TIMS Issue Entry

To add a new issue into TIMS is very easy...

First click the 'Add' button on the 'Maintenance Form'

(The 'Maintenance Form' will  open  by default when TIMS starts)

 

This will open the 'Issue Editor', the form where Issues are first entered and where Issue status changes are tracked as the Issue moves through the Issue processing workflow until the Issue is closed.

 

Only three fields need to be completed to add a new issue...highlighted in yellow

• Title :  This is a free form field that allows the user to enter a title describing an Issue. An Issue ‘Title’ should be chosen carefully, it should be concise and descriptive of the Issue at hand as this will aid in searching for Issues later.   Although this field is free-form it also has an optional pick-list to help compose the 'Title' in a manner that improves the speed and accuracy of entering the Issue ‘Title’.

• Type : This is a pre-populated pick-list that allows the user to select the desired Issue ‘Type’ by clicking on the pick-list arrow on the right side of the field. Issue ‘Types’ are configured by the TIMS admin user - usually when TIMS is first installed at a site.

• Priority : This is a pre-populated pick-list that allows the user to select the ‘Priority’ of an Issue by clicking on the pick-list arrow on the right side of the field. The priority pick-list list is fixed and cannot be modified. The available priorities – from most to least important are: 1 through 5. There are two additional priorities at the bottom of the priority list ‘TBA’ (To Be Assessed, for Issues where the priority has yet to be decided) and ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable, for Issues that do not have an associated priority).

The other fields can be completed as appropriate for the type of Issue  being  tracked and the workflow stage.

The Comment Types allow more information to be entered about an issue and will be covered in the next article...Adding Comments To An Issue