
Ticketing systems: Everything you need to know
The world of technology is constantly evolving, and with it comes the never-ending stream of support requests from employees and customers. Managing and resolving these requests can be overwhelming for the support agents or technicians, but fear not; there is a solution! Introducing the IT ticketing system – the game-changing solution that allows organizations to tackle support tickets easily and effectively. Whether it’s an employee requesting access to a new software application or an employee or customer reporting a technical issue with your product, it’s critical to have a robust system in place to keep track of these requests and ensure they’re resolved in a timely manner. That’s where an IT ticketing system comes in.
An IT ticketing system is a modern software solution that allows IT teams to manage support requests efficiently. It helps to organize and prioritize requests, track progress, and ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. But with many options available, how do you choose the right one for your organization? So, let’s dive deeper and explore the world of IT ticketing platforms.
What is an IT Ticketing System?
An IT ticketing system can be defined as a modern solution designed to organize and track the resolution of issues or requests within an information technology (IT) domain. It acts as a centralized tool for employees and customers to report the issues they face and seek assistance and relevant information from IT support teams or technicians. When an employee submits a ticket or reports an issue, a modern ticketing platform generates a ticket, essentially a record containing details of the request or problem.
What are the Three Types of Tickets in an IT Ticketing System?
Typically, there are three main categories of tickets:
- Tickets for Incidents
Tickets for incidents are used to record and handle unanticipated disruptions or problems in IT services. These interruptions could be caused by hardware or software malfunction or a user having trouble with their computer or software. The purpose of incident tickets is to quickly address problems and return operations to normal as soon as possible. - Tickets for Service Requests
Tickets for service requests are used for planned or repetitive IT services and tasks that do not involve fixing an urgent problem. These requests often entail routine processes like requesting software installations, hardware upgrades, password resets, or access permissions. Service request tickets are handled according to a predetermined priority and are typically less urgent than incident tickets. - Tickets for Change Requests
Tickets for change requests are used to suggest, record, and manage changes to IT systems, processes, or infrastructure. Software upgrades, hardware substitutions, password resets, laptop configuration, or any other modification to the IT environment may be included in these changes. The purpose of change request tickets is to ensure that changes are carefully planned, tested, and approved before implementing them to minimize disruptions and maintain system stability.
Why is a Ticketing System an Important Tool in an IT Department?
An IT department’s ticketing system is an important tool for IT organizations for several reasons not limited to:
Effective Issue Tracking
An IT ticketing tool enables IT support teams to track and handle various IT-related requests and issues effectively. Each ticket includes crucial details about the issue, such as the description, priority level, requester information, and status. The IT support agents or technicians can easily prioritize and deal with each issue methodically.
Enhancing Communication and Collaboration
By using effective IT ticketing system, IT departments and end-users can communicate and collaborate more effectively. Users can use this centralized tool to report issues, get the right help, and get updates on how their problems are doing. This eliminates the possibility that issues will be reported via unrelated channels (email, phone calls, etc.) and enables IT agents to respond promptly and uniformly.
Setting Priorities and Managing SLAs
IT teams can determine which issues should be handled first by assigning tickets to different priority levels, which is typically supported by IT ticketing systems. Tickets may also be linked to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), guaranteeing that response and resolution times are met, which is essential for upholding high service quality and user satisfaction.
Allocating Resources Effectively
IT managers can more efficiently allocate resources based on the volume and urgency of incoming tickets when using a ticketing system. This makes it possible to guarantee that urgent matters receive prompt attention while routine tasks and requests are efficiently managed.
Keeping Historical Records
A historical record of all problems and requests, along with their fixes, is kept by ticketing systems. This data can be beneficial for analyzing trends, troubleshooting recurring issues, and making wise system improvement and investment decisions.
Monitoring of Accountability and Performance
Systems for tracking tickets make it clear who is in charge of each and how long it takes to resolve it. Accountability aids in performance evaluation and points out areas requiring more training or resources.
Workflow Automation
Numerous ticketing platforms provide automation features that can simplify repetitive tasks like password resets or regular maintenance. This frees up IT staff to concentrate on trickier problems and strategic projects.
Reduce the Cost
IT ticketing systems help organizations in cost control and reduction by effectively managing IT resources and streamline workflows, ensuring that IT services are provided cost-effectively.
How Does an IT Ticketing System Work?
Imagine an organization that provides its staff assistance through an IT helpdesk.
Suppose John is an employee of a multinational company. Since 2020, John has been working remotely from his home, and whenever he experiences IT-related trouble like password errors, failure in installing software or difficulty accessing documents, he immediately creates a ticket or calls the support team. The ticket includes details about the issue, such as the error message he received and the steps he took before encountering the issue.
However, an IT support agent needs almost 1- 2 hours to fix the issue remotely. Employees frequently feel cut off from the organization due to this delayed and fragmented support. But, if his company uses an IT ticketing system, John can automatically create an employee ticket using an AI Chatbot that works right within MS Teams. All he has to do is to interact with the smart chatbot. When the issue isn’t resolved, or an employee is unhappy with the response, the smart chatbot may escalate the ticket to a higher level of support (L2) or assign it to a dedicated IT support agent for further investigation.
The IT support agent evaluates and updates the ticket with his/her findings and any actions they took to fix the problem. As soon as John’s issue is resolved, he can close the ticket, and the system automatically notifies him.
A modern IT ticketing solution is essential for any IT team that needs to manage and track support tickets of requests efficiently and organizationally. It helps ensure that support tickets or requests are addressed promptly, and issues are resolved on time, which is critical for maintaining employee productivity and business ROI.
Enhance your customer relationships, increase loyalty, and boost lifetime value. Contact us today to learn more about our modern ticketing system alternatives.