If your managers are logging in every morning to check a report, there is a better way.
Pega lets you schedule any report to run automatically and send the output by email – as a PDF or Excel attachment. A few minutes of configuration and the report arrives in their inbox without anyone needing to click anything.
Disclaimer – The below content is demoed using Traditional UI. In the Constellation UI design system as well, we have the similar functionality, but instead of report scheduling you need to do Insights scheduling
Setting Up a Scheduled Report
Go to the Case Manager portal, open the Reports landing page and find the report you want to schedule. Open its settings and click Schedule.
A configuration window opens. Give the scheduled task a name, then set up the task scheduling. You can choose one-time or recurring. For regular reporting, recurring is what you want. Select the time of day, frequency – daily, weekly, monthly – and whether it should run on weekdays only or every calendar day. Set a start date and optionally an end date.
For task output, choose the file format – PDF or Excel – and configure the notification message. Add the operators who should receive the email. Pega uses the email address stored on each operator’s profile, so make sure those are populated correctly.
Submit the configuration. Pega takes care of the rest.
What Pega Creates Behind the Scenes
Understanding the architecture helps when something does not work.
When you create a scheduled task, Pega creates a case instance under the Pega Scheduled class. This instance stores all your configuration – the frequency, timing, output format, message content and recipients. Think of it like an automation case that holds everything the scheduler needs to know.
Pega also creates a queue instance that feeds a standard agent called Scheduled Task Processor. This agent runs every five minutes and picks up queue instances where the processing time has arrived. The agent opens the scheduled task case, reads the configuration and sends the email. After sending, it creates a new queue instance for the next scheduled run.
Make sure the Scheduled Task Processor agent is enabled in your environment – if it is disabled, no scheduled reports will be sent.
Promoting to Higher Environments
When you move to production, include the case instance and queue instance in your product file. But pay attention to the timing. The queue instance has a minimum processing date time that determines when the agent will first pick it up. Make sure that value is set correctly for when you want the scheduling to begin in production – otherwise the first execution could be missed or delayed.
Also confirm the email account is configured in the target environment. Without a valid email account, the scheduling will run but no emails will be delivered.
Watch the Full Walkthrough
In the video below I walk through creating a scheduled report in the Case Manager portal, configuring recurring delivery, and then opening the Designer Studio to show the case instance, queue instance and the Scheduled Task Processor agent that makes it all work.
Scheduled reports are one of those small features that make a real difference to business users. Set it up once and the right people get the right information automatically – no logins, no clicking, no forgetting.
