Template job overview

Job templates are a core feature and used in the desktop, web portal, Email Manager and more

A job template allows the quick and easy logging of common job types without having to enter common information over and over again. A Job Template determines the basic structure for a job, containing settings such as the Job type, Priority, Description etc. Job templates can be used by staff to log new job, or used by automation processes such as the Priority Manager, Triggered Events, or the Email Manager to log jobs. Job Templates are also used via the client web portal.

Like all of the other template types within HelpMaster, Job Templates are an integral part of the overall design of HelpMaster.

Why use job templates?

  1. Speed. Job templates are used to speed up the process of logging a job. Logging jobs at any service desk is usually a repetitive task. By creating a job template for all of the common issues that you deal with, the process of logging and assigning a job is greatly simplified and sped up.

  2. Consistency. Job templates also provide a way ensuring that each job logged with the template adheres to common business practices and workflow. When you use a job template, whatever information is stored in the template is transferred into a new job. When you have consistency in your job logging process, it means that you can enforce workflows, get greater meaning from reports, as well as capturing all of the information that you require.

  3. Workflow and process Build process directly into a job template via the workflow tab. Workflow is a powerful feature that can dramatically improve the consistency, speed and overall efficiency of your business operations.

  4. Email response management. Job templates are used by the Email Manager to convert incoming email into jobs.

  5. Escalation and Service level agreement (SLA) management. When jobs are created with known issues, classifications, priorities etc, you can create escalation and SLA profiles using the Priority Manager to target known jobs.

  6. Triggered events. Job Templates can be used to log new jobs based on a time schedule, or other triggers. See Triggered Events.

A job template can link to Action templates which in turn can link to Email Templates for a complete workflow solution. The following diagram displays the relationship between each template entity. Such a configuration is common.

Log new job via templates

The diagram above shows that it is possible to use a job template to log a job, assign the job, and also send out email to all the relevant parties to the job. This is achieved by linking in both action and email templates to the base job template. It is common to create such structures/linkages as the one displayed above to describe all of the common job types that your organization will use.

Note : A job template does not need to be linked to an action template - this is an optional link. If a job template is not linked to an action template, the action screen will appear as per usual when the job is actioned and the user will have to manually fill in the details on the action screen.

Template Overview

A practical example

In your business, you may get a call for resetting a network password.

Your business rules require that such a job is logged, assigned to someone in your network division, and an email is sent to the client informing them that their job has been logged and is being looked at.

Using HelpMaster, you could set up a job template to automate this process by performing the following steps in this order:

  1. Create an email template that contains the details of the outgoing email to the client.
  2. Create an action template that assigns the job to someone in your network division. This action template should also refer to the email template you created in the previous step.
  3. Create a job template that contains the details of the job. The template should also refer to the action template.

When this job is logged using this template, the details will automatically be filled in, the action template specified will be used for the first action log entry, and an email will be sent after the action has been applied.

Web Portal Request Catalog

Job templates are required when configuring the request catalog that is used in the HelpMaster web portal. A Request Catalog is a grouping of Job Templates. Users of the web portal can select an appropriate Job Template to log their request.

When Job Templates are used in the Web Portal, system administrators can configure them so that they are optimised to display only the relevant information and data-capture needs to the end-user.

Job templates for web request catalogs

Subscribing to job templates

HelpMaster has the ability to store an unlimited number of job, action and email templates. In order to make management and use of these easier, HelpMaster allows individual users the ability to subscribe to a short-list of such templates. To learn more about subscribing to templates, click here.

See Also

Job template administration

Action Templates

Email Templates

Extend the data capture of a job with

Custom Fields

Control Sets

Use Job Templates to log jobs via automation

Email Manager

Triggered Events

Web Portal

Building a request catalog for self-service