As an agent, one of your primary responsibilities will be to manage, respond to, and resolve requests efficiently. This guide will walk you through the essential features you need to know to get started with request management in Atomicwork.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a strong understanding of how to handle different types of requests, communicate effectively, and ensure that all tasks are completed within their respective SLAs.
Getting familiar with request types
Atomicwork handles various types of requests, and as an agent, it’s important to recognize them:
Service requests: These are requests from employees seeking assistance or services, such as requesting new software or access to a system.
Incidents: These involve issues that need to be resolved, such as system outages or bugs.
General inquiries: These are simple questions or requests for information that don’t necessarily require a full workflow.
Change requests: Occasionally, you may handle change requests, which involve planning and implementing changes to IT systems or processes.
Problems: Problems involve identifying and resolving the root cause of recurring issues. This process helps prevent future incidents.
Understanding the type of request you’re dealing with is the first step to managing it effectively. For example, incidents often require more urgent attention than service requests.
Request management
Once you’ve identified the type of request, the next step is to manage it effectively:
Prioritizing requests: Not all requests are created equal. Learn to prioritize based on urgency and impact. An incident affecting multiple users or critical systems should be handled before a service request for non-essential software.
For instance, if you receive two requests simultaneously—one for a password reset and another for resolving a server outage—prioritize the server outage, as it has a broader impact on business operations.Assigning requests: Atomicwork assigns requests to you if you send an initial response to them, and also allows you to assign requests to a different agent on your team. Ensure that requests are assigned promptly to avoid delays in resolution.
Tracking progress: Regularly update the status of your requests to keep everyone in the loop. This helps in maintaining transparency and ensures that requests are moving forward.
Additionally, requests can be assigned to agent groups, which control visibility and access. Atomicwork supports three types of agent groups:
Open groups: Requests assigned to an open group are visible and editable by all agents in the workspace. Any agent can be assigned to these requests, add replies and comments, or update attributes.
Restricted groups: Requests assigned to a restricted group are fully editable only by agents who are part of that group. Other agents in the workspace can view these requests and add private comments, but cannot reply directly to requesters.
Private groups: Requests assigned to a private group are only accessible to agents within that specific group. Other agents in the workspace cannot view these requests.Understanding the request details page
Request Details
The Request details page is where you’ll spend much of your time.
Request information overview: At the top, you’ll see the title of the request along with a brief description. If the request is related to other requests or incidents, they will be linked here. This is helpful to understand if the request is part of a broader issue. For a service request, you'll find the details of the service item requested here.
Conversation tab: This tab displays the communication history related to the request. You can see messages sent between the requester and agents, and you can reply directly or leave private comments for internal discussions.
Activities tab: Here, you'll find a chronological record of all actions taken on the request. It includes changes to request attributes, executed workflows, and initiated surveys. It’s crucial for tracking progress and keeping a clear record of how the request has been handled.
Request attributes sidebar: The sidebar displays who submitted the request and its current status, as well as the response and due dates for managing deadlines, the assigned agent to clarify responsibility, and the priority level along with SLA indicators for effective prioritization. Approvals requests, and linked assets in the case of incidents are also shown here. Tags, which categorize and filter requests and incidents, are also displayed here and can be used as conditions in workflows.
Action buttons: At the top right, you can summarize the request, follow updates, mark it resolved, or perform actions like linking, converting, moving, or deleting the request.
Understanding SLAs
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) define the expected time frames for responding to and resolving requests:
SLA indicators: In Atomicwork, each request will display its SLA status in the request view and on the request details page.
Prioritizing based on SLA: Pay close attention to requests nearing their SLA deadline. These should be prioritized to avoid breaches, which can impact service performance metrics.
Sending replies and private comments
Responding with clarity can help you resolve requests faster. On any request, you can:
Send replies: Use the reply feature to communicate directly with the requester. Keep your responses clear, concise, and informative.
Add private comments: Use private comments to discuss the request internally with your team. This is useful for collaborating on complex issues without involving the requester in every detail.
For example, if you’re unsure about the best approach to resolve a technical issue, you can leave a private comment asking a colleague for their input before responding to the requester.
AI-powered tools for agents
Atomicwork equips you with intelligent tools to improve your communication and efficiency in handling requests.
Ask Atom: This feature helps ensure that your responses are grammatically correct and professional. It automatically suggests corrections, making it easier to maintain a high standard of communication.
Summarize: Use the Summarize feature to quickly generate a brief summary of a long request or conversation. This is especially useful during major incidents involving multiple collaborators or to create a concise summary when escalating a request for efficient problem resolution.
Following requests and adding followers
Stay updated and keep relevant team members in the loop.
Following requests: You can choose to follow requests that are critical or particularly relevant to your work. You will be notified about any updates or changes to the request you're following.
Adding followers: If a request involves multiple stakeholders, you can add them as followers to the request. This keeps everyone informed and ensures that all necessary parties are aware of the request’s progress.
For example, in a cross-departmental project, such as setting up new user access for a marketing campaign, you might add both IT and Marketing team members as followers. This ensures that all relevant updates are communicated promptly, reducing the chances of any delays due to miscommunication.
Marking a request as Resolved/Closed
The final step in request management is marking requests as resolved or closed.
Mark a request as Resolved when the issue has been addressed but may still require confirmation from the requester. Once the requester confirms that the issue is fully resolved, you can then mark it as Closed. Atom can automatically mark a request as closed after a configured period of time since its resolution.
Now that you're familiar with these features, you're equipped to handle requests efficiently, maintain clear communication, and ensure that all tasks are completed within their respective SLAs.