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Understanding Solutions

Solutions are resolutions to problems. A well-established set of predefined solutions for common problems helps resolve customer problems quickly and efficiently.

This topic discusses:

Solutions can be created manually or by merging solutions. You can create solutions:

  • When a user creates a new text resolution for a case.

    Within PeopleSoft call center applications and PeopleSoft Integrated FieldService users can use solutions to explain how problems were resolved for cases and service orders. When this occurs, the system uses the text to create a new solution of type Adhoc. Using PeopleSoft Email Response Management System (ERMS) users can also attach solutions to emails in a way that's similar to the method users would use to attach solutions to cases and service orders. In quality management, users can search and associate solutions to defects.

  • When a self-service user closes a call center case using a predefined reason.

    If you do not associate solutions with the case closure reasons that you create, then the first time a self-service user closes a case using one of the predefined reasons, the system uses the reason description to create a new solution of type of Canned. The system associates this solution with the reason.

The only way to edit a solution is through the Solution component.

A solution is considered activated, ready for use when it is included in the search index and becomes searchable by applications that use solutions. Whether or not a solution can be added to the index and when it occurs depend on two factors at the time the Search Schedule Index process is run: solution status and start date. Basically, the Search Schedule Index process adds solutions that meet ALL of these conditions to the search index:

  • Status equal to Active.

  • Start date earlier than or equal to the current date, or blank.

  • End date later than the current date or blank.

Over time, even a well-managed solution set can end up with similar or duplicate solutions. The system lets you deactivate any outdated or unused solution by giving it an expiration date. You can also choose to change the solution status to “Expired”, in which case the system automatically defaults the current date as the solution’s end date. When the Search Schedule Index process runs, it looks for solutions that either have a past or current end date, or a non-Active status in the search index. Then, it removes them from the search index. This ensures that the expired solutions are no longer available for search in applications.

The ability to give a solution an end date is important in call center applications. In reality, cases can be associated with solutions that are invalid or soon to be invalid, and deleting or modifying these solutions can compromise data integrity. The idea of adding an end date to solutions makes it possible for users to access expired solutions from their associated cases, but they are no longer searchable as they are removed from the search index.

Sometimes, rather than expiring solutions entirely, you may want to replace (or supersede) them with others sometime in the future. This is common in call centers where you would create a solution describing the temporary workaround for a problem before a permanent fix becomes available. Later on when the permanent fix is ready, you can retire the temporary solution by giving an end date on its solution definition, and specify the new solution that is replacing or superseding it. Superseded solutions are not searchable by users at runtime; they are removed from the search index when the Search Schedule Index process is run.

Similarly, when you merge solutions, you select a master solution that supersedes one or more similar solutions. As a result of the merge process, the status of superseded solutions is changed to “Superseded”, and the master solution is cross-referenced in the definition of the superseded solutions.

This table lists the different combinations of solution status, start date, end date, and superseded by solution and their corresponding Search Schedule Index process results (Assumption: the Search Schedule Index process is run today):

Solution Status

Start Date

End Date

Superseded By

Search Schedule Index Process Result

Draft, Submitted for Review, or In Review

Current date

-

-

Solution not added to index

Active

Current or past date

-

-

Solution added to index

Active

Future date

-

-

Solution will be added to index on or after future date when process is run

Changed to Draft, Submitted for Review, or In Review

Any date

-

-

Solution removed from index

Changed to Expired or Superseded

Any date

-

-

Solution removed from index

Active

-

Current or past date

-

Solution removed from index. Solution status is set to “Expired”

Active

-

Future date

-

Solution will be removed from index on or after future date when process is run. Solution status is set to “Expired”

Expire

-

Current or past date

-

Solution removed from index

Expire

-

Future date

-

Not applicable.

If status is changed to “Expired” automatically (Search Schedule Index process), the end date is never a future date. If status change is manual, the system defaults current date as end date and does not allow you to enter a future end date.

Changed to Draft, Submitted for Review, or In Review

-

Any date

-

Solution removed from index

Active

-

Current or past date

Any solution

Solution removed from index. Solution status is set to “Superseded”

Active

-

Future date

Any solution

Solution will be removed from index on or after future date when process is run. Solution status is set to “Superseded”

Superseded

-

Current or past date

Any solution

Solution removed from index

Superseded

-

Future date

Any solution

Not applicable.

If status is changed to “Superseded” automatically (Search Schedule Index process), the end date is never a future date. If status change is manual, the system does not allow you to enter a future end date.

