Life-cycle of a service request

When a user needs help, he or she can submit a "service request" to the IT department, requesting assistance. A service request will go through various phases. As an example, we bring a possible life-cycle of a service request. Different cycles are possible, depending on the methodology used.

Phase 1:

The user submits a service request. Often, the end user will be able to fill out various fields, such as urgency, category, description, and more.

Phase 2:

The service request enters the system (often by entering a database in the organization's network).

Phase 3:

Rules are applied to the service request. Examples of rules:

If the request is from the accounting department, it automatically receives a priority of "low".

If the request's category is "hardware", the due date should be a week from now.

If the priority is "highest", the system should automatically email the CEO and SMS the IT administrators.

Phase 4:

The request is routed to the proper administrator. There are different ways to achieve this. Some help desk software offers rules to determine which administrator should achieve the request. For example, if a service request's category is "network", it can be automatically routed to the organization's network expert. Alternatively, all service requests could be routed to an initial administrator or team. This first-level support can then reroute service requests as necessary.

Phase 5:

The proper administrator receives the request. He solves the end user's problem or provides the support required.

Phase 6:

The administrator closes the service request.