Configuring Status Codes


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Change Management administration

Overview

What are status codes?

In Tivoli Change Management, status codes are assigned to a change as it progresses through its life cycle. Status codes are also assigned to models, from which changes are created. Tivoli Change Management requires that you have at least one status code for each of the following change status types:
  • Saved
    A Saved change is saved in the database and is not submitted for approval. The change requester and the person assigned to the change can edit the change while it has this status. If you change the status type of a change to Saved, then the Saved status is assigned to all tasks and activities associated with the change.
  • Submitted
    A Submitted change is submitted for approval to other approvers at the lowest priority level and the person assigned to the change is notified. The change requester and Assigned To person can edit the change while it has this status. If a submitted change is modified, the change is resubmitted all previous approvals are ignored. Each approver is notified again.
  • Approved
    Only the associated approvers or the system administrator can approve a change. The person assigned to the change and the resources for tasks receive notification of the approval of the change. The requester also receives notification if the Notify on Approval box is selected on the Approvals tab of the Change dialog box.
  • Rejected
    Only the associated associated approvers or system administrator can reject a change. The change requester and person assigned to the change receive notification of the rejection and can edit the change for closure or re-submittal.
  • Held
    Only the associated approvers or the system administrator can mark a change as Held. Nothing happens to a held change until it is taken off hold. The change requester and the person assigned to the change receive notification of the held change and can edit the change while it has this status.
  • Frozen
    When a change is frozen, no user can modify the change, any associated activities, and any associated tasks. A change is frozen from the parent change if the change is Approves All Activity. A change is frozen from the parent or any associated activity if the change is Depends On Activity. If the change is frozen from an activity, you can choose whether you want to freeze only the activity, or the activity and any subordinate activities. When a change with a Submitted status is frozen, eligible approvers receive a notification that the change is frozen. When a change with an Approved status is frozen, task resources receive a notification that the change is frozen. The change requester and the assignee also receive notifications. The change cannot be edited or modified in any way while it is frozen. You can, however, print information about the change from the Change dialog box.
  • Completed
    Assign the Completed status when all activities and tasks are complete.

A status code for each of these status types is added to your database during installation. In addition to these required status types, Tivoli Change Management provides a status type called None.

Tivoli Change Management does not require you to have a status code associated with None, but you can use the type to add a status code that is not similar to any of the required status types.

You cannot add additional status types, but you can assign alternate names and definitions to the status codes. For example, you can create status codes of Approved with Hesitation, and Approved with Confidence, for the Approved status type.

It is important to remember that the fundamental meaning of the status type does not change. The Approved status type is always going to mean "approve" to Tivoli Change Management no matter what variation the status code represents.

Creating new codes for the status types allows your organization to make status types more descriptive and meaningful to the people working with the changes.

You can create new status codes and definitions from the Status tab of the List Maintenance dialog box. You can add, modify, delete, or print the list of status codes. You must, however, always have at least one status code assigned to each of the seven required status types.


Tasks

Adding a status code

You can add a status code to those Tivoli Change Management provides.

To add a status code:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Configure Change Management.
    Result: The List Maintenance dialog box appears.
  2. From the List Maintenance dialog box, choose the Status tab.
    Result: The Status tab appears.
  3. In the box above the Replace button, type the name of the status code to add.
    The code should be descriptive because status codes appear in Status lists in the Change and Model dialog boxes.
  4. In the box below the Description column, type a definition for the status code.
  5. From the list below the After column, select the status type that corresponds to the status code.
    If the status does not correspond to one of the required status types, select None.
  6. Select the After Approval check box to allow the status to be applied to a change after it is approved.
    Note: Status codes associated with the Completed status type are always available for use after the approval, regardless of the After Approval check box status.
  7. Choose Add.
    Result: The status code is added to the Status table.
  8. Do one of the following:
    • Choose Close.
    • Choose another tab of the dialog box to continue configuring Tivoli Change Management.
      Note: Unless there is a status code for each of the six required status types, you cannot close the List Maintenance dialog box.

Modifying a status code

You can modify a status code description, the corresponding status type, and the After Approval flag, but not the name of the status code itself.

To modify a status code:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Configure Change Management.
    Result: The List Maintenance dialog box appears.
  2. From the List Maintenance dialog box, choose the Status tab
    Result: The Status tab appears.
  3. Under Status, select the status code to modify.
    Result: The status code and its description appear in the boxes below the list.
  4. In the box below the Description column, type the new description.
  5. From the list below the After column, select the corresponding status type.
  6. Select the After Approval check box to allow the status code to be applied to a change after it is approved.
  7. Choose Replace.
    Result: The selected status code is replaced with the modified code.
  8. Do one of the following:
    • Choose Close.
    • Choose another tab of the dialog box to continue configuring Tivoli Change Management.

Deleting a status code

You can delete a status code only if it has not been used by a change or model. If you delete a status code for a required status type, you must add another code with that status type before you can save and close the List Maintenance dialog box.

To delete a status code:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Configure Change Management.
    Result: The List Maintenance dialog box appears.
  2. From the List Maintenance dialog box, choose the Status tab.
    Result: The Status tab appears.
  3. Under Status, select the status code to delete.
  4. Choose Delete.
    Note: Tivoli Change Management does not ask you to confirm the deletion.
    Result: The status code is deleted.
  5. Do one of the following:
    • Choose Close.
    • Choose another tab of the dialog box to continue configuring Tivoli Change Management.
Printing status codes You can print a list of Tivoli Change Management status codes in use at your organization.

To print a list of status codes:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Configure Change Management.
    Result: The List Maintenance dialog box appears.
  2. From the List Maintenance dialog box, choose the Status tab.
    Result: The Status tab appears.
  3. Choose Print.
    Result: The current list of status codes prints.