Enterprise Support Solution. Remedy Help Desk. User s Guide

Transcription

1 Enterprise Support Solution Remedy Help Desk User s Guide November 2004

2 This material is considered internal to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and is not intended for commercial or other consumption. This document may not be copied in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. Remedy, the Remedy Corporation logo, Action Request System, AR System, and all other Remedy product or service names are registered or other trademarks of BMC Software, Inc., Houston, TX, USA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

3 Table Of Contents Preface vii Audience vii Conventions Used in This Manual viii 1 Introduction About ESS About the Remedy Help Desk Application Key Terms and Concepts Help Desk Console Basics Accessing the Customer Console Using the Customer Console Application Links Utilities Personal Links Autofill Feature in Fields and Lists Working with Table Data Spell Checker Application Help Creating New Help Desk Requests Working with Existing Requests Viewing a List of Your Requests Searching for Help Desk Tickets Checking the Status of a Help Desk Ticket Modifying Requests Viewing and Printing Quick Reports Resolving Help Desk Tickets On Your Own Closing and Reopening Resolved Requests Completing Customer Satisfaction Surveys Viewing Bulletin Board Announcements Viewing Alerts in the Console Filtering Requests Using Reminders Using Reports Using Subscriptions iii

4 Searching for People Setting Personal Preferences ESS Coordinator Console Accessing the ESS Coordinator Console Using the ESS Coordinator Console Managing People Profiles Managing Locations ESS Coordinator Console Views Support Console Accessing the Support Console Using the Support Console Support Console Views Working with Assigned Help Desk Tickets Working with Duplicate Help Desk Tickets Working with the Solutions Database Working with Related Items Resolving Help Desk Tickets Closing Help Desk Tickets Creating Personal Notes Creating Bulletin Board Announcements Working with Service Level Agreements A Report Types Glossary Index iv Table Of Contents

5 List of Procedures Accessing the Customer Console Through a Browser...7 Accessing the Customer Console Through Remedy User...6 Assigning a Help Desk Ticket...55 Closing a Help Desk Ticket...66 Closing a Resolved Request...30 Completing a Customer Satisfaction Survey...31 Creating a Bulletin Board Announcement...69 Creating a New Help Desk Request...12 Creating a New Requester Record...49 Creating a Reminder...35 Creating, Viewing, and Modifying Personal Notes...67 Deleting an Existing Reminder...38 Deleting Old Alerts Automatically...46 Filtering Requests...34 Generating a Report...38 Logging Activity for an Assigned Help Desk Ticket...56 Modifying a Request...24 Modifying a Requester Record...51 Modifying Location Information...51 Modifying Your Notification and Contact Information...43 Printing a Quick Report for a Request...26 Printing Table Data...11 Referencing an External Ticket...59 Referring a Help Desk Ticket Between Tier 2 and Tier 3 Support...58 Relating a New Help Desk Ticket to an Existing Ticket...63 Relating an Existing Help Desk Ticket to Another Ticket...64 Removing a Related Ticket...65 Removing Duplicate Status from a Ticket...61 Reopening a Resolved Request...31 Resolving a Help Desk Ticket...66 Resolving a Problem by Using Commercial Knowledge Base...27 Resolving a Problem by Using VA Corporate Solutions...29 Searching for a Person or Group Record...42 Searching for Help Desk Tickets...20 Setting New Request and Search for Request Action Preferences...44 Setting the Default Console View and Refresh Rate...45 v

6 Sorting Table Data Specifying a Report File Path Specifying Duplicate Tickets Subscribing to Tickets Updating Table Data Using the Solutions Database as Support Viewing a Bulletin Board Announcement Viewing a Quick Report for a Request Viewing an Alert in the Console Viewing and Modifying an Existing Reminder Viewing Related Help Desk Tickets Viewing SLAs for a Help Desk Ticket vi List of Procedures

7 Preface This guide describes how to use the Remedy Help Desk application as customized and deployed for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in Remedy Help Desk is one of four Remedy IT Service Management applications. The others are Remedy Asset Management, Remedy Change Management, and Remedy Service Level Agreements. This suite of Remedy products provides information technology (IT) support organizations with the ability to submit, monitor, and manage help desk cases, change requests, and asset inventory records. Currently, only Help Desk is implemented in VHA. Change Management, Asset Management, and Service Level Agreements are planned for future implementations, however, be aware that references to these products are present in the current deployment of the software and this documentation. Audience This document is intended for users of the Remedy Help Desk application (with the exception of customers within OI who use the Requester Console). This includes the requesters who use Remedy Help Desk to request assistance or services, the IT professionals who use Remedy Help Desk to respond to those requests, and the managers who oversee the operations of the IT organization. More specifically, IT professionals include: Support staff, who use the application to create new requests for help or services. Service providers and managers, who use the application to resolve help desk cases and change requests; create asset records; and view relationships among help desk cases, change requests, and asset records in a networked environment. Managers, who monitor the daily operations of the IT organization, and use the application to track service provider performance related to resolution of help desk cases, and manage requests that are escalated or otherwise require management action. The Management Console for Remedy Help Desk is not used at this time. It is assumed that you are familiar with the Remedy User client tool. Preface vii

