Unicenter ServicePlus Service Desk Reference Guide

Unicenter ServicePlus Service Desk

Reference Guide

Table of Contents.

Do not forget to consult your internal resource Kit web site for presentations, data sheets, white papers,. on https://emeasales.ca.com/unicenter/servicedesk

Unicenter ServicePlus Service Desk is a comprehensive enterprise support solution capable of managing virtually every aspect of an organization's service level commitments. It automatically streamlines the identification, tracking and resolution of end-user issues and problems. Innovative knowledge tools speed the problem resolution process, ensuring improved service productivity while making end-users self-sufficient. Users can access functionality via the Web and wireless PDA interfaces.

Features at a glance:

Offers integrated request, change and asset management

Empowers end users with self-service

Provides wireless access for mobile technicians

Uses customer surveys to capture user feedback

Provides built-in integrations to the Unicenter family of products

External Web Resources for Customers and Partners:

Main landing page on ca.com :https://www3.ca.com/Solutions/Product.asp?ID=191

Data Sheet: https://www3.ca.com/Solutions/Collateral.asp?CID=57071&ID=191

White Paper:
Delivering ITIL Best Practices Through Unicenter Service Desk Leverage ITIL best practices to increase overall efficiency and align IT with the business https://www3.ca.com/Solutions/Collateral.asp?CID=50645&ID=191

White Paper:
Delivering Best Practices for Complex IT Environments Read more about solutions that offer the flexibility to help organizations implement ITIL, BS15000 and ISO 17799 practices to manage their IT services efficiently and cost effectively. https://www3.ca.com/Solutions/Collateral.asp?CID=51958&ID=191

Analyst Paper:
Computer Associates achieves leadership status for IT Service Desk Tools in META Group Evaluation. https://www.metagroup.com/webhost/ONLINE/191691/ITServiceDeskTools_mktAnalysis.pdf

References and Success Stories: https://www3.ca.com/Solutions/CollateralList.asp?CCT=19526&ID=191

20 Words Description:

Unicenter ServicePlus Service Desk is a comprehensive enterprise support solution that manages virtually every aspect of an organization's service and support requirements.

50 Words Description:

Unicenter ServicePlus Service Desk is a comprehensive enterprise support solution that manages virtually every aspect of an organization's service and support requirements. It automatically streamlines the identification, tracking and resolution of end-user issues and problems. Innovative knowledge tools speed the problem resolution process, improving service productivity while making end-users self-sufficient.

100 Words Description:

Unicenter ServicePlus Service Desk is a comprehensive enterprise support solution that manages virtually every aspect of an organization's service and support requirements. It automatically streamlines the identification, tracking and resolution of end-user issues and problems. Innovative knowledge tools speed the problem resolution process, ensuring improved service productivity while making end-users selfsufficient. Seamless integration with a host of interrelated management tools provides unmatched functionality and flexibility that, together, are capable of managing all workflows associated with

infrastructure management.

Who Needs Unicenter Service Desk?

Any organization with a help desk

Companies with excessive call volumes

IT organizations having difficulty performing to SLAs

Organizations that are trying to reduce costs by automating manual IT business processes

Companies providing external support or IT services to customers

Businesses that share mission-critical systems with partners, suppliers and customers

IT organizations that needs to measure and contain costs associated with change orders and configuration management

Companies extending self-service capabilities to end users

Clients trying to manage asset service histories on leased equipment

Selling Unicenter Service Desk to Prospective Customers

Is the customer considering replacing or upgrading the service or help desk?

Is the prospective customer consolidating multiple help desks?

Does the prospective customer need to do more with fewer people?

Is the prospective customer a Tivoli Service Desk or Remedy Help Desk customer?

Questions to ask to the CXO/IT Director:

Do you have customers, partners, or suppliers that require access to your business systems?

Do you need to make existing staff more effective and more productive?

Do you need to reduce the cost of managing the infrastructure?

Are you bound to SLA agreements?

Do you incur financial penalties when SLAs are breached?

