6 Things to Look for in IT Help Desk Software You Can Count on
Top Features to Look for in IT Help Desk Software
According to Market Research Future, the help desk software market is projected to be valued at $5.01 billion by 2023. The segment is expected to expand from 2017 to 2023 at a compound annual growth rate of more than 34%. Many companies are adopting this critical technology. Has yours?
If your company hasn’t taken the plunge by purchasing IT help desk software, it’s important to weigh the benefits. Failing to have a good IT help desk software solution will put your company at a disadvantage. It’s about equipping your business with the tools to operate more efficiently.
While getting an IT help desk solution is essential, it would be inaccurate to suggest that one solution is necessarily as good as another. Certain features are nice to have and others are must-haves. It pays to know what’s out there so that your organization can make an informed buying decision and get an IT help desk solution that solves, rather than creates, problems.
Keep reading for six things to look for in IT help desk software your company can count on.
1. Ticketing System Features
Find an IT help desk solution that offers a robust ticketing system. Without this feature baked into the software, your IT help desk solution won’t be much of a solution. Ticketing functionality will allow your IT department to assign, reassign, resend, escalate, close, and cancel tickets.
End-user requests won’t fall through the cracks if you have ticketing management. Consider that ticketing isn’t just about ensuring that employees are satisfied. It’s also about avoiding unplanned downtime that can affect efficiency and productivity across the workplace. It’s a must-have.
2. Collaboration Capabilities
You’ll also want to find an IT help desk software that offers collaboration functionality. Collaboration should allow for members of the IT department to dialogue amongst themselves to tackle high-priority issues that require a collaborative rather than an independent effort.
It’s also essential to find an IT help desk that will allow for collaboration between the IT department and the other departments in the company, enabling knowledge sharing. You’ll also want to allow for communication between the IT department and the end user when one-on-one discussions are needed.
If your existing IT help desk software doesn’t have collaboration tools, you have the wrong one.
3. Knowledge Base Access
You’ll also want to find an IT help desk that can accommodate a robust knowledge database. Your IT department needs to be able to find information to help end users quickly, and you’ll also want to equip employees with self-help options that can come in the form of FAQs.
Don’t assume all IT help desk software can accommodate a knowledge base feature. It makes sense to be able to provide resources to help with commonly reported problems. It’ll mean that employees can find solutions in the form of step-by-step fixes, which means the IT department can focus on more critical matters that require their hands-on intervention.
4. Dashboard
You’ll also want to check out the dashboard to see what insights it allows for. A dashboard worth having will help your IT department see the most essential information immediately. IT support staff members won’t have to go looking for it. They’ll be able to look at tickets that have been created, the ticket priority based on lower priority and higher priority, and more.
Leveraging the information on the dashboard, your IT department will get objective data on how the IT department is doing as a whole, how individual members are doing, the number of tickets generated per day or per week, and the resolution rate. This is one reason you’ll want to try different IT help desk software demos before choosing one.
When you come up with a list of suitable candidates, take them for a test drive. You can usually sign up for free demos that’ll allow you to put the programs through their paces.
5. Point of Contact Options
Another critical area to consider is the point of contact options. In what ways can employees contact your company’s help desk team? Support channels your IT help desk should offer include phone, chat, social media, email, community forums, and self-service.
Often, workers want to help themselves rather than reach out to someone in the IT department. Your IT team can make it easier for these workers to find the information they need to resolve easy-to-handle fixes. It’s essential to make it easy for employees to obtain the help they need in a way that’s most accessible to them.
The more options your IT help desk offers, the better. So, ensure whatever solution you buy offers multiple points of contact.
6. Reporting and Analytics
You’ll want an IT help desk solution that offers comprehensive reporting and analytics. Information on agent productivity, customer support costs, and employee satisfaction is essential. Your IT department will be able to tap into and comb over detailed analytics that allow you to continue to offer a high level of quality service and consequently boost workplace efficiency and productivity.
Remember that unplanned downtime can be a nightmare scenario for workers and management, especially if the downtime affects employees company-wide. One way to limit, if not entirely prevent, downtime is to implement a robust IT help desk solution.
Try Our Next-Gen IT Help Desk
Do you want to get a next-generation IT help desk solution that allows your IT staff to service end users at your company? Such a solution is no longer merely nice to have. It’s something that your business must have if you’re to keep your workers doing what they’re paid to do.
Our IT help desk solution will enable your company’s IT department to easily and quickly help users with any technical issues they’re facing. Using our platform, you can get started for free to see what you have to gain. No credit card is required, and there's no software to download. It's all online. Get in touch when you’re ready for an IT help desk reimagined to meet the needs of businesses here and now. Genuity has what you need.
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