Creating Rules for Changes

Overview of Change Rule Functionality

Configuring Rule Groups

Use the Change tab in the Options and Tools | Automate | Rules screen to create rules that will perform actions when specified conditions based on Change record fields or events are met.

Rule creation involves entering a name for the rule, selecting the type of rule, selecting one or more conditions and time frame intervals if applicable, and then selecting one or more actions to perform if those conditions are met. The type of rule will determine the fields that appear. All rules include conditions and actions.

In order for a rule to be evaluated, it must be included in a rule group. rule groups are applied to changes through customers, companies, category combinations, change templates, and change hierarchy templates. (A default rule group will apply if none are applicable.) See Configuring Rule Groups for more information.

A configured Hours of Operation definition of 24 hours a day/seven days a week or selected date and time ranges can be used for the effective time frame for a time-based rule and for an on-save rule with a condition that includes "Within Business Hours". The default Hours of Operation definition assigned to a rule group will apply if no definition is selected for one of its rules. If a definition is selected for both a rule and its rule group, the definition assigned to a rule will take precedence.

Creating an On Change Save Rule

On Change Save rules do not incorporate time frames; when a change is saved, rules in the associated rule group are evaluated, and if true, their actions are performed.

Select or create an Hours of Operation definition with the time frame to be used to determine the time intervals set in time-based rules. (For on-save rules, this setting only applies when Within Business Hours is included in a condition.) You can click the Hours of Operation link to display details on the selected definition. This time frame will take precedence over any hours of operation assigned to a rule group.

Configuring Conditions

Use the first Match <All/Any> of the Following Conditions field to specify whether you want every configured condition in this rule to be met, or any configured condition in this rule to be met.

Use the Add Condition  and Remove Condition icons to display and remove a set of condition dropdown fields (a list of fields, a list of comparison methods, and a list of values applicable to the selected field) to evaluate upon change save. In the Select a Target dropdown, select what to evaluate: an change field or event, or whether it is within business hours.

In the next dropdown, select the comparison method. Note that Contains returns a true result if the value is included in the field but other characters are included in a field as well; the value can be embedded in a word. Is returns a true result if the value is the only set of characters included in a field.

Finally, select the value to be used with the comparison method.

Note: If a rule contains a condition with the Customer Work History Added or Work History Added to Change event, the rule will be triggered immediately when the event occurs (even if the change hasn't been saved). Conditions for all of the rules in the rule group will be evaluated and actions will be performed if conditions are met. Any other modifications in the change will not be saved until the support representative saves the change.

Click the Add Condition icon if you wish to include another condition. You can use the Add Condition Group icon to put a set of conditions to be executed together in a group.

Configuring Actions

Use the Actions section to select the actions to perform when the conditions are met. After creating the first action you can use the Add Action   icon to create another action. Use the Remove Action icon to remove any action lines.

• Change a field by selecting Change, the field to change, and the value to change it to.

  

• Execute a configured webhook for posting Change data to a web application.
• Execute a Slack webhook for posting Change data to a Slack web application.
• Create a change and apply a change template or hierarchy template by selecting Create, Change From Template, the template to apply. select Yes to relate changes that are created from the template to the Change record from which the rule executes.

  

• Send a desktop notification.
• Send an email notification. You can select the default or a custom notification; if possible the notification options will include one of iSupport’s default notifications that match the condition or recipient. Click the Show Notification icon to display the contents of the selected notification. You can use the Create New and View/Edit icons to access the Custom Notification screen.

  

  

• Send an SMS notification.  Select Notify - SMS, the recipient, and the notification to be sent. The contents of the SMS Text field in the custom notification will be sent; if that field is blank or if it is a default notification, the contents of the Subject field will be used. If sending to a support representative, the message will be sent to the following in their Support Representative record: if Twilio integration is configured, the number in the Mobile field; if Twilio is not configured, the address in the Alt Email field; if that is unavailable, to the address in the Email field. If sending to a customer, the message will be sent to the following in their Customer Profile record: if Twilio integration is configured, the number in the Mobile field; if Twilio is not configured, the SMS email from mySupport (email to text); if that is unavailable, the address in the Email field.

  

• Route the Change record by selecting Route via Load Balancing or Route via Round Robin, the route method, and the recipient if applicable. If routing by name, location, or skill, it will route to the primary group of the new assignee.