Questions to ask to the Service Desk Manager

Do you need to increase first-call resolution at the help desk level?

Is a web-based service desk solution important to you?

Are you considering an initiative to improve end users' self-service to reduce call and trouble ticket volumes?

Can you leverage dynamic asset information in service calls to improve resolution times and increase user productivity?

Please also check the CA-Profiler described in the resources on previous page should you desire a very complete set of questions to identify and qualify a Service Desk Need.

What is Unicenter ServicePlus SD?

Unicenter ServicePlus SD is a comprehensive enterprise solution that manages virtually every aspect of an organization's service and support requirements. With a powerful workflow engine at its core, it automatically streamlines the identification, tracking and resolution of end-user issues and problems. Unicenter ServicePlus provides a full complement of capabilities, including incident management, problem management, request management, change order management, basic asset management, keyword search and self-service functionality. Advanced features such as attachments, customer surveys and service level agreement (SLA) management are supported as well. It features quick call templates for improved usability and is IT Infrastructure Library- (ITIL-) compliant and highly scalable. In addition, it offers robust failover. Seamless integration with a host of interrelated management tools provides unmatched functionality and flexibility that, together, are capable of managing the entire IT infrastructure from a Services perspective.

Why do you need Unicenter ServicePlus SD?

Unicenter ServicePlus SD helps organizations like yours to address the new challenges of managing the ever-increasing complexity of today's service and support requirements. It provides a scalable and fail-safe service management solution that can function as a stand-alone product for your small business or departmental service desk, or integrated into a much larger enterprise business solution. Our technology is designed to reap maximum benefits for your investment and ensure that your service management solution can grow as your requirements do.

Does Unicenter ServicePlus SD support change management?

Yes. This standard module is part of the base Unicenter ServicePlus SD system and is provided at no additional cost. Change orders are defined by identifying tasks and properties associated with each one named. Multiple functions such as notification or the running of scripts can be performed at the task level, either pre- or post-task resolution. Based on a customer's needs, unique tasks can be assigned to individuals and/or groups. Properties are customer-definable and support the collection of information relevant to the named change order. For example, a change order for an equipment move could contain properties that capture the existing and destination location of the equipment. Properties can be defined as either mandatory or optional.

Does Unicenter ServicePlus SD perform asset management?

Yes. Unicenter ServicePlus SD provides basic information relating to assets. For a more comprehensive asset management solution, Unicenter ServicePlus SD seamlessly integrates with two companion products: Unicenterā Asset Management, which performs operational asset management for a comprehensive view of assets from a configuration management standpoint; and Unicenter Argis, which manages the life cycle of technology assets, enabling organizations to control the cost of owning IT assets through cost, contract and vendor management.

How are problems linked to assets in this solution?

Unicenter Common Object Repository (CORe), Unicenter Asset Management and Unicenter ServicePlus SD all share a common asset repository. Unicenter ServicePlus SD imports enough information from the CORe to uniquely identify the asset. A mouse-click displays the Asset Detail or counts of open issues with respect to the named asset. This capability identifies the root causes of problems and asset service trends, and helps associate new complaints with existing tickets.

Does Unicenter ServicePlus SD support wireless interfaces?

Yes. It features a wireless (PDA) HTML, browser-based interface, which can be accessed using cell phones or 802.11b network-attached devices.

What type of "out-of-the-box" reporting capabilities does Unicenter ServicePlus SD provide?

Unicenter ServicePlus SD offers four reporting choices:

Quick Reports. You can use the search tool if you wish to print single (or a collection of) requests, change orders or asset descriptions.

Standard Reports. Standard reports are generated via seamless integration with Microsoft Access and Seagate Crystal Reports. Runtime versions of Microsoft Access and/or Crystal Reports are shipped with this product. Organizations with a full-function version of Access or Crystal Reports can use these standard reports as a starting point for report customization.

Third-Party Reporting Tools. Data can be exported via third-party reporting tools.

ODBC-Compliant Reporting Tools. ODBC-compliant reporting tools can be used to directly access the database. Organizations can pick the methods that best fit their requirements.

