FAQ's in Request Module

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General

Request Creation

Request Handling

Request Customization

Request Configurations

Request Closure

 

General:

1. How are 'Time Spent' and 'Time Elapsed' defined?

 

The usage of the words 'Time Spent' and 'Time Elapsed' have been interchanged to present the precise meanings. Below is an elaborate explanation. 

Time Spent                         -->> Time Elapsed

Time Elapsed (Worklog)   -->> Time Spent


Kindly note that henceforth, the following meanings will be implied everywhere the words 'Time Elapsed' and 'Time Spent' are used within the help desk.

Given below are the exact definitions for the two as used in the helpdesk.


Time Elapsed:
Time elapsed effectively means the total time from the moment a request is created to the moment it is resolved excluding the duration for which the request is placed 'on hold'.
Note: Time Elapsed is based on operational/ non-operational hours. These hours will be considered based on SLAs and Site settings configured for Request. By default, it is calculated considering only the operational hours.


Time Spent:
Time spent is the total time the request was actually under operation, say under a technician or multiple technicians. It is calculated based on work log entries made by the technicians working on the request. This includes the sum of the time spent on a request by technicians in case of multiple technicians.


Instances where the following words are used:


Request Tab:

Reports Tab:

Request Creation:

1. How do I convert an Email to a request?

  1. Create an email account, say "ServiceDesk" in your mail server. Configure a password for this account.

  2. Configure the settings in ServiceDesk Plus On-Demand software using Setup --> Mail Settings --> Mail Server Settings --> Incoming Mail Settings. Specify the email address as "servicedesk@yourdomain.com" and the username as "ServiceDesk". Select the protocol through which you prefer to fetch the messages say, POP or IMAP.

  3.  Ask your requesters to send their requests to "servicedesk@yourdomain.com".

  4.  ServiceDesk Plus On-Demand will fetch emails at regular intervals and automatically convert them into tickets.

2. How to disable the Quick creating option of creating request?

It is available as a configurable option under Setup > General Settings > Advanced Portal Settings . In order to disable it, you will have to uncheck the option "Enable Quick Incident option for technicians".

3. How do I populate technicians in the Requester list to create ticket on their behalf?

Go to Setup > General Settings > Advanced Portal Settings and choose the option 'Include technicians in the list of requesters while creating/updating a request'

Request Handling:

1. How do I merge requests?

Here, the following link must help you. Click here.

2. If a request is split from the parent request, will the child request contain all the notes, resolution and worklog that was added to the parent request?

No. All the notes, resolution and worklog added in the parent request will not be associated to the child request.

3. How do I change the overdue time of a request?

This is a Service Level Agreement configuration which can be configured according to your convenience. Go to Setup --> Automation --> Service Level Agreements -> edit the given SLA and change the resolution time accordingly so that you can have the desired time frame before a request becomes overdue.

4. Technicians go around places and resolve the issues, due to which the exact time taken to resolve cannot be calculated. What option can be suggested for this scenario?

Technicians can use the Add Work Log functionality of ServiceDesk Plus On-Demand which helps in calculating the exact time spent by a technician on any given incident.

5. While using ServiceDesk Plus On-Demand to send requests for approval, I would like to customize the contents of the message sent to the client. Where is the template available? 

The template is available under Setup --> Notification rules --> Requests --> Email Templates For --> Approval Mail Content. Click on 'Customize Template' option displayed beside and customize the content of the message.

Request Customization:

1. I need to create some filters for viewing tickets say, tickets of only high priority. How can this be enabled in ServiceDesk Plus?

You can use the custom view option listed within the request view tab present on the top left in the request list view page. Click on the 'New Custom View' option, name your view and then set the 'criteria' and 'condition' for the view.  

2. Is it possible to create a custom view in the requests list view screen that will display all of the tickets requiring approvals?

You can use the custom view option listed within the request view tab present on the top left in the request list view page. Click on the 'New Custom View' option, name your view and then set the 'criteria' and 'condition' for the view.

 

Request Configurations:

1. Is it possible for the system to automatically assign priority for requests?

The Priority Matrix (Setup --> Customization --> Helpdesk) helps you to determine the Priority automatically based on Impact and Urgency of a request. Impact is listed in the y-axis and Urgency in the x-axis of the matrix. Priority Matrix is a one-time configuration by the Administrator for the given Impact and Urgency values. Based on ITSM best practices, it is recommended to define and follow priority matrix as it reflects the business need. However it is designed flexible enough for technicians and requesters to override the matrix according to their needs.

2.How do I set the default currency in the work logs say, £ instead of $?

Go to Setup --> Portal & Settings --> Self Service Portal --> Default Currency, and change the default currency from $ to £.

Request Closure: 

1. What is Automated Close? How is it related to resolved status?

According to ITSM an incident must be closed only when the user confirms that the solution provided is beneficial in resolving the incident. Helpdesk technicians are the Single Point of Contact to keep the users informed by tracking the status and making sure that all incidents are responded and closed. It is a tedious process to make sure that all users have confirmed on their incident closure.

2. How do I disable the 'Close Request' (yes/no) popup while closing a request?

You can disable this option from Setup --> Automation --> Closure Rules --> Confirm User Acknowledgment section.

3. How can a requester re-open a resolved request if the resolution provided is unsatisfactory?

Enable the notification rule 'Email Requester when a Request is Resolved' from Setup --> Automation --> Notification Rule --> Requester Notifications, to send an email to the requester when the technician changes the request Status to 'Resolved'. The user can look into the resolution provided by the technician in the email. A Close Request link will be available with which, the requester can close the request raised by him. If the resolution provided by the technician is unsatisfying, then the requester can reply back to the notification mail to reopen the request.
You can also allow requesters to reopen their own requests by choosing 'Yes'or 'No' from the 'Do you want to allow requesters to reopen their closed requests?' option under Setup --> Portal & Settings --> Self Service Portal --> Requester list.