About Global Issues

In Issuetrak, activating Global Issues allows you to link multiple issues together and work with them as a collective unit. You can also make it easier for different users to report the same issue through this feature.

In a Global Issue scenario, one issue is promoted to Global (parent) status, such as an issue that reveals a problem multiple users may encounter before it is resolved. As similar issues are submitted or identified, they are Linked to that parent issue. As long as this Global Issue remains open, any permitted users will see it listed in the Global Issues tab of their Issue Hub screen.

For example, let's say that you get several issues reporting the same problem. One option is to update each of those issues separately, adding the same information to each one. An easier option is to promote one of them to a Global Issue, then link the other issues to it. The linked issues can be automatically updated as you work the Global Issue.

Additionally, Global Issues can be used to link related issues together with the option of not updating them. This allows you to tie issues together that are similar but not exactly the same.

Global Issues also allows you to create multiple linked issues at one time so you can proactively notify specific users or customers about a problem, or create a group of linked issues for more accurate reporting.

When an issue is promoted to a global issue, you may search for existing issues to be linked to the global issue or you may choose to create new issues to be linked to the global issue.

 

Activating Global Issues

When activating Global Issues on your site, you can select which events and information will be copied over to all linked issues.

Please note that only users with Sys Admin permissions can activate Global Issues within your system. Lesser administrative privileges such as Can access and maintain Administration functions will not allow users to toggle this functionality.

Steps:

  1. Click the gear icon in the upper right > click Features beneath System.
  2. Scroll down to the Global Issues section.
  3. Select Use Global Issues.
  4. Select the values copied over to any Linked Issues When Linked to a Global Issue.
    • The “When Linked” column is for copying information to linked issues during the initial linking.
  5. Select the values copied over to any Linked Issues On Change to a Global Issue.
    • The “On Change” column is for changes made after the link is created.
  6. Click Update.

A confirmation message will appear when this process is complete.

This is the only location where the "When Linked" and "On Change" options for Global Issues are editable. When in the Global Issue Options in a Global Issue, the options will be visible to note what changes to linked issues will happen, but the only option that can be changed is to enable Override default field update settings which will turn off all changes to the linked issues.

Deactivating Global Issues

As your processes and needs change, you may wish to deactivate Global Issues for your site. 

Please note that only users with Sys Admin permissions can deactivate Global Issues within your system. Lesser administrative privileges such as Can access and maintain Administration functions will not allow users to toggle this functionality.

Steps:

  1. Click the gear icon in the upper right > click Features beneath System.
  2. Scroll down to the Global Issues section.
  3. Uncheck Use Global Issues.
  4. Click Update.
 

Promoting an Issue to a Global Issue

Only Agent users are able to promote or link existing issues. End-users will only be able to Submit new issues linked to the Global Issue if they are granted permission to see the Global Issue on their Issue Hub screen.

The settings in Features > Global Issues will determine what events / information are copied to the Linked Issues. This can be overridden for a specific Global Issue if needed.

Which users can see an issue once it becomes Global is controlled by viewing permissions set in the issue record.

Steps:

  1. From the View Issue screen of the issue you are promoting, click Promote to Global in the right quick menu.
  2. Define which users can see and access this Global Issue from their Issue Hub screen and any available reporting mechanisms on the screen that opens when promoting the issue. The below options will be available in the Viewing Permissions section:
    • All users with access to this Issue
      • This option can be selected in addition to one of the below options.
    • All users in the global issue’s organization
    • Only Agents in the global issue’s organization
    • All users in all organizations
    • Only Agents in all organizations
  3. Use the Linked Issue Options section to determine what information / events will be copied to linked issues.
    • If Tasks are enabled for the site, the Copy tasks to newly created linked Issues? option will allow all Tasks on the Global Issue to be copied to newly created linked Issues.
    • The Override default field update settings for linked Issues? option allows you to bypass all field update options for this Global Issue.
  4. Click Promote.
  5. (Optional) Step 2 Link / Create Issues.
    1. If related issues have already been submitted, locate those issues by selecting the Search for Issues to Link option. When selected, an issue list with search options will appear to help you locate and select the issues you wish to link.
    2. You can speed up the submission of new linked issues on this same single screen by creating multiple new linked issues via Submit New Issues to Link option.
  6. Click Link Selected Issues or Submit New Issues to process your selections.