What knowledge functions are available in Unicenter® ServicePlus Service Desk v6.0?

Unicenter ServicePlus SD v6.0 provides features enabling users to create, publish and retrieve knowledge documents. Users retrieve the documents using a keyword search function. Analysts and administrators can modify documents using a document manager interface. The Knowledge Import Tool (KIT) can be used to import pre-authored content from a third-party vendor or a delimited text file. Knowledge features are integrated with other Unicenter ServicePlus SD functions, such as requests, issues, the scoreboard and so on.

How can Unicenter ServicePlus SD help us implement best practices?

CA Services has a variety of design and implementation offerings that can help you quickly define and implement best practices leveraging the advanced capabilities of Unicenter ServicePlus SD. Working with your staff, CA Services consultants understand your core business processes and determine the appropriate templates and models (such as ITIL) to apply. By establishing workflows and tailoring these models to your needs, Unicenter ServicePlus SD will help you leverage industrystandard best practice processes to improve the effectiveness of your operations and customer support.

How can Unicenter ServicePlus SD help my organization become ITIL compliant?

Unicenter ServicePlus SD can automatically be configured to support ITIL out of the box. In this mode, the product enables help desk employees to perform ITIL-compliant incident, problem, change and configuration management processes. CA Services can help you evaluate the need and business benefits of ITIL as applicable to your organization.

How adaptable is Unicenter ServicePlus SD?

Out of the box, Unicenter ServicePlus SD can be adapted to meet many specific support requirements without resorting to customization. Unicenter ServicePlus SD is a table-driven application designed for flexibility. Support managers, not necessarily trained as technical application specialists, can modify process control tables through the administrative graphic interface. They can define their own business processes, workflows, notifications, escalations and SLAs. With these capabilities, Unicenter ServicePlus SD can adapt to support scenarios that range from ambulance dispatch to code defect management.

How extensible is workflow in Unicenter ServicePlus SD?

Workflow is very extensible. The object-based architecture of Unicenter ServicePlus SD, with its collection of tools, can adapt its behavior to virtually any business process. Within Unicenter ServicePlus SD, there are various places in which to implement customized workflow and business logic. Automated escalation is managed by the use of CA's Service Types technology. This powerful tool enables users to tailor a condition-based response plan to meet SLAs.

Can Unicenter ServicePlus SD be customized?

Yes. Unicenter ServicePlus SD is built on an object-oriented architecture that gives sites access to many of the same tools used by CA development engineers to build the out -of-the-box application. Graphical user interface (GUI) screens are modified with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, and web forms are edited using various HTML editors including Microsoft FrontPage. These tools customize the appearance of the application, including menu bars, icons and buttons. The schema has been designed with "user" fields for simple extensions that can be performed through the screen editor. For complex additions, new reference fields and entire tables can be added with textual edits.

How scalable is Unicenter ServicePlus SD?

Unicenter ServicePlus SD provides nearly limitless n-tier scalability. Using a distributed, multiple, object-based architecture, it can run across many different processors within a single box or distributed across multiple hardware platforms. For instance, if an organization wishes to run a Sun box at one facility and a Windows 2000 server at another, both of these boxes could concurrently run instances of Unicenter ServicePlus SD and still share a common database. CA itself has several large enterprise customers running Unicenter ServicePlus SD, with more than 1,000 analysts supporting more than 100,000 end users, generating more than 200,000 requests per month.

Does Unicenter ServicePlus SD have tools to aid in importing and exporting data from existing and disparate systems?

Yes. Unicenter ServicePlus SD has utilities that permit the import and export of data into and out of its supported databases.

Does Unicenter ServicePlus SD support any API's ?

Yes. Unicenter ServicePlus SD defines a complete Application Programming Interfaces (API) using Web services. Web services are built in accordance with internationally recognized standards to provide for easy communication and integration between remote applications, regardless of platform or technology. With the Web services API offered by Unicenter ServicePlus SD, remote applications can interact with the Unicenter ServicePlus SD server to create and update requests, change orders and issues, create and update contact information, manage workflow, send notifications, and create and update assets.

