Connections

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Introduction Users (basic, contacts and platform) can be added to requests as connections. It is possible to allow those connected users (basic or platform) to have visibility of the requests they are connected to via the Employee Portal or My Services view is available for basic and platform users only. By default connections to a request have no visibility and access and visibility to requests, has to be configured and enabled.

Related Articles Service Details Request Connection Actions Business Process Connection Options

Where Can Connections View Requests

If a connection is added to a request (via the request connections action, or via the business process connection options), you can define if connections of specific connection types and for specific request types, per service can view those requests via the My Services view or on the Employee Portal

• This capability is not available in the following:

• Service Portal (service.hornbill.com/<Your Instance>)
• Customer Portal (customer.hornbill.com/<Your Instance>)

A connected user will see a new menu option in their list of requests, called Connections

• A new Connection Type Filter will allow the user to filter the requests they are connected to via the available connection types

Communication with request connections (emails) are managed via business process automation and or via the email action option on the request views.

Connections Visibility Options

The default position is that connections of a request have No visibility of requests they are connected too.

Connections can be granted one of two levels of visibility to requests they are connected too, configurable per service.

The two levels can be applied for each of the following:

• By Request Type - Connections of Incidents, Service Requests and Changes can be configured to be allowed visibility of requests, as these request types are visible via the My Services view or the employee portal.
• By Connection Type - The available connection types are controlled by the connection types which you have configured on your instance. This is managed via a simple list in the admin console (Home > Service Manager > Simple Lists > RequestConnectionType)

Connection Levels

View Request

If you provide this option for connections of a specific type and for one or all request types against a service, the connections will have the following levels of access on these requests:

• View the request summary, description, status and date logged
• View the Business Process Tracker (Head's Up Display)
• View the questions section of the request
• View who else is a connection to the request

The connected users will not be able to interact with the request, add updates or comments, add / view attachments, resolve, cancel or provide feedback on closure of the request

Allow Collaboration

If you provide this option for connections of a specific type and for one or all request types against a service, the connections will have all the View Requests visibility options plus the following:

• View the Timeline (Audit trail of the request) and see any updates which are marked at Customer visibility level
• Have the ability to add Comments to any customer facing updates in the request timeline
• Have the ability to add New updates to the request

• Adding comments to existing posts, or adding new updates to a request will not constitute a customer update, and therefore will not result in a request sub-status changes, or progress any supporting business process to a request which are in a suspend awaiting customer update state.

The connected users will not be able to view / add attachments, resolve, cancel or provide feedback on closure of the request.

Remove Connection

Connections will have an option via the Connections section on the request to remove themselves from being a connection to the request.

• If a connection removes themselves as a connection to a request, they will no longer have rights to view the request.