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Manage service requests in Service Manager

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Service requests are requests for existing, preauthorized services and features that Service Manager can manage as a type of work item. Service requests help you deliver a service request fulfillment solution to align your business and information technology (IT) strategy and ensure that IT services provide business value. Service requests are tightly coupled with the service catalog, and together they help add value to your IT organization by clearly managing service requests. This can help lead to a better understanding of the supply and demand for services and a more efficient and transparent customer service provided by your IT organization.

Service request functionality in Service Manager is based on Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) V3 processes in order to align with industry standards. While not all functionality was completed with strict adherence to those standards, the following items are included in service request fulfillment in Service Manager:

  • Processes to record, track, and process service requests

  • Service fulfillment workflow automation

  • A consistent interface that helps Service Manager administrators identify and map their existing IT services

  • Support for situations where cost tracking and service level agreements (SLAs) are required

  • Time-to-resolution tracking through SLA integration

Create a service request using the Service Manager console

End-users often create service requests in Service Manager by accessing the service catalog from the Self-Service Portal or by submitting email requests. However, you can use the following procedure to manually create a new service request in the Service Manager console. For example, you might want to manually create a new service request if a user contacts the help desk by telephone. In the following example, you can update any information that you want to as you complete the form.

To create a new service request using the Service Manager console, follow these steps:

  1. In the Service Manager console, expand Work Items, expand Service Request Fulfillment, and then select a subnode, such as Assigned To Me.

  2. In the Tasks pane under Service Request Fulfillment, select Create Service Request from Template.

  3. Under Templates in the Select Template dialog, select a template, and select OK to open a new service request and apply the template. For example, select Request Membership to Group.

  4. In the <SR<ID>: ServiceRequestName> form in the Affected user box, select the user who submitted the service request. For example, select Joe Andreshak.

  5. Optionally, in the Alternate Contact Method box, enter additional contact information for the affected user.

  6. In the Title box, enter a title for the service request or update one if it has been populated by a template. For example, enter Request Membership to Active Directory Group - Joe Andreshak.

  7. In the Description box, enter a description for this service request.

  8. In the Urgency and Priority lists, select one for each if they haven't been populated by a template.

  9. In the Source list, select Portal if it hasn't been populated by a template.

  10. In the Assigned to box, choose an analyst to assign the service request to. For example, assign the service request to yourself.

  11. Select OK to save and close the service request form.

Approve and complete a service request using activities

You can use the following procedures to approve a review activity and complete a manual activity for a service request in the Service Manager console. In many cases, multiple people or groups must vote to approve a single review activity before its approval is final. After approval, a service request might need a manual activity completed to verify that the service was provided to the requesting user and to close the service request.

Note

Users can only approve or reject and close the activities that are assigned to them.

Approve a review activity for a service request

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items.

  2. In the Work Items pane, expand Work Items, expand Activity Management, expand Review Activities, and select Activities Assigned to Me.

  3. Select a review activity. For example, select the Approval for the user requesting membership to an Active Directory group.

  4. In the Tasks pane, select Approve.

  5. In the Comments dialog, enter any comments that you have for the approval or rejection, and select OK.

Complete a manual activity for a service request

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items.

  2. In the Work Items pane, expand Work Items, expand Activity Management, expand Manual Activities, and select Activities Assigned to Me.

  3. Select a manual activity. For example, select the Approval for the user requesting membership to an Active Directory group.

  4. In the Tasks pane, select Mark as Completed.

  5. In the Comments dialog, enter any comments that you've for the manual activity, and select OK. For example, enter The Active Directory administrator has added this user to the groups requested.

Cancel a service request

Occasionally, you might need to cancel a service request in Service Manager. You can accomplish this by using the Service Manager console. You can use the following procedure to cancel a service request.

To cancel a service request, follow these steps:

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items.

  2. In the Work Items pane, expand Work Items, expand Service Request Fulfillment, and select All Open Service Requests or some other service request view.

  3. Select the service request that you want to cancel. For example, select Request Membership to Active Directory Group - Joe Andreshak.

  4. In the Tasks pane, select Cancel.

  5. In the Comments dialog, enter any comments that you have for canceling the service request, and select OK. For example, enter This request was a duplicate and is not needed.

Close a service request

After all the review activities are approved or rejected and any manual activities are completed, you can close a service request in the Service Manager console. You can use the following procedure to close a service request.

To close a service request, follow these steps:

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items.

  2. In the Work Items pane, expand Work Items, expand Service Request Fulfillment, and select Completed Service Requests.

  3. Select a completed service request. For example, select Request Membership to Active Directory Group - Joe Andreshak.

  4. In the Tasks pane, select Close.

  5. In the Comments dialog, enter any comments that you've for the closure, and select OK.

Edit a service request

Service requests are often created by end users by accessing the service catalog from the Self-Service Portal or by submitting email requests, and you might need to update a service request with additional information. You can use the following procedure to update a service request in the Service Manager console.

To edit a service request using the Service Manager console, follow these steps:

  1. In the Service Manager console, expand Work Items, expand Service Request Fulfillment, and then select a subnode, such as Assigned To Me.

  2. In the list, select a service request to edit, and then in the Tasks pane under <Service Request ID - Service Request Name>, select Edit. For example, select Request Membership to Active Directory Group.

  3. In the <SR<ID>: ServiceRequestName> form in the Affected user box, select the user who submitted the service request. For example, select Joe Andreshak.

  4. Update any information in the form as necessary, and select OK to close the form.

View service request details

You can use the following procedure to view the details of a service request in the Service Manager console in System Center - Service Manager.

  1. In the Service Manager console, expand Work Items, expand Service Request Fulfillment, and then select a subnode, such as Assigned To Me.
  2. In the list, select a service request to view, and then in the Tasks pane under <Service Request ID - Service Request Name>, select Edit. For example, select Request Membership to Active Directory Group.
  3. Review information in service request form, and select OK to close the form.

Duplicate or hide views for service requests

You can use the following procedures to duplicate or hide a service request view in the Service Manager console in Service Manager. You can use the Unhide task if you want to show the hidden view. You can modify the title or other view criteria using the Edit View task.

Duplicate a service request view

  1. In the Service Manager console, expand Work Items, expand Service Request Fulfillment, and then select a subnode. For example, select Assigned To Me.

  2. In the Tasks pane, select Duplicate View.

  3. In the Select management pack dialog, select a management pack to add the new view information to or create a new one, and select OK.

  4. Optionally, you can use the Edit View task to edit the new view, titled <View Name - Copy>, to change the view name or other criteria of the view.

  5. In the Work Items pane, locate the new duplicate view that was created. For example, select Assigned To Me - Copy.

  6. In the Tasks pane, select Edit View.

  7. In the Edit Assigned To Me -Copy dialog, select Criteria.

  8. In the Criteria area, next to Assigned To User ID, in the text box after equals, enter [me], and select OK.

Hide a service request view

  1. In the Service Manager console, expand Work Items, expand Service Request Fulfillment, and then select a subnode, such as Closed Service Requests.

  2. In the Tasks pane, select Hide View.

Next steps

  • To help automate the process of updating the status of change requests and the status propagation between parallel activities, sequential activities, and the activities within them, see Manage release records.