When setting up and configuring an Issuetrak site, the first thing to do is define the foundations of the site. Foundational elements are the basic entities and issue elements that provide structure. The interaction between these foundational components ultimately determines the success of the implementation. This document introduces the concepts behind the various building blocks and how they can be used.
Terminology
It’s best to be familiar with several terms going forward:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Organizations | These are structural containers for holding users, issues, and assets. Organizations can be used to control the visibility of issues and users in Issuetrak. |
| Users | These are records containing information about an identifiable account in Issuetrak. Users are associated with anyone who sends or receives an email, submits an issue, or who may be responsible for performing actions on an issue. A user record stores contact details, as well as permissions that determine what the user can access and do within Issuetrak. Users may or may not have access to the site. |
| Groups | Collections of users that share permissions. Depending on a group's permissions, it can be assigned to issues and / or tasks, receive notifications, and be used to restrict access to specific elements. |
| Locations | Optional entity that can be associated with users and displays as a field on issues. Locations can represent many different items, but are typically used to represent physical locations. |
| Departments | Optional entity linked to users, issues, and assets. Internal Departments control visibility to issues and users. Responsible Department allows issues association with a department other than the submitter or assignee. Departments aid in reporting and searching based on submitting or assigned user departments. The department does not appear on the issue record but can provide reporting capabilities. |
| Issue Types | Categorization of an issue that is required for issue submission. Issue Types also determine which issue form will display when the issue type is selected. Subtypes can be enabled to allow more granularity. |
Users
In Issuetrak, the most fundamental entity is Users. Users are individuals who interact with issues in various ways and can be classified as either End Users or Agents. Note that if desired, some or all End Users may not have permission to log into the site.
Each user has three key identifiers:
- Organization (Required): This is usually the company the user works for or the main entity within the site. Users must have a primary organization but can also be members of secondary organizations.
- Department (Optional): Users can be linked to a specific department within the organization. Unlike Organizations, users can only be a member of one department.
- Location (Optional): Users can be associated with a physical location to indicate where they are based. Unlike Organizations, users can only be a member of one location.
All of these details are recorded in the User’s profile.
When a user submits an issue, Issuetrak automatically includes these associated values in the issue record, such as the submitting user's organization, department, and location, which allows for accurate reporting.
Why is this important?
Typically, most users only have the ability to view their own issues and use the most basic features within Issuetrak. Other users need more advanced permissions or views. Group membership will grant specific permissions to multiple users at once, controlling what they can do or see on the issues they’re allowed to access.
Expanding access to give greater visibility to another user’s information and issues are controlled by department or organization association. For more information about visibility controls in Issuetrak, please read the Visibility Controls article.
Common Configurations
Your site Administrator has the ultimate control over which optional building blocks are activated, in addition to how items are structured. Here are some common examples to give you an idea of how your site could be configured.
| # | Scenario | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internal Service Desk One department handles issues coming from multiple departments. |
|
| 2 | Internal Service Desk/Business Operations Multiple departments handle issues coming from multiple departments. |
|
| 3 | External Customer Service One department handles customer service issues. |
|
| 4 | External Customer Service One department handles customer service issues. |
|
| 6 | Internal and External Service Desk/Business Operations Multiple departments handle customer service issues. |
|
Closing Thoughts
To ensure your site is optimally configured for your business, we recommend consulting with Issuetrak's Professional Services team. Our goal is to help you maximize the value of your Issuetrak implementation. Since every company is unique, your account manager can discuss the best consulting options for your needs, or you can reach out directly to the Professional Services team.
