Request management systems must be reliable and above all easy to use. Requestors will not cooperate when faced with obstacles to submitting Service Requests. The Request Management Systems (rm^s) is the ideal tool for end-user Service Requests. Its Catalog structure makes defining and managing request forms easy to do. Catalogs can have multiple forms each with a unique workflow. If your business processes define a common workflow for all forms, rm^s supports that too.

rm^s solves the problem of communicating across distance and time zones. No longer is managing Service Delivery made more difficult by time differences and geography. The rm^s Web client interface lets users work anywhere. Its workflow engine and notification system keep requestors and fulfillers in sync at all times.

Because rm^s is a positive feedback system unlike email, voice mail and other ad hoc systems, requestors have more confidence in the process. They see the work being done on their requests. Phone tag is a thing of the past because rm^s supports the most detailed explanations anyone might require. Instead, productivity increases along with user satisfaction as everyone knows what is going on and what work they need to do.

FEATURE

	No programming. All set up and maintenance uses point-and-click tools
	Custom Request definition forms with 8 data types
	Custom radio button, check box and combo box fields
	File attachments
	Workflow with returns, branches and shared workflows
	Automatic emails notifying fulfillers that work has entered their inbox.
	Automatic emails to request owners as requests move through the process
	Complete security so user’s requests cannot be modified or changed without authorization and an audit trail
	Complete record of request fulfillment activities
	Time tracking
	Integrated tracking reports
	Workflow templates for quick start in setting up Service Catalogs and forms
	No loss of requests as when making workflow changes
	Data stored in a relational database
	Integrated database backup and migration tools
	XML export for synchronization with other applications and custom reporting.
	Supports Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle
	Web interface eliminates the need to load client code
	No specialized hardware and software. Uses Microsoft IIS as the server
	Integrates with Microsoft Active Directory

SETUP Setting up rms is easy. In fact, IT OnTime’s experience shows that it takes much longer to develop a logical workflow than it does to implement it within rms. Here are the basic steps in setting up rms. These are taken from the rms Quick Start for Administrators. Click here to download this manual.

	Define a Service Catalog and Form
	Build Your Request Creation Form
	Create Your Workflow
	Define Users
	Define Administrators
	Assign Users to Steps

An experienced rm^s administrator with good workflow definition skills can set up a typical catalog in hours

WHEN TO USE rm^s

	Web site development, maintenance and support
	Computer application maintenance and support
	Clean up phase of any programming project
	Any business process going through multiple hands that requires tracking and a traveler document. Especially true where the person requesting the work wants feedback of progress of the work. Examples are:
		Loan processing
		Customer service fulfillment
		Legal briefs
		Complex documents with multiple review steps

Just about any situation where the person wanting the work done wants to know the progress of their request and multiple people participate in fulfilling it.