Changed from “Superseded” to any other status

-

Any date

-

Note: The Supersede By field becomes unavailable for edit when status is changed from “Superseded” to something else.

From “Superseded” to “Active”: Solution added to index based on start date. If start date is a past or current date or left blank, solution is added to index as soon as process is run; if start date is a future date, solution will be added on or after the future date.

From “Superseded” to any other non-Active status: Solution is not available in index and it will not be after status change.

Note: If a solution has an end date and it’s not superseded by another solution, the end date is considered the solution’s expiration date. If the solution has both an end date and a solution that supersedes it, the end date is served as the superseded date.

Solutions can apply to problems tracked through service orders, call center cases, defects and resolutions, and email. Field service technicians and call center agents use solutions differently.

Using Solutions in PeopleSoft Integrated FieldService

PeopleSoft Integrated FieldService users may view existing solutions from service orders and add new ones as they resolve problems. PeopleSoft Integrated FieldService tracks which solutions are used for specific service orders. Field service technicians can both view solutions and enter new ones.

Using Solutions in PeopleSoft Call Center Applications

PeopleSoft Support, PeopleSoft HelpDesk, PeopleSoft HelpDesk for Human Resources, and Service Center for Higher Education users can relate solutions to cases.

PeopleSoft call center applications track not only the final solution to a case, but also failed solutions and other solutions considered. By tracking solution usage, you capture valuable information about your solution set.

Call center applications track solution usage by associating solutions to cases and using the solution Status field to indicate whether the solution solved the case. The interface is different in the agent-facing case page and the self-service case page, but the underlying data structures are the same for all users.

Using Solutions in Quality Management

Quality management enable you to track both the final solution (the one that resolved the caller's problem) and other solutions that were considered. By tracking all solution usage, you capture valuable information about the effectiveness of your solution set.

Using Solutions in ERMS

In PeopleSoft ERMS, agents can search for solutions to help resolve customer issues on the email workspace. Additionally, the system uses solutions that are added to the proposed list as the criterion to search for templates that can apply to the email response.

Using Solutions

Both field service technicians and call center users (agents and self-service users) can search for solutions using the Solutions page. Solutions for cases, service orders, and email provides search functionality, including the ability to associate a solution with the case, service order or email from which the search originated.

When you use Solutions page to search for solutions, search results are ranked by relevance. Relevance scores range from 1 to 100, with 100 representing the highest relevance.

A solution's relevance score is calculated based on how well the search criteria match the solution. The search definition for solutions determines which fields are searched to determine if there is a match.

Call center agents have additional ways of finding solutions for a case. They can or access the Solutions page and:

  • Search the solutions on the Frequently Used Solutions page by product, by error code, or by category, type, and detail.

  • Search for solutions on the FAQ (frequently asked questions) page.

Because PeopleSoft call center and field service applications enable you to track the application of a solution to cases and service orders, the system can track resolution-related metrics for each solution.

This table describes the resolution metrics that are tracked:

Number

Description

Usage count

Contains three counts, including:

Viewed: The number of times users clicked to open and view the solution from cases and service orders.

Solved: The number of times the solution solved cases and service orders successfully.

Failed: The number of times the solution has been marked as a failed resolution in cases and service orders.

Standard usage count

Contains three counts, including:

Viewed: The number of times users clicked to open and view the solution that is not associated with any transaction.

Solved: The number of times the solution solved issues successfully (users click the Yes button on the Solution Summary page in self-service application).

Failed: The number of times the solution does not solve issues (users click the No button on the Solution Summary page in self-service application).

Usage count by product

Indicates how many times the solution resolved cases or service orders for the products that are associated with the solution (these products are listed on the Related Actions page in the Solution component).

This number is used to determine which solutions appear on the Frequently Used Solutions page.

Usage count by error

Works like usage count by product, but is based on the error message recorded for a case rather than on the product recorded for a case. This usage count pertains to the Frequently Used Solutions page and is used the same way that it is used for products.

Usage count by category/type/detail

Works like usage count by product, but is based on the category, type, and details recorded for a case rather than on the product recorded for a case. This usage count pertains to the Frequently Used Solutions page and is used the same way that it is used for category, type, and details.

The system normally maintains the solved count and the (overall) usage count by increasing and decreasing the values as you work with solutions. But you can reset the counts based using either a specified date range or all dates. To do this, run the Update Solution Usage Counts process. This process is also the only mechanism for updating the usage count by product, error, or category/type/detail.