Configuring navigational categories

You define navigational categories to organize your service request definitions (SRDs) by using the Category Management form. This form is used as a repository to store the categorizations that differentiate the catalog offerings, including graphics. Each SRD is displayed under a particular navigational category on the Browse page of the Request Entry console.

You must have the SRM Administrator permission to create navigational categories.

Localizing navigational categories

Overview of configuring navigational categories

You can create generic categories that globally apply to all organizations (for example, Hardware/Computers) or categories unique to specific companies. When you define categories for one company, the appropriate categories visible only for that company. You can create three levels of categorizations for a specific company (for example, Installation > Desktop > Windows, or Change > Application > Password). For more information, see Defining global navigational categories and Defining company navigational categories.

The company and categories enforce the uniqueness of the categorization, which means that only one unique combination of categories is allowed for each company and each locale.

Define global categories first, followed by company-specific categories, and then sort. Follow this sequence because you move company navigational categories up and down the navigation tree relative to the global categories. After you specify the sequence of the global categories, they are fixed and do not change when you start working on your company categories. After you establish the global categories, you move the company categories around them, above or below a global category.

Best practice

When defining navigational categories, consider the following best practices:

Create a spreadsheet with the items you support on the left side (for example, Hardware, Software, Networks, and so on) and the services you provide on the top row (for example, Repaired, Replaced, Trained, and so on). Each spreadsheet cell represents a category and service pair (for example, Hardware/Repaired). Determine which pairs apply to your organization, and you can map your old tree to this new structure.

Follow this sequence of steps:
1. Define global navigational categories
  To avoid confusion in a multi-tenancy environment, create your most general categories as global. When you have finished the overall general structure of your Category 1, 2, and 3 records, you can create more particular categories for your company. Also, if guest users must be able to access navigational categories, create those categories as global.
2. Define company navigational categories
3. Sort navigational categories

Define only a manageable number of SRDs and navigational categories. Increasing the number of navigational categories to users can slow the performance of search operations in the Request Entry console.
Important:
The Max Entries Returned By GetList server setting limits the number of SRDs and navigational categories displayed in the Request Entry console. Make sure that your administrator has configured this setting to accommodate the SRDs and navigational categories that you create. For example, if Max Entries Returned By GetList is set to 10, then only a total of 10 SRDs and navigational categories will display, even if more SRDs and categories are available. For more information, see Setting administrative options (BMC Remedy Action Request System documentation).

The system prevents you from creating duplicate Category 1 records. You can, however, create Category 2 and Category 3 records that have the same name. For example, you can create two Category 3 records called Password Reset because the two different contexts in the Request Entry console determine its particular use.

Business Systems (Global Category 1)
	iTime (Category 2)
		Password Reset (Category 3)
Network (Calbro Category 1)
	NT Authentication (Category 2)
		Password Reset (Category 3)

As a result, users should not be confused by seeing Password Reset in two different locations in the Request Entry console.

Some SRD categories are pre-configured by default with their own images. You can relate a different image with these categories. In addition, when you configure your own navigational categories for your organization, you can assign customized images to them, based on your organization. For more information, see Configuring service request images.

After you define the navigational categories, their values appear in the following areas:

Service Request Definition form
Defined Locales form (click Other Locales on the Service Request Definition form)
SRD Qualification for Entitlement form
Approval Mappings

You must specify a top-level (Category 1) navigational category when creating an SRD. You can optionally specify sub-categories (Category 2 and Category 3).

Important

Navigational categories do not appear in the Request Entry console until they are associated with an SRD.

Configuring navigational categories

Overview of configuring navigational categories

Where to go from here

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