SAP CRM 7.0 Service Tickets and Service Requests: Frequently Asked Questions
Goal of this blog: To answer common customer inquiries concerning the functionalities of the Service Ticket and the Service Request. Many SAP CRM customers are aware of a transaction called the Service Ticket. Lately, however, customers have been hearing about the Service Request transaction, and are wondering how this fits into SAP CRM’s Service and/or Interaction Center offering, and also, how it relates to the Service Ticket. Hopefully this blog will address the most commonly asked questions for our customers using Service Tickets, and also those customers thinking about implementing or upgrading SAP CRM and using a service scenario and considering Service Requests.
What is a Service Ticket?
The Service Ticket (which was a variant of the IC service order business transaction) was introduced in SAP CRM 4.0 Add-On for Services Industries to better support the Service Desk scenario. The service ticket has transaction BUS type (BUS2000116).
Figure 1. The Service Ticket within the Interaction Center
Figure 2. The Service Ticket transaction view.
What is a Service Request?
The new Service Request in SAP CRM 7.0 provides most of the functionality available in the Service Ticket as well as some additional functionality, such as multiple multilevel categorization schemas, as well as integration with other new features, such as knowledge articles* and master service requests. Technically the Service Request represents not only a different transaction type than the Service Ticket but is also built on a different Business Object Type in the Business Object Repository (BUS2000223 rather than BUS2000116; the master service request is built on BUS2000224).
*Note: See the blog about Knowledge Articles by my colleague Bettina Giese for more information: Knowledge Articles in SAP CRM .
Figure 3. The Service Request within the Interaction Center.
Figure 4. The Service Request transaction view.
Note: What is the significance of the different BUS type? The “business object type” basically controls which fields and methods (i.e., functions) are available for an object from the business object repository; whereas the “transaction type” simply defines properties and characteristics such as partner determination procedure, text determination procedure, organizational data profile, and status profile. So, for example, the Service Ticket and Service Order share the same underlying BOR object type and hence have the same available fields (e.g., priority, status, etc.) and methods (e.g. create, display, execute) – but they have different transaction types, so they have slightly different properties and characteristics. On the other hand, the Service Request is a completely different business object type, meaning it really has different functionality and database fields.
What are the differences in functionality of these two transactions, the Service Ticket and the Service Request?
To answer this question, it is probably easier to show similarities and differences in functionalities in the form of a matrix: SAP CRM 7.0: Service Tickets and Service Requests - A Functionality Matrix:
| Feature | Service Tickets | Service Requests |
| Views | Only IC roles | Available in all CRM WebClient and IC business roles |
| Versions | CRM 4.0 SIE, CRM 2005, CRM 2006s, CRM 7.0 | CRM 7.0 |
| Time Recording* | Yes | Planned for upcoming release*; in SAP CRM 7.0 possible via Service Confirmations |
| Multi-Level Categorization | Yes, Basic | Yes, Enhanced with up to five categorization schemas |
| Dispatch ("Escalate") | Yes | Yes |
| Standard BI Reports | Yes | BI Content available; standard reports planned for future release |
| Out of the Box Interactive Reporting (OLTP)* | Yes | No, planned for upcoming release.* |
| Email Response Management System (ERMS) Integration* | Yes | Not yet, planned for SAP CRM 7.0 SP04* |
| Intent Driven Interaction Integration* | Yes | Yes* |
| Item Determination | Hard-coded dummy line item, determination via BAdI | Flexible Item Determination using categorization |
| Standard Alerts (to show open Service Tickets)* | Yes | Yes* |
| Calculation of Work and Total Duration | Not with standard delivery | Yes |
| SLA determination | Yes, Basic | Yes, with flexible access sequence |
| Integrated Master Service Request Functionality (i.e., for bundling Service Requests) | Yes, Basic | Yes |
| Print/Print Preview | No | Yes |
| Knowledge Article Integration | Not per default, instead Solution Database | Yes |
| Find Related Problems Functionality | No | Yes |
| Unlock (from master service request) | No | Yes |
| Display Object Relationships | No | Yes |
| Create Follow-Up | Yes, Lean | Yes, Full |
| Auto Complete | Yes | Yes |
| Processing Log | No, however the Service Ticket used the Change History to log changes | Yes |
| Escalation management (1st and 2nd level) | No | Yes |
| Business Context | Yes | Yes |
What is the background information behind SAP’s addition of the Service Request transaction to the breadth of Service Transactions offered by SAP CRM?
