Skip to main content
Question

Blank Defaults

  • December 13, 2022
  • 9 replies
  • 286 views

askey-s
Sidekick (Customer)
Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • Sidekick (Customer)
  • 7 replies

We’re new to the use of the Service Catalogue so are still finding our feet with it all so apologies for the newbie question.

When creating an offering you have to specify a default item and category value, even though the actual values can be part of a list.  We’re finding that, in a few instances, staff are just accepting the default values when filling in the form and not actively selecting the required value.

Is there a way to have the offering form display a blank value in those fields so that it prompts (forces?) a value to be selected?

Thanks

9 replies

Forum|alt.badge.img+12
  • Hero (Customer)
  • 145 replies
  • December 16, 2022

We haven’t found one, but we have created an item and category called ‘Please Select….’ to use as the default. This gives the end user a visual prompt to change it.

 

This doesn't stop the end use submitting without a valid selection. However, it does give the analyst a clear indication that no value has been selected AND us service reporting on how many are doing it.

Example from one of our test forms

 


askey-s
Sidekick (Customer)
Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • Author
  • Sidekick (Customer)
  • 7 replies
  • December 19, 2022

Thank you for confirming this.  We’d got the same idea.


Forum|alt.badge.img+7
  • Sidekick (Customer)
  • 15 replies
  • December 19, 2022

Within the Dafult Value Expression on the Item A field add a double quotes as below, this then remove a default value in the assystNET form so the user should then try and select from your list.

This however does allow for nothing to be selected and the form submitted still, but it will stop the end-user from just selecting the default value out of habbit.

 


Robert Wood
Hero (Employee)
Forum|alt.badge.img+11
  • Hero (Employee)
  • 57 replies
  • January 10, 2023

Hi guys, 

Just to add a little more information here, we’ve seen customers have similar issues in the past and we are currently investigating the possibility of adding placeholder text to fields that allow an admin to add text to a field by default but not consider it a value when the form is saved, thus forcing your users to select an appropriate value. Very similar to the “please select..” method you’ve mentioned above Steve but a proper way to allow you to do this.

Cheers,
Robert


askey-s
Sidekick (Customer)
Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • Author
  • Sidekick (Customer)
  • 7 replies
  • January 12, 2023

Hi Robert

Thank you for this.  It would be very useful.


Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Sidekick (Customer)
  • 41 replies
  • January 27, 2023

Hi guys, 

Just to add a little more information here, we’ve seen customers have similar issues in the past and we are currently investigating the possibility of adding placeholder text to fields that allow an admin to add text to a field by default but not consider it a value when the form is saved, thus forcing your users to select an appropriate value. Very similar to the “please select..” method you’ve mentioned above Steve but a proper way to allow you to do this.

Cheers,
Robert

Hi Robert,

Do you know if someone formally entered this as an idea that we can track/upvote etc?

Thanks,

Mitch


Robert Wood
Hero (Employee)
Forum|alt.badge.img+11
  • Hero (Employee)
  • 57 replies
  • January 31, 2023

Hi Mitch, 

Just had a quick look and we do not! It’s a suggestion we’ve had internally so there’s no matching idea for it at the moment. Please feel free to raise an idea and I'll link it up to the story we have internally - it would be good to see the number of customers interested in the functionality to allow us to gauge it’s value.

Cheers,
Robert


  • Do Gooder (Customer)
  • 1 reply
  • March 27, 2023

I used the double-quotes (“”) in the Default Value Expression property in the ITEM A field and for some reason it does not blank out the value when I view the form in assystNet.  

It works fine (blanks out the ITEM A field) when I view the Service Offering in assystWeb, but not in assystNet.

I used notepad to create the expression.  I tried changing browsers (Edge and Chrome) and browser setting but no luck.  

Any ideas?


jyork
Sidekick (Customer)
Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Sidekick (Customer)
  • 80 replies
  • April 21, 2023

We just use an Item called “To Be Qualified” and set that item to not be Cause item for any ticket types, that way the ticket cannot be resolved/closed with that Item, forcing the actioning user to choose an Item and Category. All of our metrics are based on the Cause Item and Category, as if done correctly, this should be the item/category for the root cause of the issue.