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Check if it is a Reoccurring Issue

The "Check if it is a Reoccurring Issue" action analyzes a given ticket to determine if it represents an issue that has occurred multiple times in the past, based on configurable thresholds for similarity, age, and frequency.

Why is it useful?

This action helps proactively identify and flag issues that might indicate underlying problems or require root cause analysis. By catching reoccurring issues early, you can prevent them from escalating, improve service quality, and reduce repetitive support efforts.

What It Does​

  • Analyzes the input ticket to understand its core issue.
  • Searches for similar tickets within the same company.
  • Filters these similar tickets based on age and similarity thresholds.
  • Determines if the number of qualifying similar tickets meets the defined "number of incidences" threshold.
  • Outputs whether the issue is considered reoccurring and provides details about the original issue.

How It Works​

1. Input Data​

The action takes a single PSA ticket as its primary input (default_data).

2. Issue Summarization​

If a pre-existing summary (issue description) isn't available for the input ticket, the action first generates one. If the ticket has no discernible issue, the process stops, and the issue is not considered reoccurring.

The action searches for up to 10 similar tickets for the same company as the input ticket. This search uses a similarity score to compare the input ticket's issue with others.

4. Filtering and Counting​

The found similar tickets are then filtered:

  • Only tickets younger than the specified age_threshold (in days) are kept.
  • Only tickets with a similarity score greater than the similarity_threshold are kept.

5. Reoccurrence Determination​

If the count of filtered similar tickets is greater than or equal to the number_of_incidences configured, the original issue is flagged as reoccurring.

6. Output Structure​

The action outputs a boolean flag is_reoccurring, the issue description from the input ticket, and standard notification messages.

Configuration Fields​

When you add the "Check if it is a Reoccurring Issue" action to a workflow, you'll configure the following:

similarity_threshold​

A numerical value (percentage score between 0 and 1) that determines how similar other tickets must be to the input ticket to be considered relevant. (default: 0.95)

age_threshold​

The maximum age in days for a similar ticket to be considered. Tickets older than this will be ignored. (default: 365)

number_of_incidences​

The minimum number of similar, recent tickets (matching the age and similarity thresholds) required to classify the issue as reoccurring. (default: 5)

Output Fields​

This action makes the following information available to subsequent actions in the workflow:

is_reoccurring​

A boolean value (true or false) indicating whether the input ticket's issue is considered reoccurring based on the configured criteria.

issue​

A string containing the description of the issue identified in the input ticket.

default_messages_for_msp​

A list of messages suitable for internal MSP use, typically indicating whether the issue was found to be reoccurring and a summary of the issue.

default_messages_for_dashboard​

A list of messages formatted for display on the Neo Dashboard, summarizing the action's findings.

credits_consumed​

The number of credits consumed by this action.

Use Cases​

Proactive Problem Management​

  1. Trigger: New ticket created.
  2. Action: Check if it is a Reoccurring Issue.
  3. Condition: If is_reoccurring is true.
  4. Action: Add Ticket Note to flag the ticket for review by a problem manager.
  5. Action: Notify Internal Team (e.g., Problem Management team) about the potential reoccurring issue.

Escalation for Known Problems​

  1. Trigger: New ticket created.
  2. Action: Check if it is a Reoccurring Issue.
  3. Condition: If is_reoccurring is true.
  4. Action: Escalate Ticket to a higher-tier support group or a specialized team familiar with the known problem.

Knowledge Base Improvement​

  1. Trigger: New ticket created.
  2. Action: Check if it is a Reoccurring Issue.
  3. Condition: If is_reoccurring is true.
  4. Action: Add Ticket Note suggesting a review of existing knowledge base articles related to the issue or the creation of a new one if none exists.

Best Practices​

  • Tune Thresholds: Start with the default thresholds (similarity_threshold, age_threshold, number_of_incidences) and adjust them based on your specific needs and the types of issues you encounter. If you're getting too many false positives, try increasing the similarity_threshold or number_of_incidences. If you're missing reoccurring issues, consider decreasing these values or increasing the age_threshold.
  • Combine with Other Actions: Use the output of this action (especially the is_reoccurring flag) to trigger other actions like Add Ticket Note, Notify Internal Team, or Update Ticket Fields to create automated workflows for handling reoccurring problems.
  • Review Event History: Regularly check the Event History to see how this action is performing and to identify trends in reoccurring issues.
  • Company Context: Remember that the similarity search is performed within the context of the ticket's company. This helps in identifying issues specific to a particular client.