There are four different deadlines available, one of which is for delaying a work item, while the others are for ensuring progress. Reading the online documentation is recommended.
- Requested Start is used to delay a work item. The effect on a background work item is that the execution will not take place until the deadline has been reached, while the effect on a foreground work item is that the agents will not receive it until the deadline has been reached.
Latest Start, Requested End, and Latest End deadlines can really be used as you please, and the use will of course vary with the business scenario - but here follows one suggestion:
- Latest End: use it when you want to escalate a work item, i.e. send it to a different agent if the work item has not been completed within the deadline.
- Latest Start: use them to remind people about the work item that is waiting to be started.
- Requested End: use them to remind people about the work item that is waiting to be completed. Last, but not least, don't use a deadline unless there is a real need for it. Unless the business process has defined deadlines, there shouldn't be a need for deadlines in the technical solution either.
