Conference iosg::all-in-1_v30

2702.0. "SPR system broken? - try IPMT" by IOSG::COOK (ALL-IN-1 Support Manager 830 3636) Wed May 12 1993 11:56

It has come to my attention that - as of some 'rightsizing' at the end of last 
week - our Corporate SPR system as we all have grown to love or hate has been 
seriously wounded to the point of being virtually inoperative.

At this moment I don't know if the remaining staff will be able to manage a 
skeletal system for P1 SPRs or not - or whether there are any plans to 
implement a temporary solution to this growing bottleneck (e.g. temporary
staff)

I understand that the "CLD" system is still operative, but the use of CLD is 
VERY expensive to do handling, screening, reporting and problem management 
overheads - and thus should be avoided wherever possible to avoid a net loss 
to Digital's business.

So, I will suggest an alternative/interim solution - that (hopefully) will not 
affect short or long term goals of Digitals Support organizations.

IPMT, Digital's world-wide Integrated Problem Management Tracking tool has now 
been around for about 1� - 2 years. The IOSG Engineering Support Group have 
participated in early Field Test activities with IPMT, and have been screening 
ALL-IN-1 'cases' [SPRS + CLDs] direcly in IPMT since the GIA geography went 
live with IPMT c.6 months ago. This is not to say that our IPMT handling 
processes are polished and water-tight - far from it - but we DO have a 
process and we DO answer IPMT cases. Furthermore, we have some splendid 
examples of IPMT cases having been submitted by GIA support folks in Australia,
bounced directly through the automatic routing tables in STOW, and arrived 
in the the IOSG Engineering group in MINUTES! We have acknowledged such cases 
within hours of dispatch from Australia.

GIA support centers are now hooked into IPMT (maybe using gateways from their 
CSC-specific call handling systems).

We have been repeatedly told that EUROPE will be going LIVE with IPMT in 
MAY-93. Maybe some European CSCs and sites are ready - but others (e.g. 
Basingstoke CSC) are apparently not ready yet and won't be for several months.

Similarly, current 'expectations' (as indicated in high level IPMT 
communications) are that the US will be going live with IPMT in the AUG/SEP-93 
timeframe. I don't know if these 'expectations' are in fact 'demands' - which 
have not yet been bought into by the relevant support sites in the US.

So, the suggestion I have - to ensure that folks in the field can submit 
INEXPENSIVE SPRs and CLDs for *** ALL-IN-1 *** - is to use the IPMT system.

As far as I am aware - ANYONE can become a registered IPMT user. Long term 
plans are that EVERY Support person in Digital will be registered. As such ANY 
(badge numbered) individual can SUBMIT IPMT cases. Severity 1 is 
'catastrophic' and should probably never be used, Severity 2 matches "CLD", 
severity 3/4/5 match approximately to P1/2 & P3/4 & P5 SPRs.

You will need to install the IPMT 'client' software V1.3 on your system to be 
able to access IPMT. from there on in - it's relatively easy. The DCL interface 
is easy to understand and quite fast now (even from the UK to US where the d.b 
resides). The DECwindows interface is probably better for submitting new cases.
There is a bridge from IPMT to TIMA (don't know if it works yet though)

IPMT requires NO staff intervention for 'normal daily operations' - except for 
initial user registration. 

Useful notesfile is MARX::IPMT_FT

I accept that IPMT will not be properly 'hooked' into most CSC's call 
tracking system for some while - but as INDIVIDUALS you can access IPMT and 
submit "SPRs" to Engineering - and IPMT will automatically notify all 
'interested parties' on each case EVERY time a new event is created - e.g. 
UPDATE_STATUS or SOLVE_CASE. Try it.

Also note that not all Engineering groups are using IPMT, so this solution
might not be the right one for products other than ALL-IN-1 [STARTER] and the 
ALL-IN-1 DESKtop [*] product set.

Regards
    	Martin Cook
    	IOSG Support Manager

    Martin,
    
    On behalf of 1 of the 3 U.S CSCs - the one that supports ALL-IN-1
    I would just like to point out that individual specialists or the
    Office Applications District as a whole cannot just switch to IPMT 
    - we have many SPS directed processes that require and measure individuals,
    teams etc on the use of PIPE.
    
    This is really a much bigger issue and I believe that the relevant
    'important' people need to get together on a conference call - I don't
    think this notesfile is appropriate. I would suggest that Richard
    Merewood and David Hawk would be a good start.
    
    Regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks (with both my CSC and conference MOD hats on)

    Andrew is correct as always,
    
    According to the US IPMT Implementation Plan, 10/28/91, yes 91, the
    field, the csc, and engineering would be all together.  
    
    	(with actual response required time frames built-in)
    
    For the csc to do this required champs v2.3 (which has come and
    stayed) and a large conversion effort for the existing spr database.
    
    Well the managers responsible for this all got the buy-out as part
    of right-sizing.  
    
    As Andrew said maybe it is time to light the fire, again.  
    
    Tim
     
    
    

    I have updated Martin Cook with the latest on PIPE.  To the
    rest of you who may be wondering what to do with SPRs after 
    having read Martin's valid concern:  business as usual! 
    According to Sue Clavin (focal for the transition) the 
    process is still operational while responsibilities are 
    being divvied up.
    
    Sue has promised further communication on the matter ASAP.
    
    Dan Bekele
    OAD PIPE Representative