Service Requests
This chapter describes Service Requests (SRs). Service Requests provide a mechanism for the service organization, customers, and field personnel to get product information back to the rest of the company and track user requests throughout the enterprise.
Business ConsiderationsDescribes how calls impact and can be managed with SRs.
Linking Service Requests to CallsDescribes the connection between service requests and calls and illustrates the Service Request Maintenance (11.1.15.1) frame.
Service Request SetupDescribes how to set up SR functions by defining SR Status Codes, SR queues, and optional generalized codes.
Service Request MaintenanceDescribes how to create SR requests using Service Request Maintenance (11.1.15.1).
Service Request Queue ManagerDescribes the functions Service Request Queue Manager (11.1.15.13).
Service Request Delete/ArchiveDescribes the functions of the Service Request/Delete Archive (11.1.15.23).
Business Considerations
In day-to-day business operations, calls come in on topics ranging from requests for marketing or sales material to questions regarding how your equipment works to complaints about equipment breakdown and failure. Service requests let you manage internal responses to problems relayed from field activities or calls.
Managing service requests can help you detect the causes of problems and prevent future support costs. You can consolidate several calls reporting the same failure into one service request. If a design or engineering change is necessary, you can create an Engineering Change Notice (ECN) to address the required changes.
Example: A copier company runs an aggressive service organization that performs repairs and preventive maintenance for its own products and for competitors’ products. After all, those who maintain a product often learn more about it than those who create it. In an industry that is driven by technological innovation, technology transfer can be a strategic ingredient.
The service engineers gain insight into the design, use, and maintainability of the leading copiers. The company wants to leverage the experience and insights of the service engineers into improvements in their copier line. To accomplish this goal, the company implements a service request system where service engineers can feed suggestions back to manufacturing.