Operational Categorization for BMC Remedy | The Remedy for IT

Pgina 1 de 3

BMC Remedy 7.6.04

Service Pack 4
September 13, 2012

ARInside
September 9, 2012

Is Independent
Remedy Development
Dead?
September 6, 2012

The Service Action

In a recent post I covered how the different categorizations for BMC Remedy Service Desk should be

September 3, 2012

interpreted. The operational category is maybe the most important of all.

In this post I will review the most important facts that an operational categorization must accomplish and I will
New Section:
Interesting Web Sites

provide a model that fulfills these conditions.

August 31, 2012

What is the main objective of the Operational Categorization? If we follow the guide I published, the answer
is: to describe the type of operation asked by the client. So the main idea is to provide a hierarchical list of the

New section: Free tool

reviews

different possible demands of the client. But, it must be organized, using a defined and documented strategy.

August 31, 2012

This list of possibilities must accomplish:

BMC leads but it is not
a leader

The information provided by the operational categorization must avoid entering into the scope of other

August 30, 2012

categorizations, mainly focusing in not invading the product categorization.

The three layers must have a defined meaning. That is, the first tier meaning must be defined and
differentiated from the rest of tiers, and so for the other two tiers. And the meaning of tiers two and three

ITSM suite 8.0.00 will

release on September

must not vary depending on the value of tier one.

August 29, 2012

We must maximize the interchangeability of the tier values. That its, try to not to define a closed
hierarchy, but a set of possibilities for each tier that can be related without limitations (any element of tier

Nominated as MVP

1, with any element of tiers 2 and 3)

August 28, 2012

One of the best practices is to define one layer as a verb (typically the tier one), and the rest as nouns.
The operation scope must include service restorations, service requests, events, infrastructure failure or

Manipulating the SLA

any other thing covered by the Incident Management application.

August 25, 2012

For each element, the different types of incidents must be reviewed to see which ones apply.

My proposal is to interpret the three tiers as follows:

Jose Huerta on Automatic
Action (verb): Describes the type of action requested. Some examples can include Repair, Install,

assignment for BMC Remedy

Update, Query,

ITSM

Scope (noun): Describes the aspect of the related product for which the action is requested. It not

Anubhav Anand on Automatic

verses about the kind of product, but the aspect of this product that is affected by the requested

assignment for BMC Remedy

operation. Some examples can be: Access, Hardware, Software, Service, For instance is the user is

ITSM

asking an upgrade of some software at one computer, the CI (and product categorization) could be the
computer, but the action is about updating the software.
Object (noun): A subdivision of the previous. It can be as abstract as possible to allow to be shared

Dale Hurtt on New Section:

Interesting Web Sites

between different scopes. For instance, one object can be Configuration, that can be applied to all

Venkat Maddala on Remedies

scopes (a users ask to update the configuration of the Access rules of a system; or a user reports a

for Remedy

incident that needs reparation of the software configuration.

The Service Action | The

Remedy for IT on Taking the
most from the PUSH action in

Normally the operational categorization must be able to conform a sentence like the next:

Remedy

What I want is to <Tier 1>, in the scope of <Tier 2>, the <Tier 3> of the/my <Product>.
For instance,
What I want is to Update, in the scope of Access, the Configuration of the Remedy Change Management.

http://theremedyforit.com/2011/12/operational-categorization-strategy-for-bmc-remed... 17/10/2012

Operational Categorization for BMC Remedy | The Remedy for IT

Pgina 2 de 3

What I want is to Repair, in the scope of Software, the Functionality of the Sales Management System.

Must be reviewed and adapted to your case!!

ARSARS

Tier 1: Action

ConfigBMCBookCase

Repair

Delete

Install

Query

insensitiveCase

Update

Check

sensitive

Categorization

Certification Change

Tier 2: Scope
Access

Software

Hardware

Service, when the user cannot report the scope

and only knows that a service is down for him.

ManagementDevelopment

Escalation Filter Free

ToolFunctionsFunny

Incident

Tier 3: Object

ManagementIndicatorITIL

Application

Functionality

Authentication

Log

Availability

Password

Cancellation

Patch

ConfigJokeKPILicense login Mid

Component

Performance

-tier

Connectivity

Peripheral

GroupsProblem

Credentials

System

ManagementProcess

Data

Version (or release)

engeenieringProduct

ITSM
Oracle OTRS Permission

CategorizationRADRapid
Not all combinations are valid. You must check which combinations are valid for you and which type of
incident is related to each elected combination.

Application
DevelopmentSchedulingService

Service SupportSLASortStatus
Implementing an operational categorization is not as easy as it seems at first sight. Also the importance of it

Support GroupTable FieldThree

is higher of what at the start up could like. I can provide you a set of recommendations that can help you at

layersUser GroupsUser

the implementation stage:

ManagementWWRUG

Start by defining the structure of the three tiers. That is, to define what will be the meaning of tier one,
two and three. Document it and make it clear providing some examples.
Conform a board of stakeholders that must include representatives of all the support groups. The
objective of this board will be the definition of the operational categorization list.
Provide a draft of the list to the board, to be reviewed by all, focusing in what situation is missing and
which information is confuse or redundant. Also take care if enough differentiation is present to allow the
automatic assignation or flow rules to execute.
Config the agreed list.
Set a method (typically a SRD or incident template) to communicate RFC about the operational
categorizations. Conform a CAB and maintain it updated and healthy using the change management
process.

The resolution categorization can be understood as the action finally performed by the support team. So, it
should follow the same strategy as the product categorization, but taking care of the possible differences
between them. One must answer the questions: What the user will never request, that my team sometimes
do? and What can the user request that my team never do?. For instance, your team will never repair the
Internet, but a user can ask you to do it.
POSTED ON DECEMBER 21, 2011 BY JOSE HUERTAIN BEST PRACTICES, FEATURED

Name *

Email *

Website

http://theremedyforit.com/2011/12/operational-categorization-strategy-for-bmc-remed... 17/10/2012

Operational Categorization for BMC Remedy | The Remedy for IT

Pgina 3 de 3

http://theremedyforit.com/2011/12/operational-categorization-strategy-for-bmc-remed... 17/10/2012