How is Unicenter Asset Management or the Desktop Management Bundle integrated?

If policy violations occur, analysts can configure a policy scan to open a Unicenter ServicePlus SD request or change order from a Unicenter Asset Management console. Optionally, an analyst can record additional occurrences as log comments on the request or change order. An asset management analyst can interactively open a Unicenter ServicePlus SD request or change order on a Unicenter Asset Management asset by navigating to through the Unicenter Asset Management console and launching the Unicenter ServicePlus SD web interface to open a new request or change order.

Integration has provided a number of navigation paths between Unicenter Asset Management and Unicenter ServicePlus SD:

Navigation from a Unicenter ServicePlus SD request or change order back to the originating context in Unicenter Asset Management (the policy - a container of assets in violation)

Navigation from the Unicenter Asset Management policy to the opened Unicenter ServicePlus SD request or change order

Navigation in context to a Unicenter Asset Management asset detail directly from the service desk asset detail. A button on the Unicenter ServicePlus SD asset detail form provides feedback as to whether a Unicenter Asset Management view of the asset is available.

All navigation from Unicenter Asset Management is to the Unicenter ServicePlus SD web interface,whereas Unicenter ServicePlus SD can launch either the Unicenter Asset Management console orweb interface.

How is Unicenter Software Delivery or the Desktop Management Bundle integrated?

A Unicenter Software Delivery analyst can configure a job container property to automatically open a Unicenter ServicePlus SD request or change order from Unicenter Software Delivery if a software delivery fails. Comments can be logged, and requests and change orders can be automatically closed if an outstanding failed delivery completes.

This integration provides a number of navigation paths between the two applications:

Navigation from Unicenter ServicePlus SD requests or change orders back to the job container context from which they were opened

Navigation from a Unicenter Software Delivery job container to an opened Unicenter ServicePlus SD request or change order

Navigation from Unicenter ServicePlus SD to the main screen of Unicenter Software Delivery

All navigation from Unicenter Software Delivery to Unicenter ServicePlus SD is to the Unicenter ServicePlus SD web interface; whereas Unicenter ServicePlus SD can launch either the Unicenter Software Delivery EGC interface or web interface.

GENERAL SERVICE AND SUPPORT

I have a good understanding of how the Service Desk is implemented in my organization

Our IT customers rarely experience any delays in contacting a service desk support person.

Our service desk is able to answer the majority of customer requests on the initial call.

We maintain accurate, up-to-date information on the status of all customer-reported incidents.

We have a well-defined method for prioritizing incidents as they are received.

We have a well-defined process for escalating incidents, as they remain unresolved.

We have an accurate history of past incidents and their causes. 

We do an excellent job of keeping our customers apprised of the status of any incidents they have reported.

We have a continuous call review process in order to reduce costly call volumes.

We use continuous, event-driven surveys to measure customer satisfaction. 

I have a good understanding of how Incident Management is implemented in my organization.

We have an excellent monitoring system in place to track the status of our servers and network components.

We immediately receive Incident notification when our applications and production databases are experiencing problems.

We can readily identify the effects of system outages on our business processes.

We maintain excellent records of our system and network outages. 

We have the ability to prioritize incidents based upon the impact on the business.

We can readily identify the effects of our incidents on our Service Level Agreements.

At any point in time, we know the exact status of every (unresolved) Incident.

We have implemented a Knowledge Base, which supports end users with known problems and work-rounds/resolution.

I have a good understanding of how Problem Management is implemented in my organization.

We are able to accurately track the status of all known problems from initial detection through resolution.

We have excellent reporting on the history of all known problems and their causes.

We regularly review problem history data to identify process improvement measures.

We have a well-defined process for escalating problems as they remain unresolved.

We have a formal process to review known errors and to ensure that they have a permanent resolution by way of the change management process. 

