Forum Management

Forums are a special type of group that is created when a call of a certain problem type is logged. Analysts in the forum can view the call from their Calls Outstanding window by choosing the Forum explorer option. Forum members do not own the calls in their forum, but can review them and add comments. ASM enables you to configure Forum Workflows and apply them based on call attributes.

The forum management windows enable you to create and administer call forums in ASM. You can also define roles for forum members, and statuses that describe the relationship between the forum member and the call.

You can:

  • Create, edit, copy, or delete a forum
  • Define forum roles
  • Define forum statuses

Configuring Forum Management

  1. Select and then Admin. From the submenu, select IPK Workflow Rules. The IPK Workflow Rules window appears. The explorer pane on the left of this window shows three groups: IPK Workflow Rules, Forum Management and Auto Close Configuration.

  2. From the Forum Management group, select Forum Management Settings.
  3. To enable analysts to create forums, set up forum roles, and manage forums, select Enabled.

Adding a Forum

The Forums window enables you to add a new forum.

  1. Select and then Admin. From the submenu, select IPK Workflow Rules. The IPK Workflow Rules window appears. The explorer pane on the left of this window shows two groups: IPK Workflow Rules and Forum Management.
  2. From the Forum Management group, select Forums.
  3. The current forums for the system are shown in a browse table. You can filter the forums shown by clicking the arrow on the Title field and selecting a forum. To remove the filter and show all forums, select (All).
  4. To create a new forum, click . The Forum Setup window appears.
  5. In the Forum Title field, type a name for the forum. You can now add analysts and groups to the forum.
  6. To add analysts to the forum, click Add.
  7. In the Recipients window, select the analysts or groups you want to add to forum.

    8. If your system is partitioned, you can only add analysts or groups in the partitions to which you belong. Note however, that it is possible that to see analysts or groups on a forum, that are not in any of your partitions. This is when analysts or groups have been added to the forum by an analyst in a different partition to the ones to which you belong.

  8. After adding recipients, click OK to return to the Forum Setup window.
  9. For each analyst or group added, select a forum role by clicking in the Role column. The Role is used for identifying the responsibility of the forum member.
  10. If you want to remove an analyst from the forum, select the analyst and click Remove.
  11. Click .

An email will be sent to notify analysts and groups when a call is forwarded to the forum.

Copying a Forum

If you have already created and configured a forum, and want to create a new forum with identical members and settings but a different name, you can copy it.

  1. Select and then Admin. From the submenu, select IPK Workflow Rules. The IPK Workflow Rules window appears. The explorer pane on the left of this window shows two groups: IPK Workflow Rules and Forum Management.
  2. From the Forum Management group, select Forums.
  3. The current forums for the system are shown in a browse table. You can filter the forums shown by clicking the arrow on the Title field and selecting a forum. To remove the filter and show all forums, select (All).
  4. Select the forum that you want to use and click .
  5. In the Forum Setup window, overwrite the name and edit the settings as required.
  6. Click .

Editing a Forum

  1. Select and then Admin. From the submenu, select IPK Workflow Rules. The IPK Workflow Rules window appears. The explorer pane on the left of this window shows two groups: IPK Workflow Rules and Forum Management.
  2. From the Forum Management group, select Forums.
  3. The current forums for the system are shown in a browse table. You can filter the forums shown by clicking the arrow on the Title field and selecting a forum. To remove the filter and show all forums, select (All).
  4. Select the forum that you want to update and click , or double click on the forum.
  5. In the Forum Setup window, overwrite the name and edit the settings as required.
  6. Click .

Deleting a Forum

  1. Select and then Admin. From the submenu, select IPK Workflow Rules. The IPK Workflow Rules window appears. The explorer pane on the left of this window shows two groups: IPK Workflow Rules and Forum Management.
  2. From the Forum Management group, select Forums.
  3. The current forums for the system are shown in a browse table. You can filter the forums shown by clicking the arrow on the Title field and selecting a forum. To remove the filter and show all forums, select (All).
  4. Select the forum that you want to delete and click .
  5. Click .

Defining Forum Statuses

A call sent to a forum has a certain status for each particular forum member. The status is not really attached to the call as such, but applies to the relationship between the analyst and the call.

When a call has been forwarded to a forum, any person in that forum opening it will see the call forum status as New; this is the default status for opening a forum call. Once they have read the call, they can set the status to Read to show that they are aware of the incident or problem.

If an analyst sets the forum status of a call to Completed, it means they are no longer concerned with this call (for whatever reason). The call will no longer appear in the Forum Calls view on the Calls Outstanding window for that analyst.

However, you may want to create additional forum status titles, such as Under Review, or Investigating.

The Forum Status window shows the forum status titles for the system, and enables you to create and rename status titles. These status titles will be considered to have a status of Read by ASM.

  1. Select and then Admin. From the submenu, select IPK Workflow Rules. The IPK Workflow Rules window appears. The explorer pane on the left of this window shows two groups: IPK Workflow Rules and Forum Management.
  2. From the Forum Management group, select Forum Status.
  3. To rename a forum status, select it by clicking it, and overtype in the new name. To delete a forum status, select it by clicking it, and click

    4. You cannot delete or rename the system default status titles: New, Read and Completed.

  4. To add a new status, on the Forum Status window, click . A new row is added to the browse table.
  5. Type a name for the title in the browse table.
  6. Click .

Defining Forum Roles

You can assign analysts and groups to have roles when they are added to a forum. This role is just a description used for reference purposes; it has no effect on the call or the forum.

  1. Select and then Admin. From the submenu, select IPK Workflow Rules. The IPK Workflow Rules window appears. The explorer pane on the left of this window shows two groups: IPK Workflow Rules and Forum Management.
  2. From the Forum Management group, select Forum Roles.
  3. To rename a forum role, select it by clicking it, and overtype in the new name. To delete a forum role, select it by clicking it, and click
  4. To add a new role, on the Forum Role window, click . A new row is added to the browse table.
  5. Type a name for the title in the browse table.
  6. Click .