8 Conventions Used in This Manual bold italic blue courier <italic courier> bold courier Indicates a new or important term. Example: request Used for emphasis. Example: All users will have access. Indicates a hyperlinked cross-reference (in text, not headings) that you can click to navigate to the referenced topic when viewing this guide online. Indicates computer output and names of various infrastructure components (such as files, directories, machines, and data structures). Example: C:\temp\ Indicates a variable directory, file name, or string that users replace with the actual directory, file name, or string. Example: <installation directory> Indicates data to be entered by the user. Example: Type <installation directory>/etc/ar. Indicates a series of menu selections. Example: Choose File Import Format. Used in the left margin to indicate a step-by-step procedure. viii Preface

9 1 Introduction Chapter The following topics introduce you to Enterprise Support Solution (ESS) and the Remedy Help Desk application: About ESS About the Remedy Help Desk Application Key Terms and Concepts 1

10 About ESS ESS is an acronym for Enterprise Support Solution, the national system for help desk and IT service request management created for the Office of Information (OI) in support of VHA customers. The overriding goal for implementing ESS is to improve customer service by providing: OI staff with tools that enable them to be more proactive in the delivery of IT support. Customers with self-help tools for faster and easier problem resolution. ESS is based on commercial applications that have been adapted for VHA and that tightly integrate to form a seamless system. The help desk and IT service request component of ESS is contained within the customized version of Remedy Help Desk described in this document. The call management component of ESS is based on a call management solution by Apropos Technology. Apropos provides the link between the phone system and Remedy Help Desk to provide the ability to intelligently route and distribute phone calls, s, Web contacts, and so on, that come in to ESS. With Apropos and Remedy applications as the foundation, ESS is a system that is not only scalable and adaptable, but also compatible with existing systems. It supports integration to a number of third-party products, and it interfaces with VistA applications and databases. About the Remedy Help Desk Application Problem resolution aids in Remedy Help Desk provide OI staff and customers with tools for identifying existing common problems, managing duplicate or related items, determining root causes, correctly categorizing problems, and finding solutions. The solutions database in Remedy Help Desk encourages self-help by providing: A mechanism to capture corporate knowledge in a repository of validated solutions. A commercial knowledge base that contains solutions to common desktop and network problems. Service level management is an important feature in Remedy Help Desk that enables service providers to monitor, measure, and report on established service levels. It can also automatically notify service providers of actions needed to meet agreed-to performance goals. Remedy Help Desk has a variety of notification mechanisms (such as , pager, and system alerts) to ensure that service providers and customers are notified of various events or actions. Users can choose from or Remedy Alert as their preferred notification method. In addition to standard notifications, users have the ability to subscribe, unsubscribe, or invite others to subscribe to notifications based on ticket number, categorization, or patient safety issues. Remedy Help Desk offers a variety of searching and reporting options from predefined searches and reports that can be created by the application administrator to custom searches that can be created by the user, saved for later use, and combined with reports. Remedy Help Desk has over 100 predefined 2 Chapter 1 Introduction

11 reports that supply the metrics typically used by help desks and support centers. It interfaces with common commercial applications (such as Word and Excel) and report writers (such as Crystal Reports) to provide additional reporting capabilities. Key Terms and Concepts There are important terms and concepts used in relation to the Remedy Help Desk application that you should be aware of. While some terms may be familiar, they may have a slightly different meaning within ESS. Customer Anyone who has a service request. Requester A person who needs support and for whom a service request is logged. Submitter The person who actually logs the service request. The submitter may or may not be the requester you can log a ticket for yourself or another. Service provider An organizational unit, group, or individual responsible for the delivery of IT services and support. The term service provider may be used interchangeably with support provider, support specialist, or support staff. Tier 0 The first level of service provider functions, which is to collect and/or confirm customer and service request information in order to create, prioritize, and assign tickets to appropriate service providers for resolution. Tier 1 The second level of service provider functions, which includes problem screening, definition, and resolution. Service requests that cannot be resolved at this level in a set period of time are elevated to appropriate service providers at the Tier 2 level. Tier 2 The third level of service provider functions, which consists primarily of problem identification, diagnosis, and resolution. Service requests that cannot be resolved at the Tier 2 level are typically referred to Tier 3 for resolution. Tier 3 The highest level of support. Problem resolution and defect management functions performed at this level usually require specialized knowledge. Service request A request for service. This term is used interchangeably with the term request or support request. OI service requests are most often related to IT support. If someone reports a problem, requests information or that a service be performed (such as a software installation or hardware upgrade), or asks a question related to any area of support, those would constitute service requests. Case A term for service request used within the Remedy Help Desk application. Ticket The database record of a service request in the Remedy Help Desk application. While there can be different kinds of service requests, the necessary information about the request must be collected and entered into the application. This is often called logging a ticket. Tickets can be created by Key Terms and Concepts 3