We have a formal process in place to determine the root cause of a problem and to define a temporary workaround or a permanent alternative. 

Problem Management team members should address support requests only through defined processes; usually the Service Desk.

Effective registration of incidents, including the appropriate classification, is critical for the success of our Problem Management process. 

I have a good understanding of how Change Management is implemented in my organization.

We have a highly efficient process for reviewing, approving and tracking IT service changes.

We have excellent reporting on the status of all IT service changes. 

We can readily determine our performance in completing IT service changes in order to understand our ability to perform a larger volume of changes and still meet agreed service levels.

Our IT customers can easily determine the status of their IT service changes. 

We are very efficient in notifying all parties who are involved in or affected by an IT service change.

We have a very effective process for escalating IT service changes that have not been completed on time.

We have a very effective method for prioritizing IT service changes. 

Because we have a highly effectiving change management process, the number of changes to our IT infrastructure is minimized.

Our Change Advisory Board (CAB), which meets on a scheduled basis to review and approve Changes, includes people who understand our business objectives, our Users and the IT development and support processes. 

I have a good understanding of how Configuration Management is implemented in my organization and how it is used in planning and controlling Configuration Items.

We can readily determine the hardware configurations of our servers and desktops.

We can readily determine the software configurations of our servers and desktops.

We are able to easily enforce software configuration standards on our servers and desktops.

We are able to maintain our hardware/software configuration data with a minimum of manual effort.

We have excellent historical data on our past configurations. 

We have excellent procedures for identifying, controlling, updating, auditing and analysing configuration item information including their service component relationships. 

We have excellent documentation on our configuration items that support all other IT Service Management processes.

We use CI documentation extensively in our annual IT budgeting process. 

I have a good understanding of howRelease Management is implemented my organization.

We are able to deliver software to our desktops with a minimum of errors and with little manual effort.

We are able to accomplish significant software installations and upgrades in a timely fashion.

We have the ability to allow users to determine when a software installation/upgrade will occur or to dictate when a software upgrade will occur, when necessary.

We can readily back out a software upgrade when necessary. 

We are able to accomplish software deliveries without significantly impacting our system or network performance.

We have established a definitive software library to store all of the approved software for the IT infrastructure as part of the Configuration Management Database.

We have a formal process to plan and oversee the successful rollout of new and changed software and associated hardware and documentation. 

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

I am quite familiar with the operations of my organization's internal Help Desk(s).

Our IT customers rarely experience any delays in contacting a help desk support person.

Our help desk is able to answer the majority of customer requests on the initial call.

We maintain accurate, up to date information on the status of all customer-reported incidents.

We have a well-defined method for prioritizing incidents as they are received.

We have a well-defined process for escalating incidents, as they remain unresolved.

We have an accurate history of past incidents and their causes. 

We do an excellent job of keeping our customers apprised of the status of any incidents they have reported.

I have a good understanding of how problems related to IT infrastructure are managed by my organization.

We are able to accurately track the status of all known problems from initial detection through resolution.

We have excellent reporting on the history of all known problems and their causes.

We regularly review problem history data to identify process improvement measures. 

We have a well-defined process for escalating problems as they remain unresolved.

We have a knowledgebase that allows our staff to quickly determine the nature of problems and potential corrective actions.

We have a formal process to review known errors and to ensure that they have a permanent resolution by way of the change management process. 

We have a formal process in place to determine the root cause of a problem and to define a temporary workaround or a permanenet alternative. 

I have a good understanding of what my organization does in the area of service level management.

We have well-defined SLAs with our IT customers that specify the expected availability and performance of our systems and networks. 

We are able to accurately measure the delivered service levels of our systems and networks.

We are able to generally anticipate performance problems and correct them before agreed upon service levels are missed.

We regularly provide our IT customers with formal reports on service quality. 

We regularly review service level measurements to identify processes in need of improvement.

We are able to accurately measure the end-to-end performance of our critical applications.

I have a good understanding of how my organization processes IT service requests.

We have a highly efficient process for approving and tracking IT service requests.

