Defining Out-of-office settings

About this task

Out of office settings help ensure that there is coverage for your tasks, approvals, and requests when you are out of the office.

Procedure

Select Settings > Unica Plan Settings.
The Administrative Settings page opens.
Click Out of Office Settings.
The Out of Office Settings page opens.
At the top of the page, indicate whether you are currently in or out of the office.
From version 12.1.4, you can set immediate out of office or schedule it to a future date. To set an immediate out of office, select From now. Your selection goes into effect when you click Save Changes.
To set out of office for a future date, select Schedule, and:
1. Select future date and time for Start. This date defines when the Out of Office must start.
2. Select future date and time for End. This date defines when the Out of Office must end.
Your selection goes into effect when you click Save Changes.
Specify the Unica Plan user who covers for your responsibilities when you are out of the office. You can specify the same user or different users for:
- Workflow Tasks and Approval Tasks: You are provided three options in Out-of-office settings for Delegating users for workflow tasks and approval tasks:
  - Do not auto-delegate: The workflow tasks and approvals which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will not be delegated. However, tasks and approvals that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  - Auto-delegate all: All the workflow tasks and approvals which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will be delegated. However, tasks and approvals that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  - Auto delegate selected:
    Note: This option is not available if you select Schedule to schedule out of office for a future date.
    Only the selected workflow tasks and approvals which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will be delegated. However, tasks and approvals that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  Note: Workflow tasks and approval delegation will happen if the project state is draft/in progress (started)/on hold (paused)/reconcile.Workflow tasks and approval delegation will not happen if project state is cancelled or complete.
  Note: Approval delegation only applies to approval reviewers. Approval owners do not get delegated.
  Your system administrator defines whether you can select any other user as a delegate, or only a user who is already a member of the same project teams and with appropriate permissions. If your system or any of your projects uses the more restrictive setting, an error displays if you attempt to delegate tasks to a user who cannot perform them.
- Standalone Approvals and Budget Approvals: You are provided three options in Out-of-office settings for delegating user for standalone approvals and budget approvals:
  - Do not auto-delegate: The standalone approvals and budget approvals which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will not be delegated. However, standalone approvals and budget approvals that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  - Auto-delegate all: All the standalone approvals and budget approvals which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will be delegated. However, standalone approvals and budget approvals that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  - Auto delegate selected:
    Note: This option is not available if you select Schedule to schedule out of office for a future date.
    Only the selected standalone approvals and budget approvals which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will be delegated. However, tasks and approvals that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  Note: Approval delegation only applies to approval reviewers. Approval owners do not get delegated.
  An error displays if you attempt to delegate approvals to a user who cannot respond to them.
- Project Requests: You are provided three options in Out-of-office settings for Delegating user for project requests:
  - Do not auto-delegate: The project requests which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will not be delegated. However, project requests that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  - Auto-delegate all: All the project requests which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will be delegated. However, project requests that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  - Auto delegate selected:
    Note: This option is not available if you select Schedule to schedule out of office for a future date.
    Only the selected project requests which are currently ready to start and assigned to the user will be delegated. However, project requests that will become ready to start after enabling Out-of-office will be delegated automatically.
  From version 12.1.6, if there is a delegation failure, the user, who just initiated an out of office, or when the user is already out of office, the user and the user who was selected for the delegated task will receive notifications about the failure. The notification contains the reason of failure as well.
  
  The users receive alerts if they have subscribed to the alerts and they must have permissions to access the delegated Object.
  
  The delegation failure event is applicable to the three Objects as listed in the Out of Office feature:
  - Failure of Workflow task delegation
  - Failure of Project request delegation
  - Failure of Approval delegation
  An error displays if you attempt to delegate project requests to a user who cannot respond to them.
Enter an optional message to include with all of the activities that are delegated while you are out of the office.
Click Save Changes.
When you indicate that you are Out of Office:
- The Item Delegation History at the bottom of this page logs all of the activities that are delegated in your absence.
- A reminder displays each time you log in to Unica Plan.
- Project and request owners can review a list of team members who are out of the office on the People tab. The assigned delegates and when delegation begins also display.