How Help Desk Software Improves IT Service Delivery

Help desk software can not only help to ensure that all issues are dealt with in an efficient and timely manner; it can automate a large part of the process leading to reductions in overhead. The best help desk software will be able to support the IT help desk by:

• Automatically creating work orders and assigning the appropriate personnel to resolve the problem, which will result in workflow automation and optimum use of both resources and personnel
• Managing the work orders from creation to final resolution
• Raising alerts for cases not resolved within a specified time frame and automatically escalating the status of the pending cases to ensure prompt action
• Tracking all work orders and ensuring that nothing is overlooked and unattended
• Improving response time by enabling 24/7 registration of work orders so that even if the IT help desk is not a 24 hour function, pending cases are presented immediately upon its resuming work
• Automatically assigning priorities based on previously defined parameters so that when there are time or resource constraints, issues are resolved on the basis of importance
• Reducing the time help desk staff spend on the phone which allows them to focus on problem resolution
• Ensuring that all the data needed to evaluate the IT help desk is available in an easy to analyze format. Having the metrics available to analyze the nature of issues that the IT help desk is required to handle will provide the management with the inputs it needs to ensure that preemptive action can be taken to reduce the occurrence of common problems.
• Having all the relevant data available will allow for more effective asset management. Advanced help desk software will be able to automate even this.
• Creating a searchable database of common problems so that computer users can look for solutions to quickly resolve problems themselves. A self service portal of this kind has the additional advantage of educating users on common problems and enabling them to avoid mistakes, thus reducing down time.

These are the basic functions that any good help desk software will offer. The increase in service delivery standards that this kind of software will enable an IT help desk to achieve will be reflected in an overall increase in productivity throughout the company. And in addition, as mentioned earlier, cut the help desk operational costs.

There is a cost involved in implementing a help desk software solution. But the improved service delivery and reduction in IT help desk operations overhead will more than compensate for this. One important thing to keep in mind is to use software with a scalable license structure so that a business only needs to pay for the licenses it needs at a given time. Seasonal businesses will be able to cut back on licenses during lean periods and increase when needed. Other businesses will be able to add and pay for licenses only when the need arises.

With the number of help desk software solutions available, each one with different features, a detailed study of the options to find one that meets both current needs and future needs may take some time and involve a small additional resource outlay, but it is a worthwhile exercise as will be seen from the benefits that will accrue from an efficient and automated IT help desk.