glossary

Assetsearch for term
An inventory item managed by the Service Desk.
Asset Tagsearch for term
The reference code that that identifies the inventory item. In physical items, it is usually a reference number (generally with a bar code) although the device manufacturer’s serial number could be used. An Asset Tag is often used instead of Serial Number because not all items have a serial number.
Assignmentsearch for term
A task, service or action formally assigned to a technician. In standard ITIL terminology this is also known as a "Work Order" (which should not be confused with the "Work Order form" in the Track-It! application, which is more generic). Synonyms: Assignments
Backout Plansearch for term
The steps that will be followed in order to return back to the initial state, in the event that the Change is not made successfully.
Business Risksearch for term
The extent to which the business may be affected by the Change.
Business Servicesearch for term
Any service provided by the Service Desk, which is important to the business activity of the organization. For example: Email, Internet, CRM system, etc. The Business Services are listed in the Services Catalog.
Changesearch for term
Any action that might have an impact on the services provided by the Service Desk, or which might affect an Inventory Item.
Change Advisory Board (CAB)search for term
The group of people who need to approve a Change before it can be implemented. Usually members of the CAB are responsible for (or their business depends on) specific services. In the Track-It! application, the CAB members are defined in the Change Management Policy and are called Approvers.Synonyms: CAB
Change Coordinatorsearch for term
The technician responsible for managing the Change Request. In the Track-It! application, the Change Coordinator is identified in the "Assigned Technician" field.
Change Initiatorsearch for term
The technician who creates the Change Request. The Change Initiator should be informed regarding the status of the Change Request.
Change Managersearch for term
The person responsible for overseeing the Change Management process.
Change Requestsearch for term
A formal request to initiate the Change Management process. Also called RFC or Request for Change.Synonyms: Request for change, RFC
Checklistsearch for term
A list of specific aspects that should be verified when carrying out the rollout plan.
Closure Codesearch for term
A reference code that is introduced when the Request is closed. It indicates the reason why the request is closed. Synonyms: Completion Code
CMDBsearch for term
Configuration Management Database. The CMDB is a consolidated database that contains all the relevant information for the service provision.
Completion Codesearch for term
A reference code that is introduced when the Request is closed. It indicates the reason why the request is closed.Synonyms: Closure Code
Configuration Item (CI)search for term
An asset managed by the Service Desk.
Corrective actionssearch for term
The actions that need to be performed in order to resolve a Request or Problem.
Creation Datesearch for term
The day and time at which the customer or Initiator registered the Request, Task, Problem or Change Request.
Customersearch for term
The person (end user) who receives the service provided by the Service Desk. In the Track-It! application, the Customer is indicated in the Requestor field.
Definitive Resolutionsearch for term
Actions that permanently resolve the Problem, by eliminating the root cause.Synonyms: Definitive Solution
Degradation of Servicesearch for term
A malfunction, problem or limitation in the service, which can be detected, measured or perceived by the customer.
Due Datesearch for term
The day and time at which the Request, Task, etc. must be resolved. In the case of Requests, the Due Date is calculated automatically based on the SLA, taking into account criteria such as impact, urgency, etc.
Emergency Changesearch for term
A change which, due to its extreme urgency, requires immediate action and therefore should not go through the normal approval process. Emergency Changes are applied first and documented afterwards.
Escalatesearch for term
To transfer or reassign the responsibility of resolving a request or task to another technician or support group.
Escalationsearch for term
The process of transferring or reassigning the responsibility of resolving a Request, Problem, Task, etc. to another technician or support group.
External Suppliersearch for term
An external organization or company that provides products or services that the Service Desk needs in order to provide the service. Examples: the ISP or telephony supplier, hardware suppliers, etc.
Group Coordinatorsearch for term
The technician responsible for supervising and coordinating the work of a Support Group.Synonyms: Group Manager, Group Supervisor
Impactsearch for term
The degree to which the customers are affected. The impact is higher when a large number of customers are affected, or when the degradation of service affects the business.
Inventory Managersearch for term
The person responsible for the inventory items and, in general, for the Inventory Management process.
Knowledge Basesearch for term
The problem and solution database used to investigate possible resolutions to Problems and Requests.Synonyms: Knowledge Database
Known Errorsearch for term
A root cause of a Problems or Requests, for which relevant information has been published. A typical example is a “bug” that appears in the software manufacturer’s Knowledge Database.
Level 1search for term
The group of technicians who attend to the customers when a request is made. Level 1 technicians try to close the request directly and if this is not possible, they escalate the request to Level 2.Synonyms: 1st Level, First Level
Level 2search for term
The groups of technicians who only attend to those requests that cannot be resolved by Level 1 technicians. Level 2 technicians are usually organized into groups based on specialization (for example: Systems, Infrastructure, Database, etc.) Synonyms: 2nd Level, Second Level
Non-Standard Changesearch for term
A Change that meets the criteria for applying the Change Management process. It is called Non-Standard in order to be differentiated from Standard Changes, which do not need approval from the Change Manager.
