Some CIOPulse displays, reports and API endpoints allow the use of the combine parameter in the URL, e.g. the Customer Satisfaction Gauge, Team League Table, Customer Feedback Slider, CCS Feedback Slider, Survey Responses Report, CCS Feedback Report, Survey API and CCS API.
In these URLs, the combine parameter works together with the rgid parameter to tell CIOPulse what you want to see when rgid is a Department.
To understand the combine parameter you should first be familiar with the use of the 'Department' field when setting up your Support Groups.
When a Support Group has a Department specified in its 'Department' field (e.g. The 'Service Desk' Support Group has 'Service Delivery' specified as its Department), that Support Group is considered a Team which belongs to the specified Department. Support Groups with a blank 'Department' field are considered Departments (not Teams). You can read more about Departments and Teams here.
The combine parameter can only be used in combination with the rgid parameter. It only has an effect when rgid specifies a Department. It has no effect when rgid specifies a Team
This table summarises the effect of the combine parameter:
| Report or Information Screen | Effect of 'combine' parameter |
|---|---|
| Customer Satisfaction Gauge | When y, displays the NPS based on all surveys received for the Department and the Teams that belong to that Department.When n, displays the NPS based just on the surveys received for the Department (excluding surveys received for the Teams that belong to that Department). |
| Customer Satisfaction League Table | When y, displays Departments in the table.When n, displays Teams in the table. |
| Customer Feedback Slider, Survey Responses Report, Survey API |
When y, displays surveys received for the Department and the Teams that belong to that Department.When n, displays surveys received for the Department (excluding surveys received for the Teams that belong to that Department). |
| CCS Feedback Slider, CCS Feedback Report, CCS API. |
When y, displays feedback received for the Department and the Teams that belong to that Department.When n, displays feedback received for the Department (excluding feedback received for the Teams that belong to that Department). |
Example of how the 'combine' parameter works
Teams and Departments are two different types of Support Group:
- A Department is a Support Group whose 'Department' field is blank.
- A Team is a Support Group whose 'Department' field is set to a Department.
Surveys may be completed for Teams and Departments.
Let's look at an example of how the combine parameter would be used with the Survey Responses report.
Let's say that you have setup these five Support Groups in the Portal, each of which has a corresponding queue/assignment group in your ITSM software:
- Service Desk. Support Group Code=SD.
- Desktop Support. Support Group Code=DS.
- Networks. Support Group Code=NW.
- Architecture. Support Group Code=ARC.
- Infrastructure. Support Group Code=INF.
And you also setup a sixth Support Group that does not have a corresponding queue/assignment group in your ITSM software:
- Service Delivery. Support Group Code=SRV.
To recreate the hierarchy shown in the diagram below, the 'Department' field of these six Support Groups would be set to:
- Blank for Service Delivery, Architecture and Infrastructure. CIOPulse will treat these three Support Groups as Departments.
- 'Service Delivery' for Service Desk and Desktop Support. CIOPulse will treat these two Support Groups as Teams.
- 'Infrastructure' for Networks. CIOPulse will treat this Support Group as a Team.
Assuming surveys have been received for the five Support Groups that have a corresponding queue/assignment group in your ITSM software (i.e. all Support Groups except 'Service Delivery'), then the combine and rgid parameters would results in these survey responses being included in the Survey Responses report:
-
&rgid=SDSurvey responses for Service Desk (combineparameter ignored because Service Desk is a Team). -
&rgid=DSSurvey responses for Desktop Support (combineparameter ignored because Desktop Support is a Team). -
&rgid=NWSurvey responses for Networks (combineparameter ignored because Networks is a Team). -
&rgid=ARCSurvey responses for Architecture (combineparameter ignored because Architecture has no Teams). -
&rgid=INF&combine=nSurvey responses for Infrastructure but not survey responses for Networks. -
&rgid=INF&combine=ySurvey responses for Infrastructure and Networks. -
&rgid=SRV&combine=nThe report will be empty because no surveys have been completed for Service Delivery. -
&rgid=SRV&combine=ySurvey responses for Service Desk and Desktop Support.
The combine parameter has no effect when rgid specifies a Team, or specifies a Department that has no Teams.
When rgid is set to a Department for which surveys are never completed (i.e. surveys are only completed for the Teams that belong to that Department) you must always specify &combine=y