Only show Services for Request Type

[DougA]

The services we supply are in most cases only relevant for a specific request type. Is there a way to display only the services that are relevant to the current request type? I can see that I could set up Configuration Items under each request type but it doesn't preclude the analyst from selecting the main service item.

[Steven Boardman]

Thanks for the question @DougA

In the next Service Manager update there is a new feature, which will allow you to 'enforce' that a Catalog item is chosen under a service, on the Service Details form in Progressive Capture. 

So in your scenario, if you have only configured say Incident Catalog Items, they will have to choose one of the options, not the parent Service in order to proceed. The same is true if you only had Service Request Catalog items defined and or a mix of the two. 

This will be configurable through a system setting which will be explained on the wiki once the next SM update is released which is likely to be in the next week or so....

In the meantime if you configure the Request Analyst Type form before the Services Details in Progressive Capture, then once the analyst has chosen a request type, only the Catalog Items for that request type will be displayed under the Services on the Services Details form (but this will not currently prevent the parent service from being chosen - the next SM release will address this).

Hope that helps

Steve

 

[DougA]

I've explored the notion of using CIs but I've found that the service is still displayed even if there's no CIs for the request type. The ideal solution would be to only display services that are relevant for the request type. I haven't checked but I think every analyst can see every service even though they have no responsibility for them.

 

[Steven Boardman]

Hi @DougA

There is a system setting that you can enable which will limit the displayed services to only those which the customer is subscribed too, and those services which the analysts (logging the requests) teams support. 

• servicemanager.progressiveCapture.servicedetails.enableSupportVisibility

- The default setting for this is 'Off'

- When the setting is 'On' the Services displayed on the Progressive Capture Service's form will be filtered to both those which the customer is subscribed too, and also to those Services which the analyst's logging the requests team's Support.

 

This is based on the teams defined as supporting the service on the service record.

 

There isn't currently an option to limit the services based request type, but as soon as there is progress on this i can let you know.  

Hopefully the feature to enforce the use of a catalog item under a service will also help once the next Service Manager release is available.

 

Steve

 

[DougA]

Thanks Steven,

I can now see the list of services is limited to those that the analyst support. I've still got the problem that they're seeing every single service in each request type.

Thinking laterally, each service and CI is assigned a BPM in each request type that's active. So if they shouldn't raise an Incident for "Add new user" the BPM would be left blank. If I'm reading it correctly app.requests.defaultBPMProcess.incident specifies the BPM to use if it's left blank. Could I create a BPM that forces the analyst to select a different service? I couldn't see a way to suspend waiting for service so I'm hoping you'd be suggest something.

[DougA]

I'm continuing to explore various options and the CI does look promising. However, is there a way in the Progressive Capture to test which CI has been selected?

[Steven Boardman]

Hi @DougA

Yep there certainly is.

We introduced a new option in PC, which allows you to 'switch' PC based on the Catalog Item which has been chosen.

On the wiki there is a section which covers this and also gives you a working example of using the Catalog item which is chosen to branch on.

https://wiki.hornbill.com/index.php/Progressive_Capture_Designer

The key aspects are to ensure you use the CI variable in the custom expression after the Branch node which would follow your Service Details form in PC. 

You also need to include the Switch Node and configure this node to also use the Variable > Service Details ->catalogprogressivecaptureId

Taking this approach will allow you to seamlessly switch to different Progressive Capture flows which are specific to the chosen Catalog item's from the Services Form.  Obviously you would need the PC's configured for each catalog item to switch too.

Hope this helps

Steve

 

[DougA]

Definitely making progress! However, having a ProCap for each CI could become unmanageable very quickly. Is there a way I can check the serviceName or catalogProgressiveCaptureId in the node I'm switching to?

[Steven Boardman]

Hi @DougA

You can evaluate the the Service name and or the individual catalogProgressiveCaptureId after the Services PC form and a Branch node - the challenge here, is that you will need to define a path for each and every Service name, and or Catalog Item which could be quite large?

So in the above example i have a Service Form, followed by the Branch node - against which i can have 2 Custom Expressions. For each custom expression, i can define a check against service name or catalog item, as per the Goto if box shown.   I can also have a 'no match' and link to another branch node, and do the same again to put checks in if i have a large number of service names or catalog items. 

So it can be done, but it will be quite messy and difficult to follow, hence i have suggested using the switch node and the 'variable' which then jumps to individual PC's linked to each Catalog item.

A few additional things here: 

1. You don't need to define a separate PC for every Catalog Item.  If you have common sets of questions which need to be asked if the analyst chooses one or more of the Catalog Item options, then you can just create a single PC for those questions, and associate the same PC to those specific Catalog Items in the services forms.