Normal Changesearch for term
A Change that meets the criteria for applying the Change Management process. Normal Changes should not be confused with Standard Changes (which do not require approval from the Change Manager).
Open Datesearch for term
The day and time at which the customer or Initiator registered the Request, Task, Problem or Change Request.
Preventative Maintenance Tasksearch for term
A task that is created and assigned as part of a scheduled maintenance program, usually for a specific Asset.
Prioritysearch for term
The degree of importance or urgency assigned to a request or task.
Problemsearch for term
That which causes (or may cause) a degradation of service, or which may give rise to new support requests. In the cases of support requests, the Problem is usually the root cause of the request.
Problem Initiatorsearch for term
The technician who has registered the Problem
Problem Managersearch for term
The person responsible for the Problem Management process. Usually the Problem Manager also is responsible for proactively identifying Problems (usually this is done through a periodic review of Requests as well as other sources).
Requestsearch for term
A formal petition reported by the customer to the Service Desk. There are several types of requests: technical support requests, service requests, complaints, etc. In all cases, they are registered in the Service Desk in order to provide follow-up.
Request for Changesearch for term
A formal request to initiate the Change Management process. Also called RFC, or Change Request.Synonyms: Change Request, RFC
Request Initiatorsearch for term
The technician who has opened the request.
Resolutionsearch for term
The documented response or solution that meets the customer’s needs and allows the request to be closed. A resolution can be a summary of actions performed by a technician, step-by-step instructions for the customer to follow, an explanation, etc.
RFCsearch for term
Request for Change. A formal request to initiate the Change Management process. Also called Change Request.
Risk and Impact Analysissearch for term
Detailed information about the costs and the potential negative aspects that could arise as a result of a Change Impementation, in terms of how customers might be affected. Usually the Risk and Impact Analysis is provided by the Change Coordinator (with the help of a Specialist if necessary) before the Change Request is submitted for approval. The Risk and Impct Analysis is often broken down into two parts: Business Risk and Technology Risk.Synonyms: Impact Analysis, Risk Analysis
Rollout Plansearch for term
The steps to be followed in order to implement the Change.Synonyms: Implementation Plan
Root Causesearch for term
The situation that gives rise to a Problem. If the Root Cause is eliminated, the Problem is resolved.Synonyms: Underlying Cause
Self Service Portalsearch for term
The Web interface used by the customer to report new requests.
Serial Numbersearch for term
The manufacturer’s reference code used to identify a specific hardware asset. The Serial number is usually printed in a tag or it is visible on the asset in some other way.
Service Catalogsearch for term
List of activities and services that are officially provided by the Service Desk. The Service Catalog is often used to classify Requests for reporting purposes and may also be used as criteria when assigning SLAs.
Service Desksearch for term
The organization that provides IT services to customers.
Service Schedulesearch for term
The days and times during which a service is provided. For example, the Service Schedule for Desktop Support might be from Monday to Friday from 9 to 5, whereas the Service Schedule for Infrastructure and Systems Support might be 24x7.
SLAsearch for term
The parameters that determine the quality of the service that must be delivered. An SLA usually defines the amount of time allowed for resolution, taking into account factors such as Impact and Urgency. An SLA may include other parameters as well, such as the amount of time allowed for the initial response (once the request has been registered).Synonyms: Service Level Agreement
Specialistsearch for term
A technician responsible for resolving Problems, Tasks and Requests related to a specific area or technology. For example: Specialist in Microsoft Exchange.
Standard Changesearch for term
A change where the Change Management Process is not applied because a formal procedure already exists for the change, and has been approved by the Change Manager in order to avoid the need for case-by-case approvals.
Support Groupsearch for term
An organization of technicians who work on the same type of requests, tasks, etc - For example, the Systems Group, the Infrastructure Group, etc.
Tasksearch for term
A job or action formally assigned to the technician or group of technicians. A task may (although not necessarily) form part of the resolution cycle for a Request, a Change or a Problem. In the Track-It! application, a Task is called "Assignment".
Task Initiatorsearch for term
The technician who has created the Task.
Techniciansearch for term
A member of the Service Desk staff.
Technology Risksearch for term
The extent to which the technical aspects (infrastructure, functionality, etc.) may be affected by the Change.
Work Schedulesearch for term
The working hours during which service is provided.
Workaroundsearch for term
An alternative solution that allows a Request to be closed, although it does not eliminate the root cause. A workaround is often a “temporary solution” that alleviates the symptoms, as opposed to a “definitive solution” that cures the problem.