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Notes

The Request Notes tab displays entries made by a User regarding the Request. New Notes are date-stamped automatically and associated with the User logging the Note.

The number of Notes recorded against a Request is displayed in brackets on the Notes tab, and if a Note has been added by a Customer or a Technician other than the Technician assigned to the Request, an asterisk will also be visible on the Notes tab until the assigned Technician opens the Note.

Add Note Button

The Add Note button within the Summary tab can be used to open the Request in Edit mode and automatically access a new Note window, as shown in Step 4 below.

Viewing All Notes

Use a Request's Print button to access a list of all Request Notes in one screen. To hide Private Notes in the Print output, remove the tick from the Show Private Notes box.

Adding a Note

When the first Note is created for a Request, the Request Description automatically populates the New Note editor allowing the Technician to enter their response.

To add a Note:

1. Click the Request ID Number
   The Service Request Information>Summary tab appears.

2. Click Edit

3. In the Notes tab, click New

4. Enter the Note details
   Or, select a Template if a relevant pre-configured response has been set for the Item or Type Category for the Item assigned to the Request.
   
   

5. Enter Note Time
   The time entered represents the amount of time accumulated to formulate the Note's content or time spent working on a request away from the system. If no additional time has been spent on the Request away from the application this field will be automatically populated with the Logged Time when the Request is in Edit mode, if the Manual Request Time option is disabled in the Setup>Privileges>User tab. When this option is disabled, is visible next to the Service Request number in the top right corner of the Summary Tab screen when the Request is in Edit mode. (See: Contracts Logged Time.)

6. Adjust the time and date work was completed, if relevant

7. Add attachments to be sent with the Note, if required, by clicking  to search and upload the attachment
   A maximum of two attachments can be added per Note.

8. Adjust the Note visibility, if relevant
   The default Private or Public visibility for Email Notes is set within Admin>Setup>Privileges>Requests, and can be adjusted on a per Note basis.

9. Refine the Email Recipient options as required
   The default Request Notifications for Notes is set within the Team assigned to the Request, and can be adjusted on a per Note basis.
   Vendors, as Email Recipients, is displayed as an option if the Request is in a State associated with an Underpinning Contract.

10. Click  .
    The Note editor screen will close and the Note will be emailed to recipients, if defined.

11. A Technician can only add Notes if they belong to the work group associated with the current Request status.

Create Knowledge

• This option is only visible for Public Notes

When a new Note is created for a Request it can be added to the Knowledge Base by selecting the Create Knowledge option. By selecting this option and then clicking the Propose or Solution button, the system automatically moves the Request to the default Closed State for the Workflow and creates a Solution Knowledge Base Article with a visibility of Assigned Request. This visibility allows Customers of a shared Request to view the Solution. For the Solution to be available to other Customers of the same Item Type, the visibility must be adjusted to Technicians and Customers within the Analysis tab of the Request or the Knowledge Tab.

Solution

If a Request Note resolves the Customer issue, the Note can be saved as the Solution. This Solution can be converted to a Solution Article, found under Request Information>Analysis tab and available in the Knowledge Base, by enabling the Create Knowledge option before selecting the Solution button. Clicking the Solution button will automatically move the Request to the default Closed State. If a Solution is applied to a Request containing attachments, the attachments are included in the Solution email.

To save a Note as the Solution:

1. Enter the Note details

2. Select Create Knowledge, if the Note content is to be available in the Knowledge Base

3. Click Solution.
   For Create Knowledge enabled Notes the content  will be recorded as the solution under the Analysis tab. The Status of the Request will change to default Exit State of the assigned Workflow.

4. This option is not available if the Handshaking facility is enabled in Admin>Setup>Privileges>Requests.

Propose Handshake

If a Note is a possible solution to a Request, it can be sent to the Customer with a notice stating the Request will be closed in a set number of days if no correspondence is received from the Customer. (The time span, in days, is specified by the Administrator in Setup>Privileges>Requests, or adjusted on a per Org Unit basis). This Note can be converted  to a Solution Article, found under Request Information>Analysis tab and available in the Knowledge Base, by enabling the Create Knowledge option before selecting the Propose button.

When the Propose button is selected with the Create Knowledge option enabled, the Create Knowledge field is visible when the Summary tab is in edit mode and the Request is waiting to close. If the option is disabled and the Request moves to the Closed State, the proposed Note will not be available in the Knowledge Base.

To send a Note with a Handshake Notification:

1. Within the Notes Editor, enter the possible solution

2. At the bottom of the Notes field, click the Propose button. The proposed solution and handshake notification will be sent to the Customer. The Request will automatically change status to On Hold - Pending Approval.

• For a Customer to re-open a Request using the link in the handshake email, the web server must be using Port 80.

Draft Note

Use the Draft button to save an incomplete Note entry, which will be displayed in the Notes list. When a Note is saved as a draft, the Status will be displayed as . If the Add Note button is selected when a draft Note has been recorded against a Request, a warning will be displayed. To continue working on a draft Note, open the request in Edit mode and select the Note No. hyperlink.

Changing the Status of a Note

• When the Note is created, it can be either public or private. After the Note is saved, it is possible to switch visibility

• If a Note is marked Private, a padlock graphic is visible. To change the status to Public, click to display

• To change the Public Note to Private, click  to display .

Viewing a Note

An asterisk is visible on the Notes tab when the Technician assigned to the Request is yet to view a Note added to the Request.

To view a Note:

1. Select a Request ID Number

2. Select the Notes tab

3. Click on the Request Note Number hyperlink.
   
   

When Notes are viewed without opening the Request in Edit mode by clicking the Note No. link, the User can scroll through the Notes list by selecting inside the top right corner of the Notes window.

Replying to a Note

To reply to a Note, which will include the Note as part of the email:

1. Click the required Request ID number
   The Service Request Information screen appears.

2. Select Edit

3. Select Notes tab

4. Click on the Note number
   The Note is displayed.

5. Click Reply
   The new Notes editor is opened and includes the exisiting Customer Note.

6. Enter the Note content

7. Adjust the Visibility and Recipients settings, accordingly

8. Select Add Note to send the Note, or click Draft to finish the Note later.

Emailing Saved Request Notes

To email a Customer after a Note has been saved:

1. Click the required Request ID number
   The  Service Request Information screen appears.

2. Select Edit

3. Select Notes tab

4. Click on the Note number
   The Note is displayed.

5. Click Email to send the Note to the Customer and any other Users added to the Notification list.

Adding Notes to Groups

When a Note is created for a Request that belongs to a Group, the Apply to Group option is visible within the Notes tab. If the new Note is to be assigned to all Requests within the Group, select the Apply to Group option.

• Any new Requests added to the Group at a later date will also have all pre-existing Notes, with this option selected, applied to the newly Grouped Request.

When the Apply to Group option is selected, the Add Note Time to Group option is displayed. Select this checkbox to also apply the Note Time to each of the Requests.

 Selecting the Apply to Group option and then clicking the Solution button, closes all Requests within the Group.