12 customers who have access to the Remedy Help Desk application or by the VHA National Help Desk on the customer s behalf. After a ticket is created, it is used to obtain needed assistance, track the status and who is responsible for working the ticket, and maintain a work log of the actions taken and progress made on resolving the service request, including whether the ultimate resolution satisfactorily met the needs of the customer. Console The primary interface for the Remedy Help Desk application. A customized console designed for each specific role serves as a control panel from which users can perform their tasks. The primary consoles are: Requester Console Has a simple design and limited use in VHA OI. It is primarily used by administrative and nonsupport staff, typically to log desktop service requests. The Requester Console is not covered in this guide. Customer Console Is designed for use by field customers in VA. It includes functionality and privileges necessary to create and modify tickets; follow ticket progress, status, and resolution; manage alerts; view solutions; and so on. ESS Coordinator Console Is designed for ESS Coordinators at VISNs and VA medical facilities. It is very similar to the Customer Console, but it has additional functionality and privileges for maintaining local user and facility information. Support Console Is used by VA IT service providers (including development and implementation staff) to work tickets, maintain solutions and perform other support-related functions. IT Service Management Console Is designed for IT support managers, though not currently in use in the VHA implementation of Remedy. It contains the same functionality as the Support Console, as well as additional options and privileges for managing support. The next chapter covers the Customer Console in detail and provides basic procedures for the application that also apply to the ESS Coordinator and Support consoles. If you are an ESS Coordinator or Support, there is additional information for your specific console in ESS Coordinator Console on page 47 or Support Console on page Chapter 1 Introduction

13 2 Help Desk Console Basics Chapter The Remedy Help Desk application is accessed through the Remedy IT Service Management Console that has been customized for your specific user role. This chapter covers the basic tasks you can perform through the Customer Console, but much of the information also applies to the ESS Coordinator and Support consoles. Regardless of your role, familiarize yourself with the material in this chapter, which includes the following topics: Accessing the Customer Console Using the Customer Console Creating New Help Desk Requests Working with Existing Requests Completing Customer Satisfaction Surveys Viewing Bulletin Board Announcements Viewing Alerts in the Console Filtering Requests Using Reminders Using Reports Using Subscriptions Searching for People Setting Personal Preferences Note The Management Console is not in use at this time. The Change Management and Asset Management applications are not implemented, but are planned for future implementation. Any references to these applications are included for information purposes only. 5

14 Accessing the Customer Console You can access the Customer Console (or the ESS Coordinator and Support consoles) through the Remedy User client tool or through a web browser. Use the following procedures. Note Contact the VHA National Help Desk to determine if the web interface has been deployed. Local VISN and IRM management determine which field staff are granted access to Remedy Help Desk. Access is not determined by the OI, VHA National Help Desk, nor ESS Support Team members. VISN and facility-level ESS Coordinators, on behalf of their management, communicate to the ESS Support Team which local staff may have access to Remedy Help Desk. If you do not have access, contact your local ESS Coordinator; if you are unsure who your coordinator is, contact the VHA National Help Desk. Accessing the Customer Console Through Remedy User In this procedure, you create a desktop shortcut for the console. You can then use the shortcut for all future access to the application. 1. In Windows, choose Start All Programs Action Request System Remedy User. 2. In the Remedy User Login window, enter your user name. Your user name is your network login name in all upper case, for example, VHAISTSMITHM. 3. Enter your password. Passwords are case sensitive. 4. Click OK. The Remedy User window is displayed as shown in Figure 2-1. Open icon Figure 2-1 Remedy User Window 6 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

