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Problem 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 Problem 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 resolution does not resolve the problem.

  • The problem was categorized incorrectly.

  • The problem needs further investigation.

  • The Problem Manager reassigns the incident to a different support analyst.

The 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.

Automatic transitions occur when all conditions are true. Manual transitions occur when you advance to the next phase in the workflow snapshot.

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

All problems begin with the Log phase.

Log phase

Event Action or Condition
Entering

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

  • Create time = current server time and date
  • Business impact = Single user
  • recorded by = Current user
  • Urgency = Slight disruption
After change

Required fields must contain data:

  • Title

  • Service

  • Business impact

  • Urgency

  • Symptoms

  • Category

Service Management actions:

  • If Business impact is blank, set it to Single user.

  • If Urgency is blank, set it to Slight disruption.

  • If recorded by is blank, set it to Current user.

  • Set 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

  • Set Status = Ready.

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

All problems transition from Log to the Classify phase.

Classify phase

Event
Action or Condition
Entering

Send a notification that a new problem record has been created, to the Service Owner and the Problem Manager.
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title

  • Service

  • Business impact

  • Urgency

  • Symptoms

Service Management actions:

Set 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 Investigate phase if all of the following contain valid data:

  • Assigned to group
  • Category

All problems transition from Classify to the Investigate phase.

Investigate phase

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Service Management actions:

  • If Assigned person is not blank, set Status to In progress.

  • If Assigned person is blank, set Status to Ready.

  • Known error flag = false.
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title

  • Service

  • Business impact

  • Urgency

  • Symptoms

  • Category

New required field:

  • Category

Service Management actions:

  • If Assigned person is not blank, and Status is Ready, set Status to In progress.

  • if Assigned person is blank, and Status is In progress, set Status to Ready.

  • If Assigned person is changed and is not blank, and Status did not change, set Status to In Progress.

  • If the Root cause target time changes, the new value must be later than the current date and time.

  • If the Solution target time changes, the new value must be later than the current date and time.

  • If the Expected resolution time changes, the new value must be later than the current date and time.

  • Set 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
After applying changes

Service Management actions:

  • If the Assigned group value changes and is not blank, and Assignee is blank, send a notification to the group that the problem has been assigned to the group.

  • If the Assigned person value changes and is not blank, send a notification to the person that the problem has been assigned to that person.

  • If the Assigned group value changes and is now blank, send a notification to the Service Owner and Problem Manager that the problem needs to be assigned.

  • If the Assigned person value changes and is now blank, and Assigned group is not blank, send a notification to the group that the problem has been assigned to the group.

  • If the Workaround value changes, send a notification of the workaround to the Assigned person in each active related incident and request.

  • If the Expected resolution time changes, send a notification to the Assigned person in each active related incident and request.

Service Management transitions to the Resolve phase, if all of the following are not blank:

  • Category

  • Root cause

Problems transition to the Classify or Resolve phase.

Resolve phase

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Service Management actions:

  • If Assigned person is not blank, set Status to In progress.

  • If Assigned person is blank, set Status to Ready.

  • The problem is marked as a known error.
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title

  • Service

  • Business impact

  • Urgency

  • Symptoms

  • Category

Service Management actions:

  • If Root cause is not blank, the problem is marked as a known error.

  • If Assigned person is not blank, and Status is Ready, set Status to In progress.

  • if Assigned person is blank, and Status is In progress, set Status to Ready.

  • If Assigned person is changed and is not blank, and Status did not change, set Status to In Progress.

  • If the Expected resolution time changes, the new value must be later than the current date and time.

  • If the Root cause target time changes, the new value must be later than the current date and time.

  • Set 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
After applying changes

Service Management actions:

  • If the Assigned group value changes and is not blank, and Assignee is blank, send a notification to the group that the problem has been assigned to the group.

  • If the Assigned person value changes and is not blank, send a notification to the person that the problem has been assigned to that person.

  • If the Assigned group value changes and is now blank, send a notification to the Service Owner and Problem Manager that the problem needs to be assigned.

  • If the Assigned person value changes and is now blank, and Assigned group is not blank, send a notification to the group that the problem has been assigned to the group.

  • If the Workaround value changes, send a notification of the workaround to the Assigned person in each active related incident and request.

  • If the Expected resolution time changes, send a notification to the Assigned person in each active related incident and request.

Service Management transitions to one of these phases:

  • Investigate if Root cause = blank

  • Review if both Solution and Root cause are not blank

Problems transition to the Investigate or Review phase.

Review phase

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Service Management actions:

  • If Assigned person is not blank, set Status to In progress.

  • If Assigned person is blank, set Status to Ready.

  • Send a notification that the problem has been solved, to the assigned person of each active related incident and change request.
After change

Verify that required fields contain data:

  • Title

  • Service

  • Business impact

  • Urgency

  • Symptoms

  • Category

New required field:

  • Root cause

Service Management actions:

  • Solution target time is set to read-only.

  • Expected resolution time is set to read-only

  • If Assigned person is not blank, and Status is Ready, set Status to In progress.

  • if Assigned person is blank, and Status is In progress, set Status to Ready.

  • If Assigned person is changed and is not blank, and Status did not change, set Status to In Progress.

  • Set 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
After applying changes

Service Management actions:

  • If the Assigned group value changes and is not blank, and Assignee is blank, send a notification to the group that the problem has been assigned to the group.

  • If the Assigned person value changes and is not blank, send a notification to the person that the problem has been assigned to that person.

  • If the Assigned group value changes and is now blank, send a notification to the Service Owner and Problem Manager that the problem needs to be assigned.

  • If the Assigned person value changes and is now blank, and Assigned group is not blank, send a notification to the group that the problem has been assigned to the group.

Service Management transitions to one of these phases:

  • Resolve phase, if Solution = blank

  • Close phase, if Completion code is not blank

Problems transition to the Investigate or Close phase.

Close phase

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Status = Complete

Service Management actions:

  • Set all fields to read-only.

  • Send a notification that the problem has been closed to the Problem Manager, Service Owner, and the Reported by person.

  • Send a notification that the problem has been closed to the Assigned person for each active related incident and request.

Abandon phase

Event Action or Condition
Entering

Status = Complete

Service Management actions:

  • Set all fields to read-only.

  • Send a notification that the problem has been abandoned to the Problem Manager, Service Owner, and the Reported by person.

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