An Exchange Connector by Cireson

Adam_Dzyacky

The stock Exchange Connector is certainly functional, but one that I think could be dramatically improved and further extend what Cireson is currently offering:

• Control the other Work Item classes (e.g. [start] RB, manage PR, RR, and even Cireson's Project sync task)
• Kind of like the above, perform direct hooks to SCO/SMA
• Set resolution categories on Incidents (instead of null which happens on [resolved])
• Update parent work items from child activities (addresses users responding to Activities that simply just disappear)
• Obtain things other than just a message from Exchange (calendar appointment for a scheduled work item, contact inserted into Vendor for Asset Management, etc.)
• Dynamically merge items from users not in the CMDB. This would aim to address vendor ticketing systems that effectively do the same thing as SCSM, but don't understand how to keep an organizations work item number in [brackets]. This would potentially prevent the duplication of new Incidents (when in fact it should just be one in the same). This would require "All emails from X with Y in the subject." thus allowing this connector to scour work items via some other critieria. Perhaps users not in the CMDB get their own Work Item template so as to have less of an impact on scanning the CMDB during runs?
• Obtain the current "state" of a Work Item. Similar to an ordering process, check in to see what the current state of a Service Request (i.e. "In Progress, current Activity"). This would be beneficial with respect to Review Activities (e.g. Your SR is currently awaiting approval on these reviewers) and the same logic could apply to CR/RR.

Just a few ideas, but ones I think that could significantly change email interaction with SCSM

Gordon

Second, third and fourth this idea! One of our biggest pain points is the inclusion of the service desk on an email chain that then every reply generates a new ticket. Similarly, where we interact with vendors and get email from their ticketing system, including regular updates during the outage, it would be terrific if those updates posted to the original ticket instead of generating new tickets.

We avoid processing vendor outage emails for this very reason, and have to manage those manually. This would be a HUGE timesaver

Tom_Hendricks

Ok, then I have to fifth and sixth it.  My only issue with this feature request is that I do not want my users to see it before it is available, because they will start demanding it the instant they read it (and I would not blame them)! 

Jonathan_Boles

@Adam_Dzyacky, spot on! Would love to see Cireson come out with a custom exchange connector. Wish I could do more than +1. Here's hoping this one gets voted up quick!

Adam_Dzyacky

As an addendum to this request

• Updating a Closed Work Item provides some type of action. Whether it be created a new related work item or letting the person who emailed via email that the work item is closed and a new one must be created
• When the Affected User updates a Resolved Incident it reactivates the Incident

Michael_Niemiec

Also what would be great is the ability to mark an incident/request [private] or
[public] with a tag when sending an email response to service manager, (including [RFSxxxxx] in the subject + the appropriate tag)

Eric_Krasner

Another nice feature is the ability to use groups in an approval activity where any member of the group can vote or approve

Tom_Hendricks

Something my users had in an older system was the ability to put tags in the subject or body to affect which support group received the ticket.  (e.g. [Servers])

To duplicate this in service manager I had to create 50 (!!) mailboxes, each with their own Exchange connector.

Parsing would be orders of magnitude better...

The ability to self-assign with a tag (e.g. [Take] or [Assign]) is also something we have had with other tools and miss with Service Manager.

Peter_Miklian

I think a few important links should appear here 😂

1. An SMlets based Exchange Connector
2. SMLets Exchange Connector on GitHub
3. The SMlets Exchange Connector at its core