15 5. Click the Open icon in the toolbar (below the View menu). The Object List dialog box is displayed. You can also choose File Open Object List. 6. On the All tab, create a desktop shortcut for the console: a. Right-click on the Remedy Customer application. b. Choose Create Shortcut New Form. c. Specify a location for the shortcut. 7. Close the Remedy User client. 8. Open the shortcut you created. Use this shortcut for all future access to the application. 9. Enter your login information. The Customer Console is displayed as shown in Figure 2-2 on page 8. Accessing the Customer Console Through a Browser Be aware of the following differences when using a browser instead of the Remedy User client tool: Your session is subject to a 90-minute timeout. Performance may be slower. There is no toolbar. You cannot access reports or field-level help. You cannot open an item in a table by double-clicking it; you must use the View button. When a search returns multiple items, the results list appears at the bottom of the window instead of the top. Some buttons appear as links. 1. Open a browser window. 2. Open the following location: server name>/arsys/apps/ en/<remedy server name>/webremedyhd/start.jsp. You must substitute the actual server names for <web server name> and <Remedy server name>. The Login screen is displayed. Note If you do not know the name of your web or Remedy server, contact the VHA National Help Desk. To bookmark this login page, you must alter the properties of the bookmark in order for it to work properly. In Internet Explorer, right-click on the bookmark, choose Properties, and enter the proper address in the URL field on the Web Document tab. 3. Enter your user name. Your user name is your network login name in all capital letters, for example, VHAISTSMITHM. Accessing the Customer Console 7

16 4. Enter your password. Passwords are case sensitive. 5. Click Login. A new page prompts you to select a console. 6. Click the Customer Console link. The Customer Console is displayed. See Figure 2-2 on page 8 for a depiction of the Customer Console (all figures in this document refer to the Remedy User client tool, but the window content is the same although cosmetic differences exist when a web browser is used). Using the Customer Console When you access the Customer Console, shown in Figure 2-2, your unresolved requests are shown in the My Requests table. You can change the data displayed in the table by using the Customer Console View field. You can view details of a selected request by clicking View (or you can double-click the list item). Figure 2-2 Customer Console 8 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

17 Below the list of requests is a section that contains a series of tabs: Alerts Contains a list of notifications that relate to specific requests. See Viewing Alerts in the Console on page 33 for more information. Bulletin Board Contains a list of announcements of general interest. See Viewing Bulletin Board Announcements on page 32 for more information. Filtering Enables you to view requests based on criteria that you specify. You can activate the Filtering tab by clicking Enable Filtering. See Filtering Requests on page 34 for more information. The console also includes three different categories of user links on the left side that enable you to access and use the various components of the Help Desk application. Application Links The following primary, request-related commands are listed under the Application Links heading: New Request Enables you to submit a new help desk ticket. For more information, see Creating New Help Desk Requests on page 12. Search for Request Enables you to search for a specific help desk ticket. For more information, see Searching for Help Desk Tickets on page 18. Utilities The following Utilities links provide various tools for you: HD Quick Query Enables you to quickly search for a specific help desk ticket by using limited criteria. For more information, see Searching for Help Desk Tickets on page 18. Solutions Database Enables you to search for (and submit, if you are a service provider) solutions to common problems. For more information, see Resolving Help Desk Tickets On Your Own on page 27. Subscriptions Enables you to monitor specific or various types of requests based on criteria you specify. For more information, see Using Subscriptions on page 40. Reports Enables you to access predefined reports or create custom reports. For more information, see Using Reports on page 38. Manage Profile Enables you to modify your personal information used by the application. For more information, see Modifying Your Notification and Contact Information on page 43. People Search Enables you to access the personal information of other people in the organization. For more information, see Searching for People on page 42. Application Links 9

18 Personal Links You can access personal information through the following Personal Links: Surveys Enables you to communicate your level of satisfaction with the resolution of a specific help desk ticket. For more information, see Completing Customer Satisfaction Surveys on page 31. Reminders Enables you to view and create time-based notifications. For more information, see Using Reminders on page 35. Preferences Enables you to modify your personal preferences for how the application behaves. For more information, see Setting Personal Preferences on page 43. Help Enables you to access online help topics and procedures for the application. Autofill Feature in Fields and Lists When a plus sign (+) is included in a field label in a form, you can search the database for appropriate values for the field by typing part of the information and pressing Enter. If an exact match is found in the database, the system automatically populates the appropriate fields. If a selection list appears, you can double-click the selection you want to enter into the field. Using the autofill feature in fields and lists is faster, more consistent, and more accurate than typing the information yourself. Working with Table Data The Remedy Help Desk application contains tables that display data for requests. For example, in the Customer Console, tables list your current requests and bulletin board announcements. Within forms, additional tables provide information such as possible solutions and person or group information. Search dialog boxes also include tables that display search results. Updating Table Data You can retrieve the latest data in a table by using the following methods: Click the Refresh button below the table. The latest data is loaded into the table. Right-click anywhere in the table, and choose an option from the menu: Refresh Table Loads the latest data into the table. The administrator can set a limit on how many records are loaded into the table. The status bar of the main window indicates how many records are loaded. Refresh All in Table Loads all the latest data into the table and overrides any limitations the administrator may have set on how many records can be returned. If a large number of records is returned, your server s performance may be slower. Clear Table Removes the table data. To view any new data, click in the table. 10 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

