Capital Projects / Projects / Execute

Capital Projects / Commissioning / Design

Generating and Viewing Service Requests for Actions

You have the option to create service requests for specific actions. This enables you to integrate the Projects application with Archibus Service Desk application.

You can generate a service request for an action that has the Action Item Status of Scheduled or In Progress using the Create Service Requests tab on the Management Console. So, you create service requests either when you schedule the action, or when it begins.

For more information on using the Management Console, see Using the Management Console (Plan/Procure). For information on the database tables used for creating service requests, see Communication Log and Service Request Tables.

Note: To use the service request feature, you must have the Archibus Service Desk application. See the Service Desk Application Overview.

Service Request Data

When you generate a service request for an action, the system copies a subset of action field values from the Action Items record to the service request. Values for the following action items fields are copied to the service request when you click the Create Service Request button:

• bl_id
• fl_id
• rm_id
• location
• eq_id
• created_by >  requested_by
• date_scheduled
• description
• tr_id (Primary Trade Required)
• prob_type
• hours_est_design

Creating a Service Request

To create a service request for an action item:

1. Select the Project and Action

1. Access one of the following tasks:
   • From Projects, select the Execute / Management Consoles: Communicate task.
   • From Commissioning, select the Design / Commissioning Console; Design Phase task.
2. Select the project that has the action for which you want to create a service request.
   The console appears with the Assign Team tab selected.
3. Select the Create Service Requests tab.
4. In the Create Service Request for Action panel, select the action that you want to create a service request for.
5. In the Action Item Details panel, click Create Service Request.
   The Create Request form appears. The form includes information entered for the action. The Requestor ID is filled in with the name of the logged-on user.

2. Enter Work Location information Some of this information might already be filled in with information entered for the action item.

• Site Code: Select the site where the action occurs. This is a required field. You can enter additional information if it is needed using the following:
• Select Location button: Click Select Location to access a drill-down list of your sites/buildings/floors. Select a floor to view its floor plan drawing. Click on a location in the drawing to complete the Work Location section of the form with the information for the selected location.
• Same as Requestor check box: If the service request occurs at your location, select the 'Same as Requestor' check box to have the application complete the Work Location information with the location information that is available in your employee record.

  Note: Once you enter a work location, the system bases all other dates and times involved in this request using the "current local time and date" of the specified work location. For implementations with multiple sites across multiple time zones, this behavior enables the system to accurately handle dates and times regardless of the system date and time of the application server or the database.
  
  For example, suppose you are in your home office, but you enter a request for a catered lunch for a site that you will soon be visiting and which is located in a different time zone. Since the event will occur in an office whose time zone is different than the time zone from which you are requesting the work, the system uses the time zone of the work location for all times and dates involved in this request; it does not use the time zone from which you are requesting the work. As the request travels through the Service Desk system, the system ensures that the request is processed according to the current local time and date of the work location. For example, the system calculates the escalation dates based on current local time and date of the work location.

3. Enter equipment information

   Select the Equipment Code if this service request involves a specific equipment asset. When you select equipment information, the warranty information for the equipment is filled in.

4. Enter required information

Problem Type: The problem that is the cause of this request. For example, vandalism, a leak, or a mechanical problem might be the root cause of your request. The Problem Type you select determines the selections available for the Priority.

Description: Additional information to clarify the request.

Priority - The selections you have for the Priority depend on the SLA associated with the Problem Type selection you made.

Date and Time - You may also have the option of providing a specific date and time required by which the work must be completed by checking the Specific Date and Time Required check box and entering a date and time. For example, if you are making a request to have documents copied, you may wish to enter the date and time by which you need them.

With this option, you no longer have the option of selecting a priority level. Instead, the system determines which priority level within the chosen SLA most closely matches the date and time specified. For example, consider an SLA with one priority stating that work needs to be completed within a day, and another priority stating that work needs to be completed within a month. If you check the ‘Specific…’ box, and specify a date two months away, the one-month priority will be selected automatically.

5. Handle Duplicate and Similar Requests 

   When entering an equipment item or location, you can use the List Requests for Equipment and List Requests for Location buttons to show all request for the given equipment/location. You can see in process, requested, and completed requests for this location or item. Perhaps your request is similar to a request already in process and can therefore be canceled.

   If you don't use the above buttons to cancel a duplicate request on your own, the system will automatically notify you about duplicate and similar requests. When you choose the Next button or the Submit button (available with the Create Maintenance Service Request task), the system looks for requests that have the same problem type, requested date, and equipment or location.

   If it finds any matches, the system presents the Similar Service Requests Found pop-up window with details about the similar requests. Select the requests to view their details, and then select one of these buttons to continue:

   • Cancel Request -- Closes the pop-up window, cancels your request, and returns you to the Create Service Requests task/ Request Types tab so that you can enter a new request.
   • Modify Request -- Closes the pop-up window and returns you to the Create Service Requests task / Basic Information tab so that you can modify your request to distinguish it from the existing request.
   • Continue Request -- Closes the pop-up window and returns you to the Create Service Requests task / Detailed Information tab so that you can continue entering information about your request. The system will allow your request to exist with the other similar requests.
6. Click Next.

   The Attach Document and Submit Request form appears.

7. Attach Documents: If necessary, you can use the Documents tab to upload up to four documents to support your request.

   For example, for a COPY/PRINT SERVICE request, the Detailed Information options might present a questionnaire for you to specify whether to copy in color or black and white. You can then upload the document to copy to attach it to the service request.

   If the documents fields are empty, select the Check In New File button next to the Document field. The system prompts you to browse and select the file to check in. 

   For more information on the Archibus document management system, seeUsing the Document Management System.

8. Do one of the following:
   • Add a redline: Use the Indicate in Drawing button to add redlines to a CAD drawing for this service request. See the next section, Redline a Drawing with Comments about the Request.
   • To submit the request without adding a redline, click Submit.

     Your request is submitted, and the Overview tab presents a summary of your request.

Redline a CAD Drawing with Comments about the Request

You may wish to add comments or redlines to a CAD drawing in order to further describe your problem. For example, you may wish to draw on a floor plan drawing the area of a room in which a problem is located.

From the Documents tab, you can use the Indicate on Drawing button to access a CAD drawing showing the floor plan referenced in your request. If you have selected a particular room as part of the service request (of if you have chosen the Same as Requestor? option), the system will highlight this room on the floor plan drawing.

Use the bottom row if icons on the drawing control toolbar to create the redlines on the drawing. Click an icon to active it, and then click and drag on the drawing to draw. For information on using these tools, see Adding Redlines to Drawings.

When through, click Save Redlines to Service Request. The system saves your redlined drawing as a document and displays its name in one of the Document fields.

As the system routes your request through the workflow process, approvers and other personnel involved in addressing this request will be able to view your redlined drawing using the Document field.

You can also create a service request from a redline drawing. See Create Redlines by Location

From the Documents tab, click Submit to submit the request.

Next Steps

Once you submit a request, the system will route it to the appropriate parties for approval, financial approval, execution, and so forth. The exact path that the request follows depends upon the SLA governing the request.

Depending on the SLA governing your request, you may be able to:

• verify that a request was completed
• record your satisfaction with its execution

Additionally, as a requestor, you can always check on the status of your request.