Update parent fields based on field changes in child work items

Question

Dear community,

I have a parent work item with 4 custom fields:

* Evaluation Date
* Evaluation Status - To Do, In Progress, Completed
* Decision Date
* Decision Status - To Do, In Progress Done

This parent has 2 child work items that include the same 4 fields.

* 1st Child Work Item - Project Evaluation
* 2nd Child Work Item - Project Decision

When I update the 2 Evaluation related fields in the 1st child work item, the values are copied into the parent.

When I update the 2 Decision related fields, the values are copied into the parent BUT removes the values of Evaluation related fields.  I realized this happened because in the 2nd child work item, the Evaluation related fields are empty.

Here is my Automation Rule:

* Trigger:  When value changes for:  Evaluation Date, Evaluation Status, Decision Date, Decision Status
* Condition applied:  Issue Type = Sub-task
* Change type:  Any changes to the field value for all work item operations
* Branch - For Parent
* Action: Edit Work Items

I then updated the Change type to: Value added for all work item operations.  The result remains the same.

I tried using "If..Else" and inside each condition moved the Branch (For Parent) and the Action.  However, since I have 4 conditions, once the 1st condition is met, the Rule stops evaluating the remaining conditions.

What I want is for the 4 conditions to be evaluated so the updates to the field, where appropriate, can happen.

In the meantime, I split this 1 rule into 4 to ensure each field is evaluated independently.  However, I thought I can just have one rule to get these field changes to work.

Thank you for your help!

Doods

Trudy P Claspill · Answer

Hello @Doods Perea

Is there something about the child items that will distinguish them from each other, but that remains the same for all child items of that type? For example do all child items #1 contain "Project Evaluation" in their summer and all child items #2 contain "Project Decision"?

Are you working within a Company Managed Space where it is technically possible to have multiple types of subtasks? Or are you working in a Team Managed Space where only one type of subtasks is permitted?

Will the 2 Evaluation fields always be blank in the Decision subtask and the Decision fields always blank in the Evaluation subtask?

If you are not limited to only one type of subtask and if the answer to my last question above is Yes, then I would recommend that you implement a custom subtask for Project Evaluation and a custom subtask for Project Decision. Then add only the relevant fields to each type of subtask, and restructure your rule as follows:

TRIGGER: When value changes for <your 4 fields)
FOR EACH: Related issue/Parent
  CONDITION: Advanced/smart value
    smart value: {{triggerIssue.type.name}}
    comparison: equals
    value: Evaluation

ACTION: Edit work item
    Evaluation Date: Copy from Evaluation Date field of Trigger Issue
    Evaluation Status: Copy from Evaluation Status field of Trigger Issue

FOR EACH: Related issue/Parent
  CONDITION: Advanced/smart value
    smart value: {{triggerIssue.type.name}}
    comparison: equals
    value: Decision

ACTION: Edit work item
    Decision Date: Copy from Decision Date field of Trigger Issue
    Decision Status: Copy from Decision Status field of Trigger Issue

Branches execute in parallel, but since each has a condition where only one of them should be true, theoretically this should work to update the parent's Evaluation fields from only the Evaluation subtask, and the parent's Decision fields from on the Decision subtask.

If you can't have multiple types of subtasks you can change those conditions to evaluate something else, like the Summary, or the subtask that is different between the pair of subtasks but the same for all the subtasks across all parent items.

I have not actually set up this scenario and run through it, but the theory is sound.

Marc -Devoteam- · Answer

Hi @Doods Perea

That is correct, this you can't as your only base is on a single condition.

Then your 4 rule option is the best way to go, or you need to set in the IF/ELSE per condition which field changed, but this might result in a multitude of else clauses.

Doods Perea_41uhib · Answer

Hi Brant - thank you.

I will re-create the original rule later, as I have already broken it into 4 rules, each evaluating 1 field to ensure the other 3 are not included when the rule runs.

This approach works for me.  I just thought maybe there is a way to keep just 1 rule for all 4 fields.