Improving Efficiency with Reusable Processes

1. Improving Efficiency with Reusable Processes Linda Koestler Kinetic Data

2. About Me • Left the world of mainframe programming to join Kinetic Data • Contrary to what you may hear from my Kinetic colleagues, I have never used punch cards. • I’ve been with Kinetic Data for 11.5 years

3. Overview • Two types of reusable processes • What is a reusable process? • Discuss the benefits • Review four examples

4. What is a reusable process? • One process that can be used to support many service requests in one or many catalogs. • Reusable processes can fall into two categories: • Spawned as a secondary process from another task tree • Process spawned by a customer

5. Benefits • Define reusable processes to speed development • Reduce the complexity of the task trees on your service items • Aids in providing consistent processes • Maintenance of reusable processes saves time and money

6. Examples of Reusable Processes • Approval processes (simple, medium and complex) • Gathering additional information post submission • Cancel processing • Conversation between requester and approver, or requester and fulfiller • Reminder processes

7. Task Tree Types • Create Tree Type • Executes when the Kinetic Base record is created • This type of tree is useful for reminders and processes that need to be processed prior to completion of service request submission • Complete Tree Type • Executes when the Kinetic service request submission is complete • Useful for all other post submission processes

8. Example 1 – Approval Processes • Requirement • Send email notification reminders to the assigned approver a predefined intervals • After a determined number of days, cancel the submission if it has not been approved • After approval is completed, pass response to original submission and resume processing

9. Example 1 – Approval Processes • The Approval is created using a Service Item named “Approve Request” • This approval service item can be shared by many service items in your catalog

10. Example 1 – Approval Processes • The Approve Request service item contains two types of trees: • Create • Complete

11. Example 1 – Approval Processes • Example of Create tree containing the reminder process • Notification are sent out at 3, 5 and 7 days • After 10 days the approval is expired and submission closed

12. Example 1 – Approval Processes • Example of Completion tree • Responsible for retrieving the approval response and comments • The response and comments are passed back to the parent submission via the creation of a trigger • Approval submission is closed

13. Example 2 – Gather Additional Information • Requirement • After customer submits request for printer based on usage, send a request to purchasing to determine what kind of printer is needed. • The purchasing individual will enter the manufacturer, model and cost. • Information gathered will be added to the original submission.

14. Example 2 – Gather Additional Information • Example of tree with node to gather additional information • This nodes creates a request similar to an approval • This request can be assigned to a group or an individual

15. Example 2 – Gather Additional Information • Sample of the request to gather additional information • This request is opened via email link or portal page link • Additional information fields are filled in and request is submitted

16. Example 2 – Gather Additional Information • Task tree on the child service item adds the new information to the original submission • Trigger is created in order to resume processing on the parent service request

17. Example 2 – Gather Additional Information • The individual approving the request is able to view the new values gathered

18. Example 3 – Cancel Process • Requirement • Allow customer to cancel service item submission • Provide ability to cancel • Prior to approval • After approval (this requires special consideration because fulfillment processes may have started)

19. Example 3 – Cancel Process

20. Example 3 – Cancel Process • Portal page Service Item Details panel is modified to display the Cancel Request link • This link opens a Cancel service item while passing the submission GUID as a parameter on the URL

21. Example 3 – Cancel Process • Cancel page presented to customer

22. Example 3 – Cancel Process • Cancel service item is developed to collect the cancel reason • This service item carries the task tree responsible for the cancellation process

23. Example 2 – Cancel Process • This sample cancel request task tree contains nodes to send a notification and to execute a task handler to cancel the request based on a customer’s unique requirements

24. Example 4 – Send Comment to Incident • Requirement • Provide ability for customer to pass comments to the technician fulfilling the request.

25. Example 4 – Send Comment to Incident

26. Example 4 – Send Comment to Incident • Portal page Service Item Details panel is modified to display the Add Comment link • This link opens an iFrame which includes a field for collecting the comments

27. Example 4 – Send Comment to Incident • This is the Add Comments service item • Very simple construction that only needs to store the basics pieces of information

28. Example 4 – Send Comment to Incident • This sample add comment request task tree contains a node to add a comment to the Incident • Other task handlers exist to add work info’s to Incident, Change Request and Kinetic Work Orders • The add comment request is closed

29. Example 4 – Send Comment to Incident • Sample of the of work log comment added to the Kinetic Sample Incident form

30. Reusable Task Trees • Presentation and code samples will be available on the Kinetic Community web site: http://community.kineticdata.com/ • Demo • Questions