What Kind of Help Desk Software Do You Need?
Whether you call it help desk software, call
tracking software, CRM (customer relationship management), or problem management software, the
question remains the same--what kind of help desk software do you need?
There ARE lots of help desk software programs out
there and no one software system is going to be the panacea for everyone. It helps if you know what
are your requirements in call tracking software so you can shop intelligently. Here are some things
to consider as you get started on your search for the best help desk software for your organization:
- Is the software for internal use? In other
words, will the call tracking software be used to support customers in your own company or
organization? Here, some features will be more important than others. For example, your help
desk center may log the types of questions that are received and the prospective help desk software
must allow record keeping in a database. PC auditing might also be a feature that is worth
considering in your purchase.
- Similarly, is the software for external
customers, customers that represent people or companies you are supporting? This would be helpful
if your company contracts to provide a service to another organization, whereby separation of
customers (e.g., a company might be one customer) and contacts (e.g., a person for contact at one
of your customers) is an important consideration. An on-line (via the web) knowledge base might
be another desired feature for your call tracking software that enables cost-effective
"self-help solutions" for your clients.
- What if your prospective problem management
software requires features for both types of customers? You might look for a help desk software
solution that addresses both customers (departments or outside companies) and contacts within those
customer locations. Your choice in help desk software must be flexible enough to provide answers
for both scenarios.
- Can the help desk software grow along with my
company? This is crucial. Software restricted to certain specifications will hamper YOUR growth
and force purchase of another system. A problem management software program that works with
multiple database systems is the most scalable. You might want to consider a help desk software
system that can move seamlessly from Access to SQL Server to DB2 to Oracle.
- What operating systems and hardware will
house your call tracking software? As you will see, many help desk software programs are
designed with installation in a client/server environment in mind.
- Can our email system be interfaced to the
help desk software? You've already spent a ton of hard-earned money on purchasing and implementing
an email system. It should be important to you that the help desk software be compatible.
- Is the software flexible enough to
accommodate my organization's customized needs? For example, you may be supporting a specialized
department that demands some of your own fields in the database for contacts.
- And lastly, what about cost?
You obviously want a quality operation
for process-oriented results. You need to find a balance between the cost-effective purchasing of
your help desk software vs. software that will solve all or most of your issues.
Answering each bulleted item will further your
analysis on your customized requirements for the help desk software purchase.
Take your time to evaluate each point by
conducting research on industry benchmarks and also reading the findings of help desk software
specialists.
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