Configuring Call Management Options


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Problem Management

Overview

Work flow control

You control what happens during call registration and problem resolution. You can add or remove steps from the workflow to make it match more closely the way your help desk operates.

Problem codes and problem status

You control whether Tivoli Problem Management automatically assigns problem codes or if help desk analysts are prompted to assign them. Also, you control the management of information in the Status box in the Problem Status dialog box.

Problem ownership

You can decide when, or if, ownership of transferred problems changes.

Tasks

Allowing multiple sessions per call

You can speed up call registration by carrying information forward from one call registration session to the next. This makes it easier for help desk analysts to record multiple problems reported in one call. Use this feature if your help desk often receives calls that report multiple problems.

Note: Allowing multiple sessions per call adds one step to the work flow.

To control whether multiple sessions per call are allowed:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. Do you want to give help desk analysts the option to register more than one problem in the same call?
    • If yes, select the Multiple Sessions per Call check box.
      Result: After help desk analysts choose Resolve, Freeze, or Transfer in the Call Registration dialog box, the Call Termination dialog box appears and they must decide if they want to end the current call.
      • If help desk analysts choose Yes, the Call Registration dialog box closes and the Tivoli Service Desk window appears.
      • If help desk analysts choose No, the Call Registration dialog box reappears. The location, client, name, phone, call code, and severity code automatically carry forward from the previous call. Help desk analysts can then record the next problem reported by the same caller.
        Note: When help desk analysts continue call registration, Tivoli Problem Management creates multiple session and problem records, but only one call record. For more information on these record types, see the Tivoli Problem Management 6.0 User's Guide.
    • If no, clear the Multiple Sessions per Call check box.
      Result: The Call Registration dialog box closes at the end of call registration and the Tivoli Service Desk window appears.
  3. Choose Close.

Assigning problem codes and problem status

You can control the assignment of problem codes and problem status when help desk analysts resolve, freeze, or transfer a problem.

Note: Requiring help desk analysts to confirm the assignment of problem codes and problem status adds one step to the work flow.

To control problem code and status assignment:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. If either the Resolution box in the Call Registration dialog box or the Status box in the Problem Status dialog box is empty, do you want to use the call description as a default problem status?
    • If yes, select the Call Description as Initial Status check box.
      Result: The call registration description or the description of the first call in the Problem Status dialog box is automatically saved as the problem status when necessary.
    • If no, clear the Call Description as Initial Status check box.
      Result: If the Resolution box in the Call Registration dialog box or the Status box in the Problem Status dialog box is empty, then the new problem status is blank.

Requiring confirmation when ending call registration

You control whether help desk analysts must confirm ending call registration. This occurs when they choose Done in the Call Registration dialog box.

Note: Requiring analysts to confirm ending call registration adds one step to the workflow.

To configure Confirm Ending the Call Registration:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. Do you want help desk analysts to confirm ending call registration?
    • If yes, select the Confirm Ending the Call Registration check box.
      Result: After help desk analysts choose Done in the Call Registration dialog box, they see a message asking if they want to end call registration. If they choose yes, the Call Registration dialog box closes and the processing indicated by the assigned problem code occurs.
    • If no, clear the Confirm Ending the Call Registration check box.
      Result: When help desk analysts choose Done, the Call Registration dialog box immediately closes and and the processing indicated by the assigned problem code occurs.
  3. Choose Close.

Allowing multiple problem screens

You can also allow help desk analysts to work on multiple calls or problems simultaneously by having more than one copy of the Call Registration dialog box or Problem Status dialog box open at the same time.

Note: If this option is enabled, the maximum number of open problem screens is constrained only by the memory available on the workstation.

To control whether help desk analysts can work on multiple calls or problems simultaneously:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • To allow help desks analysts to work on multiple calls or problems simultaneously, select the Allow Multiple Problem Screens check box.
    • To limit help desk analysts to working on one call or problem at a time, clear the Allow Multiple Problem Screens check box.
  3. Choose Close.

