Processes and systems for creating and for managing trouble tickets and work orders

• US 7,742,576 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jean, David R., Scherer, Rita H., Marcopulos, Judy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/638,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20070133755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 379/9, 379 902- 904, 379/10.01, 379/15.01, 379/15.03, 379/15.04, 379/15.05, 379/26.01, 379/26.02, 379/27.01, 379/27.08, 379 2901- 2911, 379 3201- 3205
• US Class Current: 379/9.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/247 Knowledge-based maintenance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/26 with means for applying test signals or for measuring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

Processes and systems are disclosed for creating and for managing trouble tickets and work orders. One embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create a trouble ticket. The trouble ticket is created to investigate a problem with a communications system. The trouble ticket is assigned a work item number, with the work item number including a telephone number experiencing the problem with the communications system. The trouble ticket is tracked, from initial creating to final closure, using the assigned work item number.

Claims

1. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket, the trouble ticket describing a problem in a telecommunications system, the process comprising:

communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create the trouble ticket;

creating the trouble ticket to investigate the problem with the telecommunications system;

assigning a work item number to the trouble ticket, the work item number comprising a telephone number experiencing the problem with the telecommunications system;

tracking the trouble ticket, from initial creation to final closure, using the assigned work item number; and

updating the trouble ticket according to a corresponding action, the corresponding action updating at least one of a telephone system status code, a telephone system route code, and a narrative portion describing the telecommunications system, whereby the process screens the trouble ticket for known indications of trouble in the telecommunications system.

2. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising annotating the trouble ticket with information from a telephone line record.

3. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising annotating the trouble ticket with information from a telephone line record, the information from the telephone line record comprising at least one of i) information associated with a customer'"'"'s service, ii) facility information associated with the customer'"'"'s service, and iii) information associated with equipment used by the customer.

4. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising annotating the trouble ticket with information from a telephone line record, the information from the telephone line record comprising at least one of i) customer information from a Customer Record Information System, ii) facility information from a Loop Facility Assignment Control System, and iii) equipment information from a TELCORDIA™

SWITCH system.

5. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising communicating a test request for a test of the telecommunications system.

6. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 5, further comprising formatting the test request with testability data desired by a test system.

7. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 5, further comprising communicating with the communications network and acquiring results of a test of the telecommunications system.

8. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising screening the trouble ticket for known indications of the problem in the telecommunications system.

9. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 8, wherein the step of screening the trouble ticket includes filtering the trouble ticket for a screening criteria, the screening criteria having the corresponding action.

10. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising correlating the trouble ticket with an existing trouble ticket that shares a similar characteristic, wherein the trouble ticket may be grouped with the existing trouble ticket to efficiently resolve related trouble tickets.

11. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising annotating the trouble ticket with a date and time.

12. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 11, further comprising correlating the trouble ticket with an existing trouble ticket that has an annotated date and time within a predetermined interval of an annotated date and time of the existing trouble ticket.

13. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising searching the trouble ticket and a database of existing trouble tickets for at least one correlation parameter, and grouping the trouble ticket with an existing trouble ticket that shares the at least one correlation parameter and that shares a common designation of a telephone system wire center.

14. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a telephone system status code to the trouble ticket.

15. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising closing related, common cause trouble tickets.

16. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising closing the trouble ticket when the problem with the telecommunications system is resolved.

17. A process for creating and for managing a trouble ticket according to claim 1, further comprising generating a maintenance report using information from the trouble ticket.

18. A computer program on a computer-readable medium for managing a trouble ticket, the trouble ticket describing trouble with a telephone system local loop, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor to perform:

communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create the trouble ticket;

acquiring information from a telephone line record to help resolve the trouble, the information from the telephone line record comprising at least one of i) customer information from a Customer Record Information System, ii) facility information from a Loop Facility Assignment Control System, and iii) equipment information from a TELCORDIA™

SWITCH system;

creating the trouble ticket to investigate the trouble with the telephone system local loop;

assigning a work item number to the trouble ticket, the work item number comprising a telephone number experiencing the trouble with the telephone system local loop;

screening the trouble ticket for known indications of the trouble with the telephone system local loop;

updating the trouble ticket according to a corresponding action, the corresponding action updating at least one of a telephone system status code, a telephone system route code, and a narrative portion describing the telecommunications system, whereby the process screens the trouble ticket for known indications of trouble in the telecommunications system;

correlating the trouble ticket with an existing trouble ticket having a common characteristic and having a common designation of a wire center; and

closing the trouble ticket when the trouble with the telephone system local loop is resolved.

