Task Parallelization enables users to handle multiple tasks simultaneously within the Nimbus platform. This includes e.g. managing Audio/Video (AV) calls and External Tasks without blocking the user from receiving a new Audio/Video task. Task Parallelization introduces a more flexible and scalable approach to task handling, especially for service agents working with multiple modalities. Depending on how each modality is configured on the service, users can also receive, pick up and switch to further tasks while a non-blocking non-Audio/Video task is still active – Nimbus parks the previously active task automatically.

✅PRECONDITIONS 

Task Parallelization is enabled on user level via General User Settings (per default disabled). This also allows to set task limits per user, for every supported Nimbus modality. Both general and modality-specific task limits can be set. You may use these limits to account for user experience in handling multiple tasks of certain modality.

💡Good to know: Parking tasks works without having the Task Parallelization feature enabled. Users simply can have only one task parked at a time, as this is their default "maximum".

☝Note that enabling this feature will disable After-Call Work (ACW) for the User, for one exception: ACW starts automatically when an active (non-parked) Audio/Video session ends. This applies to all Audio/Video task types and directions, including consultation calls to services. Parked sessions and other modalities are excluded.

☝Whether an active task blocks the distribution of further tasks is decided per modality on the service, via the "Parallel Tasks Blocking Mode" setting in Modalities Service Settings. Audio/Video tasks always block. → More on this in "(Non-)Blocking Tasks" below.

💡Optional feature per user: the "Enable Quick Switch Between Tasks" setting allows a user to move to another task in a single step, without parking the active one first. → More on this in chapter "Switching between tasks" below.

✅Admins: Recommended action

• Disable "Busy-on-Busy" teams policy for users parallelizing Audio Tasks, as this otherwise could lead to unwanted effects where MS Teams can block Nimbus from swapping between audio calls it with “Busy on Busy”.
• Changing this setting significantly impacts the user's daily workflow. Changes to the capacity and modalities should be communicated to users and supervisors in advance.
• Review the blocking mode of each modality on your services together with the task limits. Both settings together determine how many tasks actually reach a user while they are working.

 

Key Concepts and Features

Comparison: "Park" and "Hold" 

(Non-)Blocking Tasks

Parked tasks are treated as non-blocking, allowing users to accept new tasks. This is especially useful for handling emergencies or supervisor-assigned tasks without disrupting reporting accuracy.

An active task can be non-blocking as well. For Instant Messaging, Email and External Tasks, the service defines per modality how strictly an active task of that modality holds the user back. The setting is called "Parallel Tasks Blocking Mode" and is found in the corresponding modality tab of the Modalities Service Settings.

The following table shows which states apply for tasks to be considered non-blocking:

💡As long there is another task in a blocking state, the "Unpark" button will be disabled in the UI. Users with the "Enable Quick Switch Between Tasks" setting turned on are the exception – for them the "Unpark" button stays available while another task is active.

Switching between tasks

Once Task Parallelization is enabled, a user can move from one task to another in a single “Parking” step.

• Optionally the "Enable Quick Switch Between Tasks" setting removes the manual parking step. The user simply activates/unparks the task they want to work on, and Nimbus resumes the previously active task automatically.
• Unparking a task — manually pressing "Unpark" on a parked task parks the currently active task first, then unparks the requested one, effectively swapping the two tasks in a single action. This works for tasks of every modality, Audio/Video included. 
  ☝️ Keep in mind: A parked Audio task still has to be accepted via the Teams toast; if it is not accepted, both tasks remain parked.
• Parking ends After-Call Work (ACW) when allowed – If the user is in ACW for a task – and provided the service allows ACW to extend or end early – ending ACW does not trigger a new task to be assigned as a side effect. Instead the user continues directly with the task they resumed.
• Activating a task still clears a RONA flag, consistent with existing behavior, also when the switch parks another task on the way.
• If the newly activated task is a blocking one (any Audio/Video task, or a modality configured as "Blocking"), Nimbus stops distributing further tasks to the user from that moment on.

Starting a Call on Behalf with an already active task

With "Enable Quick Switch Between Tasks" turned on, users also start a "Call on Behalf" without parking their current task first. The action stays available in Assistant, My Overview, Services Overview , Attendant Console and My Sessions while a task is active:

• The active task is parked automatically when the call is started from the "Call on Behalf" dialog, regardless of its modality — including an active Audio/Video task. This overrides the usual rule that an active Audio/Video task blocks starting new actions.
• Task limits still apply. The user needs a free Audio/Video task slot for the call. If the Audio/Video limit has already been reached, the start button in the dialog is disabled and a tooltip points out that the maximum number of Audio/Video tasks is already reached.
• If the active task cannot be parked, the call is not started either. Nimbus informs the user on the UI and leaves the active task untouched.

