Product Issue Number
This guide explains what a product issue number (PIN) is and how it is used within the PCP organization.
Intended for
L4 coordinators, L4 engineers, product owners, release owners, hardware engineers, and software engineers.
Background
It can be difficult for customers, the support line, and R&D to match issues described in e.g. release notes to the actual correction and reported customer cases. Often, the same problem is reported by different customers and on different versions of the product. There is a significant risk that several "IDs" could circulate for the same problem if a systematic approach is not employed.
With a PIN:
- It is easy for a customer to identify when a correction is available for an issue reported, regardless of the product version.
- All customers get the same reference to a problem.
- A customer doesn't need to know if other customers have the same problem.
- There is no need to announce the number of defects for a specific product.
- There is no dependency on defect-tracking systems or organization.
Usage
The PIN is a unique identifier for a specific product defect, used in all customer communication. It makes it easier to communicate about the issue in e.g.:
- Support cases.
- Field communications.
- Release notes, regarding both known and corrected problems.
A PIN is assigned to a problem:
- After an R&D investigation, if it is identified as a new and unique issue.
- That is reported by a customer.
- That is judged to need a field communication.
A PIN will not be assigned if the problem cannot be fully identified, and when "general improvements" may fix the problem.
The handling and generation of PINs are not part of the field communication process, yet the PIN is vital to the customer value of field communications.
Summary
PINs are unique for every identified problem of the product life cycle and are not changed once assigned.
A PIN shall be the sole identifier for an issue during communication via support cases, field communications, and other channels.
PIN syntax
The PIN is a random six-character string, created by an automatic generator that make sure that each PIN is unique. The string has the following characteristics:
- It is always preceded by the prefix "PIN-".
- It consists of the characters 0-9 and A-Z (but not I and O).
- No more than 2 consecutive letters are allowed.
PIN example
PIN-Q29KLP
Q&A
Do existing PINs with a different syntax need to be regenerated using the new syntax?
No, they are still valid as is.
Where do I generate a PIN?
The PIN is generated using the product issue database (PID).
Is this syntax applicable to all products in PCP?
Yes, all products across PCP shall eventually use the same syntax and related processes. For now, this syntax is only applicable to products that are using the PID.
Can a PIN be reused?
No, a PIN is unique for a specific identified problem throughout the entire product life cycle and is not changed once assigned.
Can a PIN be included in several products?
Yes, it can be indirectly included in several products due to the use of a product within other products or product lines, although the issue itself is still only present in one single product. For example, an issue in the central licensing system (CLS) could affect both a System 800xA release and a release of Symphony Plus Operations.