How to Select Support Desk Software

How to Select
Support Desk
Software
With over 100 Support Desk vendors in the market, prices ranging from free to over $5,000 per
advanced user (i.e. Technical Support Rep or Customer Support Rep) and an overwhelming array of
architectures, web services and features to evaluate, selecting the right Support Desk for your
organization can be a time consuming and frustrating process.
The purpose of this document is to try and simplify the process for you. This white paper will
address common issues that everyone in the Support Desk Market should understand prior to
making a final selection. Understanding these issues will help you make a more informed decision.
Architecture
The issue that tends to cause the most confusion in our industry is client/server Web enabled
solutions (C/S) vs. 100% Web based solutions. In general, C/S architected solutions are a dying
breed. At one point, an excellent improvement over main frame solutions, C/S technology has been
phased out due to the availability and advantages of Web based solutions. The main reason some
vendors continue to sell C/S solutions is due to the fact that they do not have the development
resources to convert their older product to a Web based architecture. Some of the advantages that
Web based solutions have over C/S solutions include:
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No client-side software installation, updates or support
Log in from anywhere, anytime with any browser
Full access to all features and functions anytime and from anywhere
When you begin to demo different solutions please take note if you are required to load code on
your desktop to begin the demo. If so, you are not dealing with a vendor that offers a Web based
solution. True Web based architectures need only a URL in order to see a demo.
So, if the vendor sends you a 5 MB .exe file to demo their solution, you are not seeing a 100% Web
based solution. The file that vendor is sending you is either front ending a C/S system or is a
complete “canned” demo on your desktop. Make sure you evaluate the solution you are going to be
purchasing! If you do purchase a C/S solution, please note that Web enabled add-on modules will
not give you full access to all of the features when you are at a remote location.
Pricing, Terms & Conditions, and Hosting
When obtaining pricing information, the key is to get a detailed quote. Vendors seeking to entice
prospects with low costs may only provide summary quotes. These summary quotes may not
include features that are not a part of the core solution (add-on modules), but may be required by
you for your specific support desk needs. For example, a vendor may tell you that their solution
supports Active Directory (AD) and SQL Server, but when you receive a summary quote, it may only
reflect the price of the core solution. You may later find out, after purchasing the solution, that AD is
one of their add-on modules. You will then need to purchase this add-on functionality, driving the
total price up much higher than you anticipated.
When requesting a price quote:
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Specifically point out what you require and make sure that what you saw in the demo is
what will be quoted.
Ask for a price sheet that lists the vendors full range of solutions and add-on modules, so as
your needs change you will not suffer from sticker-shock when it comes time to add more
functionality and features.
Solutions that offer standard, professional and enterprise versions can be very confusing and it is
difficult to tell what features you are getting. Many vendors offer multiple versions but only have a
single demo: How do you know exactly what you are getting? Choose incorrectly and your budget
takes another hit to upgrade to the better version. Pricing should be published, clear and linear with
no break points or multiple versions. Linear pricing allows you to pay only for what you need. Why
should you purchase an 8-user Active Directory module if you only have five users? Linear pricing
allows you to pay for the level of functionality you are using today with a very clear path as to what
each additional user will cost.
In addition, always ask for a money back guarantee. If what you install is different than what you
thought you purchased, any reputable vendor should solve the problem or be happy to refund your
money.
Non-Specific User Permissions Can Lead To More Price Confusion
A Support Desk Solution vendor should also clearly define user permissions. For example,
Advanced users (i.e. an agent, tech, or CSR) and standard End users of the solution will have
different permissions. The cost of an Advanced user license and the permissions included should
be spelled out very clearly, as it is easy to get trapped into expensive upgrades when vendors do
not make advanced and end user permissions very clear.
Hosted Pricing
Do you require a hosted solution or will you run the solution on your server? “On-demand” pricing
for hosted support desk solutions is becoming the accepted model in the industry today. Pay only
for what you use and only for as long as you need it. Look for vendors that require no long-term
contracts. If a vendor is confident in the solution they provide, they will not require a long-term
contract.
