Submitting service requests for customers

When you submit a request for a customer in BMC Helix ITSM:

The request is considered to be submitted directly by the customer; the entitlement rules apply.
The customer is listed in the request details as the person who made the request
The customer can check the status of the request from BMC Helix Digital Workplace or the Request Entry console.

When you submit a request for another person (the contact) who is acting on behalf of the customer:

Both entitlement rules and on-behalf-of rules apply.
In the submitted request details, the contact is listed as the person who made the request.

Overview of service requests

As a service agent, you can submit service requests for users directly from the Smart Recorder in BMC Helix ITSM without opening BMC Helix Digital Workplace or the Request Entry console separately.

The information you must complete when submitting a request depends upon the following criteria:

The questions defined in the SRD
Whether those questions are required

An SRD you access from the universal client might also include an advanced interface form (AIF), which requires you to complete and save additional information in a separate form before you submit the request. (The AIF is cross-launched from the BMC Helix ITSM mid tier client, which might require a separate login.)

If the service request is managed in BMC Helix Digital Workplace, click Approval Record Details in the service request to view the list of approvers and the reason for approval or denial.

Configuration parameter	Value
enableSbeIntegration	true
enableDWPWidgetIntegration	true
smartit.url	WarningSome content is unavailable due to permissions. load balancer URL
dwp.base.url	< load balancer server URL>
dwpCatalogChunkSize	20

To submit BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog service requests

From , you can search and view the Catalog service requests from Global search, Smart Recorder and My profile. Perform the following steps to submit a service request by using Digital Workplace Catalog in Smart Recorder.

In Smart Recorder, select a customer and type some keywords to search for the appropriate Catalog. The suggested catalogs appear in the Resources tab.
Select the appropriate Digital Workplace Catalog.
As soon as you select a Digital Workplace Catalog, the Create Ticket button of Smart Recorder is displayed as Create Service Request and the additional resources are not displayed in the Resources tab.
Click Create Service Request.

The catalog widget is displayed on your screen. To close the catalog widget, click Cancel request button or click the X icon.
Answer the required questions that are asked in the widget.
The Submit request button is displayed active.
Click Submit request.
The service request is submitted.

Following up on service requests

After a service request is submitted, any defined notifications, approval requests, and fulfillment processes are triggered.

During the approval process, you can view the approval status by clicking Show Approvers in the notification at the top of the request.
Active and closed fulfillment process steps appear on the Fulfillment tab at the bottom of the request details. (If you just submitted the request, fulfillment steps begin to appear the next time you open the request details. Additional process steps that were bypassed because they did not meet conditions defined by the administrator are not shown.)
You can track the progress of the request against its due date by monitoring the SLA Progress bar, as explained in SLA progress bar.
If the service request is managed in BMC Helix Digital Workplace, click Approval Record Details to view the list of approvers and the reason for approval or denial.

Due to possible dependencies in the approval and fulfillment processes defined in the SRD, much of the information in a service request cannot be edited, including the customer name, contact name, and responses to questions. You can post notes to the Activity stream, but you cannot change the status of a request, except to cancel it. If necessary, from the request details, you can request the same service again for the same customer.

Scenario for submitting a service request by using BMC Helix ITSM

Scenario
As a first-line service desk agent in a large enterprise IT organization, you handle calls from employees and contractors seeking help with IT services, such as resolving issues, requesting changes, or accessing new systems. You receive a call from a customer in the sales department who needs VPN access for a new employee starting the next day. She asks whether the service desk is the right contact for this request. You offer assistance and begin entering the details into Smart Recorder as she explains the requirement. You search for relevant templates in the BMC Helix Digital Workplace Catalog and find one for VPN access. Using this template, you create the service request, ask the required system questions, and then confirm and save it. The system automatically triggers the associated approval and fulfillment processes. You inform the customer that she can track the status of the request anytime through Digital Workplace, which also allows her to post questions or comments.

Scenario for viewing details of requests approved or rejected in BMC Helix Digital Workplace

Scenario
As a first-line service desk agent in a large enterprise working in BMC Helix ITSM, you identify a Router issue service request that was approved in BMC Helix Digital Workplace. To understand the context behind the approval, you click Approval Record Details within the request, which opens the Approval List panel. There, you review the list of approvers and their rationale for approving the request. You reach out to the approvers to discuss the decision further. These conversations help you understand how the approval contributed to resolving previous network issues, and you plan to apply the same approach to address future network downtime effectively.