SAS 021 – Ticketing Systems

SysAdmin Show

In today’s show I discuss what ticketing systems are and some of their primary features.

• Overview
  • Ticketing systems allow us to collect, assign and report on specific tasks
  • I consider a basic ticketing system a necessity for any IT team
  • Centralized Request Management
    • What happens if someone is out sick or on vacation?
    • How do you check the status of an open request that you aren’t working on?
    • All requests should be centralized
  • Support Contact Methods
    • Email
    • Call
    • Website
    • Chat
    • Walk-ups
  • Team Workflow
    • Who reviews new requests (triage)
    • Do you have specific people for specific applications, or support tiers based on complexity?
    • Do you need to work with other departments or vendors at times?
  • Automation
    • Auto-Response for new requests to confirm receipt and set expectations
  • Notifications
    • Emails/Text messages sent to requester & agents as needed
  • Escalation
    • New request actions
    • Request due date actions
  • Reporting & Metrics
    • Agent activity report
    • Most troublesome systems
    • Total support requests per week/month/year
      • This can show the need for more staff
• Use Cases
  • Internal IT team
  • Customer Support Team
  • Facilities Management Team
  • Procurement/Purchasing Team

• Final Thoughts
  • Any system you can put in that reduces the opportunity for mistakes is recommended
  • As with any technology or software it will only work as well as your processes. It won’t replace the need for a well understood workflow.
  • Can be on-premises or cloud based
  • Free options are available including Spiceworks
  • Next week – Asset Management