Customer Support and Training
Support options also generate confusion with many customers and should be clearly understood up
front (again, customer references are always the best way to judge post sale support). It does not
make sense for there to be more than one support option. For many vendors, Level 1 is usually a
college student that reads the manual to you prior to putting you in a queue for second line support.
The last thing you should hear from a vendors’ support staff is “this appears to be a Microsoft
problem, give them a call.” Also, if you have a critical problem, support should be available 24
hours a day at no additional charge.
If a customer has a problem, it needs to be addressed immediately and with the least amount of
frustration and productivity loss.
The educational offerings and training from a vendor also provide significant insight into the ease of
use and ease of installation for a support desk solution. Training charges can be a very lucrative
side business for vendors. How can a vendor claim ease-of-use and the ability to be up-and-running
in less then eight hours if they suggest you attend a three day training class?
Product Development, Releases and Packaging
Consistent feature releases will tell you a lot about how quickly you can expect improvements and
fixes. No matter how closely you pick your solution, you will find features you want changed or
enhanced. Waiting two years for the next release with your requested features is not an acceptable
situation. A good question to ask is: What percent of the vendor’s employees are working on
development and support vs. sales and marketing?
It is also critical to understand how the software is packaged, including add-on modules. All but the
smallest vendors offer them and for good reason. You do not want to pay for functionality you do
not need. For example, if you support external customers vs. internal employees, the odds are you
do not need asset management, so why pay for it? Many vendors offer modules that look great on
paper but are not fully integrated with the solution. You should require tight integration or look
elsewhere.
Extensibility
A best of breed solution offers extensibility. For example, if you purchase a solution today to
address IT issues, and later your CEO wants you to also address customer issues, what are the
ramifications? Do you need a new and separate solution, or can your support desk solution be
extended to other audiences. It is very important to understand the different requirements for these
two groups of users. Users outside your organization require different security criteria, privacy
attributes and most likely will need to take advantage of Web based self-registration and will most
certainly require zero code installation on their work station. Make sure the solution you choose can
service both customers and employees with a unique multi-organizational feature. You should not
need a separate solution or infrastructure to track external or internal issues.
Other Considerations
If Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, or the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act affects your industry, then it will probably
affect your solution selection as well. You need to understand how your vendor solution addresses
these requirements.
Vendor reputation, customer base and financial stability are all key factors in your decision to buy
software. Do they have a solid financial base and can they prove it? Are they for sale or have they
been recently acquired? How will these events affect the future of the solution? Why are they selling
or why did they acquire the solution? How many customers are actively using the solution and are
their profiles similar to yours? If a large sector of the Fortune 500 has purchased this particular
solution, there is a better chance that other organizations have done the required due diligence for
you to have a high confidence level in that vendor’s solution.
Is source code availability a factor? It provides significant protection, should the vendor go
bankrupt, and provides extensive capability to modify the solution to your exact requirements. Look
for a vendor that offers source code for free and has extensive experience assisting customers in
doing their own unique modifications while continuing to let the customer stay on the solution
upgrade path.
Here are some important features needed to run a successful Support Desk:
Automatic Support Email Notification
Streamline your support and service desk and speed communications by automatically e-mailing
the appropriate person or group when:
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A new issue is submitted
An issue is assigned
An issue is updated with a note or question
An issue is escalated
An issue is closed
Powerful Search Functionality
A powerful search facility that allows users and technicians to search for issues based on:
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Who submitted the issue
The department that submitted the issue
Who the issues assigned to
Projects
Issue types
Date opened and closed
Location, office, business unit
Project categories
Keywords
Asset Management
Gathers hardware and software information about a user’s machine and automatically sends the
data back to IssueTrak via HTTP. An excellent tool for software license compliance, initial and
ongoing audits, financial control, financial planning and budgeting information, faster problem
resolution and detailed management reporting.
