These configuration steps are recommended as a guide to assist with customizing the application to suit the service environment. These steps are what is required at a minimum to enable your system. It should be noted that these steps require access to the Administrator and Supervisor views.
The following procedure covers editing the logged in User account details and ensuring this User has all the relevant privileges to achieve what is required to configure the system. It then details the steps to enable the system to work with Email, setting the privileges for how Customers and Technicians can interact with the system, and how requests and the system will behave. This is defined within the Setup>Privileges tabs.
The User then has the option to customize the look and feel of the system, although this can be done later, if preferred. The next step is to create Customers and Users in the system.
Moving to the Supervisor Role, the User then configures the day-to-day elements within the application, which are part of creating and managing requests. This includes setting the timeframes for managing requests and defining trigger points for escalations by configuring SLAs; detailing the steps a request will move through, by customizing Workflows, which includes setting the stages of the Workflow where timers will trigger automatic warnings and escalations; defining the Team(s) of Technicians who will be associated with the customized Workflows and SLAs.
With the basic elements in the system now in place, the User then moves to the Configuration tab to customize the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). This part is often considered the most complex part of configuring the system, as this is where the service environment, including physical and service Items, is mapped into the system with associated relationships. When designing the CMDB, first the templates for all the different Item Categories are created. These are refined as Item Type templates, with these two templates used to define the information recorded against each Item and classification of issues that can be associated with each Item when requests are logged by Customers.
After the CMDB structure is defined, Items are imported via AMIE or .csv file. This is when the Items are associated with Customers or Organizational Units, who can log requests against the assigned Items.
In the Administrator (Setup) view:
Customize the default
Supervisor access
Include Incident, Service Level Management and if applicable, Request
Fulfillment, Problem and Change Management. Adjust the User Timezone,
if applicable. (See: User)
Configure Email Setup
and Email Messages (See:Setup>Email)
This step allows the system to manage requests via email. After completing
the information in the Server and Setup tabs, the content for automated
emails sent by this system can be customized. This does not have to
be all done at this point, however, it is suggested that within the
last page of the Templates tab, the Signature be updated to reflect
the service organization name.
Enable System Privileges
(See: Setup>Privileges)
At this stage, it is suggested that each option be reviewed in the
User, Customer,
Request and System
tabs within the Privileges sub-menu option. Although it should be
noted, these can be adjusted in the future. If you are unsure about
what an option refers to, select the Help button on the system UI,
to display the relevant page of the User Guide. Be sure to set the
appropriate Time Zone within the Customers Privilege tab, as this
needs to be set before importing Customers and Users via an authentication
server to ensure it is set correctly on all newly created accounts.
Customize Banners and
Welcome Page Message (See:Setup>Customize)
This can be done now if the images are available. Alternatively, return
to this step at a later stage.
Create Customers and
Users, which include Supervisor, Technician and Partner accounts
Note, to associate Organizational Unit information with Customers or
Users, this can be configured at this point within the Supervisor>User>Organizational Unit tab. Should
the import include the name of the Org Unit that matches what is recorded
in the system, the details from the information recorded internally
will be applied to the Customer or User.
If using an authentication server, move to the Setup>Authentication
tab.(See:Setup>Authentication;
Active Directory Integration
or LDAP Integration)
If creating accounts directly in the system (i.e., using internal authentication),
go to the User tab. (See: Customers
and Users.)
Set up Service Level
Agreements (See: Service Level
Management)
Move to the Supervisor view
by clicking the User link, next to the logged in User Name.
If these are unknown at this time, the system includes a default SLA
that can be used.
If applicable, create
Operational Level Agreements and/or Underpinning Contracts (See: OLAs or UCs)
This is more than likely an advanced system configuration step at this
point, or may not be relevant to the service organization. However,
if OLAs or UCs are in place in the service organization, they can
be mapped into the system now. Alternatively, they may be added later.
Customize or create
Workflows (See: Incident
& Problem Workflows and Service
Request & Change Workflows)
The system includes default Workflows across all Processes. At this
point, the default Workflows may be sufficient, or they can be customized
to suit the service organization requirements. Alternatively, new
Workflows can be created from scratch.
Create Teams (See: Teams)
By default the system includes one Process Team and the Unknown Team.
Edit the existing Process Team, including defining the way it works,
assigning the relevant Technicians, associating the Workflows that
the Team will support, and setting the Technicians to work in the
appropriate Escalation Layer(s). Teams are to be created for all Processes
that are to be managed by the system (i.e., Incident, Problem, Change,
Service Request.), although it may be relevant to finish one Process
first, and return to do the other Processes at a later date.
Assign Default Teams
and SLAs within Request Privileges (See:
Setup>Privileges>Requests)
Move to Adminstrator view by
clicking the Setup link, next to the logged in User Name
These settings will be applied to all newly created Items and Item
Types that result from an AMIE import.
Configure the CMDB,
by first customizing Configuration Categories:
Return to the Supervisor view
by clicking the User link, next to the logged in User Name.
The system includes a number of default Categories, which should be
more than enough for most organizations. Within the Category, the
attributes of an Item that are to be recorded in the system, are defined
by customizing the field labels. The stages that an Item can move
through in its lifecycle are defined within the Life Cycle tab (i.e.,
Installed>Pending Configuration>Pending Test,etc). The types
of issues reported against an Item are then created in the Classifications
tab.
Configure the Category Details Fields (See: Configuration
Categories)
Define the Category's Life Cycle (See: Category
Life Cycle)
Create Category Classifications (See: Category
Classifications)
Create Service Type
templates and Service Items
For service organizations wanting to fast-track the capability to manage
requests in the system, it is advised to create Service Items in the
Service Catalog to allow Customers
and Technicians to log and manage requests within the application.
Create a Type using the Service Category for each Service being offered,
then create the Service Item with the newly created Type template.
For the Service to be available in the Catalog, be sure the Service
Item status is set to an Active, non Pre-production State. If the
Customers are to access a Service on the Customer Portal, the Service
Item Lifecycle State should also be set to Customer Visible.
Create Item Types (See:
Item Types)
If the Types are not to be automatically created as part of an AMIE
or .csv import, this is done in the Configuration>Types tab. This
is where the Category template is associated with the Type template,
the default Teams and SLA are set, and the Classifications for issues
reported against Items are refined.
If Items are to be imported via a .csv file or AMIE proceed to Step
14.
Within the Admin>Setup
tab, complete the Item Import (See: AMIE
Import or CSV Import).
After the Items are successfully imported, a Supervisor User will need
to refine the Type templates created as part of the import, if the
default settings do not apply to a newly created Item Type. This task
does not need to be completed immediately, and can be done on an ad
hoc basis (i.e., whenever a Type template is opened in Edit mode,
before saving, the system will prompt the User to set any required
information.)
Within the Supervisor>Configuration
tab, create Items. (See: Items)
If Items are to be created directly within the system, this is completed
in the Configuration>Items tab. An Item Type template is selected
for the new Item, which applies all the default information set within
the Categories and Types tabs, then ownership of the Item is assigned
to the new Item. Ownership can be Everyone (i.e., a Global Item),
one or more specific Customers or Organizational Units. The specific
attributes of the Item are recorded in the Details tab, and any relationships
with other Items in the system can be created within the Relationships
tab, now or at some point in the future.
Items can be mapped to Services, if required. (See: Service
Catalog.)
For information and steps for implementing for the following Processes, refer to: