Service Operation

Incident and service request management

The IT service:

• treats all types of incidents described in the incidents catalog;

  example  Equipment incidents (PC, server, telephone)/incidents for applications in error/security incidents

• puts at the disposal of users all the goods and services described in the service request catalog.

  example  Requests for the provision of hardware/Requests for moving computer equipment/Requests for training services

Only one incident/service request attached to one of the entries (or subjects) in these catalogs is supported.

• The entry is made by the Back Office via a ticket.
• The processing of the object is controlled by the workflow of the entry into the catalog.
   

Available Features

• Consultation by the user of his actions or those of his groups: via the notification bar and the planning chart.
• Search for incidents/requests registered but not transferred: via the Input Error and Draft screens.
• Tools to resolve issues: Problems knowledge base; Known errors base; News.
• Scoring of the services, in terms of quality and speed of intervention: via user validation. 
• Treatment of orders relating to assets requests (equipment/licenses/consumables): via the Logistics option which allows:
  • taking available items from stock.
  • placing orders with suppliers to replenish inventory.

Problem and known error management

A known error can be linked to a problem but these are two different concepts:

• Problem: Malfunctioning whose cause is unknown and for which there is no immediate or obvious solution.
• Known error: Workaround to (temporarily or permanently) resolve malfunctions. It can be created via an incident or a problem, or independently.
   

Tools to help provide a solution

• Problems knowledge base.
• Known errors base.
• News.
• Full-text search by key words. 

Life cycles

• Life cycle of an incident

• Life cycle of a service request

• Life cycle of a problem and a known error 

Characteristics specific to versions 2016 and earlier

• Back Office:
  • Entry of the incident/request via the Quick Call.
  • Consultation by the user of his actions and those of his groups: via the Quick Dashboard Back Office and the planning chart.

• Self Service portal (Front Office) :
  • Entry of an incident via a simplify entry screen.
  • Entry of a service request via the catalog: Procedure.
  • Consultation by the user of his actions and those of his groups: via the Quick Dashboard Front Office.

Service Transition

Change request management

The IT service treats all types of changes described in the changes catalog.

Only a change request attached to one of the entries (or subjects) of this catalog is supported.

• The entry is made by the Back Office via a ticket.
• The processing of the object is controlled by the workflow of the entry into the catalog.
   

Available Features

• Planning of requests through the change schedule (it lists all of the changes, projects, release projects and blackout periods scheduled over a period of time).
• The Collision Detection wizard (it takes into account the blackout periods of certain services/goods).
• Search for saved requests that have not been transferred: Input Errors and Drafts.
• Full-text search by key words.

Knowledge management

A knowledge article is a known error with a Knowledge Base status. 

You can create a knowledge article via an incident, problem or action. You can also create them individually.

Life cycles

• Life cycle of a change request

• Life cycle of an investment request

Characteristics specific to versions 2016 and earlier

• Back Office: Entry of the change requests and the investment requests via the Quick Call.

Asset & Configuration

Equipment management

Equipment includes workstations, printers, servers, network devices, .... 

• They are identified in the equipment inventory:
  • by automatic insertion, if they are detected by an inventory tool;  manually if the tool can not detect them.
• They relate to the models defined in the equipment catalog. Each equipment has model characteristics.
   

Available Features

• Report of anomalies for equipment detected by the inventory tool but not found in the equipment inventory.
• Reports of equipment financial monitoring. 
• Monitoring of equipment regarding Green IT: assessment of the computer equipment power consumption, equipment recycling management.

Software and licenses management

A license is linked to a software, but these are 2 different concepts.

• Software: set of programs / processes / rules running instructions on the computer.
  • Software are managed in a catalog, to be updated automatically by an inventory tool, or manually if they are not detected.
  • Each software is physically installed on a desktop or related to a user through light client type environment application (web application or Citrix).