  

   

  

• Initiate approvals by selecting Initiate Approvals and clicking the Configure link. iSupport’s Approval feature requires a change to be approved by designated approvers before it can be closed. The rule in effect can initiate one or more approval cycles, and approval cycles can be associated with customers, companies, categories, and change and hierarchy templates. The Approvals dialog appears for you to specify the initial approval cycle, any additional cycles to apply if there is no initial approval cycle or the initial cycle results in an approval, and the final cycle to apply. Note that any changes to these settings will not affect current changes pending approval, and rules in the associated rule group will not execute while a change is pending approval. Field Descriptions

  Initial Approval Cycle	Select the predefined approval cycle to apply when the rule group is in effect for the change.
  First Associated Cycle	Select the approval cycle to apply if there is no initial approval cycle or the cycle specified in the Initial Approval Cycle field results in an approval. You can select Cycle Associated With Customer, Cycle Associated With Category, or Cycle Associated with Company.
  If the First Associated Cycle is Approved, Apply This Second Cycle	This field appears if an associated cycle was selected in the previous field. Select the approval cycle to apply if the cycle specified in the First Associated Cycle field results in an approval. You can select Cycle Associated With Customer, Cycle Associated With Category, or Cycle Associated with Company.
  If the Second Associated Cycle is Approved, Apply This Third Cycle	This field appears if an associated cycle was selected in the previous field. Select the approval cycle to apply if the cycle specified in the previous field results in an approval. You can select Cycle Associated With Customer, Cycle Associated With Category, or Cycle Associated with Company.
  If No Associated Cycle Applies, Use This Approval Cycle	This field appears if Cycle Associated With Customer, Cycle Associated With Category, or Cycle Associated with Company was selected in one or more of the previous three fields. Select the predefined approval cycle to apply if there are no approval cycles associated with the customer, customer’s company, or categorization of the change.
  Final Approval Cycle	Select the predefined approval cycle to apply after all previously applied cycles result in an approval.

   

  

  

Creating Time Frame Intervals for Time-Based Rules

Time-Based and Time-Based: Cumulative Rules

With Time-Based and Time-Based: Cumulative rules, the Time Frame Interval Settings section will include Intervals, Time, Minutes/Hours/Day(s) fields as well as a set of fields for entering an action to be performed when the condition is met for the interval time frame. The difference between these rules is that, if conditions change prior to the configured interval settings, Time-Based rules will clear all pending actions and the time frame will restart if conditions are met again; Time-Based: Cumulative rules will suspend all pending actions and if conditions are met again the time frame will include previous amounts of time in which conditions were met.

Note: If you change a condition, time interval, or time value in an existing time-based rule and interval timers are in process for any records associated with it, the timers will be reset.

In the Configure Time Frame Intervals and Actions section, use the Intervals field to specify the number of times a time frame should be established and monitored, and use the Time and Minutes/Hours/Day(s) fields to specify the amount and unit of time (in minutes, hours, or days) in the time frame.  Note that the Day(s) option is calculated with one day equal to 24 business hours. Use the dropdowns in the indented actions line to specify the actions to perform if conditions are met for that interval time frame.

Intervals and actions include an Add  icon to add another line, and a Remove  icon to remove the current line. You can use the Add Interval icon to add another interval time frame set and actions to perform if conditions are met for that interval time frame. Example

The Move Down  and Move Up  icons will appear for changing the order in which the interval time frames will be evaluated.

Time-Based: Important Dates Rules

Time-Based: Important Dates rules enable you to specify a number of days before or after the value in a specified date field (Due Date, Review Date, Scheduled Implementation Date, or a custom field). This type of rule will be evaluated when the defined number of days before or after the value in the specified date field occurs. Actions will be performed if the rule's conditions are met at the time the Time-Based Rule agent runs.

Enabling the Time-Based Rules Agent

If you are configuring Time-Based and Time-Based: Cumulative rules, ensure that the Time-Based Rules agent is enabled via the button in the Rules list screen. Note: If you change a condition, time interval, or time value in an existing time-based rule and interval timers are in process for any records associated with it, the timers will be reset.

Displaying a Timeline for Configured Time Frame Intervals

Use the View Timeline button at the bottom of the screen to display a dialog with a gauge chart depicting the time frames for each interval; actions will appear when you hover over a time frame with your mouse.

Printing a Rule

Click the Print button to display a summary of your entries; you can click the Print link in the dialog to send the information to the printer.

Associating Rules With Rule Groups

After creating a rule, you’ll need to include it in a rule group. You can do this via the Rule Group tab in the Rules screen, or via the Rule Group screen. On the Rule Groups tab, click the Add link. Rule groups configured via the Rule Group screen appear; select the applicable group and click OK. The rule group displays along with the Position field; use it to specify the order in which actions should be taken when conditions are met. If rules in a group contain duplicate actions, the position will determine the rule that will take precedence.