Requests
All work begins with a Request. All requests for change begin with a Submitter who submits a Request record.
In the ALM work process, the Request record is the starting point in the workflow process. The Submitter is responsible for submitting the request, periodically checking its status, and responding to any questions or comments. Any stakeholder can submit a request.
- Contains information related to where and how the request was found.
- May include a Request type and category that can help identify and resolve the Request. Request type examples are Enhancement, New Feature, and Defect.
- Is mastered at the Submitter's site.
- Is owned by the submitter.
- Can have Comments (and questions) added to it.
- Contains references to all Tasks associated with it. The Tasks contain information about where the request will be fixed.
The ALM work process starts with a Request in an Opened state. When the solution is accepted, the Request record is moved to a Completed state. The Submitter creates the Request record. The record is then in the Opened state. The Submitter can withdraw the Request, or review the associated Task status. If the tasks are completed, and the Submitter agrees with the resolution, then the Accept action can be selected to move the record to the Completed state.
If the Submitter does not agree with the resolution, then selecting the Reject action moves the record into the Rejected state. A Reviewer can reconsider the state of the request if new information is available, and then accept the new information, by selecting the Accept action to move the record to the Completed state. Similarly, a Submitter can withdraw a request by selecting the Withdraw action and moving the record to the Withdrawn state. A Submitter is allowed to reopen the request from the Withdrawn, Completed, or Rejected states.
Submitters review the state of the associated (child) Tasks. If the Submitter agrees with the solution provided (for example, a related Task with a state of Completed and resolution code of Fixed), then the Submitter would select the Accept action to move the record to the Completed state. The Completed state is the final state.
Triaging a Request
The Development or Project manager role for the ALM work process is concerned with triaging the requests and identifying the release targets. This role may be represented by engineering, product and project managers, testers, or documentation. The responsibilities of this role are to assess a Request, and then to address the Request by creating Tasks to track the resolution. Once a Task is Activated, Activities are created and assigned complete the Task. Activity records are child records of the Task record, just as the Tasks are child records of the Request. A Request can have one or more Tasks associated with it.