We have excellent reporting on the status of all IT service requests. 

We can readily determine our performance in completing IT service requests. 

Our IT customers can easily determine the status of their IT service requests. 

We are very efficient in notifying all parties who are involved in or affected by an IT service request.

We have a very effective process for escalating IT service requests that have not been completed on time.

We have a very effective method for prioritizing IT service requests. 

I have a good understanding of how my organization's Help Desk diagnoses and resolves reported problems.

We have provided our Help Desk staff with the information they need to diagnose and resolve the majority of problems reported by end users. 

We provide our end users with consistent information on problem causes and resolutions.

We have a knowledgebase of problem data that allows us to readily identify systemic problems.

Our knowledgebase of problem data is easily searchable by our Help Desk staff. 

Our knowledgebase enables our staff to readily locate supplementary information, when necessary.

Our knowledge management system can be easily expanded with third party knowledgebases.

HELP DESK

I have a good understanding of how Call Handling is implemented in my organization.

Our service desk is able to answer the majority of customer requests on the initial call.

We can access any user's request from virtually anywhere in the world to update or close it.

We can get up-to-the-minute incident data in real time and via reports. 

We can readily gather Service Desk activity data so that the workload can be balanced among the staff.

Service Desk users can easily distribute status notifications to end users throughout the enterprise.

End users can first search the service desk knowledge base before opening a new incident.

Our service desk is closely integrated with our telephone system, allowing the service desk technician to bring up detailed information on the caller. 

We have the ability to assign the priority of the new incidents based on the source from which they are opened.

I have a good understanding of how Call Classification is implemented in my organization.

Any new call can be classified automatically by our service desk tool. 

Based on the call category we can automatically assign the appropriate Service Level Agreement.

The method for classifying calls can be changed without taking the service desk off-line.

We can automatically set the priority and the impact of the call. 

Our service desk technicians can readily change the classification of a call/request.

I have a good understanding of how Call Routing is implemented in my organization.

We can route new calls to a group or an individual automatically based on the subject of the call.

Our service desk technicians can easily reassign calls to a new assignment group or individual.

We can easily route new calls coming in from 3rd party applications. 

Our technicians can easily reroute a call from our (internal) service desk to 3rd party service providers.

Our service desk allows technicians to transfer calls to other groups without opening a new call.

I have a good understanding of how Call Management Reporting is implemented in my organization.

We have clear reporting in place to provide statistics regarding our call handling.

Our management has a consolidated real-time view of all activity associated with our service desk.

Our management can easily determine the open/close rate on the new calls per day.

We have an integrated mechanism which automatically generates management reporting and publishes this on an intranet site.

Our management can easily generate call statistics on both internal and external customers to enable chargeback reporting.

We know the effectiveness and client satisfaction level of our service desk operation at any given time.

I have a good understanding of how Service Desk Automation is implemented in my organization.

End-users who are opening a new call are notified automatically on the status of their call. 

We can automatically assign calls to individuals or groups if the call is not picked up within a certain timeframe.

The service desk is very effective at informing the end users automatically on the ongoing progress of the call.

The service desk publishes real-time infrastructure status to the user community.

Our technicians can easily obtain current status by using a web interface for all service desk and system information.

I have a good understanding of how Staff Management is implemented for my Service Desk.

Our service desk technicians can easily determine the current and future workload for themselves and the group they are working in. 

Our service desk management has ready access to tools that allow them to make predictions regarding workload so they can manage staffing levels effectively to meet SLA's. 

We can use data captured by the service desk to instantly report on the call distribution and volume, and reschedule our first level support staff efficiently.

Based on the average time-to-close per category in the service desk, we can planning training to raise the skill level of all staff members. 

Our service desk management has ready access to statistics, showing the time spent on each call before it was transferred to the next level of support. 

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

I have a good understanding of the vision, strategy and steering related to how Incident Management is implemented in my organization.

Our Incident Management process has tactical objectives and goals aligned with overall strategic business and IT goals.

A self-contained continuous process of improvement is established as part of the Incident Management process.

