Thanks to host Brad Bowler for sponsoring this meeting. This was the Agenda.

1. This meeting was held at REI in Seattle – er Kent – um, no, make that Seattle. Thanks to our host Brad Bowler.
   
2. Hot Topics (by Tricia Callahan)
1. Remedy’s Stock price is up to 25!
2. New Web-based and other training classes are being offered. See Remedy’s Web site for details.
3. New Remedy training center in Chicago area. Grand opening discounts are available.
4. RISC Management no longer offers training, as they are no longer a Remedy partner.
5. ARS 4.5 issues:
1. 4.0.1 client to 4.5 (NT) server caused "Message not in Catalog…" messages. The fix was to install the 4.5 areng_cat.dll, or to upgrade the client.
2. Searches are in some cases taking longer in 4.5 than they did in 4.0x. We think that forcing a table rebuild fixes that, but we aren’t sure. That’s not a viable solution for a user with large numbers of rows in the table to be rebuilt. There may also be a patch that Tricia didn’t have time to download and install.
3. John Kamikawa from Boeing is wanting to use ARWeb 4.0. Wants to talk to anyone who’s seen or used it, so that he can get some feedback. Please send queries or comments directly to him at mailto:john.t.kamikawa@boeing.com.
6. Migrator 3.0 must be used to transfer 4.5 workflow. Migrator 2.3 says it migrates the 4.5 stuff, but it doesn’t really do it.
   
3. Stephanie Thorne, Remedy Technical Support Manager for Client and Web issues spoke to the group.
1. She is the point of contact for all escalation issues for all non-partner-related tickets for all of the Pacific Northwest.
2. The managers aren’t technical by nature. Their responsibility is to ensure that customer issues are being handled in a manner satisfactory to the customer.
3. Worklog entries are not available via the web if the ticket has been closed.
4. The new single-signup is designed to prevent issues created by a person at company A from being altered by that person after (s)he’s moved to Company B.
5. Terry Brennan said that Remedy’s list of active support contacts need to be updated. Rick Cook suggested that Support give a list of each customer’s support contacts to the sales managers, who can check the list’s accuracy with their clients.
6. Stephanie handed out a spreadsheet that showed the list of applications that each Support group handles, and the Support Manager in charge of that group. A link to an online copy (in a Word table) will be made available on the NWRUG website as soon as possible.
7. She referenced a KB entry that shows how the various support teams fit together, and how items are escalated.
8. She reminded us of the Remedy Support Agent (RSA), that can assist Support in determining the true cause of a reported problem.
9. ARS 4.5.2 is coming very soon. No word on what that will contain.
10. Futurama (web-based product) will probably not be ready by RUG 2001, but by Fall 2001.
    
4. Product Demo: Wishbone Work Manager Luther Erlund, Wishbone Systems
1. Work Manager is a resource allocation program that works with Help Desk, Change Mgmt, and SLAs. It uses Remedy’s APIs to interface between it and the Remedy DB.
2. Schedule loading vs. Task optimization is the difference between Remedy’s Approval Engine and this product.
3. Text-based systems are not as usable as graphical ones.
4. Dead time can be blocked out.
5. Recurring time blocks can be scheduled.
6. Timing increments can be set as granular as you wish.
7. Scheduling is done by one of three methods:
1. Manual drag-and-drop assignment of the task to the resource or vice versa.
2. Advisor tool allows configuration of auto-assignment.
3. Auto-scheduler will optimize and assign some or all tasks based on the criteria you specify.
8. On-screen metrics are available
1. Response time between creation and allocation of tickets.
2. Threshold – SLA performance.
3. Resource allocation and utilization.
9. Capable of drilling down to the current load and skill level of each resource.
1. Visual reference of task matchup with tech skill level.
2. Very configurable as far as how to set up the skill levels.
3. Average resolution time, based on skill and availability, is automatically calculated and displayed to assist in assignment decisions.
10. Dependencies can be set on a resource/task combination, to prevent anything from interrupting the process.
11. On-screen reporting is included, and new reports and graphs can be easily created.
12. The product works out of the box with stock Help Desk. Customized Remedy systems require customization of the interface by Wishbone staff.
13. The next release of the product will include the ability to include travel time.
14. Deutsch Telecom is one of their larger customers.
15. ROI template/worksheet is available at http://www.wishbonesystems.com.
16. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation will be made available. Check back to the NWRUG Web site for details and a link to the download, which Luther asked that we not spread around.
17. Licensing is on a per-client basis. Pricing data is available on request.
    
5. Remedy Training Classes to be offered at Herrick Douglass in Bellevue
1. Contact Remedy Education, either on line or by phone, to schedule yourself.
2. Remedy Administration 4.5: Feb 26 – March 2
3. Advanced Topics: March 5 – March 9
4. Remedy Web/AR Web: March 12 – March 14
5. HelpDesk Administration: March 15 – March 16

Next Meeting – March 20 @ 6:00 pm. Place: ATTWS @ Redmond Washington

 
For comments or questions on this Northwest Remedy User Group website  
please email Geoff Endresen  at nwrug@geoffe.com