Technology Services
Creating Your Own Tickets
in Service-Now
Service-Now allows University of Montevallo students, faculty and staff to create their own trouble tickets. Please note, however, that it is not required that you do so. You can still call or email the Help Desk and our technicians will create tickets for you.
IMPORTANT!! For urgent or time-sensitive issues, do not use Service-Now to create tickets. Call the Help Desk instead.
Method 1: The Can We Help You? box
Method 2: The Self Service Menu
Method 1: The Can We Help
You? Box 
Near the center of your Service-Now Self Service home page, is the Can We
Help You? box. This box contains links that you can use to create
tickets in four generic categories:
Click any of these links to create a new Incident or Request, using the appropriate template:
- I cannot login because I do not know my login ID and/or password will create a new Request using a template that will prompt you to enter information regarding the account you can't access.
- Something I have been using in the past is not working now will create a new Incident to help you report something that's broken.
- I am looking for information or I have a question creates a very general inquiry Request.
- I need something else creates a very basic Request.
INCIDENT OR REQUEST?Service-Now groups most tickets into either Incidents or Requests. In general, an Incident is used to report something that already exists, whether it be a computer, an application, a process, etc. that once worked but now no longer does.
By contrast, a Request is used to ask for something new, something that does not already exist.
Thus, an existing computer that won't come on would generate an Incident. A new computer that needs to be configured would need a Request.
If you use the Can We Help You? links, you will not need to worry about whether your issue is an Incident or a Request. Service-Now will choose for you.
Creating a New Request Using the Can We Help You? Box
Here is an example of a new Request generated using the I need something else link in the Can We Help You? box:
Note that there are various fields you can use to fill in more information about your Request, particularly the Short description, Description and Comments fields.
- Use the Short description field to briefly introduce your Request. You can delete the text that is automatically put in this field by the system.
- Use the Description field to provide more detailed information about your Request.
- Use the Comments field when you need to update your Request with new information.
Note also that some fields are required. These are marked with a red bar.
Once you have entered all desired information, click Update to save your new Request and return to your Self Service home page, or click Save to save the Request and remain on the current screen.
You can also cancel your Request using Cancel Request.
Creating a New Incident Using the Can We Help You? Box
Here is an example of a new Incident generated using the Something I have been using in the past is not working now link in the Can We Help You? box:
Note that the Incident creation screen is very similar to the one for Requests, but there are some significant differences. Most notably, the Incident creation screen contains fields for Best contact number, Campus, Building and Room.
The Best contact number, Campus, Building and Room fields will automatically populate with whatever is currently in your SNOWProfile. However, you can change this information for any individual Incident and it will not change your Profile. This is a useful feature whenever you want to report a problem that is occurring in a location other than your office, say in a classroom or a lab.
You will also notice that the Description field is not available on this screen. Use the Comments field to provide detailed information about your Incident.
As with Requests, click Update to save your new Incident and return to your Self Service home page, or click Save to save the Incident and remain on the current screen.
A PDF version of these instructions is available here.
For priority issues that require
immediate assistance,
please contact the Help Desk directly by phone
at (205) 665-6520 or (866) 520-2401 (toll free).
Method 2: The Self Service
Menu
One the left side of your SNOW Self Service home page is the Self Service Menu.
The Self Service Menu has links to allow you to create new Incidents or Requests without applying the templates used in the Can We Help You? box.
In order to use the Self Service menu to create tickets, you will need to decide whether the issue you wish to report is an Incident or a Request:
- An Incident is used to report something that is broken.
- A Request is used to ask for something new.
For a more complete description of Incidents and Requests, see Incident or Request? above.
If you are not sure whether your issue is an Incident or Request, just use the Can We Help You? links to create your ticket. They will automatically choose for you.
The Self Service Menu
Creating a New Incident From the Self Service Menu
Creating a new Incident from the Self Service Menu is similar to creating one using the Can We Help You? box, but there are some differences:
Creating a New Request From the Self Service Menu
Creating a new Request from the Self Service Menu is also very similar to creating one using the Can We Help You? box, but, as with Incidents, there are some differences:
For priority issues that require
immediate assistance,
please contact the Help Desk directly by phone
at (205) 665-6520 or (866) 520-2401 (toll free).
Explanation of Symbols Used in
Service-Now
Service-Now uses a number of symbols to help you understand the various fields and features:
Explanation of Indicator Bars Used in
Service-Now
The colored Indicator Bars are used to show the status of various fields:
A PDF version of these instructions is available here.
For priority issues that require
immediate assistance,
please contact the Help Desk directly by phone
at (205) 665-6520 or (866) 520-2401 (toll free).
July 2010