Configuring Service Level Management

As a DWP catalog administrator, you can use Service Level Management (SLM) to set, track, and display service targets for service requests in the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog. Service targets help you monitor the quality of service delivery and make it easy for users.

Here are the key benefits for administrators and end users:

Administrators / Catalog agents

Define goals and milestones for each service target to clarify timelines and monitor progress.
Service targets are applied to requests based on the Terms and Conditions defined for each target, ensuring the correct targets are linked without manual effort.
Service targets integrate seamlessly with existing catalog workflows and can be reused across multiple services, reducing setup effort and ensuring consistency.
Notifications are sent when the defined time thresholds are reached or when a request becomes overdue, ensuring timely action and compliance with SLAs.
Business Entity settings allow you to specify work hours and holidays, which are considered when calculating due dates, so timelines accurately reflect actual working time.
The status of each service target is shown with a progress bar that is updated in real time, providing clear visibility into progress and deadlines.

End Users

Users see the expected completion time in working days and the expected date for their request. This date may change if service targets are updated, and the request might be completed earlier when targets with shorter goal times are applied.

Process for enabling Helix Platform Service-Level Management (SLM)

The following table describes the actions that you must perform to enable Service Level Management:

Task	Product	Action	Reference
1	BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog Console	Enable Helix Platform Service-Level Management (SLM).	Task 1: To enable Helix Platform Service-Level Management (SLM)
2	BMC Helix Innovation Studio	Activate the SLM status poller background job.	Task 2: To activate the SLM status poller background job
3	BMC Helix Innovation Studio	(Optional) Modify the data source.	(Optional) Task 3: To modify the data source
4	BMC Helix Innovation Studio	Configure service targets.	Task 4: To configure service targets

Important

This feature is supported for service requests submitted through the catalog

Task 1: To enable Helix Platform Service-Level Management (SLM)

Log in to the Catalog console and navigate to Application Settings > Service-Level Agreement.
Select Helix Platform Service-Level Management (SLM).
Select the appropriate connector for your environment. You can use the Innovation Suite connector or any other connector configured to point to Innovation Suite. If you prefer minimal privileges instead of full admin rights, create a separate connector using a user account that has access to the Innovation Suite (IS) bundle and the com.bmc.dsm.lib bundle.
Click Save.
When you enable Helix Platform Service-Level Management (SLM), these two rules are enabled in Digital Workplace Catalog:
- Create SLM Target Data – creates the necessary Service Level Management (SLM) target data for new service requests.
- Update SLM Target Data – updates the SLM target data whenever relevant changes occur in service requests.
  These rules ensure that SLM targets are properly created and maintained for all applicable service requests.
  
  Click here to expand...

Task 2: To activate the SLM status poller background job

Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Workspace tab.
Select Digital Workplace Catalog > Records.
On the Records tab, select BackgroundJobs record and click Edit data.
Locate the record named ServiceRequestSlmStatusPoller.
Set the Job Status to Active.
Verify that the job is executing by checking the Next Execution Time and Interval fields.

Important

To ensure timely updates to the SLM Status and Execution Time fields in service requests, the background job must be active and configured with a future execution interval. If the job is inactive, activate it and verify that the interval is correctly set. Updates to these fields are processed by the job at the defined interval and are not reflected immediately. A delay equal to the configured poller interval should be expected before changes become visible.

(Optional) Task 3: To modify the data source

If a data source already exists for Digital Workplace Catalog and myit-sb:ServiceRequest, the out-of-the-box (OOTB) data source will not be created during setup. In such cases, you must review and update the existing data source configuration as needed to align with the SLM requirements.

Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Administration tab.
Select Service Level Management > Configure Data Source.

To use the out-of-the-box configuration, select Digital Workplace Catalog.
Important:
The Application Name and Record Definition Name combined are unique.