19 You can also set an automatic refresh rate; see Setting the Default Console View and Refresh Rate on page 45. Sorting Table Data You can specify which set of data determines the sort order of items displayed in a table by using this procedure. For example, you can sort a list of requests according to the Status of the requests. 1. Click the header of the column by which you want to sort the table. The list of items is ordered within that column. 2. To reverse the sort order within that column, click the column header again. You can also change the size of a column as necessary by clicking and dragging the appropriate border in the header. Printing Table Data You can print the data in a table by using this procedure. 1. Right-click in the table. 2. From the context menu that appears, choose Print Table. The Print dialog box appears. 3. Enter the printing specifications. 4. Click OK. A list of all items in the table is printed, including those that are not in view. Spell Checker The Remedy Help Desk application includes a spell check feature. You can check the spelling of text you enter in the Work Log, Description, Resolution, and Solution Details fields by clicking the appropriate Spell Check button. You must have the Microsoft Word spell checker installed on your computer to use this feature. Application Help Remedy Help Desk includes two different types of application help: An online help system based on the topics in this guide is available by clicking the Help link in the lower-left corner of any console window. (The help system available by pressing F1 or choosing Help Contents and Index pertains to either the Remedy User tool or web browser itself, not the Remedy Help Desk application.) Field-level help text provides information about the data for a selected field (such as the field type, character length, acceptable values, and query type). You can access field-level help by choosing Help What s This? and clicking the field that you want more information about. Spell Checker 11

20 Creating New Help Desk Requests Requesters who need support can contact the VHA National Help Desk or submit a request directly into the Help Desk application. Use the following procedure to create a help desk ticket from the console. Creating a New Help Desk Request This procedure does not cover every field in the form. Required fields are labelled with boldface text and an asterisk (*). You can also enter data in other fields. If the field is grayed out, you do not have write access to that field and cannot modify it. You can also create a new request from an existing one by opening a ticket with data similar to the one you want to create and choosing Edit Copy to New. All data except for attachments and diary fields (such as the Work Log) is copied to a new Help Desk form. 1. In the console, click the New Request link. The Select Request Type window is displayed. 2. Select the desired help desk interface: To use a short version of the Help Desk form with essential information only, click the Help Desk - Minimal link. To use the full Help Desk form, click the Help Desk - Full link. The form type you select is displayed. The Help Desk Minimal Submit form is shown in Figure 2-3. The full Help Desk form is shown in Figure Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

21 Figure 2-3 Help Desk Minimal Submit Form Creating New Help Desk Requests 13

22 Figure 2-4 Full Help Desk Form 3. From the Category list, select a category for the problem. The Type list is populated with options appropriate for your selected category. Note If you know the support group that would handle your request but not the specific Category, Type, and Item data that applies to the group, you can click the C/T/I Reverse Lookup link at the bottom of the window to open the Assignment Reverse Lookup dialog box. This enables you to select the appropriate group name and obtain a list of appropriate Category, Type, and Item combinations. Select the desired combination, and click Return C/T/I to enter this data in the appropriate fields. If you do not know the specific C/T/I combination nor the correct support group for your request, you can select Default for the Category, Type, and Item fields. The VHA National Help Desk will then categorize the request for you. 14 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

