update dynamic field based on e-mail forwarded / reply received

[aph]

I have the following scenario:
1) A ticket is created manually or by e-mail in a particular queue
2) An agent sends e-mail to an external address.
3) The agent should wait 14 days for a reply. If no reply was received, a designated user in OTRS who is not the owner/responsible of the ticket should receive a notification informing her that no reply was received.

How do I go about implementing this? My idea was to create a three dynamic fields: a drop down field: 'e-mail sent' = Y/N, a date field 'wait for reply' with default value +14 days and a drop down field 'reply received' = Y/N. When an agent forwards the ticket via e-mail the 'e-mail sent' should be set to Y (default N) and 'reply received' to N. If a reply is received the field 'reply received' should be updated to Y. If not the value remains equal to N and I would generate an event based notification where the 'wait for reply' has elapsed (in last two days for example) and reply received = N.

The point I'm getting stuck at is, how do I set the values of the dynmic fields 'e-mail forwarded' = Y and 'reply received' = N when an e-mail is forwarded and 'reply received' =Y when a reply has been received? I'd appreciate any help. Maybe there are other ways of implementing the feature, which I'm not aware of. Any pointers, suggestions?

[crythias]

1) set a field (state=started 14 day countdown)
2) Generic Agent last change > 14 days ago, and current state "started 14 day countdown". change state (state=annoy someone)
3) notification (event) on state change.

if a reply is received, the state will have changed.

[aph]

I don't quite follow. How will the state change when a reply is received. Another factor is will the state not change if a note was added in the meanwhile? Could you please elaborate. Maybe I'm not getting you right.

[crythias]

How will the state change when a reply is received.

Because it does. It's the FollowUp state.

Another factor is will the state not change if a note was added in the meanwhile?

Usually not. but you'd be able to determine that by testing rather than asking.

[aph]

Because it does. It's the FollowUp state.

As a test I did the following. I opened a ticket with state 'open'. Then sent a mail using the Postmaster.pl with the ticket number in the subject. The ticket state did not change after the e-mail was received. So I don't get how the state changes when an e-mail reply is received. In the ticket history I see an action called 'FollowUp', but it doesn't say anything about the state being changed.

Another factor is will the state not change if a note was added in the meanwhile?

Usually not. but you'd be able to determine that by testing rather than asking.

As it was not visible that the state has changed on receipt of an e-mail, but apparently it did according to you, hence my question regarding change in state on adding a note. A change of state was not visible on adding a note, but it could have been changed as in case of e-mail receipt, where it wasn't visible either.

Maybe I'm not getting the difference between State and FollowUp State.

[crythias]

I'm sorry that I wasn't clear ... I thought I mentioned something about PostMaster Followup state (sysconfig) which sets the state to that setting. open state will not see a change because followups set the state to open by default.

And unless you enable state change in note, your next state with a note will be the current state. Unless the state is chosen different.