Displaying Hot News automatically

You can alert help desk analysts to current situations and solutions that apply to the current call by displaying the Hot News tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box automatically during call registration or call dispatch.

To control when Hot News appears automatically:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • To never display Hot News automatically, clear the Auto Hot News check box.
      Result: Help desk analysts must choose Diagnose on the Call Registration dialog box to display the Hot News tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box.
    • To display Hot News dialog box automatically, select the Auto Hot News check box.
      Result: The Hot News tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box appears as soon as help desk analysts enter or change the organization ID on the call and that organization ID matches one on an active Hot News record.

Resuming a problem after attaching a call

You can give help desk analysts the option of resuming work on problems whenever they attach calls to existing problems.

Note: Giving help desk analysts the option of resuming problems adds one step to the workflow.

To control problem resumption after attaching a call:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. Decide what action you want to occur after help desk analysts attach a call to an existing problem. Under After Call Attachment, do one of the following:
  3. Choose Close.

Controlling who owns resumed problems

You can assign ownership when a help desk analyst resumes work on a problem owned by another analyst. You can also give a help desk analyst the option of taking ownership when he or she resumes work on a problem owned by another analyst. To do this, you make the Take Ownership check box appear on the Problem Status dialog box.

Tip: The current owner of a problem is indicated by the User box in the Problem Status dialog box.

Note: You can also control who owns a problem when help desk analysts transfer problems to other help desk analysts. See Controlling who owns transferred problems.

To control problem ownership after problem resumption:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. Decide what you want to happen to problem ownership when a help desk analyst resumes work on a problem currently owned by another help desk analyst. Under On Resume, do one of the following:
    • To always change ownership to the help desk analyst who resumes work on a problem, select the Change Owner check box and clear the Allow Override check box.
      Result: When analyst A resumes a problem owned by analyst B, the User box in the Problem Status dialog box changes to analyst A.
    • To change ownership to an analyst who resumes work on a problem, but also give this analyst the ability to reject ownership, select both the Change Owner and select the Allow Override check box.
      Result: When analyst A resumes a problem owned by analyst B, the User box in the Problem Status dialog box changes to analyst A. However, if Analyst A clears the Take Ownership check box on the Problem Status dialog box, analyst B remains the owner when analyst A closes the Problem Status dialog box.
    • To never change ownership when a help desk analyst resumes work on a problem, clear both the Change Owner and Allow Override check boxes.
      Result: When analyst A resumes a problem owned by analyst B, the User box in the Problem Status dialog box remains set to analyst B.
    • To never change ownership when an analyst resumes work on a problem, but give the analyst the ability to take ownership, clear the Change Owner and select the Allow Override check box.
      Result: When analyst A resumes a problem owned by analyst B, the User box in the Problem Status dialog box remains set to analyst B. However, if analyst A selects the Take Ownership check box on the Problem Status dialog box, analyst A becomes the new owner of the problem.

Selecting default problem codes

The default problem codes you select here are used in conjunction with the selection under Problem Codes on the Call Defaults tab of the Call / Problem Settings dialog box. Together these selections determine the contents of the Problem List on the Problem History tab of the Call Registration dialog box. See also Configuring the contents of the Problem List.

To select default problem codes:

  1. In the Call/Problem Settings dialog box, choose the Call Management tab.
  2. From the Default Problem Open Code list, select a code.
    Note: The selected code is used to determine what is an "open" problem when Default Open Problems is selected on the Call Defaults Tab of the Call / Problem Settings dialog box. As a result, the Problem List on the Problem History tab of the Call Registration contains only problems with this code.
  3. From the Default Problem Close Code list, select a code.
    Note: The selected code is used to determine what is a "closed" problem when Not Default Closed Problems is selected on the Call Defaults Tab of the Call / Problem Settings dialog box. As a result, the Problem List on the Problem History tab of the Call Registration contains only problems that do not have this code.
  4. From the Default Problem Transfer Code list, select a code.
  5. Choose Close.