Help Desk Software

A typical help desk has several functions. It provides the users a central point to receive help on various computer issues. The help desk typically manages its requests via help desk software that allows them to track user requests with a unique ticket number.

The user notifies the help desk of his or her issue, and the help desk issues a ticket that has details of the problem. If the first level is able to solve the issue, the ticket is closed and updated with documentation of the solution to allow other help desk technicians to reference. If the issue needs to be escalated, it will be dispatched to a second level.

Large help desks have different levels to handle different type of questions. The first-level help desk are prepared to answer the most commonly asked questions, such as those that perhaps belong in an FAQ. The second or higher levels handle more difficult calls.

Larger help desks have a person or team responsible for managing the tickets and are commonly called queue managers. The queue manager is responsible for the ticket queues, which can be setup in various ways depending on the help desk size or structure. Typically, larger help desks have several teams that are experienced in working on different issues. The queue manager will assign a ticket to one of the specialised teams based on the type of issue. Some help desks may have phone systems with ACD splits that ensure that calls about specific topics are put through to analysts with experience or knowledge on that topic.

Objectives of Help Desk Auditing:

• Determine if the sufficient controls have been implemented into the system. This will ensure that all problems reported by users have been adequately documented. The controls exist so that only authorised staff can archive the users’ entries. Also, customers should be notified of the timing of the corrective action.
• Determine if there are sufficient controls to escalate issues according to priority. In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the trial has been completely recorded and what action has been taken by whom.
• Monitor if customer requests are timely cleared. Outstanding requests should be reviewed and actions should be taken immediately.

• Review and evaluate the overall process followed by the helpdesk. The review should focus on how the incoming problems are handled, if the problems are classified and prioritised, and if there is timely follow up to ensure efficient and complete resolution.
• Observe the operation. This observation should include the promptness of answering questions, immediate logging, and adequate knowledge to resolve problems quickly.
• Perform a test to determine the control environment. For example, the auditor could test whether all the users’ requests are logged into the system and whether all questions are properly documented.
• Determine if management defines the help desk mission statement. Also, the auditor should evaluate whether management has established clear responsibilities for the help desk.
• Evaluate the help desk service level by determining the management’s methods of performing services. This can be accomplished by asking these questions:

1. Does management calculate how many problems are reported per month?
2. How many problems are resolved per month by individual help desk staff members?
3. Does management compare the number of problems reported per day with the number of problems resolved per day
• For the last question, tracking systems will help to identify whether the help desk has adequate staff to deal with the number of issues received at any given time. Furthermore, the problems distribution should be monitored to ensure that the staff is appropriately scheduled in to meet customer demand.
• Evaluate the training of the help desk technicians. This will help determine if they are aware of the development of hardware and software, industry trends and have sufficient technical skills.
• Check the security systems of the help desk. This includes such systems as physical security and password access controls.

Today, there are many software choices which help management operate the help desk functions. In addition, these help desk software products greatly improve the auditing of help desk operation. Help desk software is management software that automates many features of an organisation’s help desk environment, such as automated email response. It gives businesses the capability of using a systematic approach to responding to both internal and external users.

The typical functionality of helpdesk software includes:

• Call management
• Call tracking
• Knowledge management
• Problem resolution
• Self-help capabilities

The core components of any help desk software application include the abilities to record and track support requests through all stages. In addition, reporting is also a key element to providing detailed information on how the system is running. The right choice of help desk software depends on the size of the organisation and the complexity of the support process. The business needs will vary greatly during different periods of time.

• Help desk software systems range in complexity from basic ticket logging to fully integrated CRM systems.
• Functionality is varied, but the essential core elements are the recording and tracking of support requests.
• Reporting is important and often complimented by a third party application for user-definable reports.
• Service Level management is often crucial to the help desk process as a measure of its success. This is usually an automated benefit of the help desk application.