Manage
Posted by Elysa Dickinson on Dec 13, 2007
This article is a little delayed, as the new Apple iPhone hit stores several months ago, but it still worth a quick read for help desk managers who are considering mobile devices with internet browsing capability…
IssueTrak is just as excited about the new Apple iPhone as all the apple fans and techno-junkies out there. The iPhone’s top-notch web-browsing capabilities, an entirely new level compared to the web functionality of other cellular phones, bring IssueTrak to a whole new level. IssueTrak users have always been able to access IssueTrak with their web-enabled cell phones and other hand-held devices, but the quality and ease of use has always been lacking. Now with the iPhone, users can access IssueTrak to submit and check the status of their issues without missing the quality and ease of use they get on a full size computer monitor. We have always said that IssueTrak is accessible anywhere, anytime from any Internet browser on your computer…now it truly can be accessed anytime, from anywhere in the world. You could run a help desk from your lounge chair at the beach! With an iPhone, service desk managers and their support staff are capable of doing the tasks they used to do from their desktop, from anywhere they desire. These tasks include:
submitting an issue
searching the knowledge base
checking the issue queue
assigning issues to technicians
adding notes to issues causing emails to be sent to the relevant parties
searching and closing issues
creating tasks
monitoring the status of a project
The iPhone is more than just a toy. It has large implications for the corporate world as well. Numerous corporate Web applications that were not easy accessible with other cell phones are now possible thanks to the iPhone. Up until now, there hasn’t been a good interface for the pocket computer. Now there is. As I think about it, there could be a ton of practical uses unleashed for the iPhone since it has made a major leap in usability for handheld devices, regardless of songs and photos and phone calls. Simply having a truly useful Web browser that fits in your pocket is a breakthrough. –>
Use
Posted by Elysa Dickinson on Dec 12, 2007
One reason companies and support operations use a tracking program such as IssueTrak is to measure the level of service they are providing their customers. IssueTrak reports on a variety of metrics that help measure performance levels, including how long issues stay open. Every support staff works hard to try to solve problems and close customer issues as soon as possible. There are times when an issue can not be closed because of factors outside of a support representative’s control. For example, a customer may be slow responding to their support representative to say whether a proposed solution solved their problem or not.
With IssueTrak version 7.0, it is possible to stop the clock under circumstances like these using Substatus Rules. Under Administration – Substatus you can set up an issue sub status, such as waiting for customer response, and then indicate that for issues with this sub status the clock will be temporarily stopped and the length of time necessary for the customer to respond will be not be counted against the issue for reporting purposes. Customers who are slow to respond will not increase the issues’ Time to Close statistics and Service Level Agreements will not be adversely impacted. All escalation activity will stop as well. This feature can be found in the Administration section under Substatus -> Rules. –>