23 The Importance of Categorization Categorization (or ticket categorization) is used in Remedy Help Desk for identifying and defining a service request by breaking it down into a range of categories, from broad to very specific. Categorization is important because it is at the core of much of the work done in the application. It is used for ticket routing and assignment to the appropriate service provider groups and individuals. By properly categorizing service requests, tickets can be routed to the group or individual who can resolve the request and minimize wasted time. Ticket categorization facilitates the production of meaningful reports used to assess workload and manage staff resource distribution. Each ticket entered in Remedy Help Desk must have a category, type, and item defined. Service providers not customers have the responsibility for correctly categorizing tickets. A tiered approach to categorization is used, starting with category, then type, then item (or C/T/I). Category is the broadest, most general, level of categorization. Type is the next broadest level. Types available for selection on a particular ticket are determined by the category assigned to that ticket. Item is the narrowest required level of categorization. Item selections available are determined by the type assigned to a ticket. Three additional levels of categorization item component, item subcomponent, and item sub-subcomponent are provided to enable further specificity at the item level, however, they are not required. 4. From the Type list, select the type of service request. The Item list is populated with options appropriate for your selected type. 5. From the Item list, select the item associated with the service request. 6. From the Summary list, select a predefined summary, or enter your own brief summary in the field. The summary should contain a concise description of the service request. You can also click the ellipses (...) button to open a text editor window for you to enter your summary. Warning If you use a predefined summary, be aware that the Category, Type, and Item data will be changed to match the summary you select. Also, a matching description will be entered into the Description field; any description you already entered is retained, but it appears after the predefined description. If you are using the full Help Desk form, you can then check the Solutions tab for available solutions. If a listed solution appears to meet your needs, you can use that solution to resolve the problem yourself. For more information, see Resolving Help Desk Tickets On Your Own on page If you are using the minimal Help Desk form, enter a detailed description of the service request in the Description field. If you are using the full Help Desk form, you can also enter a detailed description of your service request in the Description field on the General tab. If you do not, Creating New Help Desk Requests 15

24 the information you enter in the Summary field is automatically entered in the Description field. 8. If you are an ESS Coordinator or Support, specify the name of the requester by one of the following methods: In the Login Name field, enter the network login name of the requester, and press Enter. In the Name field, enter the name of the requester, and press Enter. If you are using the full Help Desk form, these fields are located on the Requester Information tab. If the requester has already been entered into the People database, the Login Name, Name, Phone, Region, Site, Department, and Office fields are automatically populated with the appropriate data after you press Enter. If you enter a partial or nonunique name, the Search People dialog box is displayed with potential matches listed in the Search Results table. You can select a person and click OK to enter that person s data in the form, or you can search the database for additional person records. For more information, see Searching for People on page 42. If you cannot find the person, they might not have been entered in the database. A record for the person can be created by an ESS Coordinator or service provider. You can contact the VHA National Help Desk to request that the new person be added, or you can enter the request in Remedy Help Desk. For more information about the People database, see Managing People Profiles on page Optionally, select a case type for the request from the Case Type list. If you are using the full Help Desk form, this field is located on the General tab. The different Case Type field values are defined as follows: Incident A general indication of a condition that needs attention. Question A case that involves a question. For example, a user might need to know the name of a print server. Request A case that involves a request for service. For example, a user s computer might not have enough memory. Problem A case that involves an issue that a service provider must resolve. By default, every new case is classified as a Problem. 10. Optionally, select the source of the request from the Source list. If you are using the full Help Desk form, this field is located on the General tab. The different Source field values are defined as follows: Phone The requester phoned the VHA National Help Desk directly. Requester The requester submitted the ticket from the Remedy Help Desk application. This is the default value. The requester submitted the ticket by to the VHA National Help Desk. Web The requester submitted the ticket through the web. NMP The ticket originated from a network management program, for example, NetIQ. 16 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

25 11. Optionally, if you are using the full Help Desk form, specify the urgency of the request by using the Urgency list on the General tab. Your options are Low (default), Medium, High, and Urgent. This selection should be based on the perceived urgency of the requester. Note For an urgent case, you must contact the VHA National Help Desk to ensure an immediate response. 12. If you have any attachments to include with the request, right-click in the Attachments table, choose Add, and specify the file. You can include up to three attachments for a total of 5 MB. 13. If the issue prompting the request might potentially impact patient safety, select Potential from the Patient Safety Flag list. You are then prompted to enter the reasons why this issue may impact patient safety in the Patient Safety Justification dialog box. Enter your answers to each question in the appropriate line, and click Save + Close. You can view or edit the Patient Safety Justification information by clicking the diary field icon. 14. To submit this request and enter another, click Save. If you are finished entering help desk requests in the Minimal Help Desk form, you can also click Save + Close. To close the form without submitting your data for both form types, click Close. If you saved the request, a message is displayed that specifies the individual or group from the service provider who is assigned to the request. 15. Click OK to dismiss the message. Another message reports that the request has been submitted, and it specifies the request ID for the help desk ticket. You do not need to note the HD prefix or the leading zeros. 16. Click OK to dismiss the message. Working with Existing Requests When working with requests, you can perform the following tasks: View a list of your requests Search for requests Check the status of a request Modify a request Print a quick report of the data for a request Resolve a help desk request Close or reopen resolved help desk requests These topics are covered in the following sections. Working with Existing Requests 17

