Widget-Based Solution for Importing Change Requests into ServiceDesk Plus

Overview:

We currently do not have a built-in feature to import XLS files directly into the Change module. However, we understand that many customers need to import change requests from other tools into ServiceDesk Plus. To address this need, we have developed a widget-based solution as a temporary measure.

This widget provides basic import functionality, allowing you to bring in a limited set of fields based on feasibility. Due to challenges like compatibility with external tools, field mapping, and value alignment, this solution is not intended for complete change data imports. It is designed for customers who are comfortable with a simplified import option for referencing change records in ServiceDesk Plus.

Please be aware that this widget is not extensible and is not meant to serve as a comprehensive import tool. For a more advanced solution that includes importing all change-related entities, further analysis and development will be necessary. This enhancement is already included in our future roadmap.

This will simplify the process of importing all change requests using a single XLSX file.

Steps to add it as a dashboard widget:

1. Open the ServiceDesk Plus Dashboard page and click on the "New Dashboard" button.

2. Click on "Save" once all the details, such as the name and other required fields, are filled in. This widget can be restricted to view only by the Created User by adjusting the sharing options in the same form.

3. After creating a new dashboard, click on the "New Widget" button.

4. Within the slider, click on the "External Widget" tab, fill in the required details, attach the provided HTML file, and then click the "Add" button.

5. Click on the "Save Configuration" button, and your dashboard will be ready to use.

Steps to import change records:

1. Click on module and select Change.

2. Click on "Choose File" and upload the XLSX file.

3. Once the XLSX file is uploaded, the field mappings will be displayed. Click on each field and select the corresponding column from the dropdown options to map it to the appropriate field.

4. After mapping all the fields to their respective columns, click the "Import" button at the bottom of the widget.

5. All change records will be imported. At the bottom of the widget, you can view the list of failed records and the count of successful records.

The sample response above shows one of the failed entries:

Row 3 input_data:

{"change":{"udf_fields":{},"priority":{"name":"High"},"description":"Change 2 Description","title":"Change 4","category":{"name":"jabsdfhjas"}}}

Response 3:

{"response_status":{"status_code":4000,"messages":[{"status_code":4001,"field":"category","type":"failed","message":"Invalid Input"}],"status":"failed"}}

This indicates that the change upload failed because the specified category name, `"jabsdfhjas"`, is not available in ServiceDesk Plus (SDP).

5. After addressing any issues like the one above, all remaining records will be successfully imported.

You can also map an additional field created in ServiceDesk Plus (SDP) with any field that cannot be mapped to the default fields in SDP.