This article discusses how to write a clear, concise title for a TDX ticket. These title guidelines apply to ticket types Incident, Request, Major Incident, and Problem.
Note: Do not change the titles of automated tickets, for example, those received from '[email protected]'.
Title Guidelines to Follow
- Start with the location (technological and/or physical)
- Technological location (Canvas, Parent Portal, etc.)
- Physical location (Anderson Hall, Coffman Union, etc.)
- Include the nature of the issue
- Be concise (140 char. max--the length of a text)
- Be clear
- Use customer-friendly language
- Avoid department-specific language or jargon
- Use easily understood technical terms
Example 1
Poor Title
"P/G receiving Request Failed. Critical error.'"
Actual Incident: The Parent Guest Access web application is unavailable due to a critical error. Parents use this application to pay their children's bills and view their grades. Students typically access it via onestop.umn.edu.
Suggested Title
"Parent Guest Access web application is unavailable due to a server error."
Example 2
Poor Title
"Mobile Theme Icons Do Not Load."
Actual Incident: When accessing Moodle via Nexus 7 or iPad, the browser is unable to load and display the icons which link to other parts of the Moodle course. The icons show up as a gray placeholder.
Suggested Title
"Moodle - icons used for linking are not displaying while in a mobile view."
Example 3
Poor Title
"Group policy error for students logging in"
Actual Incident: Instructor is teaching a class in Anderson hall 150 right now (9:15 - 12:15 - it's 9:27 "right now"). He called to say only half the computers will log in. They are getting the error "trying to find a group policy."
Suggested Title
"Anderson 150 computers can't log in: "trying to find a group policy' error; Class in session!"