Summary

Receive and process service requests in accordance with service agreements.

Description

Service requests can be submitted through various mechanisms (e.g., web forms, phone calls). Some requests may also be identified in service agreements, especially requests for continuous or repeatedly scheduled services. The receipt and processing of all service requests should be coordinated through an established request management system.

Example Work Products



  1. Request management record
  2. Action proposal
  3. Customer satisfaction data
  4. End user receipts confirming request fulfillment


Subpractices



1. Receive service requests and ensure each request is within the scope of the service agreement.

 

Examples of receiving service requests include the following:
  • Service requests submitted by the customer or end user by use of a web form
  • Service requests submitted by the customer or end user by calling the help desk or service desk


In organizations that use a help desk function, service requests are usually submitted to such a function.



2. Record information about the service request.

When recording service request information, include sufficient information to properly support the analysis and resolution of the service request.

 

Examples of service request information to record include the following:
  • Name and contact information of the person who submitted the service request
  • Description of the service request
  • Categories the service request belongs to
  • Date and time the service request was submitted
  • The configuration items involved in the request
  • Closure code and information



3. Categorize and analyze the service request.

Using the categories established in the approach to service delivery, assign the relevant categories to the service request in the request management system. For some service requests, the request analysis can be completed by merely selecting the type of service request. For other service requests (e.g., upgrade operating system software) it may be necessary to assemble a special team to analyze the request.

 

Examples of when to perform request analysis include the following:
  • When the impact of the request on the organization or customer is large
  • When resolving a service request will take considerable time or effort



4. Determine which resources are required to resolve the service request.

Which individuals, groups, and other resources are best suited can depend on the type of service request, locations involved, and impact on the organization or customer.



5. Determine the actions to be taken to satisfy the service request.

Using the categories established in the approach to service delivery, determine the appropriate actions to perform. In some cases, the categories themselves can have pre-determined actions associated with them.

 

Examples of actions include the following:
  • Answering a customer inquiry
  • Repairing items (as part of a maintenance service)
  • Training an end user
  • Providing new consumables or tools



6. Plan the actions further as appropriate.

Perform additional scheduling and other planning required to guide the actions that have been selected. When analyzing standard service requests, the actions for resolving a standard service request can be documented in a standard action plan. If the actions taken result in changes to the service system, further actions may also be needed to ensure traceability to requirements.



7. Monitor the status of service requests as appropriate until they are fulfilled as described in the service agreement.

Throughout the life of the service request, the status of the request should be recorded, tracked, transferred as necessary, and closed.

Refer to the Project Monitoring and Control (PMC) (CMMI-DEV) process area for more information about monitoring the project against the plan.



8. Review service request status and resolution, and confirm results with relevant stakeholders.

Communication is a critical factor when providing services. Communication with the person who requested the service and possibly other relevant stakeholders affected by it should be considered throughout the life of the service request in the request management system. Usually, the result of relevant actions taken should be reviewed with the person that submitted the service request to verify that the actions fulfilled the service request to the satisfaction of the submitter.

In organizations that use a help desk function, the status of service requests is communicated to relevant stakeholders by the help desk.



9. Close the service request and record the actions taken and results.

The actions performed to fulfill the service request and the result of performing the actions are recorded in the request management system to support satisfying similar service requests in future situations.