26 Viewing a List of Your Requests All the requests that you have submitted also referred to as tickets are displayed as a list in the My Requests table in the Customer Console as shown in Figure 2-5. Figure 2-5 My Requests Table You can manage the information displayed in the My Requests table in several ways: To change how the list of requests is sorted, click the table heading that corresponds to the criteria by which you want to sort. Click the heading a second time to reverse the current order. To change the type of data displayed in the table, select a different view from the Customer Console View field below the table. You can set a specific view type as your default view by modifying your preferences; see Setting the Default Console View and Refresh Rate on page 45 for more information. To retrieve the latest entries from the database, click Refresh below the table. To retrieve help desk tickets based on criteria that you specify, enable the Filtering tab; see Filtering Requests on page 34 for more information. Note In the My Requests table, the Dup column refers to the duplicate status of the ticket. An uppercase O indicates an original ticket, while a lowercase d indicates a duplicate ticket. You can also retrieve requests in a window separate from the console and My Requests list. This method is covered in the following section. Searching for Help Desk Tickets You can search for help desk tickets in several different ways. This section covers use of the Help Desk form to obtain a results window separate from the console and My Requests list. For information about using the Filtering tab to search for requests (which are displayed in the My Requests table of the console), see Filtering Requests on page Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

27 You enter search criteria in the Help Desk form, in either the full form or the quick query version, and specific tickets that match the data you specify are retrieved and displayed in a results list with details as shown in Figure 2-6. Figure 2-6 Search Results with Details The details in the lower portion of the window are displayed in the full Help Desk form regardless of which search form you use. The Help Desk Quick Query form is a simplified version of the full Help Desk form designed to enable you to specify search criteria such as date ranges more easily. If you use the Help Desk Quick Query form, shown in Figure 2-7, you can switch to the full version by clicking the Open Help Desk Search button. Searching for Help Desk Tickets 19

28 Figure 2-7 Help Desk Quick Query Form Searching for Help Desk Tickets 1. In the console, click the Search for Request link. You are prompted to select a search type. Your options are Help Desk Case, Change Request, and HD Quick Query. You can also access the Help Desk Quick Query form directly by clicking the link in the console. 2. Select the type of search. The appropriate search form is displayed. 3. Enter data that matches the type of help desk tickets for which you are looking. For example, to find a specific ticket, you can enter the case ID (also known as the request ID) in the Case ID field of the full Help Desk form, and press Enter (which will invoke the search through the autofill feature without having to click the Search button). You do not have to enter prefixes or leading zeros for the Case ID (that is, you can enter instead of HD ). Note If you are using the Help Desk Quick Query form, do not use F3 or Ctrl+E to clear the fields and enter new search criteria. Instead, use the Reset Form button at the bottom of the form. You can also enter complex criteria for your search by choosing View Advanced Search Bar to display a row of operator buttons, a Search Criteria field, and a Fields selection list at the bottom of the form. For detailed information 20 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

29 about using the advanced search bar, see the Remedy User help by choosing Help Contents and Index. Using Keywords You can specify a keyword for individual help desk cases so that you can easily search for them later. The Keyword field (located below the Escalated field) will accommodate a descriptive text string up to 69 characters. After you have saved a keyword string for a ticket, enter any portion of that text in the Keyword field of the full help desk search form, and click Search to display matching tickets. 4. Click the Search button. If any entries match your search criteria, the results are displayed in a new window, and the number of entries found is displayed in the status bar. If you select an entry in the results list in the upper pane of the window, the details of the entry are then displayed in the lower pane. If you receive a message stating that the query matched too many entries, specify more criteria to narrow your search parameters. If you receive a message stating that there are no matching entries, try widening your search parameters by specifying fewer search criteria. To create a new ticket based on an existing one, you can choose Edit Copy to New. All information except for attachments and diary fields (such as the Work Log) is copied into a new Help Desk form. You can save your searches in the following ways: To save your search as a menu item, choose Actions Save Search, and enter a name for the search. You can then run the search by choosing Actions My Searches <search name>. To save your search as a desktop shortcut, choose File Send Search Desktop, and specify a location. You can then run the search by double-clicking the shortcut. To send your search to another person through , choose File Send Search Mail Recipient, and the search shortcut is attached to a new for you to specify an address. Checking the Status of a Help Desk Ticket The My Requests table in the Customer Console shows the status of each request listed. To view additional details about the request, select it, and click View (or double-click the item). The appropriate form is displayed with the details of the request as shown in Figure 2-8. Checking the Status of a Help Desk Ticket 21

