One or multiple Requests

[sarkku]

When I had my first ITIL training, there was not clear definition what is Request Management. With my little experience of ITIL, I would like to hear some comments, how you work on Request Management and especially on this situation.

Service Desk receives a request for a new user account creation. SD's tasks include creation of many service accounts, so should there be only one request where all service accounts are logged in for one user OR should SD create request per service account needed for one user?

e.g
one request which has information that network account has been created, mail has been created, internet access has been created

OR

multiple request for one person; one request for network account, second for mail creation, third for internet access etc.

[Diarmid]

Hi sarkku,

the answer lies in what you want to do with the data you record.

For example, if you need to know the frequency of requests for a particular service, then it might be easier to have that if you have set up separate requests for each service.

On the other hand you could collect that level of detail in records generated by the setup process.

I would suggest that you do not want to confuse your users with a myriad of discrete responses for the separate services; if you do break it up into multiple requests, you should keep them clearly linked so that you can talk to the users about their whole request at once.

[
"Mr. Smith, I'm calling about your request for internet access. It is now set up for you."
"But I asked for email as well?"
"I'm sure someone is dealing with it also" -No! No!
"That's right, I see it here. You will get a call as soon as it is ready" - better
]
_________________
"Method goes far to prevent trouble in business: for it makes the task easy, hinders confusion, saves abundance of time, and instructs those that have business depending, both what to do and what to hope."
William Penn 1644-1718

[Mark-OLoughlin]

Hi,

yuo need to think about workflow and how to use a workflow that is consistent with what you want.

I have seen an organisation use 1 ticket for requestion multiple accounts - the user jusy has to check one ticket for updates and the desk have less admin - however the SLA was always blown on these as the ticket passed from resolver group to resolver group to get done - imagine the time ti takes to get 4 accounts set up from one ticket.

Another org recognised this issue and were aboe to spawn seperate tickets from the master call the the user logged so each of the 4 requests hit each resolver group straight away without delay and had a better chance of being in SLA.

Sit down and work out the various workflows, identify the pros and cons - decide one and then test it out with your SM tool.
_________________
Mark O'Loughlin
ITSM / ITIL Consultant

[Doober]

This is why I like tools with "work orders" or "task" functionality.

However you cut it, on the IT side, to the client its ONE request. To that end I like to keep the quantity of whatever record interfaces with the client to one. Hopefully your tool is flexible and advanced enough at that point to easily break the work down into its distinct "chunks" and forward to the appropriate work groups.