Parent/Child Tickets

Please note if you are using 12.3 or an older release. There were some notable changes in parent/child tickets in 12.3 so this would be useful information in trying to assist you.

Not sure exactly what would be in the notes you would need, but one way to ensure information populates the child tickets is to use Custom fields.  Ask questions like title, location, equipment type, etc, whatever your new employee would need to do their job.  Make those questions required at least for the client.  Then you can select which field will populate into fields in the child tickets.  You can still jump into the parent ticket from the child tickets if need be by clicking on the link.  This is how we do it.  The note section really doesn't have much information other than the specific task is complete (new computer, mobile phone, remote access token, etc.).

I am using 12.3.0.469 of WHD.

When I get the Ticket (typically an ticket generated from an email), I create the AD Account / Password. I add a note with that account name / password so the techs can create appropriate entries in their tickets. 1 tech needs to get a computer ready, and we typically log into the computer as the new staff member to create the mobile account, log into their Google Account, and get Google Drive ready for the new staff member. That way we know everything is working. The tech would need to know the new staff member login information to do that.

I guess I could create Custom Fields for that information. If that is the intent, then that is the way I will go. Just means that I will have a huge number of Custom Fields, which makes creating these Child Tickets messy (since ALL Custom Fields display in Child Tickets when setting them up).

You can choose what fields to be propagated to the child ticket.  Just because a field resides in the Parent ticket, it doesn't need to get transferred to the child tickets.  That way the techs get the information they need to set things up.  You won't have extra fields in the child tickets with useless information.

I'm waiting to see when a fix will arrive that allows the client to be copied from the parent ticket to the child ticket(s).  We make client a requirement for tickets, so when a tech opens a child ticket, they get an error message and cannot update/save that ticket.  For now, we have instructed them to look at the parent ticket and use the same client.  We are at 12.3 Hotfix 1.  I see that Hotfixes 3 and 4 are available now.  Anyone know if this was included in one of those packages?

I am not seeing the Custom Fields propogate to the Child Tickets. Are you sure this is possible?

I have a Request Type of "STAFF Account" that when Resolved, creates 4 Child Tickets. Each Child Tickets has a different Request Type.

Software > Services

Technology > Phone

Technology > Staff Computer

MISC

The Custom Fields in the Parent Ticket for request type STAFF Account are not propogating to the other Request Types, so those techs are not getting the information from the Parent Ticket (without clicking on the Parent Ticket link which is cumbersome).

Unless I have to create Specific Request Types just for the purpose of creating child tickets with Custom Fields (but that is again, not ideal).

I have a Request Type of Technology > Phone that does not have custom fields at all.

Do I need to create another called Technology > New Staff Phone that does have custom fields that can be retrieved from the Parent Ticket?

Maybe I am missing something here, but do you have the child ticket's request type associated with the custom fields?  My thought is the custom field(s) associated with the parent request type also have to be associated with the request types that you use for the child tickets.  So custom field A defined to the parent request type can not propagate to a child request type if custom field A is not associated with that request type.

You are not missing anything, and I do not. So then I do need to create a Special Request Type just for this purpose.

I do have a Request Type of Technology > Phone, but that is for all phone issues, therefore it does NOT have the custom fields (doesn't need it).

But if I want a New Staff member to get their Phone Extension configured, I will then need the custom fields to appear so they can be propogated by the Parent Ticket. Therefore, I will need a Special Request Type just to do this.

That is the part I was not sure on, but it appears I will need to begin creating a bunch of new Request Types,  just for this purpose. Argh.

Thank you for the quick reply.

We took the route of having the tech look at the parent ticket. We have to do this anyway as the client does not propagate from the parent ticket (yet – Peter said this was under consideration). So since the tech has to find the client name from the parent ticket, they can read the custom fields. Not the best, but working for now.