The alternative is trying to squeeze all that logic into the single 'Raise New' PC canvas, which if you have a large number of Catalog items can be very difficult to follow and visualise (as indicated above). 

2. The latest build of Service Manager was pushed to live yesterday, which now gives you the setting to prevent your analysts picking the top level service (as long as there are CI's defined underneath them), and this can be enabled in the admin tool with this setting.

servicemanager.progressiveCapture.servicedetails.enableSupportVisibility

- The default setting for this is 'Off'

- When the setting is 'On' the Services displayed on the Progressive Capture Service's form will be filtered to both those which the customer is subscribed too, and also to those Services which the analyst's logging the requests team's Support.

 

This is based on the teams defined as supporting the service on the service record.

 

** Please remember if you turn this on, it will immediately prevent the logging of requests against services

Again i hope this helps

Steve

[DougA]

Thanks Steve,

That makes sense. Just one more little thing

Lets say I've a pc for all Hardware related CIs. For the most part they're follow exactly the same process but in a couple of instances we do need to collect a bit more info, e.g. warranty info for equipment failures or required date for a new device.

Is there a way to branch on the Service Name in the CI procap?

[Martyn Houghton]

@steven boardman

In your response on the 5th Jan you make reference to "Hopefully the feature to enforce the use of a catalog item under a service will also help once the next Service Manager release is available.", are you referring to the setting, servicemanager.progressiveCapture.servicedetails.enableSupportVisibility, you reference in the same post or an additional new setting which is to be added?

If it is the latter, was this included in SM 2.38 released this week? We are anxious to stop change requests be logged on services that there is no change request catalog item for, but the customer and analyst are both subscribed to/members of supporting team.

Cheers

Martyn

 

[DougA]

Hi @Martin

I've achieved this by branching back to the Service Form if the catalogueServiceItem is not set. You can't proceed until you do select a CI. In the snippet I've attached I've included a condition to determine if the CI is to be checked.

Regards

Doug

[Martyn Houghton]

@DougA

Thanks. I give that a try.

Cheers

Martyn

[Steven Boardman]

@DougA @Martyn Houghton

Apologises i referenced the wrong setting above

In SM 2.38 the new setting is:

When enabled this will enforce the selection of a catalog item if there are catalog items defined against a service.  If there are none defined against a service the analyst will still be able to select the parent service. 

This change was introduced to prevent the selection of the parent service, if catalog items were present below, but has the ability to allow any services with no catalog items to still be chosen, i suspect there maybe need for an option to prevent the selection of a parent service full stop from what you are suggesting Martyn?

[Steven Boardman]

@DougA

Relating to your question on evaluating the Service in the CI PC, i have done some very basic testing and it looks like you can, but you'll need to take a closer look and make sure it works as you need.

So in my CI PC (which i have switched too from the Service Form), i have a Priority form, and then the Services form again, with a branch off this.

Now because the Services form has already been used and is displayed from the original PC, before switching to the CI PC, it will not display again..... but i can still branch off the value - so in my example i did choose a CI under the Mac Support service, so it is prompting me to Add an Attachment, if i hadn't it would have ended after the Priority form, if that makes sense?

So in the example above i have moved to the Upload attachment, and the Service form is visible, but it is from the original PC, before i switched, it is not showing again after the Priority form as shown in my PC design above, but i can still evaluate the service value.

Now i haven't tested the behaviour if i change the Service etc mid flight, and move around to much, or with the portal etc,  but does that give you something to take a look at?

Steve

 

[Martyn Houghton]

@steven boardman

Indeed ' to prevent the selection of a parent service full stop' is what we are suggesting, to stop logging of change requests on services which have no catalog items logged under them for that request type.

Cheers

Martyn

[Steven Boardman]

@Martyn Houghton

I thought that is what you were after, so thanks for confirming. 

Unfortunately this feature in 2.38 will not provide you with a full solution to that specific problem i'm afraid. 

We do have two additional stories which may help going forward and these are to provide the option to define catalog items for change requests (currently limited to Incidents and Service Requests), and secondly to only display services which are relevant to the request type of the request you are looking to raise.  Both of these are defined but not currently scheduled, once these move forward i will post back .

Steve

[Martyn Houghton]

@steven boardman

Thanks for confirming. The ability to have different Catalog Items under change is something we are defiantly waiting for as we have different change processes for different combinations, along with the ability to link changes to customers, not only internal users. The second item of only displaying the services relates to the request type would also help in keeping things within process.

Cheers

Martyn

 

[James Ainsworth]

A feature has been released that allows you to enable or disable the different request types for each service.  This will limit the display of services in progressive capture based on the request type being raised.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

James

[Martyn Houghton]

@James Ainsworth

Thanks for the update. Still trawling through all me services. Would be good to have the option in the future to do bulk selection and updates to services for settings like these.

Cheers

Martyn