Tutorial: Set up a custom service channel for change requests

Learn how to configure Advanced Work Assignment to automatically assign change requests to agents. Use this tutorial as a guideline to help you understand how service channel records, queues, and assignment rules work together to create a custom service channel.

In this tutorial, you learn how to set up a custom channel that:

• Assigns new change requests to whichever Change Management agent has the most capacity
• Populates the assignee's agent inbox in Agent Workspace with change requests from the queue
• Displays the change request number, short description, and type on the inbox card
• Enables the agent to accept or reject change requests

For information on setting up custom service channels, see Set up a custom service channel.

Before you begin:

• Ensure that the form layout for the Change Request table is configured for the workspace view; otherwise, work items from the Change Request service channel appear as read-only in Agent Workspace. For more information, see Set up forms in legacy workspace.
• Assign the awa_agent and workspace_agent roles to the Change Management group so that members can open work items in Agent Workspace.

Create a service channel to route requests

Create a service channel in Advanced Work Assignment so that you can route change requests to agents.

Before you begin

Role required: awa_admin or admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to the service channel settings through one of the following navigation paths:
   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Home.

     In the Essential settings section, select Set up service channels.

   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Service Channels.
2. Select New.
3. On the form, fill in the fields.
   • Name: Change Request
   • Inbox Order: 100
   • Table: Change Request [change_request]
   • Active: Selected
   • Utilization condition: [Active] [is] [true]
4. Select Submit.

Create an assignment rule for change requests

Create an assignment rule in Advanced Work Assignment that assigns change requests to agents who are available to do the tasks.

Before you begin

Role required: awa_admin or admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to the assignment rules settings through one of the following navigation paths:
   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Home.

     In the Essential settings section, select Set up assignment rules.

   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Assignment Rules.
2. Select New.
3. On the form, fill in the fields.
   • Name: Change Request Assignment Rule
   • Assign by: Most Capacity
   • Allow agents to reject: Selected
4. Select Submit.

Create a queue to route new change requests

Create a work item queue in Advanced Work Assignment that routes new change requests through the service channel that handles change requests.

Before you begin

Role required: awa_admin or admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to the queue settings through one of the following navigation paths:
   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Home.

     In the Essential settings section, select Set up queues.

   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Queues.
2. Select New.
3. On the form, fill in the fields.
   • Name: Change Management
   • Service channel: Change Request
   • Condition mode: Simple
   • Work item routing condition: [State] [is] [New]
4. From the form context menu, select Save.

Create an assignment pool of agents

Create an eligible assignment pool in Advanced Work Assignment that receives overflow work items, just in case you need more help from other agents to handle change requests.

Before you begin

Role required: awa_admin or admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to the queue settings through one of the following navigation paths:
   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Home.

     In the Essential settings section, select Set up queues.

   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Queues.
2. Open the Change Management queue.
3. On the form, go to the Assignment Eligibility related list and select New.
4. On the form, fill in the fields.
   • Agent assignment rule: Change Request Assignment Rule
   • Groups: Change Management
5. Select Submit.

Make your service channel available in Agent Workspace

Make your service channel available in Agent Workspace so that agents can receive change requests in their inbox.

Before you begin

Role required: awa_admin or admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to the presence states settings through one of the following navigation paths:
   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Home.

     In the Additional settings section, select Set up presence states.

   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Presence States.
2. Open Available.
3. On the form, move Change Request to the Selected list.
4. Select Active (if not already selected).
5. Select Update.

Customize how change requests appear in an agent inbox

Customize how change requests appear in an agent inbox so that agents receive enough information to decide whether to accept or reject the work item.

Before you begin

Role required: awa_admin or admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to the service channel settings through one of the following navigation paths:
   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Home.

     In the Essential settings section, select Set up service channels.

   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Service Channels.
2. Select the Change Request service channel record.
3. On the Change Request service channel form, go to the Inbox Layouts related list and open Default Change Request layout.
4. On the form, fill in the fields.
   • Field 1: Number
   • Field 2: Short description
   • Field 3: Type
5. Click Update.

Result

When you create a change request, the item is routed through the Change Request service channel and assigned to the agent in the Change Management assignment group who is available to receive the change request. When the assignee checks their agent inbox, the change request appears with the option for the agent to either reject or accept the work item.

Figure 1. Change request in an agent inbox