Service Desk - Actions

Actions

A powerful function within PCR-360 is the ability to perform multiple Actions within a single Service Order. The Actions tab, open by default in the data entry form, details the specific Services deemed necessary to fulfill the Service Order. Users can add or remove Actions from this tab as needed. However, before adding the first Action, the Service Order must be saved. Once a Service Order has Actions, the 'Urgency' and Due Date on the Order itself becomes read-only, and the Service Order Urgency takes its value from the most urgent of the Actions on the Order. When the User wants to change the Urgency of the Order, an Action's Urgency needs to be changed.

Each Action can have its own Equipment , Workflow , Contacts/Customers, GLAs, Charges , Labor , Cabling , Activity/Remarks , Attachments , and User Defined Fields.

When the Due Date or the Urgency is set on the Action that setting will flow upwards to the Order. The Urgency on the Order will override to the highest level Urgency set on any Action that is on the Order. Likewise, the Due Date on the Order will override to the longest time period of all the Actions set on the Order. For Example, if there are two due dates, one that is one month in the future and another that is two months in the future, the one that is two months in the future will be used.

To add an Action to the Grid under the Action tab, select the  button on the Grid Toolbar. This opens a new data entry form specifically for that Action. In the subsequent Service Desk Action data entry form, the User is prompted to define the 'Type of Service' and the Action itself.

Once all required fields have been fulfilled, click the  button at the bottom of the Service Desk Action data entry form. After it is saved, the new Action appears on the 'Actions' Grid in the original Service Order data entry form.

It is important to note that certain functions within a Service Order can be applied at different levels of the service process. Functionality such as Workflow, Equipment, Cabling, GLA, Charges, etc. may be defined at the Service Order Action level (to provide the flexibility and granularity of handling each Action separately) or at the Service Request level.

For example, if a User adds a piece of Equipment to an Add Phone Service Action, this Equipment is associated with the specific Phone service added. Whenever the specific Phone Service or piece of Equipment is queried, the associated Equipment or Service is displayed. However, if a User adds a piece of Equipment at the Service Request level, it is assigned to the specified 'Owner' but is not be associated with the Phone Service.

In either case, the Equipment is accounted for and billed to the Owner. If the functionality was added at the Action level, however, it is associated with the specific Service (as well as the Owner), making it easier for the User to delete or change the Service in the future because of the associated Equipment always appears with the Service.

Add Actions

The 'Add' Action type will allow the User to Add a Service. In addition to adding the Service, all the relevant information that should be associated with the Service, like the Owner and Equipment can be assigned. Once the User selects all of the information the Action can be completed and Billed separately from the Order. This allows Users to work multiple Actions will being able to bill for Actions that are completed in a real-time fashion. One way to think of it is that an Action is a single step, while an Order is a collection of steps that need completion.

Ordering from the Pools

Services can be used from Service Pools from the Order screen at Main > Service Desk > Orders. When requesting a new Service a User will specify a Service Catalog Type on the Service Order Action and then must select from a list of Available services. The list is drawn from all these criteria:

1. Services listed must have Status “Available“
2. Services listed must be in the specified catalog or an ancestor
3. Services listed must be in a pool only if the selected catalog is specified on that pool
4. If the specified catalog is not listed on any pools then any Available Service not specified on a pool that also matches the catalog can be selected.

Using an Add Action

Business Rules

• Selecting an 'Available Service' will not overwrite any value that exists in the Reference field.
• Selecting a Service Catalog will alter the 'Service Options' to match the defaults from the Service Catalog.

Change Actions

The 'Change' Action type allows a User to perform and update to a selected 'Service'. The type of updates made are determined by the specific Change Action type.

Add Locations

The Add Location Change Action is only available for Phone Services. Its purpose is to add Locations (create a bridged line) to an existing Service.

If a Phone Service is selected that is not currently set to allow Multiple Locations the Service will be converted to allow Multi-Locations when the Action is Completed.

The Owner, Billing Group, Move to Location, and Service Host fields should all be read-only. The Service, Reference, Location, and SLA should be editable.

When the Action is Completed, Equipment will be added to the Service as usual, and the Cable should be added to the new Location. The Add Location Action will convert a single Location to a multiple Location Service.

When the Action is finalized the Charges will be added to the Service.

See Quick Reference: Add Locations to create an Add Locations Order.

Miscellaneous

This option is used to change Equipment, software, Charges on a Service, but not the Service itself.

The Service, Reference and SLA fields should be editable. The rest should be read only

Upon completion, the Service itself will not be changed, however any Equipment changes will show up on the Service.