Receiving a new task while already connected to a (non-blocking) task

When the task a user is currently connected to is configured as "Non-blocking" or "Blocking except for Audio/Video tasks", Nimbus can distribute a new task to that user exactly as if they were fully available – as long as they still have free capacity, both overall and for the modality of the new task.

• The incoming task is shown above the connected one on My Sessions and Attendant Console, with an orange outline on the Active widget whenever a user has both a Connected and an Incoming session at the same time.
• Accepting a new incoming task automatically parks the connected non-blocking task. If the user had unsent changes on the connected task (e.g. an email reply or an unsent Instant Messaging draft), that draft is saved automatically before parking.
• Declining or ignoring the incoming invitation does not change the state of the ongoing connected task. 

“Picking up” a task while working on another task

Users can also "Pick up" a waiting task from a queue while they are already working on an active task. Nimbus parks the active task automatically as soon as the picked-up task is accepted. The usual conditions still apply:

• The active task must be non-blocking. Pickup is not offered while an Audio/Video task is active, or while an active task belongs to a modality that the service configured as "Blocking".
• Capacity and responsibility apply as always. The user needs a free task slot – both overall and for the modality of the task – and has to be responsible for the service the task waits in. → See Task Queue and Distribution.

🔎 See also "Receiving a new task while already connected to a non-blocking task" above for how a task can also be pushed to a user in this situation, rather than picked up by them.

RONA while working on multiple tasks

• If persistent RONA is configured for the service, the user is still flagged with RONA as usual. 
  ☝This also applies while the user is working: if a task is distributed to a user who is already handling another task and the user ignores it, they are flagged with persistent RONA and receive no further tasks until the flag is cleared – even if their task limits would still allow more tasks. See "Receiving a new task while already connected to a non-blocking task" above for how this interacts with the Connected state.
• Parking a (still-connected) task afterwards does not clear that RONA flag; 
• Unparking a parked task resets RONA. If a user is in persistent RONA while still connected to another task, the user state shows RONA, since it takes priority – this keeps the need for attention visible even though the user is actively working. 
  💡 Example: a user connected to an urgent Email session ignores an incoming Audio/Video call and is shown as RONA while still working the Email.

💡Users can reset their RONA state by unparking a task.

Task distribution among multiple users with "parked" tasks

🔎 Nimbus uses a Task Queue and Distribution system that defaults into distributing tasks to the "Longest-Idle" user. A user with a a parked task is still considered "selectable" and thus available to take new tasks.

💡In this example we focus on just two Users A and B, using Audio Calls as modality. A maximum task limit of 2 is set for simplicity:

Active Task prevention

If users want to actively prevent getting new parallel tasks, they need to either:

• Switch Duty States by selecting one of their available "Off Duty" Responsibility Profiles.
• Set their MS Teams presence to "DND" (Do not Disturb) to prevent task assignment. 
  💡For other presence states, Distribution Service Settings apply.

☝Keep in mind that an active task alone does not necessarily stop task distribution. Depending on the "Parallel Tasks Blocking Mode" of the modality, further tasks may keep arriving while the user is working.

Parallel Tasks in the Nimbus UI

The Nimbus UI will show notable differences to users. With task parallelization enabled on their settings, users will now see a capacity indicator in the header of My Overview, My Sessions, Attendant Console, and Assistant. The header conveys capacity information in number and color, showing both used and available task slots per modality.

☝️Task capacity visibility

• Regular users (Team Members, Agents) may only see their own task capacity as a numerical value. Other capacity is just shown as a visual representation (e.g. bar-chart). 
• By accessing Personal Dashboards users in a "User Supervisor" Portal Role can see the capacity of all other users. To do so, they need to add a "Modalities and Capacity" column to the "User State" or "User Supervisor" widget.

 

Handling tasks in Nimbus Assistant, My Sessions and Attendant Console

Assistant shows incoming tasks of all modalities while another task is already connected. Users handle the incoming task directly from Assistant, with the same options they have in Attendant Console and My Sessions:

• Accept the task and start working on it. The connected task is parked automatically.
• Park it right away to keep the task without interrupting the one they are working on.
• Decline the task so that it returns to the workflow.

💡 While a task is connected, the "Parked Tasks" section is not shown in Assistant – the connected task and any incoming task take its place. Main work (e.g. handling the content of Emails or Chat windows ) continues in the Main Nimbus UI (e.g. My Sessions) for the currently ongoing task.

Reporting

While definitely affecting KPIs Task Parallelization has no specific or systemic reflection on Nimbus Reporting. Nimbus will always create and track separate Service / User sessions for each task, of course with an overlap of session timestamps to be expected.

Known Limitations