Business Rules and Workflows

Business rules and workflows can be defined for each type of request, and can include routing, required approvals, notifications and alerts, fulfillment tasks, escalations, assignment, and so on.

For example, the Service Catalog module lets the catalog manager define how the service request needs to be routed for fulfillment.

Request processing is automated using other appropriate Service Manager modules. For example, the Service Manager Request Management module may be used to automate a “new employee setup” request, because this type of request has goods and services components that require defined ordering and sequencing processes that can be facilitated by the Request Management module.

Other types of service requests can be fulfilled in the Service Desk, Change Management, or other modules.

A catalog administrator defines the modules required to fulfill each service catalog item. Fulfillment can include creating sequenced or parallel tasks to fulfill the request, routing tasks to appropriate groups or staff, gathering required approvals, generating notifications and alerts, measuring response time based on applied SLAs, and so on.

The service catalog uses an open connector architecture, where new fulfillment connectors can be added to integrate with third-party or legacy tools.

Service Catalog Request Status

The requester is able to use the same web application to monitor the Service Catalog request status.

He or she can simply look at the list of open Service Catalog requests and follow the progression of the Service Catalog request through its lifecycle. The status is displayed in the list.

It is possible to gain more insight into what is happening during those phases. The requester has the ability to monitor the pending approvals, or to view the approvals that have already been granted.

Thus they know who might be holding up their Service Catalog request during the approval phase.

When the Service Catalog request is approved, the user has, in some cases, the ability to follow the progression of the Service Catalog request through fulfillment in greater details. From the request details screen, the user can click on the View Related Records link. For example, for a Service Catalog request that is being fulfilled through a change request, it is possible to follow the lifecycle of the change request.

Service Catalog Request Progress

Service Manager time and date stamps each Service Catalog request, and provides an audit trail capability that identifies each step taken in the resolution of Service Catalog request throughout the Service Catalog request lifecycle. Each time the Service Catalog request is updated (whether manually or automatically), a separate historical activity is created for the Service Catalog request. An authorized user may leaf through each historical activity to develop a comprehensive understanding of the history of the record and its resolution, including which operators took what actions at what times.

Service Manager also tracks the Service Catalog request against defined service levels. Once the Service Catalog request is created, Service Manager automatically assigns appropriate service level targets, based on the request type, the requester, the category of the request, or other defined parameters. Progress against service level targets is captured in the request record; imminent or actual breaches of service levels can trigger alerts and escalations.

Service Catalog Request Cancellation

End users can submit Service Catalog requests through the Service Manager Service Catalog module, view the status of their Service Catalog requests at any time through an easy-to-use web interface, modify existing Service Catalog requests (for upgrades or downgrades, for example) or cancel Service Catalog requests that are no longer necessary.

Request Fulfillment

Once a service request is created in the Service Catalog module, Service Manager routes the request to the appropriate fulfillment module (Request Management, Change, and so on), and the fulfillment record is automatically routed to the appropriate group or staff member for completion. Routing is based on business rules defined to meet your requirements.

Alerts can be triggered when services are added to a fulfillment group’s queue.

Request Models

The Service Manager Request Management module can accommodate requests that have complex sequential and parallel tasks; multiple, tiered approval requirements; complex routing requirements; and so on.

 

Related topics

Service Catalog connectors
Monitor Interaction Queue for Service Level Agreement Breaches
Monitor Interaction Queue for Potential Service Level Agreement Breaches

Audit log file