Edit Problem Template

Problem templates are designed to give you a standard procedure for problem solving. Not all problems are of the same type or size, however, so the same template may not be suitable for all problems. SysAid provides two predefined problem templates, and you can create as many more as you like.

A problem template has two parts: the form, which you design in the Template Designer, and a workflow of action items, which you build in the Workflow Designer.

How it works

Problem templates are listed together with incident, request, and change templates under Settings > Customization > Templates & Fields > Ticket Templates & Workflows. The Type column shows which templates are problem templates. For request, change, and problem templates, the Actions column also has a workflow icon that opens the template's workflow in the Workflow Designer, in a new browser tab.

For an overview of the whole problem management setup, see Setting Up Change and Problem Management.

Permissions

Only Change Managers can create or modify problem templates. To learn more, see Managing Agent and Admin Permissions.

Limitations

Create a problem template

1. Go to Settings > Customization > Templates & Fields > Ticket Templates & Workflows.
2. Click New Template and select Problem. The Template Designer opens.
3. Set up the template's form and click Save Template.

To learn more about designing the form, see Managing Service Record Templates and Service Record Template Designer.

If you would like to create a new template that is similar to an existing template, open the existing template, click the three dots in the header, and select Duplicate. Then make any changes you need to the duplicate.

Build the problem workflow

1. Open the problem template and click Add Workflow in the header. If the template is new, save it first. The Workflow Designer opens in a new tab.
2. Click Add another tab to add a workflow tab.
3. Click the three dots on the left side of the Workflow Designer to open the list of action items.
4. Drag an action item into a workflow tab, or click New Action Item to create one.

To move an action item to another tab or change its position, drag it. To learn more, see Workflow Designer.

Configure an action item

Hover over an action item and click its menu icon. The menu has these options: Edit Action Item, Attributes, Dependencies, Data Population, and Remove.

Set action item attributes

Select Attributes to set the following options, then click DONE:

• On activation change status to: When this action item is activated, the status of the problem updates to the chosen status.
• On completion change status to: When this action item is completed, the status of the problem updates to the chosen status.
• Notification ID: The notification sent by the action item. Each action item can send one notification. Notifications are configured under Settings > Customization > Notifications > Workflows. To learn more, see Setting Workflow Notifications.
• Notification method: Choose whether the notification for this action item is sent when the action item is activated or when it is completed.
• Auto Complete: If this is checked, the action item is automatically marked as complete at the moment it activates. This option is useful if you need to have a specific notification sent during the problem solving process, but that notification is not part of any of the other action items.

Set action item dependencies

Dependencies define which action items must be activated or completed before the current action item is activated (prerequisite action items).

1. Select Dependencies.
2. Select AND or OR to determine if all conditions in the table must be met or if only one of the conditions must be met before the action item is activated.
3. Click + ADD DEPENDENCY.
4. In Depends on workflow Tab, choose the workflow tab with the prerequisite action item.
5. In Depends on action item, choose the prerequisite action item.
6. In Method, choose On activation or On completion.
7. Click DONE.

If you are using one of the default templates that comes with SysAid, you will find that dependencies are already set between its action items. You may edit these dependencies if you like.

Populate field values from other action items

Select Data Population to fill fields on this action item automatically with values from other action items. To learn more, see Configuring Action Items.