Automation

ServiceDesk Plus comes with built-in capabilities that allow users, who have minimal technical expertise, to set up rule-based automations. Administrators can establish a service desk that handles requests on auto-pilot via automations.

 

The various automation services in ServiceDesk Plus are listed as follows:

The term request is used in this guide to collectively indicate incident/service requests, problem requests, change requests, project requests and release requests.  
The term Requests refers to the incident and service requests module as a whole.

Automations - A Comparison 

You can employ multiple automation rules on a request at different stages of its life time. Each automation rule has a unique objective and an application pattern. Refer to the table below to understand how the automation rules operate uniquely:

 

Automation Rules

Objective and Application

Modules from where the data is validated

Business Rules
  • Validates incoming data with respect to business operations before storing it in the database and executes actions immediately.
  • Applicable when criteria is matched.

Requests

Service Level Agreements
  • Defines the time within which technicians and support groups must respond and resolve requests. SLA violations can be escalated to ensure faster resolution of requests.
  • Applicable when criteria is matched

Requests and Changes

Request Life Cycle
  • Guides technicians throughout request handling and automates actions based on the request status. This ensures the request follows a standard flow.
  • Applicable based on the request template.

Requests

Custom Triggers
  • Validates data stored in the database and triggers specific actions immediately.
  • Applicable when criteria is matched.

Requests, Problems, Changes, Projects (and their associated tasks)

Request Timer Actions
  • Executes an action automatically when a particular time is reached or if a certain amount of time has passed.
  • Applicable when criteria is matched.

Requests

Notification Rules
  • Sends automated alerts to requesters, technicians, and other stakeholders to keep them informed of various happenings in a request.
  • Applicable when an event occurs in the service desk and the relevant notification is enabled.

Requests, Problems, Change, Projects, Releases, Solutions, Assets, Purchase, Contract, Reports (and their associated approvals/tasks)

Closure Rules
  • Ensures the necessary information is collected and the specified actions are executed before closing a request.
  • Applicable when a request reaches the Closed status.

Requests, Problems, Change, Releases (and their associated tasks)

Technician Auto Assign
  • Assigns requests to technicians automatically to ensure even workload distribution in the service desk.
  • Applicable when certain criteria are matched.

Requests

Workflows
  • Outlines how a request should progress through various stages and automates actions based on the request stage/status.
  • Applicable based on the change/release template.

Changes and Releases

Custom Schedules
  • Validates data in the generated reports and schedules an action to be executed at periodic intervals.
  • Applicable when the scheduled time is reached.

Validates data from any module via Reports

 

 ServiceDesk Plus automations applied during a request lifetime

Execution Order of Automation Rules 

Sometimes, multiple automation rules maybe applicable to a request after it is created or edited. In such cases, a clear order of execution is defined in ServiceDesk Plus as shown below.

 

Execution order of automation rules in incident and service requests:

  

 

Execution order of automation rules in change requests:

 

Notification Rules, Closure Rules, and Custom Schedules can be executed anytime.