We have defined standard reports that are used by the Incident Manager, IT Management, Service Level Management, and Customers to control our Incident Management Process.

The scope of Incident Management has been clearly defined within our organization.

We have defined objectives for Incident Management; these are supported with documented SLAs and OLAs.

I have a good understanding of how the process of Incident Management is implemented in my organization.

All Incidents are recorded immediately with basic diagnostic information. 

All of our Incidents are categorized according to their type and assigned a priority based on urgency and business impact. 

We have an effective process for matching new Incidents with similar incidents that have been previously reported.

We are able to quickly route all Incidents, for which no solution is available, to the appropriate support team for investigation and resolution. 

After successfully diagnosing and solving the incident, we have an effective process for recording the solution and notifying the user. 

An Incident is closed only if the solution is satisfactory to the user. 

The status and progress of all Incidents is monitored and communicated to the person reporting the Incidents and all other involved resources. 

I have a good understanding of how the people involved in Incident Management operate in my organization.

Formal targets for Incident Management are aligned to business objectives, and are actively monitored as part of the everyday roles and responsibilities of the individuals responsible for it.

We have established a first-level support group that is responsible for handling Incidents and "owning" them throughout their entire lifecycle. 

We have established the role of Incident Manager to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the process.

All of the personnel responsible for Incident Management have been properly trained.

We routinely monitor the level of customer satisfaction with the Incident Management process and use the results to update our process improvement plans. 

The Incident Management process has been documented and all personnel involved it understand their role in the overall process and its success. 

I have a good understanding of how the technology supporting Incident Management is implemented in my organization.

We have automated, state-of-the-art tools to help us record, classify, escalate, and track all Incidents throughout their entire lifecycle. 

We have a tool that enables our diagnostic staff to take control of a workstation remotely to easily and efficiently identify the possible causes of an Incident.

Our Service Desk has a tool that provides them with information and diagnostics about the managed environment in order to handle and resolve incidents as quickly as possible.

We have the ability to access effectively the information in our CMDB to help estimate the impact and urgency of any Incident. 

We have the ability to view current service status of any configuration item (CI) or service for which an Incident has been reported. 

We have an automated Knowledge Base that provides our Service Desk with current information regarding known errors, Incident recognition, and solutions or workarounds.

We have automated, state-of-the-art tools to help us quickly and accurately determine the business impact of any incidents. 

I have a good understanding of the influence of culture on Incident Management in my organization.

Incident Management has been embraced by our organization and is characterized by a continuous improvement attitude together with a strategic business focus. 

Our Incident Management process has now become "institutionalized" as part of the everyday activity for everyone involved with the process. 

The purpose and benefits of Incident Management is understood and accepted throughout our organization.

We produce standard reports on Incident activities to IT management and customers on a regular basis.

Standards and other quality criteria are explicit and applied to all Incident Management activities.

The need for compliance to Incident Management procedures is understood and followed in our organization.

I have a good understanding of the ways in which Incident Management integrates with other processes in my organization.

Change Management always notifies Incident Management of scheduled changes so they can recognize and address any related Incidents.

Incident Management has access to all of the relationships among the CIs defined in the Configuration Management Database so that Incidents can be routed more effectively.

Problem Management provides Incident Management the information it needs regarding known errors, workarounds and quick fixes on a timely basis. 

Incident Management is familiar with the requirements for handling Incidents all SLAs.

Incident Management provides Availability Management with Incident records, to enable it to assess the impact of Incidents on the availability of service. 

Incident Management automatically alerts Capacity Management of Incidents that may have occurred due to a lack of capacity, e.g., shortage of storage or slow response times.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

I have a good understanding of the vision, strategy and steering related to how Change Management is implemented in my organization.

Our Change Management process has tactical objectives and goals aligned with overall strategic business and IT goals.

A self-contained continuous process of improvement is established as part of the Change Management process.

We have established a Change Advisory Board (CAB) that meets regularly to assess and plan Changes.

