Linking multiple changes to one incident

[Mickey_Cegon]

We have recently implemented Change and Incident Management. I have been asked to modify the Incident form, so that more than one Change Request can be linked to a single Incident. We have situations where an incident is logged, and several distinct areas need to make changes to production in order to resolve the single incident. How is this handled, best practice? Should we be using the Parent/Child Incident and log child incidents to the other areas, and they log their changes off these child incidents? Or, do we log a Parent Change on the Incident, and log Child changes from that Parent? I realize that there are several ways to go, but they are wanting to have me change the way the application is designed to work. I hesitate to do this, since there's probably a good reason why it's the way it is today.

Just looking for pros and cons of changing the functionality of the application. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

[alix]

Hi Mickey

I perfectly understand your point (not to change the way the application has been designed to work)....
Maybe your solution could be to create you own custom table with (at least) two reference field (one for incident, the other for change) and then allow you to make any link you want...
Although i don't think you need to make a many to many table, i think this document explain very well the way to do this type of solution :

http://wiki.service-now.com/index.php?title=Creating_a_Many-to-Many_Relationship

Let me know if it helps

Alix

[geoffcox]

The M2M solution would only be necessary if you need to link changes to multiple incidents as well as incidents to multiple changes.

If the incident->change relationship is one to many, then you can simply put an incident reference field on the change table. Then you will automatically be able to add a change request related list to the incident form.

[Mickey_Cegon]

Thanks for the feedback! I will try these out, and see if this solves my issue.