19. A computer program on a computer-readable medium for managing a trouble ticket, the trouble ticket describing trouble with a telephone system local loop, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor to perform:

communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create the trouble ticket;

acquiring information from a telephone line record to help resolve the trouble, the information from the telephone line record comprising at least one of i) customer information from a Customer Record Information System, ii) facility information from a Loop Facility Assignment Control System, and iii) equipment information from a TELCORDIA™

SWITCH system;

submitting a request for a test of the telephone system local loop;

receiving results of the test of the telephone system local loop;

creating the trouble ticket to investigate the trouble with the telephone system local loop, the trouble ticket comprising at least one of the information from the telephone line record and information from the results of the test of the telephone system local loop;

assigning a work item number to the trouble ticket, the work item number comprising a telephone number experiencing the trouble with the telephone system local loop;

screening the trouble ticket for know indications of the trouble with the telephone system local loop;

updating the trouble ticket according to a corresponding action, the corresponding action updating at least one of a telephone system status code, a telephone system route code, and a narrative portion describing the telecommunications system, whereby the process screens the trouble ticket for known indications of trouble in the telecommunications system;

correlating the trouble ticket with an existing trouble ticket having a common characteristic and having a common designation of a telephone system wire center; and

closing the trouble ticket when the trouble with the telephone system local loop is resolved.

20. A system for creating and for managing a trouble ticket, the trouble ticket describing a problem in a telecommunications system, the system comprising:

at least one processor capable of manipulating information to create and to manage the trouble ticket; and

the following modules;

a Trouble Ticket Manager for creating and for managing trouble tickets, the Trouble Ticket Manager communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create the trouble ticket, the Trouble Ticket Manager creating the trouble ticket and identifying the trouble ticket with a work item number, the work item number comprising a telephone number experiencing the problem in the telecommunications system, the Trouble Ticket Manager also distributing the trouble ticket along the communications network to clients;

a Line Record Assembler module for assembling telephone line records, the Line Record Assembler module communicating information from a telephone line record to the Trouble Ticket Manager, the information from the telephone line record comprising at least one of i) customer information from a Customer Record Information System, ii) facility information from a Loop Facility Assignment Control System, and iii) equipment information from a TELCORDIA™

SWITCH system; and

a Test Manager module for managing test requests of the telecommunications system, the Test Manager module receiving a request for a test of the telecommunications system, the Test Manager module prioritizing the request for the test according to at least one of a date, a time, an origin of the request to create the trouble ticket, and an origin of the request for the test, the Test Manager module submitting the request for the test to a test system conducting the test of the telecommunications system, and the Test Manager module communicating results of the test to the Trouble Ticket Manager.

21. A computer-readable storage medium for creating and for managing a trouble ticket, the trouble ticket describing a problem in a telecommunications system, the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing a processor to implement modules, the modules including:

a Trouble Ticket Manager for creating and for managing trouble tickets, the Trouble Ticket Manager communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create the trouble ticket, the Trouble Ticket Manager creating the trouble ticket and identifying the trouble ticket with a work item number, the work item number comprising a telephone number experiencing the problem in the telecommunications system, the Trouble Ticket Manager also distributing the trouble ticket along the communications network to clients;

a Line Record Assembler module for assembling telephone line records, the Line Record Assembler module communicating information from a telephone line record to the Trouble Ticket Manager, the information from the telephone line record comprising at least one of i) customer information from a Customer Record Information System, ii) facility information from a Loop Facility Assignment Control System, and iii) equipment information from a TELCORDIA™

SWITCH system;

a Test Manager module for managing test requests of the telecommunications system, the Test Manager module receiving a request for a test of the telecommunications system, the Test Manager module prioritizing the request for the test according to at least one of a date, a time, an origin of the request to create the trouble ticket, and an origin of the request for the test, the Test Manager module submitting the request for the test to a test system conducting the test of the telecommunications system, and the Test Manager module communicating results of the test to the Trouble Ticket Manager;

a Correlation Manager module for correlating similar trouble tickets, the Correlation Manager module grouping the trouble ticket with an existing trouble ticket that shares at least one correlation parameter, that shares a common designation of a telephone system wire center, and that shares an annotated ate and time within a predetermined interval;

a Screening Manager module for isolating the trouble with the telecommunications system, the Screening Manager module searching the trouble ticket for a screening criteria, the Screening Manager module updating the trouble ticket according to an action corresponding to the search criteria, the action updating at least one of a telephone system status code, a telephone system route code, and a narrative portion describing the telephone system;

a Status Manager module for managing status changes to the trouble ticket, the Status Manager module acquiring a change in status to the trouble ticket and annotating the change in status with a date and a time, the date and the time reflecting the local time zone of the telephone system wire center where the trouble ticket is locally managed, the Status Manager module validating that the annotated date and the time are chronologically after a previous change in status to the trouble ticket; and

a Reporting Manager module for generating maintenance reports, the Reporting Manager module acquiring information from the trouble ticket and generating a maintenance report for distribution to the communications network.