CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

I am a bit confused by the "Time line".  Is the time line the vehicle that causes related and dependent actions to be inserted into a case automatically when it is created?  I am seeing behaviors that I don't want in my case, namely a list of future activities that are created based on the activities and dependencies I defined in the Activity Set.  This is actually causing more confusion than value to our users.

What I want is to create a basic case with an open case activity, then allow me to create a follow-on activity.  In an extreme over simplification  I might want to create an activity called "Prepare and send document to client".  When that activity is complete the next step in the process is to "Receive executed document from Client".  I am thinking I want that activity because I may need to follow up if this item becomes past due and contact the client and find out why the delay.

There are many other similar activities.  Can I create multiple time lines that would include these two or other sets of activities? 

If I do not include activities in a time line or activity set but define them the case I can still use them in the case?

I've read the docs till I'm blue in the face but do not understand exactly what an Activity Set and a Time Line are and do.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, I have read the book and the posts in the Wiki.  The explanation of time line and activity set was rather ambiguous.  Thanks for you answer.  If I understand this correctly I can remove the activities from the Activity Set but leave them in Activity Types?

Some examples:

Use 1: Some event (that occurs reasonably often) has a well-defined set of followup tasks. You set those up in the xml as an activity set, then when that event occurs you choose a set from the Add Timeline dropdown on the Manage Case screen, and it will schedule the activities defined in the set.

You can have multiple sets to choose from.

Use 2: You have some service levels or quality standards that you want to quickly verify that a case has met. You define them as sets, and run the QA audit on one of them from the Manage Case screen. It will tell you what parts of the set haven't been met (as determined by the activities currently filed or not filed on the case).

Use 3: As an alternative to Change Case Type, if for whatever reason you would rather have standard sequences of activities be completely unassociated with Case Types.