30 Figure 2-8 Help Desk Ticket You can view status details and other information for the request: The top region of the request form shows categorization information, case ID, status, escalation information, patient safety information, and a brief summary of the issue. The different Status field values are defined in Table 2-1. Table 2-1 Status Assigned Cancelled Closed New Pending Status Field Value Definitions Definition The ticket has been assigned to a group or individual. Assistance is no longer required. (To cancel a request, you must contact the VHA National Help Desk.) The ticket is closed and cannot be reopened. Usually the resolution of the issue has been confirmed, but it might have been closed automatically. The ticket is new and yet to be assigned. The service provider is awaiting information or action from another source (other than the assigned service provider). The Tier 2 SLA escalation process is stopped, in essence placing the ticket on hold. 22 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

31 Table 2-1 Status Resolved Status Field Value Definitions (Continued) Definition A resolution of the issue has been identified but not confirmed. Work In Progress The assigned service provider is actively pursuing a resolution to the issue. The General tab displays basic information about the request, including the case type, priority, and a detailed description. Any attachments or external help desk tickets associated with the request are also shown. The different Priority field values are defined in Table 2-2. Table 2-2 Priority Urgent High Medium Low Priority Field Value Definitions Definition Resources, services, or critical applications (such as computer systems or LAN/WAN) at one or more facilities are down or unavailable. Patient care is jeopardized, or facility mission or operations are severely impaired. Resources, services, or major applications (such as computer systems or LAN/WAN) at one or more facilities are impaired or unavailable. Patient care is not jeopardized, but facility mission or operations are impaired, although not severely. Patient care and facility mission or operations are not impacted, but timely resolution is required. Patient care and facility mission or operations are not impacted, and the issue can be addressed as resources are available. The Activity tab shows the progress made by service providers in resolving the issue. The Requester Information tab displays data about the requester, alternate contact information, and a list of associated help desk tickets. The Requester Information tab also includes the Requester s Assets table, which lists any assets used by the requester. If an asset is listed, you can view it by clicking the View button below the table. The Duplicates tab enables service providers to retrieve and associate tickets that might have resulted from the same issue as the current ticket. See Working with Duplicate Help Desk Tickets on page 59 for more information. The Solutions tab documents the resolution of the service request. You can access the Solutions database from this tab; for more information about the Solutions database, see Resolving Help Desk Tickets On Your Own on page 27. The SLAs tab displays any service level agreements associated with the request. Service level agreements provide a way for service providers to track their support commitments to customers. See Working with Service Level Agreements on page 69 for more information. Checking the Status of a Help Desk Ticket 23

32 The Related Items tab displays any tickets that are related to the current ticket, and it enables service providers to establish relationships with other tickets. See Working with Related Items on page 62 for more information. The Assignment region in the lower right corner is always visible and specifies the support group and individual assigned to the ticket, the submitter, and who last modified this ticket. See Working with Assigned Help Desk Tickets on page 55 for more information. When you are finished viewing the details of the request, click Close to return to the console. Modifying Requests You can modify a request if you created it or a service provider created it with you as the requester. You can modify only those fields to which you have write access, such as the Description field. You cannot modify requests submitted by others, with the exception of Work Log fields for tickets within your VISN. If you try to change a field that you do not have access to (one that is grayed out ), a message informs you that you do not have access permissions for that field. To cancel a request, contact the VHA National Help Desk. Note If you are an ESS Coordinator or Support, you have expanded modification privileges. Modifying a Request 1. In the My Requests table in the Customer Console, select the request that you want to modify. If necessary, click Refresh to update the list first. You can also search for the request (see Searching for Help Desk Tickets on page 18), use the filtering capability to open it from the My Requests table (see Filtering Requests on page 34), or open it from the Alerts tab if your notification method is Alert (see Viewing Alerts in the Console on page 33). 2. Click View. The request is displayed. You can also double-click the item to open it. 3. Make the appropriate changes. To escalate the request to support management, select Yes in the Escalated? field. The following fields cannot be modified: Case Type Status Source 4. Click Save. 5. Click Close to return to the console. 24 Chapter 2 Help Desk Console Basics

33 Viewing and Printing Quick Reports You can view (in a text editor) or print a quick report of the data in the request. Viewing a Quick Report for a Request Before you can view a quick report, you must specify a path for the file that is generated; see Specifying a Report File Path on page 46 for more information. 1. Open the desired request. You can search for the request (see Searching for Help Desk Tickets on page 18), use the filtering capability to open it from the My Requests table (see Filtering Requests on page 34), or open it from the Alerts tab if your notification method is Alert (see Viewing Alerts in the Console on page 33). 2. Click Quick Rpt. Display in the lower right corner of the request. A dialog box indicates that the file will be saved. 3. Click OK. A dialog box indicates the location and file name of the report. 4. Click OK. The report is displayed in a text editor with the data from the request, as shown in Figure 2-9. Viewing and Printing Quick Reports 25