Field	Description
Application Name	Value is set to Digital Workplace Catalog. Do not modify.
Record Definition Name	Value is set to myit-sb:ServiceRequest.
Company Field	Specify the field used for the company or business entity in this data source.
Dynamic Start Time Field	Configure a field to dynamically set when the service target starts.
Dynamic End Time Field	Configure a field to dynamically set when the service target ends.
Dynamic Business Entity	Configure a field to dynamically set the business entity.
Reset Goal Condition	Specify an expression to reset the goal condition.
Dynamic Goal Time Field	Configure a field to dynamically set the goal time.
Use End Time	Enable the dynamic end time field for calculating the target end time.

Task 4: To configure service targets

Configuring service targets is the key functionality of Service Level Management (SLM). Accurately configuring service targets is important to ensure that the business goals are met. As an administrator, you can configure service targets by specifying the general information, business schedules, measurement criteria, and milestones.

Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Administration tab.
Select Service Level Management > Service Target.
Click Service Target Configuration.

In the Add Service Target Configuration pane, specify the fields.

Field	Instructions	Examples
Title	Specify a name for the service target.	Critical Request SLA
Data source	Set this value to Digital Workplace Catalog.	Digital Workplace Catalog
Company	Set this value to - Global - Information Important Using any other value will prevent the service target from functioning correctly.	- Global -
Status	Select Enabled to activate the service target. Information Important Disabled targets are not considered for measurements.	Enabled
Effective From	Select the date and time from when the service target should be considered for measurements. Default value: Current date and time Information Important Any request modified after this date (by user or system process) that meets the service target criteria will have the service target applied. If you do not want this product behavior, add a condition based on the service request creation date in the Service Target terms and conditions.	[Current Date/Time]
Goal Type	Select one of the following goal types for the service target: Service Request Approval Time Service Request Process Time Service Request Total TimeInformationUse Service Request Total Time to calculate and display the expected completion date of a request. This goal type represents the full lifecycle of the request. Other goal types, such as Approval Time and Process Time, apply only to internal stages and do not reflect overall completion.	Service Request Total Time
Agreement Type	Select one of the following agreement type for the service target: Service Level Agreement if the service target is for external agreements between a service provider and a customer. Operational Level Agreement if the service target is for internal agreements between the service provider and internal users. Important: The agreement type does not affect the processing of service targets.	Service Level Agreement
Description	Specify a description for the service target.	SLA for critical requests to be completed within 4 hours
Terms and Conditions	Click the Build Expression link and define the terms and conditions for applying the service level target. Define the terms and conditions by adding the fields, operators, and values. Example: In the qualification builder, if you add the Priority field, add the equal to operator, and select Critical as a value for the Priority field, the value in the terms and conditions field is 'Priority'="Critical". When the terms and conditions, along with the Start When qualification defined in the Measurement section, are met, the service target is applied. Updates to the terms and conditions affect measurement records only after the associated item is updated.	'Priority'="Critical"

For more information, see Defining service targets.

When configuring a service target, the following elements are essential for accurate tracking and reporting:

Goals define the target, measurements ensure accuracy, and milestones provide visibility and alerts for timely action.

Tab	Description	Examples
Goals	Set up a goal to determine whether the service target was met or missed. Valid range of values: Days: 0 to 365 Hours: 0 to 23 Minutes: 0 to 59 For more information, see Defining goals and business schedules for request-based service targets.	Goal Time: Days - 0 Hours - 4 Minutes - 0
Measurements	Define the circumstances under which your measurements start, stop, and pause. For more information, see Defining measurement criteria for request-based service targets.	Start When: 'RequestState'= "ACTIVE" Stop When: 'RequestState'= "COMPLETED" Pause When: 'RequestState'= "PENDING": Set Warning Status At(% of Goal): 50%
Milestones	Milestones and actions provide a mechanism for a service target to automatically initiate a particular action to avoid missing a commitment. As the service target progresses towards its goal, milestones can be defined at predetermined points to trigger an associated action. Description of Execute When list Percentage of goal time from start — In the At % of goal field, specify the time, as a percentage, from the start of the measurement. Percentage of goal time from end — In the At % of goal field, specify the time, as a percentage, to the end of the measurement. Hours and minutes from start — In the At % of goal field, specify the time in hours and minutes from the start of the measurement. Hours and minutes from End — In the At % of goal field, specify the time in hours and minutes from the end of the measurement.	Milestone Information Title: 50% Progress Notification Execute when: Percentage of goal time from start At % of goal: 50 Execute If: 'RequestState'= "ACTIVE"
Milestones	Milestone actions: In the milestone action, enter the template name in the Notification template field. Milestone notifications will not work unless both the event and template are configured in the Notification module. For more information, see Defining milestones and actions for request-based service targets.	Milestone Actions New Alert or Email Action Delivery Method: Email Notification Template: Service Level Management – ServiceRequest