• License: Contractual document outlining the terms and conditions of use and dissemination of a software, and conferring the right to use a version of the latter.
  • Licenses are managed manually through inventory.
  • They relate to a reference in the software catalog.  Each license has characteristics of the reference.
     

Available Features

• Definition of the rules for software detection used by the inventory tool: search from a combination of executables and/or components, with keys stored in the registry database, ...
• Management of license types: licenses packages, licenses covered, licenses, servers, ...
• Definition of installation types: list of the required software on a desktop based on usage requirements.
• Decision-making reports to reduce the operating costs of computer equipment licenses.

Contracts management

Contracts are managed manually in an inventory.

• Only the contracts relating to computer equipment are identified.
• They relate to a reference in the contracts catalog. Each contract has the
  reference characteristics.
   

Available Features

• Management of contract categories: subscription, insurance, maintenance, leasing, ...
• Reports to monitor the renewal dates and monthly payment amounts for current contracts.

Life cycles

• Equipment life cycle

• Consumable life cycle

• License life cycle

• Contract life cycle

Service Design

CI management

The CMDB (Configuration Management Database) allows the IT Department to:

• perform the inventory of all configuration items (CIs) (applications, services, equipment, etc.) that it manages; * identify CIs with an impact in terms of availability and service provided to users; 
• define interactions between CIs, through the CMDB Graph;
• assign roles to CIs: identification of groups requiring intervention within the framework of the handling process (workflows) of incidents and (service/change) requests;
• perform impact analysis studies when modifications are made to the IT infrastructure: software version upgrade, temporary downtime for a database server, etc. ;
• prepare for the deployment and release of new versions;
• send notifications to managers affected by modifications to an asset in the IT infrastructure;
• specify paths to CI software installation packages in the Definitive Media Library (DML).

Availability management

Actual availability of assets in the infrastructure is measured using the SLA availability of each CI.

Available Tools

• Quick overview of periods of availability/unavailability through the CI schedule.
• Measurement of commitments, in terms of availability, through MTXX indicators.

Portfolio of services

DefinitionServicePortfolio

EndDefinitionServicePortfolio

Life cycles

• Life cycle of a service CI

Financial management

Investment request management

The IT service offers an investments catalog intended to facilitate the (re)supply of the assets stock (equipment/software/consumables). Unlike service requests, these requests are not assigned to recipients.

Only an investment request attached to one of the entries (or subjects) of these catalogs is supported.

• The processing of the request is handled by the workflow of the entry into the catalog.
• Validation from a manager may be requested before action is taken.
• A request can be passed on to the benefit of several storage locations (multi-site management).
   

Available Features

• Budgeting of applications following the cost of goods defined in the catalog.
• Posting to a budgetary commitment at the time of billing.

Logistics

The logistics step includes:

• Processing of orders for assets (equipment / licenses/consumables): taking available items in stock, inventory replenishment by placing orders with suppliers;
• receipt of assets;
• breakdown of expenditure through analytical cost allocation.
   

Available Features

• Consultation of pending deliveries.
• Consultation of assets stock related to requests approved/validated but not yet processed: through a Logistics screen. 
• Monitoring inventory status of each item: through a monitoring screen.

Invoicing

Invoicing enables you to break IT expenses down by analytical cost allocation.

Available Features

• Invoicing of order items (equipment/licenses/consumables/miscellaneous costs): through the Contract Due Date screen.
• Invoicing contracts due for payment: using the Pending Invoices screen.
• The Synthesis table helps identify deviations from budgets set at the beginning of the year.

Project management

The projects managed in Service Manager are IT projects under the responsibility of the DSI. They allow for the planning of organizational changes affecting IT.

Available Features

• Initialization of projects from templates.
• Task planning and allocation of resources using the Gantt Chart.
• Track advancement through time sheets.
• Monitoring of health indicators via dashboards accessible from the portfolio of projects.
• Projects closure using wizards (end of project or cancellation).

Life cycles

• Project life cycle