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Service Request States
Service Request States

States of a System

Any system, for example the human/computer processing of service requests, can evolve through a series of states. The system transitions from one state to another when an event occurs. A typical event for this process is "locating a volunteer for a service", or "notifying a member that a volunteer is found". The RunMyVillage software reports the state of a service request as its "Status" and lets the office staff change the status of the service request. This description will use the terms status and state interchangeably. There are a number of ways in which the states (or status) of a service request can be used to mark the progress of a service request. This template Village uses the process described and diagrammed below, as do the majority of Villages. Alternate variations, and the problems they are intended to solve, are discussed at the end. 

Circles represent events; squares represent states.  The states of a service request in the process used in this template are illustrated below.  For more details click on:
Entering a New SR.
Finding Volunteers to Fill Services



The diagram omits the complication that a service request may be cancelled by a member at any time, that a volunteer may need to back out, or that the request may not be filled in time.  It also ignores the reality that most Villages routinely mark services as complete once the service date has passed without actually contacting the member to find out how it went.

Service Request Processing

Requested:

When a member requests a service, it is initially assigned a status of "Requested".  This means:

  •  The member has made a request,
  •  The service request is entered into the system with the details about the member,
  •  The office has filled in all the necessary details about the service.

Pending:

The next step is to find a volunteer.  The system provides various tools to help find a volunteer that are explained elsewhere. This state is used to flag requests after a volunteer is found but the member still needs a phone call to let them know about the volunteer.  Members who reliably read their emails do not need a phone call. ( See Finding Volunteers to Fill Services ).  When the volunteer has been found:
  • The information about the volunteer is entered into the service request.
  • The request status is set to "Pending"
  • The volunteer is notified by email with a confirmation email that can be tailored by the Village System Emails.   
  • The member also is notified by email, but since many members do not reliably read email (or even own computers) a phone call to the member may be necessary.

Confirmed:

  • Some members reliably read their emails and for these members the office staff can just change the status to "Confirmed" without placing a phone call.  The "Additional Member Data" in the member's record should contain this information and automatically prefill the"Special Instructions" in the service request with this notice to the office staff.  In this case no phone call is needed and the status can be set to "Confirmed" without further action by the office. 
  • Otherwise, the office needs to phone the member to let them know that the request has been filled and who will provide the service.
  • If the member is not home, you can leave a voicemail.  The member's record should indicate if the member does not reliably listen to voicemail messages.  In that case,the member needs a phone call at a later date.
  • Once the member has been contacted, the status of the request is set to "Confirmed".

Complete:

After the service date, the office may wish to contact the member to see how the service went.  Most Villages do this when they first begin operation, but soon learn that it is not needed.  Experience has shown that members will call the office in the rare case that anything is amiss, and that most members politely indicate that everything was great and they don't need to be bothered after each service.

Services may be marked as "Completed" after an individual call to the member or all past services can be marked as "Complete" via the "Flag Past Requests icon on the member services page.

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Variations
Variations

Each of last two variations corresponds to a slightly different state transition diagram from the first one diagrammed above. The reason for each variation is explained below. In general, states are used to identify (or filter) requests going through the process of fulfillment, to find what action needs to be taken next and which requests need that action.


(1) The variation diagrammed above was selected to find those requests where a volunteer has signed up, but the member still needs a phone call to be informed. It is assumed that, as a rule, members don't read their emails reliable, or might not even have an email address. Requests in the "Pending" state tell the office which members need phone calls to tell them their request has been filled.


A recent change to the software allows the office to receive an email whenever a volunteer signs up for a service via the VSS or the Open Requests emails. This allows the office to use these emails as a cue to determine whether the member needs a confirmation phone call.


(2) Some Villages simplify the process by starting most service requests received as phone calls or emails as "Pending", reserving "Requested" only for those requests made by members through their online profile. Once the office staff called the member back and obtains all the details, the request is set to "Pending". If a significant number of members are signing up online they can be found by looking at requests in the "Requested" state and calling the members to let them know their request has been received and fill in missing details. Only a few service requests are made online and most Villages discourage the practice because of all the extra work for the office that it entails.


The office receives an email whenever a member makes a service request online. This is an alternative method of knowing about online requests from members.  Online requests generated y the system are undated, so when the office needs to find them they have to search or requests without a date.


This alternate process is not really desirable, since it makes it more difficult to know which members need phone calls after someone has volunteered for the service. This is particularly true if volunteers can sign up online via the VSS or via the Automated Open Request emails.


(3) Some Villages begin all requests as "Requested", but transition to "Pending" when they begin making phone calls or sending emails and are waiting for specific volunteers to call back or reply to their email. The advantage of this method is that if a volunteer who has been individually notified calls the office to offer their services, the "Pending" requests quickly identifies which requests they may be asking about.  


The software provides a separate screen, called Open Provider Requests which lists all requests for which volunteers have been called or emailed and have not been filled yet. The list can be sorted by provider, so that when a volunteer calls, the office staff can quickly find all unfilled requests that the caller has been individually contacted for (both calls and individual emails). This screen is also on the Call Manager menu.