A confirmation message will appear when this process is complete. The Global Issue Options will now appear in this issue’s right quick menu. Using this option, you may link and unlink issues, change user viewing permissions, or demote the issue at any time.

 

Managing Global Issues

Agent users can Edit the Global Issue Options or remove Global status from an issue if needed.

Only Agent users can promote issues to Global status, retroactively link existing issues to a Global Issue or submit multiple new issues. However, any users that have been specifically selected to view a Global Issue can submit new issues that are linked to that particular issue.

Edit Global Issue Options

Steps:

  1. View the Global Issue.
  2. Click Global Issue Options in the right quick menu.
  3. Change the Viewing Permissions and Linked Issue Settings as needed.
  4. Click Update Options.

A confirmation message will appear when this process is complete.

Remove Global Status from Issue

Steps:

  1. View the Global Issue.
  2. Click Global Issue Options in the right quick menu.
  3. Check Remove Global status from this Issue and remove all links.
  4. Click Update Options.

A confirmation message will appear when this process is complete.

 

Linking Issues

All users that have been granted permission to see the Global Issue on their Issue Hub screen can submit new issues that are automatically linked to the Global Issue using the steps below.

Only an Agent user can link existing issues to a Global Issue from either of the below screens:

  • Issue details screen (View / Edit / Close) on the child issue.
    • This method will allow you to link a single issue to the global issue.
  • Global Issue Options screen on the global issue.
    • This method will allow you to link multiple issues to the global issue at the same time.

Only Agent users are able to promote or link existing issues. End Users will only be able to Submit new issues linked to the Global Issue if they are granted permission to see the Global Issue on their Issue Hub screen.

Linking New Issues

Steps:

  1. From the Issue Hub screen, click Submit next to the Global Issue that is related to the new issue you are submitting.
  2. Enter any additional comments or information relevant to this new issue in the Note field.
  3. Click Submit.

A confirmation message will appear when this process is complete and you will be returned to the Issue Hub screen.

Linking existing issues from the Issue Details screen

Steps:

  1. From the View Issue screen of the issue you are linking, click Link to Global in the right quick menu.
  2. Use options on the Select Global Issue screen that opens to locate the global issue.
  3. Click the Issue Number link on the Select Global Issue screen to select the appropriate global issue.

You will be taken back to the View Issue screen and you will now see Linked to Global Issue at the top of the page followed by the number of the Global Issue.

Linking existing issues from Global Issue Options

Steps:

  1. From the View Issue screen of the Global Issue, click Global Issue Options in the right quick menu.
  2. Scroll down to the Linked Issues section.
  3. Select Search for Issues to Link.
  4. Select the appropriate options to locate the issues that you need to link to the global issue.
  5. Check the boxes for all of the issues that need to be linked to the global issue.
  6. Click Link Selected Issues.
  7. Click OK on the confirmation prompt.

A confirmation message will appear when this process is complete.

Global vs Linked Issue Notifications

If you have your site configured to send issue notifications when notes are added, you should know that you will only receive one notification for a Global Issue when notes are added to it. You will not receive a notification for that same note being propagated to all of its linked issues.


Deactivating Global Issues

Please note that only users with Sys Admin permissions can deactivate Global Issues within your system. Lesser administrative privileges such as Can access and maintain Administration functions will not allow users to toggle this functionality.

Steps:

  1. Click the gear icon in the upper right > click Features beneath the System.
  2. Scroll down to the Global Issues section.
  3. Deselect Use Global Issues.
  4. Click Update.

A confirmation message will appear when this process is complete.

 

Closing Thoughts

The goal of Issuetrak consulting is to make sure you get the most out of your Issuetrak implementation. Because your company is unique, your account manager can discuss which consulting options will work best for you. Or you can reach out directly to the Professional Services team.

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