In the previous blog post, we began to consider what to look for when buying help desk and service desk software for your company. There are a lot of critical new features and functionality to consider, so let’s dive right back into the discussion.

What to look for and consider:

  • Today’s workforce is subject to rapid turnover. Meanwhile, technology is evolving at a rapid rate. These considerations, in conjunction with the user’s desire for self-service, mean companies need to systemically retain, manage, and distribute knowledge reliably. Vendors are adding approval workflows for new knowledge base articles and integrating that content into the self-service process.
  • To demonstrate support for standard IT practices, vendors are providing modules for Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes
  • Vendors in the service desk space are also investing in the underlying architecture to improve configurability, integration with third-party solutions, mobile access, and multi-browser support.
  • Spending in standard service desk support technology and tools will be more accepted by businesses without requiring as much justification as in the past. This is because the high value of service desk support technology and tools is becoming more widely understood and accepted.
  • New functionality differentiates the products of vendors these days. We can now assume as default basic capabilities such as those in knowledge management and service level agreement (SLA) automation. Now consider functionality like mobile support, a survey engine, and custom reporting in deciding what best fits your company’s needs.
  • Remember, we have left behind the “help desk” era of 1990-2003. During that time, many small and mid-size organizations lacked sophisticated support technology and tools for users. An inefficient hodge-podge of solutions was attempted, including the use of email or over-worked individual IT employees. Our current market targets end-user empowerment and ITIL best practices not possible a few years back.
  • End-users are increasingly willing to practice self-help before submitting a ticket. This means knowledge management must be a basic component of service desk software.
  • Comprehensive portals and satisfaction survey management are other critical features in demand these days.
  • In choosing a vendor, there are some considerations that have remained the same through the years. For example, mid-size to large enterprises are picking vendors that have strong market presences, strong reputations, and that offer broad capabilities across multiple platforms.

Thank you for reading. Contact Agiloft today at 1-888-727-2209, Ext. 1 or visit our product information pages to learn more about our help desk and service desk solutions.