To configure milestone notifications

To manage events and templates:

Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Administration to Administration → Notification configuration → Manage events, and create an event for the milestone trigger (for example, DWP Service Request SLMS).
Navigate to Administration → Notification configuration → Manage templates, create a template linked to the event, and define subject, body, and placeholders for dynamic content.

Best practices

To ensure accurate tracking and a smooth user experience with Service Level Management, we recommend that you follow these best practices:

Attach service targets to requests by using clear terms and conditions. Define rules for applying targets—including conditions, milestones, and actions such as the Set Fields Milestone—based on clear recommendations, so they are easy to understand and are not conflicting with each other. Avoid modifying internal system fields unless absolutely necessary. If custom logic is required when updating fields in milestone actions, we recommend using flex fields to maintain system integrity and flexibility.
Attach service targets to requests by using clear terms and conditions. Define rules for applying targets, including conditions, milestones, and actions, so they are easy to understand and do not conflict. Do not modify internal system fields unless absolutely necessary.
After upgrades, any custom rules written on the ServiceRequest record definition for SLM remain disabled to avoid conflicts. These rules are enabled only when the user switches to the new Helix SLM integration in DWPC settings, and standard system rules apply until then.
In MSP environments, include the CompanyId in Terms and Conditions qualification to ensure service targets apply only to the correct company. This prevents cross-company SLA conflicts and maintains accurate tracking in multi-tenant setups.
Configure service targets for fulfillments and service requests independently. There is no direct linkage between these two types of targets; each applies to its own process and does not affect the other.
If a service target is paused, the Expected By date is recalculated and updated after the target resumes. This approach ensures that the displayed completion estimate reflects only active tracking periods.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Resolution
Service targets are either not applied to the service request or applied, but the SLM Status is not updated.	Ensure that the connector is enabled and selected. For more information, see Task 1: To enable Helix Platform Service-Level Management (SLM) Ensure the ServiceRequestSlmStatusPoller job is Active and NextExecutionTime has a value. For more information, see Task 2: To activate the SLM status poller background job Confirm that the qualification (terms and conditions) and the Start When measurement setting for each service target are correctly defined. Ensure service targets are in Enabled status and use valid goal types such as Service Request Total Time. If other goal types are used, the Expected By date may not appear. Verify that the service target is enabled and the company field is set to - Global - .For more information, see Task 4: To configure service targets Service targets must use valid goal types such as Service Request Total Time. The Expected By value appears only when at least one valid service target exists. For more information, see Task 4: To configure service targets Check that Create SLM Target Data and Update SLM Target Data rules are enabled. If service targets are not getting attached, check that these rules are not disabled.
Milestone notifications are not being sent	Verify notification templates are configured for both email and alert delivery. Only one default delivery method can be set per milestone notification. To create notification templates, navigate to Administration > Notification Configuration > Manage Templates. For more information, see Leveraging the notification engine on BMC Helix Innovation Suite for greater flexibility. Note: Only notification templates with the Module Name set to Service Level Management – ServiceRequest are available for selection.
Milestone notifications are not triggered for some goal types	Ensure milestone actions have valid trigger conditions for the specific goal type. Use the Build Expression tool to define conditions, such as status changes. For example, configure the condition to execute only if the status is NOT Resolved.
Expected by date not displayed for requests	Expected by dates are shown only for service targets with the goal type Service Request Total Time. If other goal types are used, the expected date may not appear. Confirm the background job is running and updating records.