Field description - Next Breach

The Next Breach field shows the time of an upcoming breach of a SLA - or if the issue has had its SLA/SLA Target breach (its time is passed), the 'Next Breach' field will show the time in red.

Default name: Next Breach

Terminology variations: None. 

In-Use: Optional. But for SLA's to work, this field must be used in the issue field configuration.

Mandatory: This field cannot be set manually - it is set by the system from the current running SLA Target that the SLA on this issue has.

Data type: Date + Time.  The Next breach date should show the earliest estimated breach date of the running SLA Targets for the issue.

(There may be other SLA Targets that trigger at a later date - it shows the first breach date)

Access restrictions: (Default) No access when created (The Next breach of the new issue is determined by settings) Editing: Read-only for all internal users, and no access for support users. (This field cannot be directly edited)

Relationships/Dependencies: The Next Breach field is dependent on the SLA field  and its SLA Targets.

If the SLA on the issue changes, it could change SLA Targets as well, thus changing the Next breach date.

Also, if the SLA Target criterias are dependent on other issue fields (such as status, issue type, priority, severity, urgency, products ), changing those fields could alter which SLA Targets are active or valid, and thus indirectly change the Next Breach date.

If an issue had its SLA Target breached, and then it is changed so another SLA Target is running, then Next Breach will be recalculated from the estimated breach date of the new SLA Target and updated on the issue. 

Affected by these settings:  Next Breach is indirectly affected by the SLA settings, so look at that field for more info. Changing SLA will in most cases also change Next Breach date.

General > Settings > SLA settings > SLA Targets:

Here you can create and edit the SLA Targets, set what activation type the SLA target has , as well as criterions(for which issues they are valid) and changing escalations(what should happen when the SLA target is triggered). The different activation types can estimate the next breach differently.

General > Settings > SLA settings > Work Schedules

The Work schedule set on an SLA or SLA Target represents which time periods the SLA timer should observe. During times outside those specified in the Work schedule, SLAs will not be checked, and cannot trigger. Next breach will not be set outside the work schedule.

For example, you can have your SLA/SLA Target check that you respond to incoming emails within X hours, but only during office hours that are specified in the work schedule. Next Breach can then not be set at off hours.

General > Settings > SLA settings > Work Schedule - Exceptions

Here you can specify exceptions to the normal work schedule. For example, you can excempt holidays from counting against work schedule (and thus for SLAs). Calculation of Next Breach date will skip the times in the Work Schedule Exceptions (Unless it is a reverse exception for weekends/holidays where it is set as a workday)

Use cases: The Next Breach field keep you aware of how much time you have left to fulfill your SLA on the issue. Common cases are to make sure support issues are followed up promptly, and also to make sure that issues are completed in time.