Issue Tracking System - Workflow

Workflow

An example scenario is presented to demonstrate how a common issue tracking system would work:

1. A customer service technician receives a telephone call, email, or other communication from a customer about a problem. Some applications provide automatic error reporting from exception handling blocks.
2. The technician verifies that the problem is real, and not just perceived. The technician will also ensure that enough information about the problem is obtained from the customer. This information generally includes the environment of the customer, when and how the issue occurs, and all other relevant circumstances.
3. The technician creates the issue in the system, entering all relevant data, as provided by the customer.
4. As work is done on that issue, the system is updated with new data by the technician. Any attempt at fixing the problem should be noted in the issue system.
5. After the issue has been fully addressed, it is marked as resolved in the issue tracking system.

The problem may not have been fully corrected, yet it will still be marked as resolved. The problem may be by-design, a known issue, or have a suitable workaround. A Run Book Automation process that implement best practices of these workflow and increase IT personnel effectiveness is becoming very common.