Managing an IT service desk can be complicated. You need to communicate effectively with end users, route tickets to various specialists or groups, address tickets in a timely fashion and sometimes problem solve with other team members to resolve issues.
Without the structure provided by IT service desk software and processes followed by the team, things can get bogged down quickly. Choosing the right IT service desk can help. There are many options, so how do you know which solution will work best for your team?
What Is IT Service Desk Software?
IT service desk software helps you organize and execute service desk tasks more efficiently. Some solutions incorporate varying degrees of automation for even greater process efficiency.
This software uses digital tickets to address tech support requests. Internet issues, password reset or onboarding new employees are just a few request examples that service desks receive.
Information about the request is added to a ticket. It can then be assigned, resolved and closed through a normal workflow. Tickets basically give you a way to compile historical information about a request and track it through completion—and beyond (via reporting).
One benefit of tracking tickets is that patterns emerge—it’s a little easier to see what requests are repetitive or if there is a greater issue in the organization. The repetitive requests that can be deflected with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual agents in some service desks. The result: analysts are freed up by letting the virtual agent converse with end users and make recommendations. And because the virtual agent draws from a smart knowledge base, it serves up consistent recommendations to end users.
How Do You Want to Create Tickets?
The way IT service desk software creates tickets can vary. What functionality do you prefer? For example, do you need to turn requests from social media platforms into tickets? Or are you solely working from internal channels like email and Microsoft Teams chats?
The convenience of being able to turn requests into tickets with a click from popular communication channels is key.
What Are Your Concerns?
Now that you know some of the ways IT service desk software can help you, let’s look at questions that might help you prioritize functionality:
- What would most help keep the service desk running smoothly?
- Does your team struggle with triaging requests and escalation processes?
- Is time wasted trying to track down issues and see what progress was made?
- What are the main bottlenecks for each step of the ticketing process?
Must-Have Service Desk Features
Although service desk software can come with comprehensive features, there are some that you absolutely need in a good IT service desk solution, including the ability to:
- Create, assign and track digital tickets. So, look for software that does this seamlessly and is easily navigable. Cloud-based systems are preferable to support hybrid workers.
- Modify and close tickets. This allows you to update tickets as needed and see when they are completed.
- Keep a record of the ticket even after it closes. This way you can track tickets, reference data and activity history for auditing purposes.
- Build a knowledge base or some kind of self-service portal. Some systems serve knowledge base content to end users so that they can resolve simple issues without spending time searching for answers. Others provide portals that allow end users to search for answers themselves.
Does It Integrate with Current Software?
It’s important that your IT service desk solution integrates seamlessly into your current infrastructure. You need to be sure that you can deliver service to end users effectively. For example, if you’ve already invested in Microsoft 365, then you would greatly benefit from a support ticketing solution that works well with it, like Microsoft Teams Ticketing or Microsoft 365 Service Desk.
Such solutions are easy to install, configure and deploy and offer access to other Microsoft applications, like Power BI and Intune.
What AI Software Does It Offer?
AI is here to stay, and for an IT service desk solution, it is invaluable.
Every second counts when resolving issues and restoring systems. Some simple issues can be resolved without involving IT analysts. For these common or repetitive questions, it helps to have an AI-powered virtual agent act as your first line of defense. For example, if someone has a hard time resetting their password, they can chat with the virtual agent, which assesses the request and sends a knowledge base article, link or instruction.
It takes no time at all for the virtual agent to respond, but it saves the analysts a lot of time and effort. These solutions strengthen automation capability as you add KB content. The more you add content to the KB, the smarter the agent becomes. It will respond faster with more helpful content to a growing number of requests.
Analysts should also have the option to step in if the virtual agent is unable to help. IT analysts are needed, but they can contribute at a higher level on more complicated (and interesting) problems.
If done well, end users will have no idea that a handoff happened at all!
Transform Your IT Service Desk with the Best Software
Tikit is an IT service desk solution that contains the features we mentioned above. You can see it in action in this demo. You can also try Tikit, which was built exclusively for Microsoft Teams, with no obligations. Get started with a free 14-day trial!
