Practical tips and information about running an efficient service desk. News and information about HelpMaster, PRD Software and the ITSM industry.
The current business climate may provide businesses with extra incentive / time / opportunity (or not) to do some tweaking of their HelpMaster configuration. As HelpMaster continues to evolve in terms of features, and options, there are always new opportunities to optimize your service desk configuration and operations.
Here's 7 ideas to get you started.
An oldie, but a goodie - when was the last time you upgraded to the latest version? HelpMaster is constantly released throughout the year. The latest release is always available for download from http://www.helpmasterpro.com/Support/Updates-and-Service-Packs. Upgrading gives you access to the latest features, increased stability, and compatibility with other systems. If you need assistance, we're here to help. Download the Upgrade Guide for further information.
The HelpMaster web portal allows clients and staff to log jobs, browse knowledge base articles and more from anywhere they have an internet connection. If you haven't installed and/or configured the HelpMaster web portal for use, now is the perfect opportunity. With many people working remotely, the web portal is vital.
The web portal requires some configuration in order to be functional. You will need to design and configure your "Request Catalogs", as well as the Job Templates that are used in the job logging process.
See this blog post for details about configuring the Request Catalogs.
http://www.helpmasterpro.com/Support/Community/Blog/building-a-web-request-portal-for-client-self-service
For those with a VPN connection to the office, the Active Directory single-sign-on will work seamlessly - it just needs to be turned on, and configured for use.
If you're already using the HelpMaster web portal, here's some other ideas:
Review your job queue (or someone else's) for old, or stale jobs. Update them as required, or close jobs that are no longer needed. Use this time to "Spring-clean" your inbox/job queue. Look for opportunities to:
Saved Searches are such a time-saver. If you're not using Saved Searches in the Explorer screen, you're missing out. Learn about saved searches, and then make some. Here's a few ideas to get you started:
etc…
When was the last time you updated, created or even reviewed your outgoing email templates? This blog post has some great ideas on refreshing your email templates, and when to use email communication.
http://www.helpmasterpro.com/Support/Community/Blog/practical-ways-to-improve-your-service-desk-email-communication
Also, if you haven't already done so, configure the HelpMaster Email Manager to automatically convert email into helpdesk tickets. You won't go back!
http://www.helpmasterpro.com/Product/Features/Email-to-ticket-conversion
http://www.helpmasterpro.com/Product/Solutions-for/Email-Response-Management
HelpMaster contains many built-in reports that can give you some interesting insights into your service desk analytics. Run some reports to understand how your business has been logging, closing and responding to service-desk tickets. HelpMaster has many built-in report, and it's easy enough to create your own, or tweak what's already there.
http://www.helpmasterpro.com/Product/Features/Helpdesk-reports
Better yet, install PowerBI and build a helpdesk dashboard. If you need a dashboard, contact PRD Software and we'll send you the HelpMaster PowerBI dashboard - complete with the animated fish-tank. Who's the big fish in your team?
Of course the HelpMaster team at PRD Software are always available for a chat, a remote demo, or anything else you need. Give us a call and we'd be happy to discuss and plan how we can get your HelpMaster installation/configuration going as best as it can. We can assist with: