Help desk how-to

At its most basic, a help-desk application letsusers create tickets that describe their problems.Technicians use this information tobegin to diagnose the problems, fix them andclose the tickets. Help-desk programs canreduce costs by solving problems that impedework, making better use of existing resourcesand eliminating delays.With most systems, users can create ticketsvia phone calls, e-mail messages or othermeans. If they have trouble with one channel,they can use another. Administrators candefine the issues the system will handle as narrowlyor as broadly as they like. Purely computer-related problems, trouble with phones,building maintenance, human resources andsoftware bugs are all legitimate possibilities.Workflow tools that route tickets to theappropriate person for assignment, diagnosis,action, verification and closing are also featuresof a robust help-desk application.However, the solution shouldn't impose aworkflow on an organization."Tracking is the heart of a help desk," saidDaryl Covey, hotline manager at the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration'sNexrad Radar Operations Center in Norman,Okla. "You don't want things to fall throughthe cracks."An optional knowledge base can let usersself-diagnose and remedy problems using validatedprocedures without a technician'sassistance.Another useful tool is remote access, whichlets technicians log on to user machines toinvestigate and solve problems. For example,LogMeIn Rescue lets users give permission totechnicians to run diagnostics, start and stopprocesses, reboot ? whatever is necessary tofind and fix the problem.It's important to recognize that a help-desksolution is only part of an overall informationtechnology strategy. Adding a configurationmanagement capability lets administratorslink reported problems to system configurationissues. An asset management component,such as the one Internet Software Sciences'Web?? supplies, can help inventory andmanage agency resources. Change managementoptions can assist with planningdecisions.All those options are important, but reportingis perhaps the most useful for managementpurposes. One type of report involvesdetails of the help-desk process, such as howlong it takes to respond to tickets and fix problems.However, other reports can be more usefulfor spotting trends or patterns in the big picture of effective systems management.For example, recognizing that certain problemsare typical of a particular configurationallows agencies to avoid future difficulties byusing targeted, preventive responses."Use trend analysis to determineroot causes and fix the underlyingproblem, not the symptoms," Coveysaid. Reports also can aid with decisionsabout acquisitions and deployment.Help-desk programs shouldhave predefined reports but alsoallow for creating custom reports.The most vital aspect of a successfulhelp-desk solution is ease of use. If users can'tuse it ? or technicians won't use it ? it's a failureno matter how good the solution's capabilities.Does it have multiple channels for users tocreate tickets? Can technicians access ticketsvia BlackBerry? Technicians should also be ableto assign meaningful priorities, categories orstatus to tickets.Before choosing a help-desk application, makea thorough examination of agency businesspractices. You want to be sure that what you'resupporting ? and the support you're providing? makes sense."Knowing your end goals for the help deskand how you want to support your users andsponsors will go far in choosing software to fityour needs," said Ronald Meyers, program leadof the Joint Systems Support and Knowledge Center at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego. Also, help-deskapplications are expensive, with price tagstypically in the tens of thousands of dollars ?all the more reason to invest the time to be sureyour process is correct.Choosing from among all the possible featuresis not easy. A Web-based solution helpsagencies deal with problems in geographicallydistributed offices but can also raise issues ofsecurity. Covey said some users also find help-desksites too complex."You may need to refine your Web interfaceto build confidence and comfort so people willuse it more," he said.Pricing is also complex, partly because eachagency's situation is unique. Vendors couldcharge a monthly or yearly fee or have a singlepayment for the duration of the system. Somevendors charge per user, and others have a flatfee for any number of users. Some vendors'products are intrinsically Web-oriented, andothers charge for Web access. With somesolutions, all options are part of the packagewith no extra fees; with others, you pay as yougo for each option you select. Are technicalsupport, maintenance and upgrades included,or do they involve extra charges?"Remember to include the annual cost tomaintain and support the software afterimplementation," Meyers said. Agency ITstaff members should question vendors closelyabout the expected costs of deployment.Given how cost-conscious governmentagencies are, it makes sense to look at the freehelp-desk applications available, especiallyfor small deployments and first deployments.The open-source Liberum Help Desk offers aWeb interface with built-in reports, configurablee-mail messages and customizablepages. Similarly, OneOrZero has capabilitiesfor customizable ticket fields, tickets viae-mail, time tracking, project management,searches and reporting, and powerful securityin multiple languages. Other freehelp-desk applications include HelpDesk Software, Hesk, QuickIntranetand Simple Help Desk. Also, manyvendors offer free trial versions oftheir software."An agencywide product allowsmore consistency throughout theagency by having one way to managetickets and more consistent metric reportsregardless of system or sponsor," Meyers said.Selecting a help-desk application that has amodular structure makes sense for manyagencies ? especially those implementing ahelp-desk application for the first time ?because they can implement functions one at atime. "Start with tracking to ensure tickets areworked and closed out correctly," Covey said.A help-desk program usually requires itsown hardware and software resources.However, some vendors, such as Athena, alsohost the solution as a service. All the informationresides on the vendor's servers and isaccessible via the Internet. For this option,agencies will need reassurance about securitymeasures.Help-desk applications must be compatiblewith all the platforms the agency uses. Payparticular attention to different versions ofoperating systems: Windows Vista does notequal Windows XP, for example.Finally, should agencies deploy the chosenapplication themselves or outsource it? Thereare benefits to both approaches. However, ahelp-desk application is an individual choice,fitted to the needs and style of the agency."The help-desk staff should be able to selfmanagethe software to adapt to changing oremerging systems," Meyers said. Agenciesmight be hesitant to entrust this responsibilityto outsiders.