Question:

What are the key features and benefits of a high-quality IT Support Request management software?

We are looking for a software that can:

• Integrate with Active Directory to authenticate users and assign roles
• Monitor and report on the frequency and types of tickets submitted by users
• Use tags instead of drop-down menus to categorize tickets and allow multiple tags for complex issues
• Provide a user-friendly wizard to guide users through the ticket creation process
• Send a simple survey to users when a ticket is marked as pending closure by a technician, and follow up with reminders
• Update the ticket status based on the user’s feedback, and escalate or close the ticket accordingly
• Collect optional feedback from users on their satisfaction and suggestions for improvement
• Work reliably and efficiently without causing any errors or delays

We

would appreciate any recommendations or suggestions for such a software and the reasons behind them.

Answer:

IT Support Request management software is a tool that helps IT teams handle and resolve the issues and requests raised by their users. A good IT Support Request management software can improve the efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction of both the IT staff and the users. However, not all IT Support Request management software are created equal. Some may have more features and benefits than others, depending on the needs and preferences of the organization.

In this article, we will discuss some of the key features and benefits that a high-quality IT Support Request management software should have, and why they are important. We will also provide some examples of software that meet these criteria, and how they can help your IT team deliver better service to your users.

Key features and benefits of a high-quality IT Support Request management software

• Integration with Active Directory: Active Directory is a directory service that stores and manages user accounts, groups, and permissions in a network. A high-quality IT Support Request management software should be able to integrate with Active Directory, so that it can authenticate users and assign them roles based on their identity and membership. This can simplify the login process, reduce the risk of unauthorized access, and enable role-based access control. For example, a software that integrates with Active Directory is ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus, which allows users to log in with their Windows credentials, and automatically syncs user information and group memberships from Active Directory.
• Monitoring and reporting on the frequency and types of tickets submitted by users: A high-quality IT Support Request management software should be able to monitor and report on the frequency and types of tickets submitted by users, so that it can provide insights into the performance and trends of the IT team and the user satisfaction. This can help the IT team identify the common and recurring issues, prioritize the urgent and important requests, and allocate the resources and staff accordingly. It can also help the IT team measure and improve their service quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. For example, a software that provides monitoring and reporting features is Freshservice, which offers dashboards, charts, and reports on various metrics such as ticket volume, resolution time, SLA compliance, customer satisfaction, and more.
• Use of tags instead of drop-down menus to categorize tickets and allow multiple tags for complex issues: A high-quality IT Support Request management software should use tags instead of drop-down menus to categorize tickets and allow multiple tags for complex issues, so that it can make the ticket creation and classification process easier and more flexible. Tags are keywords or phrases that describe the nature or topic of the ticket, such as “network”, “printer”, “software”, etc. Tags can be added or removed by the users or the IT staff, and can be searched or filtered by the IT staff. Tags can also allow multiple tags for complex issues, such as “network” and “printer” for a network printing problem, which can provide more information and context for the IT staff. For example, a software that uses tags to categorize tickets is Zendesk Support, which allows users and agents to add, edit, and remove tags from tickets, and use them to create views, triggers, automations, and reports.
• Provision of a user-friendly wizard to guide users through the ticket creation process: A high-quality IT Support Request management software should provide a user-friendly wizard to guide users through the ticket creation process, so that it can reduce the friction and confusion for the users, and increase the accuracy and completeness of the ticket information. A user-friendly wizard can ask the users a series of questions or steps, such as the issue category, the issue description, the impact level, the attachment of screenshots or files, etc., and fill in the ticket fields accordingly. This can help the users submit their tickets more easily and quickly, and help the IT staff understand and resolve the issues more effectively. For example, a software that provides a user-friendly wizard to create tickets is Jira Service Management, which allows users to choose from a list of request types, such as “Get IT help”, “Report a bug”, “Request a new laptop”, etc., and follow the instructions to fill in the required and optional fields.
• Sending of a simple survey to users when a ticket is marked as pending closure by a technician, and follow up with reminders: A high-quality IT Support Request management software should send a simple survey to users when a ticket is marked as pending closure by a technician, and follow up with reminders, so that it can collect feedback from the users on their satisfaction and experience with the service. A simple survey can ask the users to rate their satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5, or to choose between “Yes” or “No”, and provide optional comments or suggestions. The survey can be sent via email, SMS, or in-app notification, and can be followed up with reminders if the user does not respond within a certain period of time. The survey results can be used to update the ticket status, and escalate or close the ticket accordingly. For example, a software that sends a simple survey to users is HappyFox, which allows agents to send a satisfaction survey to users when a ticket is resolved, and automatically closes the ticket if the user is satisfied, or reopens the ticket if the user is dissatisfied.
• Collection of optional feedback from users on their satisfaction and suggestions for improvement: A high-quality IT Support Request management software should collect optional feedback from users on their satisfaction and suggestions for improvement, so that it can learn from the user’s perspective and identify the areas of strength and weakness of the service. Optional feedback can be collected as part of the simple survey, or as a separate form or channel. Optional feedback can include comments, ratings, testimonials, complaints, compliments, or ideas. The feedback can be analyzed and used to improve the service quality, customer loyalty, and innovation. For example, a software that collects optional feedback from users is ServiceNow, which allows users to provide feedback on their service experience, and uses artificial intelligence to identify the sentiment, topics, and trends of the feedback.
• Working reliably and efficiently without causing any errors or delays: A high-quality IT Support Request management software should work reliably and efficiently without causing any errors or delays, so that it can provide a smooth and seamless service to the users and the IT staff. A reliable and efficient software should have a high uptime, a fast performance, a secure data protection, a regular backup, a scalable capacity, and a low maintenance cost. A reliable and efficient software should also have a good customer support, a frequent update, and a clear documentation. For example, a software that works reliably and efficiently is SolarWinds Service Desk, which offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, a cloud-based platform, a GDPR compliance, a 24/7 support, and a comprehensive knowledge base.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a high-quality IT Support Request management software is a valuable asset for any IT team that wants to provide better service to their users. A high-quality IT Support Request management software should have the following features and benefits:

• Integration with Active Directory
• Monitoring and reporting on the frequency and types of tickets submitted by users
• Use of tags instead of drop-down menus to categorize tickets and allow multiple tags for complex issues
• Provision of a user-friendly wizard to guide users through the ticket creation process
• Sending of a simple survey to users when a ticket is marked as pending closure by a technician, and follow up with reminders
• Collection of optional feedback from users on their satisfaction and suggestions for improvement
• Working reliably and efficiently without causing any errors or delays

We

hope this article has helped you understand what to look for in a high-quality IT Support Request management software, and why they are important. We also hope you have found some examples of software that meet these criteria, and how they can help your IT team deliver better service to your users. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for reading.