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Incident Management transition rules

Built-in business rules define conditions for automatic transitions from one phase to another. If the condition evaluates as true, the automatic transition occurs. Some conditions are simple and some are complex. If the condition is not true, the record remains in its original phase.

The following table identifies each supported transition in the Incident Management workflow. Notice that it is possible for a record to return to an earlier phase in the workflow if the status changes to a certain value. You can return to an earlier phase when any of the following circumstances occur:

  • The identified solution does not solve the reported issue.
  • The incident was categorized incorrectly.
  • The incident needs further investigation.
  • The Incident Coordinator reassigns the incident to a different support analyst.

The Action or Condition column in the following tables show fields that contain data either entered by the end user or automatically provided by Service Management. At the start of each phase, Service Management verifies that the user-defined values set in the last phase are unchanged. If there is a change, the record can return to a prior phase or repeat an action. For example, if you change a service, Service Management re-starts Service Level Target calculations. All transitions are automatic except the final transition to a close state. That transition is manual. Automatic transitions occur when all conditions are true. Manual transitions occur when you advance to the next phase in the workflow snapshot.

Workflow snapshot Click this button to advance to the next phase. Workflow snapshot transition to the Close phase button

All incidents begin with the Log phase.

Log phase

The objective is to gather required information about the incident.

Event Action or Condition
Entering

If not set by the user, Service Management sets default values

  • Create time = current server time and date
  • Impact = Single user
  • Requested by = Current user
  • Urgency = Slight disruption
  • Create time = Current date and time
After change

Required fields must contain data:

  • Description
  • Impact
  • Service
  • Urgency
  • Reported by

Service Management actions:

  • If Service Desk is blank, specify the Level 1 Service Desk group associated with the named Service.
  • Set First Touch = true.
  • Send email notification to the Assignee if there is an Assignee.
  • If the Requested by field is blank, set the value to the current user.

  • Service Management sets Priority equal to a value from the following table.

      Enterprise Site or department Multiple users Single user
    Total loss of service Critical High High Medium
    Severe disruption High High Medium Medium
    Slight disruption High Medium Medium Low
    No disruption Medium Medium Low Low

Service Management transitions to the Classify phase if required fields contain valid data.

All incidents transition from Log to the Classify phase.

Classify phase

The objective is to categorize the incident and assign it to the Service Desk.

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Set Status = Ready.
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title
  • Description
  • Impact
  • Urgency
  • Requested by
  • Service
  • Status

Service Management actions:

If Impact or Urgency values change, Service Management recalculates Priority.
After applying changes

Service Management actions:

  • Send an email notification to the Service Desk if the next transition will not occur or there is a new Service Desk assignment.
  • Send an email notification to the Assignee if the next transition will not occur or there is a new Assignee.

Service Management transitions to the Initial Support phase if required fields contain valid data.

  • Service desk = valid value
  • Category = valid value

All incidents transition from Classify to the Initial support phase.

Initial support phase

The objective is to resolve the incident immediately or assign it to an assignment group.

Event Action or Condition
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title
  • Description
  • Impact
  • Urgency
  • Requested by
  • Service
  • Status
  • Category

Service Management actions:

If Impact or Urgency values change, Service Management recalculates Priority.
After applying changes

Service Management actions:

  • Send an email notification to the Service Desk if there is a change to the Service Desk assignment.
  • Send an email notification to the Owner if there is a new Owner assignment.

  • Send an email notification to the Service Desk if Status changes to:

    • Suspended
    • Pending
    • Deferred

  • Send an email notification to the Owner if Status changes to another status value from:

    • Suspended
    • Pending
    • Deferred

    If there is no Owner, send an email to the Service Desk.

Service Management transitions to one of these phases:

  • Validate if Solution = valid value
  • Escalate if Assignment group = valid value

Incidents transition from Initial support to the Review or Escalate phases.

Review phase

The objective is to verify that the solution resolves the incident, set a Completion code, and close the incident.

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Status = Complete

Service Management actions:

Post the solution to related requests.

Service Management sends an incident resolution notification to these owners:

  • Reported by
  • Service desk group
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title
  • Description
  • Impact
  • Urgency
  • Requested by
  • Service
  • Status
  • Category
  • Service desk

New  required fields:

  • Solution
  • Completion code

Service Management actions:

If Impact or Urgency values change, Service Management recalculates Priority.
After applying changes

Service Management actions:

  • Send an email notification to the Service Desk if there is a change to the Service Desk assignment.
  • Send an email notification to the Assignee if there is a change to theAssignee.

  • If Status changes to one of the following, send a notification to the Service Desk.

    • Suspended
    • Pending
    • Deferred
  • If Status changes again to any other value, send a notification to the Service Desk and Owner.

Service Management transitions to the Initial Support phase if Solution = blank.

You must make a manual transition to Close if Solution = valid value and Completion code = valid value

Escalate phase

The objective is to resolve the incident or reassign it back to the Service Desk.

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Service Management actions:

  • Set Status to In progress.
  • Set First touch to false.
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title
  • Description
  • Impact
  • Urgency
  • Requested by
  • Service
  • Status
  • Category
  • Service desk

Service Management actions:

  • If Impact or Urgency values change, Service Management recalculates Priority.
  • If the Owner is not blank and Status is Ready, update Status to In Progress.
  • If the Owner is blank and Status is In Progress, update Status to Ready.
After applying changes

Service Management actions:

  • Send an email notification to the new Assignment group if there is a change to the Assignment group.
  • Send an email notification to the newOwner if there is a change to the Owner assignment.
  • Send an email notification to that Service Desk if the Status changes to , send an email notification to that Owner.

  • If Status changes to one of the following, send an email notification to the Service Desk and Assignment group.

    • Suspended
    • Pending
    • Deferred
  • If Status changes again to any other value, send a notification to the Assignment group and Owner.

Service Management transitions to one of these phases:

  • Initial Support if Assignment group = blank

  • Validate if Solution = valid value

    Send an email notification to the Reported by person and Service Desk group.

All incidents transition from the Review phase to the Close phase.

Close phase

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Status = Closed

Service Management actions:

Send a notification to the Reported by person and the Service Desk.

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