Active Directory Support
This feature eliminates the need for separate user databases by using Active Directory, which
authenticates IssueTrak against Active Directory and synchronizes data.
Automatic Incoming Email Conversion
End-users can report a problem by sending an email to a mailbox such as support@company.com.
Automatic Email Conversion parses out relevant data from incoming end user emails and enters
issues into the system as track able issues. The system also associates the emails with appropriate
users and asset records.
Change Management
A change manager allows you to effectively manage the process of change management. You have
the ability to:
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Implement your change processes
Capture and complete the required documentation
Notify and request approval from the appropriate personnel
Remind those involved and track the resulting process through to completion
Customizable System Options
Define how you would like the system to work for you. Take advantage of over 50 user and system
options.
Detailed Management Reporting
Run a variety of detailed reports related to management, strategic decision-making, and allocation
of resources, software compliance, financial reporting, and audits.
Groups
Create groups, place users into the groups, and assign user attributes or issues to the group.
Handles Multiple Locations
Roll the solution out effortlessly to remote locations and customers. Provide national or
international service from a single point!
Highly Scalable
Designed from the ground up to be inarguably the fastest Help Desk solution in the industry.
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Performance optimized page layouts
No client-side ActiveX controls
Microsoft's SQL Server (7.0 or above)
Extensive use of stored procedures
Search Pop Up technology
Multi-Server Environment
Hours of Operation
Input your organization’s hours of operation in to a simple form and your data will automatically be
adjusted to account for nights, weekends, and holidays.
Knowledge Management: Two Levels of Access
Allow customers and users to find frequently asked questions, how-to articles, and procedures, as
well as product and service information. Add unlimited file attachments for supporting
documentation and examples, such as product brochures, service bulletins, or spec sheets. Email
articles to users with ease. Provide hyperlinks to other URLs or files on your network. Convert
solutions to resolved issues directly into knowledge base articles.
Password Reset
Improve productivity by allowing help desk personnel to automatically reset passwords and unlock
accounts. Optionally, provide this functionality to end users, too.
Project Tracking
Keep track and create projects and project teams, track issues and time spent on projects, secure
projects from unauthorized users, and securely associate documents and files with projects. In
addition, you can use IssueTrak’s powerful search functionality to quickly find projects.
Quick Picks
A true-time saver when dealing with repetitive issues, Quick Picks allows you to automatically
populate your entry screen by simply selecting from a drop-down menu.
Recurring Issues
This feature allows you to schedule issues to run on a recurring basis: daily, weekly, monthly,
quarterly, or annually and is a great tool for maintenance issues, administrative tasks, and
service/warranty expirations.
Reminders
With the Reminder Feature you can set the “Required” or “Target Date” and then set a reminder
for issues or projects. Reminders will appear on your calendar as events, and emails are sent at
the pre-defined times.
Right Answers Knowledge Base
Give your staff and end-users access to 100,000 problem-resolutions articles covering the 150
most popular desktop business application vendors.
Self-Registration
A “Register Now” link can be presented on the login screen. Administrators can choose to also
activate Instant Access, which will prompt the new user to enter a password and allow them to
immediately login to the system. If Instant Access is not activated, an email address is required and
a randomly generated password will be emailed to the new user.
Service-Level Management and Escalations
Set performance standards, notify key people when standards are not met, and run performance
reports.
Time Tracking
Track the time invested on any cross section of issues: by department, customer, project, location,
issue type, and more.
Tasks
Assign specific tasks to be completed within an issue by either choosing tasks from a menu or on
an ad hoc basis. Create templates with tasks to be completed by multiple groups or users, such as
a template of tasks to be completed when adding a new employee.
User-Defined Fields
Create custom drop-down or text fields through a simple administrative console: no programming,
consulting, or additional investment required.
Web Surveys
Generate online surveys and submit them to your target audience. Collect and analyze results in
real-time. Use this critical information immediately to make more informed decisions for your
organization.