Imagine stepping into a bustling kitchen. Amidst the steam and sizzle, chefs deftly maneuver around, trying to perfect each dish. Now, what if state-of-the-art tools and techniques were at their disposal, enabling them to always be one step ahead and execute consistently at a five-star level?
That’s the power of advanced automation for a help desk system.
Most IT professionals are well aware of the core benefits of help desk automation. However, there's a world of untapped potential beyond the obvious. In this post, we spotlight some of the lesser-known automation opportunities that can elevate your operations from efficient to exceptional.
The Broadening Canvas of Automation in IT Service Management
Help desk ticketing software has undergone a significant transformation. Today's help desk solutions leverage automation not just for efficiency but for proactive problem-solving — greatly enriching user experience and service delivery.
Help desk ticketing systems permeate IT service management (ITSM), streamlining processes, improving consistency, and increasing customer satisfaction. The measurable results businesses are realizing speak for themselves:
According to a survey conducted by Salesforce, almost three-quarters (74%) of IT and engineering leaders say process automation has helped their workforce save at least 11-30% of the time previously spent on manual processes, and another 59% say costs on those teams have been reduced by 11-30%.
These statistics illustrate the undeniable advantages of process automation in terms of time and cost savings. To tap into the full potential of help desk automation tools specifically, here are 5 processes you should consider automating.
1. Customer Feedback Collection
Just as a chef values feedback after serving a gourmet dish, IT professionals treasure user input. Automated feedback systems ensure an ongoing dialogue after issue resolution, paving the way for future improvements.
According to the latest data, 77% of customers have a more favorable view of brands that ask for feedback. Automated CSAT surveys enable organizations to maximize the efficiency of feedback loops. Survey data can be integrated directly into reporting systems and converted into actionable insights to enhance the user experience.
2. Self-Service Support
An automated self-service portal or knowledge base grants users more autonomy, swiftly guiding them to solutions. Features like chatbots, auto-suggest, troubleshooting guides, and user forums make way for this experience, leading to faster problem resolution.
Chatbots
Much like a waiter ready to take your order, chatbots can instantly address basic user queries, providing instant solutions or routing more complex issues to the right support agent. This saves valuable time both for the end-user and for service agents. Agents can spend less time answering simple, repetitive questions and more time focusing on higher-priority tasks and tickets.
Auto-Suggest
Similar to how a seasoned bartender might suggest a drink based on your preferences, auto-suggest can anticipate and provide solutions or articles related to the user's query, expediting the resolution process. When implemented effectively, auto-suggest can actually reduce the number of tickets being submitted by end-users.
Interactive Troubleshooting Guides
Think of it as a digital cookbook for IT problems. Users can follow step-by-step guides to solve common issues, reducing the load on help desk staff.
User Forums and Communities
Reflecting the communal spirit of a bustling cafe, these platforms allow users to help each other by sharing solutions and workarounds, fostering a sense of community and shared problem-solving.
3. Knowledge Base and SOP Updating
As top chefs adjust their recipes to meet evolving tastes, IT teams must stay updated with emerging problem patterns. Automated systems can flag these patterns for inclusion in the knowledge base, ensuring that new challenges get addressed efficiently.
Systems can also automate the process of updating relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) based on similar data, so techs are always working from the most up-to-date processes.
4. Uncluttering with Auto-Closure
Tickets that remain unresolved due to client inactivity or pre-addressed issues can be auto-closed to keep dashboards tidy and free up agent time. Prior to auto-closing an inactive ticket, reminder notifications and emails can be automated to nudge the client to take action before the ticket is archived.
5. Team Productivity Reports
Any seasoned chef understands the importance of gauging their kitchen's efficiency. Support heads can now effortlessly generate reports that capture metrics like logged tickets, billable hours, and feedback ratings, simplifying performance analysis.
Robust help desk systems will provide reports on the types of tickets being opened and how long they take to resolve, offering insights into where internal processes may need to be revised for efficiency and for a better end-user experience.
Team Empowerment: A Byproduct of Thoughtful Automation
Behind each innovative solution is a dedicated team. Automation tools, while outwardly aimed at benefiting end-users, have an intrinsic role in bolstering IT teams. Liberating them from routine tasks, automation provides the bandwidth to focus on skill enhancement, innovation, and delivering top-notch solutions.
Elevating Your Automation Game
While many IT departments have implemented automation in their help desk systems to some degree, there's always room for refinement and enhancement. If you’ve already got the basics down, now is the time to build on those existing frameworks for further optimization of your operations.
With the relentless pace of change and ever-evolving customer expectations, staying ahead of the curve is imperative; implementing these automations can be a game changer for your organization.
Hungry for the next level of help desk automation? Let DeskDirector be your master chef guiding your ITSM toward a five-star help desk automation experience.
Book a Demo here.
