending on the information received, the agent may need to:

Change the ticket status.
Update the priority or assignee.
Record internal findings.
Inform the requester.
Escalate the incident.
Request additional information from the engineer.
Continue communication through the Forward Activity.

Replies received through a Forward Activity do not automatically update the status of the parent ticket. Agents must review the responses and manually update the ticket when necessary.

5. Confirm Completion and Resolve the Ticket

When the field engineer confirms that the work has been completed:

Review the engineer’s final update and any supporting attachments.
Confirm that the issue has been resolved or the requested work has been completed.
Record the resolution details in the parent ticket.
Notify the requester, if appropriate.
Update the ticket to the applicable resolved or closed status.

The ticket and its associated Forward Activity provide a centralized record of the field request, external communication, progress updates, and final resolution.

When forwarding a ticket to a field engineer, include relevant details such as the incident reference, site information, problem description, troubleshooting performed, required action, priority, timelines, and any supporting attachments. Share only information that the recipient is authorized to access.

Troubleshooting

The field engineer did not receive the forwarded email

Verify that:

The recipient’s email address is correct.
Outgoing email is configured and working.
Ticket Forward Activity Created is enabled under the contact email notifications.
The email was not directed to the recipient’s spam or junk folder.

For the forwarding prerequisites and notification requirements, explore How to Forward Tickets to External Recipients in BoldDesk.

A Forward Activity was created, but no email was delivered

Verify that the applicable Forward Activity email notifications are enabled and that the outgoing mail configuration is working.
A Forward Activity can be created even when the corresponding email notification is not delivered.

The engineer replied, but the response is not visible

Verify that:

The engineer replied to the original forwarded email.
Ticket Forward Activity Replied is enabled.
Incoming email processing is functioning correctly.
The response was sent from an expected email address.

The field engineer cannot open the Forward Activity in the portal

This is expected behaviour. External recipients cannot access the Forward Activity from the BoldDesk portal.
External field engineers participate through email, while agents review the Forward Activity from the BoldDesk agent portal.

The parent ticket status did not change after the engineer replied

This is expected behaviour. Replies recorded in a Forward Activity do not automatically change the parent ticket’s status.
An agent must review the field engineer’s response and manually update the parent ticket when necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do external field engineers require a BoldDesk account?
No. External field engineers can receive and reply to forwarded ticket information through email without signing in to the BoldDesk agent portal.
Can external field engineers access Forward Activities in the portal?
No. Forward Activities are available to agents in BoldDesk. External recipients participate in the conversation through email.
Can I forward only a specific ticket message?
Yes. Agents can forward the entire ticket or a specific reply or note, depending on the information that needs to be shared. For detailed instructions, explore How to Forward Tickets to External Recipients in BoldDesk.
Can attachments be shared with the field engineer?
Yes. When forwarding ticket information, agents can select applicable ticket attachments or upload the files required by the field engineer.
Can an assignee and due date be added to a Forward Activity?
Yes. A Forward Activity supports fields such as assignee, due date, and activity status.
Can all communication with the field engineer be tracked?
Replies to the forwarded email are recorded in the associated Forward Activity conversation. Agents can review that conversation from the ticket.
Will the original requester automatically receive forwarded communications?
No. Forwarding a ticket to an external engineer does not automatically include the requester in the Forward Activity conversation.
If the requester should receive the forwarded communication, add the appropriate email address to the To or CC field, subject to your organisation’s communication and privacy policies.

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