KCS - Knowledge Management - Linking Incident Resolution

[stevenmeads]

• Large University
• 500+ calls daily
• Currently on Dublin, upgrading to Fuji end or year
• Using the knowledge module
• Looking to implement Knowledge Centered Support

Currently we are able to link Incident Resolution to Knowledge Articles, but only if the article is attached to the incident graphically. Meaning, we can attach the article in it's entirety and send that back to the customer. We want to tie incident resolution to articles, but don't always want to send the customer the article as it appears. Some of our articles contain multiple solutions, or have information intended just for the ServiceDesk.   In the implementation of KCS, one requirement is the tie between resolution and knowledge. Eventually we would like to require a tie to a KB for all resolution, even if we need to create a catch-all article for those unique situations in which there isn't a good fit (eventually using the lack of an article as a reason to draft, implementing the demand-driven model). I would like to produce metric reports around resolution and knowledge use.

Here's my question:

How can we increment or tie our knowledge base articles to incidents without having to wholly insert them into the incident notes?  

Thanks in advance, I'm hoping I'm overlooking a very simple thing and the answer is "duh, just do 'this'"

Steven Meads

University of Minnesota

[BenPhillipsSNC]

Hi Steven

How can we increment or tie our knowledge base articles to incidents without having to wholly insert them into the incident notes?

The easiest way would be to create a relationship between incident and kb. Then just put a reference field to kb on your incident form. So an incident could have a field named "Resolved by KB" and it is a reference field to kb_knowledge and you can insert KB100011 etc into that field. That would address your question how to relate them.

What your end user will see is a different question. You could have certain ACL's set up on your instance so the end users can see a field on your kb's called, for instance, "public_resolution_details" or something. And the rest of it they can't see. Only the public facing box, which would be like a Journal field. Lemme know what you think.

thanks,

Ben

[stevenmeads]

Ben,

Thank you for the reply! I appreciate it. Couple clarifying questions,

So an incident could have a field named "Resolved by KB" and it is a reference field to kb_knowledge and you can insert KB100011 etc into that field

When you say "insert KB100011..." would this be a manual process? or would the act of Attach to Incident attach them?

 so the end users can see a field on your kb's called, for instance, "public_resolution_details" or something

Would it be possible to have the article link sent to the user instead of a description?

What we are doing:

1. User submits a ticket asking how to reset a password
2. From within the incident we query the knowledge base and find the article
3. Using the Attach to Incident button we send the customer the complete article

What we'd like to do:

1. User submits a ticket asking how to reset a password
2. From within the incident we query the knowledge base and find the article
3. Using the Attach to Incident button we:
   1. Send the customer a link to the article
   2. Associate the resolved incident to the KB

Forgive me in advance, I'm coming from BMC's Footprints and still learning SN.

[BenPhillipsSNC]

I'm not familiar with "attach to incident". What table are you seeing that on? Is that a UI action? out of box or custom?

Q: Would it be possible to have the article link sent to the user instead of a description?

A: Yes that should be easy. You'd script that in an email notification on incident resolution, query the kb attached if any, and send a link with the url.

Yeah your example flow at the bottom sounds easily achievable. It sounds like you already have steps 1-3 done and working.

1. User submits a ticket asking how to reset a password
2. From within the incident we query the knowledge base and find the article
3. Using the Attach to Incident button, attach the KB to a reference field on the incident. Look at out of box, the related list "Related Records" , how Problem, Change Request, and Caused by Change are set up. Make one like that for "Related KB".  
4. When the incident is resolved for example, the incident resolution notification should fire.
5. Modify that notification and put in a script that queries for and builds a url to the KB and inserts it into the email.
6. Send the email to the customer.

[BenPhillipsSNC]

Hi Steven,

Can you mark this as "answered" if that was helpful? Or "helpful answer"? Thanks!