Many customers are wondering where the Service Request came from and what it is when compared to the Service Ticket, the original service desk transaction. From a very high level we can attribute this change in direction as part of SAP CRM’s business transaction alignment progress. During the last few SAP releases, there has been a gradual movement towards more robust transactions within the IC and better integration with CRM transactions.
In CRM 2006s, there were additional IC specific transactions available for Sales, and Marketing, as well as better integration of the CRM WebClient transactions into the Interaction Center. In CRM 2007, new functionality around the enablement of pop-ups for partner, organizational and contract determination was added for transactions in the IC. Some of the remaining challenges SAP CRM faced was that the Service Ticket functionality was available only in the IC, and that IC transactions behaved differently than non-IC CRM transactions including differences in multi-level categorization, integration issues like the Activity clipboard, and the transferring of confirmed account and contact, with the rest of CRM.
The ultimate goal for SAP CRM’s business transaction alignment efforts for users was that, for whichever role, the same transactions could be used. There no longer would be an IC Lead in the IC WebClient, and CRM Lead for CRM WebClient. Whichever role the user is assigned, the same transaction can be used, and full integration between CRM and IC is possible.
In most cases, there is a lot more functionality in the CRM transaction, so in this case, the Service Request has more powerful functionality than the Service Ticket. The Service Request ultimately will be the more powerful choice for implementations. This move towards business transaction alignment is to benefit the users of SAP CRM and SAP CRM Interaction Center in the long run with a simpler approach to transactions in the WebClient.
If I am implementing SAP CRM for the first time, which functionality should I choose: Service Tickets or Service Requests?
SAP recommends that new customers use the Service Request rather than the Service Ticket. The Service Request can be used in the Interaction Center, as well as other business roles, such as the Service Professional Role. The Service Request will also most likely be the object where it is more likely enhancements will be done. Finally, there is much more functionality in the Service Request. See the comparison matrix above.
What is SAP’s recommended strategy for which transaction to use?
Existing customers using the Service Ticket are encouraged to use the new Service Request when possible. However, it is still possible to use the Service Ticket.
We’re currently upgrading to SAP CRM 7.0 and we are using Service Tickets in our current version, what is SAP’s recommended strategy for converting Service Tickets to Service Requests?
If customers want to stop using the service ticket and start using the service request instead, the easiest way is probably to make a hard cut and create only new service requests from a specific date onwards. However, this may not be an option for customers. Therefore, OSS Note 1261247 exists to help customers create a conversion report and offers two options to convert Service Tickets to Service Requests. This process can be cumbersome (as with any conversion) and takes time. For those that are interested in doing a conversion, the note exists as guidance.
Are Service Tickets going away?
The Service Request will probably be the successor to the Service Ticket in the long run. However, the Service Ticket will not be ‘switched off’ in the near future. Service Tickets can still be used in the current version of SAP CRM 7.0. When choosing between the Service Ticket and the Service Request, it is important to evaluate the features and capabilities of each transaction and make the decision based on your implementation.
This blog was originally published in May, 2009. Have there been any updates on functionality for future release*?
Actually, yes. Please see the items in the above matrix with an asterisk. Currently there are functionality updates for the following:
- ERMS Integration for the Service Request*
- Standard Alerts for Service Requests*
- Intent Driven Interaction actions for the Service Request*
- Time Recording Enablement for the Service Request*
- OLTP Enablement for the Service Request*
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