Escalation Branches

The Escalation activity contains two branches by default: a primary branch and an escalation branch. See the token the escalation branch produces.

Note: When the primary branch has completed, no new escalation branches will begin, but all currently running escalation branches must complete for the workflow to continue. Show me an example.

Example: An escalation activity is configured to have three branches. In the primary branch a document will be routed to Linda and will wait for her to sign the document. After two weeks, the first escalation branch will send Linda a reminder e-mail and add a sticky note to the document. After another week, the next escalation branch will send Linda's supervisor an e-mail. This workflow runs every month, but one month, Linda forgets to sign the document. Two weeks later, she remembers to sign the document. Coincidentally, she signs the document at the exact same time that the second escalation branch is adding a sticky note and about to send her a reminder. Because the second escalation branch had already started when she satisfied the wait condition in the primary branch, the second escalation branch will finish running and send the reminder e-mail. The third branch, which never started, will not run because the primary branch has finished.

Tip: You can add escalation branches.

An escalation branch defines the routing criteria for an entry after a wait time is met. The activities contained in an escalation branch will only be performed if:

• The branch's wait time is met.
• The primary escalation branch has not been completed.

To configure an escalation branch

1. Add the Escalation activity to your workflow by dragging it from the Toolbox Pane and dropping it in the Designer Pane.
2. Select an escalation branch in the Designer Pane.
3. Drag and drop activities into the branch.
4. Under Initial Wait in the Properties Pane, configure when the escalation branch will run.



• Escalate after: Type in a number or use the scroll box (up-and-down arrows) to configure the amount of time (in days, hours, and/or minutes) before the escalation branch will run. Alternatively, click the token button (right arrow) to use tokens.
• Optional: Select Exclude weekends and holidays to count only business days in the Escalate after calculations.
• Escalate on: Type in the date and time the escalation branch will run, or click the calendar icon to choose a date from a calendar. Alternatively, click the token button (right arrow) to use tokens.
5. Optional: Under Repeat Options, configure how many times and how often the escalation branch will repeat.



• Select Run branch multiple times to have the escalation branch repeat if the primary branch has not been completed.
1. Under Between each run, wait, type in a number or use the scroll box (up-and-down arrows) to configure the amount of time before the escalation branch will repeat. Alternatively, click the token button (right arrow) to use tokens.

Note: The wait time between each repetition of an escalation branch starts after the escalation branch last finished. For example, an escalation branch contains an E-mail and a Wait Condition activity and is set to repeat after one hour. The branch will repeat one hour after the wait condition is met, not one hour after the escalation branch started.

2. Click Day(s) to select a unit of time (minutes, hours, days, or weeks) from the drop-down menu.
3. Optional: Select Exclude weekends and holidays to count only business days.
4. Next to Run up to, type in a number or use the scroll box (up-and-down arrows) to configure how many times the escalation branch will run if all currently running branches do not finish. Click the token button (right arrow) to use tokens.