The scope of Change Management has been clearly defined within our organization.

We have defined objectives for Change Management; these are supported with documented SLAs and OLAs.

I have a good understanding of how the process of Change Management is implemented in my organization.

We have a process for recording all requests for changes (RFCs) that is always followed, regardless of the source of the request, e.g., customers, Problem Management, etc.

We have a process for accepting all RFCs to filter out any that are unclear, impractical, or unnecessary.

Once an RFC has been accepted, we have a robust process in place to assign a priority to the Change and categorize it according to its impact. 

Our Change Management process plans all changes using a Forward Schedule of Changes (FSC) that documents all approved Changes and their planning. 

All approved Changes are communicated to the appropriate resources to build, test, and implement the changes.

All Changes are evaluated for effectiveness following their implementation. 

We have an effective process for approving urgent Changes that must be implemented without the normal Change Management process due to their business priority.

I have a good understanding of how the people involved in Change Management operate in my organization

Formal targets for Change Management are aligned to business objectives and are actively monitored as part of the everyday roles and responsibilities for the individuals responsible for it.

We have established a Change Advisory Board (CAB) that includes representatives from all major IT departments as well as customer and supplier representatives. 

We have established the role of Change Manager to define and control the process.

All of the personnel responsible for Change Management have been properly trained.

We solicit feedback from our customers to ensure that the provided Change control is adequately meeting their business needs without impacting their level of service.

We routinely monitor the level of customer satisfaction with the Change Management service and use the results to update our process improvement plans. 

All personnel involved in the Change Management process (CAB, Change Manager, end users, IT managers and staff) understand their role in the overall process and its success.

I have a good understanding of how the technology supporting Change Management is implemented in my organization.

We have automated, state-of-the-art tools to helps us record and track all change requests (RFCs) throughout their lifecycle.

We have the ability to graphically display the interrelationship of CIs in order to assess the impact of any change.

Change Management is supported by a well-integrated overall technology architecture that facilitates the flow of information throughout the lifecycle of the process.

We have the ability to effectively access the information in our CMDB about the assets that will by affected by any Change.

We have the ability to view current usage statistics on licenses and complete information on all contractual agreements on our hardware and software. 

We have an automated tool to track and control the Change Management of application development throughout it's lifecycle. 

I have a good understanding of the influence of culture on Change Management in my organization.

Change Management has been embraced by our organization and is characterized by a continuous improvement attitude together with a strategic business focus. 

Our Change process has now become "institutionalized" as part of the everyday activity for everyone involved with the process. 

The purpose and benefits of Change Management are understood and accepted throughout our organization.

We produce standard reports on IT Change control to management and customers on a regular basis.

Standards and other quality criteria are explicit and applied to all Change Management activities.

The need for compliance to Change Management procedures is understood and followed in our organization.

I have a good understanding of the ways in which Change Management integrates with other processes in my organization.

We always communicate changes to Incident Management so they can recognize and address any related incidents.

Change Management is effectively integrated with Configuration Management to insure that all Changes are recorded in the CMDB.

We have an effective process in place to receive RFCs from Problem Management and to notify them when Changes have been implemented. 

We have an effective process in place to inform Release Management of the need to implement new applications or technologies to effect a Change and to monitor their progress.

Change Management provides Service Level Management information regarding the effect of Changes so they can discuss their impact, if any, on SLA's. 

Change Management always consults with Availability Management to assess the impact of changes on the availability of service.

We have an effective process in place to receive RFC's from Capacity Management and to notify them when changes have been implemented. 

Change Management works closely with IT Service Continuity Management to ensure that all Changes are accounted for in recovery plans. 

In 2tier disctribution, Unicenter Service Desk can be sold for as low as 2 analysts (6000$ + 20% maint per year)

Please consult the respective SKUs that are available in EURO, GBP and USD

As for all the other Unicenter products going through 2tier distribution, there is no media kit. You have to order the license through SKUs and the products get shipped through TOPS. Therefore, remember the tops code for UNicenter Service Desk: USVD..99000