When the Action is Finalized the Charges will be added to the Service.

See Quick Reference: Miscellaneous to create a Miscellaneous Order.

Move

This option will move the Service to a new Location.

The Service, SLA, Reference, Service Host, and Move to Location fields should be editable. The rest are read only.

When choosing a Service with multiple Locations, the Location field will be changed to a picker. The User can then choose which Location to move. The Move To Location should still have a picker and be editable.

When the Action is Completed, the Location on the Service will change to the Location specified in the “Move to Location” field on the Action. Any Equipment and Cable changes will show up on the Service.

When the Action is Finalized the Charges will be added to the Service.

See Quick Reference: Move to create a Move Order.

Owner

This option changes the Owner on the Service.

The Owner, New Owner, SLA, Reference, Service Host, and the Set type selectors (i.e. Set Contact as Owner/Set Dept. Hierarchy as Owner) should be editable, the rest will be read only

When the action is completed the Service Owner will be changed to the New Owner specified in the New Owner field. (Contact or Dept. Hierarchy). Any Equipment and Cable changes will show up on the Service.

When the Action is Finalized the Charges will be added to the Service.

See Quick Reference: Owner to create a Owner Order.

Service ID

This option changes the Service ID (phone number, auth code, name etc.) to a new, or available Service ID.

The Service, Service ID, Reference, Service Host, and SLA fields will be editable. The rest will be read only. If a Phone service or Auth Code service are chosen, an available picker select will also show up on the form

When the Action is Completed the old Service ID will be set to “Inactive” and a Service for the new Service ID will be created if it does not already exist as an available Service. Any existing Equipment on the Service should be transferred to the new Service and any Equipment Changes will show up on the Service. Cable should be updated for the new Service ID as well.

When the Action is Finalized the Charges on the Old Service ID will be Stopped, as of the Finalized date, and all new monthly recurring Charges will show up on the new Service.

See Quick Reference: Service ID to create a Service ID Order.

Swap

A “Swap” change will swap locations between two Services. This option basically works like two moves. The first Service is moved to the “Swap Location” and the second Service is moved to the current “Location” of the first Service.

The Service, Reference, Service Host, and SLA fields will be editable. The rest will be read only.

When the Action is saved, the Equipment on both Services will be loaded into the Action’s Equipment tab. Each Equipment record will be entered as a “Move” to move the Equipment to the new Location of the Service. Alternatively the Equipment records can be specified as "Swap" to indicate that the Equipment is being exchanged between the Services and is not moving with the Service.

When the Action is Completed the Equipment and the Cable will be updated. The Locations on the Cable will be updated to reflect the new Location of the Services once the action is Completed.

When the Action is Finalized the Charges will be added to the Service.

See Quick Reference: Swap to create a Swap Order.

Upgrade/Downgrade

This option will change the Service Catalog for the Service.

The Service, Service Catalog, Reference, Service Host, and SLA fields will be editable. The rest will be read-only. The Service will automatically populate all options for the Action, the Service Catalog will only check if values on the Service are invalid after the Action is Finalized.

When Service Desk Upgrade/Downgrade action is saved the "old" UDF values from the selected Service are stored on the Action record and preserved there. If the UDF values on the Service change any time after the Action is created the "old" values on the Action will not change. This allows the User to always see what the old UDF values were at the time the Action was created.

The Service Catalog picker allows selecting the new Catalog for the selected Service.  When selecting a new Service Catalog, the list will be delimited by the following:

1. The Service Type of the current Catalog must match the desired Catalog. E.G. Phone to Phone or Data to Data
2. The desired Service Catalog must be Active and not a Category
3. When a Service is part of a Service Pool the type of Service Catalog it can be made into, becomes restricted based on the Catalogs associated with the Service Pool.
4. Service Catalog Location Permissions apply
5. The current and desired Service Catalog Format must match

When the Action is Completed the Service Catalog will be changed to the new Service Catalog on the action. Any Equipment changes will show up on the Service.  Previous Charges for the Service will not automatically Stop.

When the Action is Finalized the Charges will be added to the Service.

See Quick Reference: Upgrade/Downgrade to create an Upgrade/Downgrade Order.

Remove Actions

The 'Remove' Action type will allow a User to remove a Service from active Service. When a Service is Removed it will be set to Inactive so that any unbilled Charges can be Billed. The Aging process will take over from there.

Task Actions

The 'Task' Action type will allow a User to create a one-time Action on a Service Order, which can be Billed independently of the rest of the Order. 

Common Questions about Actions