Help Desk Software Recommendations

Looking for help desk solution recommendations.  Here are some specific needs...

• Option to auto-create a ticket via email from end user
• Web interface to create a ticket would be a big plus
• Status changes to a ticket are auto-emailed to end user
• Must have auto escalation...if a ticket sits to long we should be notified
• Must have descent reporting

Ed (part-time) and I are now supporting 140 machines, ~75 68 staff (about 23 are part-time), several dozen volunteer network accounts, 8 copiers/printers, 85 handset phone system, etc, etc, etc...
Our current email "solution" just isn't cutting it.  I've heard good things about the open source Request Tracker ... and we've had 2 different volunteers take on the project of getting it up and running.  Sadly, both of them for various reasons never saw the project to completion and as well stopped volunteering.  We now call it the curse of RT (Request Tracker).  Why we can't find a single Linux guru in a church of 5000 seems strange.  We even advertise for Linux Specialists during our Volunteer Expo's and on our website. 

I'm now to the point where I'm willing to pay someone to set up RT for us ... including making it talk to our exchange box.  Anyone intersted?

We're watching a Webinar on Track-It Friday at 10am ... it looks really sweet, but I'm sure it's pricey.  If you've used something you've liked or disliked in the past or present please comment.

This is not the first time I've looked for a help desk solution.  Over the past years I compiled/edited the following from several Listservs...thought it might be of help for others down the road looking for similar systems.

Questions to ask before looking for a work order / help desk system...

1. How my organization does IT (i.e. its paradigm for support and service)

- this really helps in understanding existing workflow and workflow deficiencies

2. What results are going to be needed

a. What types of metrics and reports

b. How does it have to be presented

c. Who needs to see what results

3. Who and what needs to be tracked (i.e. what is the scope?)

a. People

i. Customers

ii. Technicians

iii. Vendors

b. Resources (or Assets)

i. Equipment (Hardware)

ii. Software

c. Services

i. Hardware installation and maintenance

ii. Software installation and maintenance

iii. Media production and duplication

iv. Educational Technology Training

v. etc...

d. etc...

4. What data needs to be captured?

5. What possible future needs may there be?

a. How scalable do things have to be?

Then I would ask: Are there any existing mechanisms which can accomplish this?

If something new is needed I would draw up a specification based on the first four questions which would give me a criteria and a metric to evaluate software solutions against.

Then I would ask: What solution can fit my criteria at the best possible total cost of ownership?

Do I go in-house, off the shelf or some where in the middle (i.e.customizable)?

How much will it cost to procwww.liberum.org ure?

How much is involved in installation, deployment and configuration?

How much is involved in training?

How much will it cost to maintain? Do I want a service agreement?

Who will run this system? What if I drop "dead?" Are there alternates?

etc...

The more prep beforehand makes the decision much clearer because it brings more people on board and helps them to become part of the process. Work request systems only work when people use them and are willing to buy into them.

Links to websites offering solutions...some free some for pay

http://wonderdesk.com/

http://www.kevtools.com/

http://www.liberum.org

http://www.stackworks.net/view.php/irm/index.html

http://frontrange.com/heat/

http://www.mytechdesk.org/

http://www.LansUnlimited.com

http://www.bestpractical.com/

http://helpstar.com

http://www.blueocean.com

http://www.itsolutions.intuit.com/Track-It.asp

http://www.dotproject.net/
http://www.otrs.org
http://www.linxdesk.com/index.html
http://www.polarsoftware.com
http://www.belarc.com/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/irm/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ocsinventory/
http://www.supportwizard.com/

Comments

[Brian Glass]

Wow! 140 machines! 75 full timers!

We are still growing and getting about 1400-1500 attendees per sunday. We've got a total of 10 staff (3 hires just announced) and around 15-20 machines. You guys are doing amazing things!

Never looked into help-desk stuff. Looks like you've done your research. I'd love to take your offer, but I'm swamped with Crossroads work.

I would think that you would want to set this up on a Windows box. It looks like it is written in Perl and designed for portability and there is a Windows port. You know I'm huge on Linux, but given your obvious skills and knowledge with Windows, that's the logical place to put it for you.

Sometime in the next week or two I'll download and install it and see what's involved. Being a Perl programmer, it should be pretty easy for me. I'll let you know what I find.

[Brian Glass]

I just checked the Ubuntu repositories and discovered that it is there. This means that it is basically a one-click install for me (well, maybe 2).

I'll see if I can check it out this weekend.

[Terry Chapman]

We have been using Track-it for over a year now and been very happy with it. I would be happy to setup something with our HD Manager if you would like some more feedback or input before you make the decision. Just let me know.

[Clif Guy]

We're using Track-it too. Like Terry, I'd be happy to put you in touch with our help desk guy for a discussion. We've been running 4.5 for several years. We're just now rolling out version 6.0 and I think he's pretty happy with it.

[Jon Edmiston]

We've used Track-IT for almost 2 years at CCV. It's been doing the job. We only have the standard version. We'd like to go with the Enterprise so we could use SQL Server instead of Access but that's pretty pricey. My biggest complaint is that the costs limits that usage. I'd love to be able to roll it out to more teams (like facilities) but it just gets to be too much money. Also it's auditing is a bit buggy. We wrote a custom WMI solution that works much better.

[Stuart Cowen]

I'd love to take on your challenge of Request Tracker. I'm always looking for a good tool to track requests and especially one that can be accessed via a public website and handle/organize requests from multiple churches. I haven't read up about it before posting this at all, so I may be barking up the wrong tree!

If Brian Glass says that it's a one-click from Ubuntu, I may have to install that Linux distro on a box just to try it out. Wow, did BG just say "Windows". Wow, did I just say Linux??

I'll check with our Help Desk guy (me), the Exchange Administrator (me), and the Systems Integrator (me) to see if we all can't get this project done (he says with tongue planted firmly in cheek) :) Sorry guys, I couldn't resist.

[Brian Glass]

It was not a one-click install.

But it was actually pretty easy - as long as you follow the directions to the T. I diverged and had heartache.

If anyone is interested in playing with it let me know and I'll set you up a login on my test box. Jason is setup to try it out right now. Depending on his decisions on Track-It vs. Request Tracker, we'll try integrating it with Exchange and see how that goes.

[Ian Landsman]

Hi Jason,

My company just release a help desk software tool called HelpSpot. We've had great success with it so far and I think it would meet all your needs, at least from what you've listed. It run any just about any platform Linux, Windows, Mac and any many different databases (MySQL, MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL). It's also easy to setup.

There's a 45 day fully function free trial if you want to give it a spin. Also feel free to contact me at the email provided if you have any questions.

http://www.userscape.com/products/helpspot/

[Jason Powell]

I just want to leave an updated comment to say we tried Track-IT for a year ... didn't like it.

We're now using Service Desk Plus from adventnet and give it 2 thumbs up :-)

Jason

[John]

We use HelpMaster Pro. It has both a desktop and web interface. It's pretty good and automatically handles email and escalation scenarios.

www.helpdeskworld.com

[Nancy Graham]

I realize that the helpdesk article was written a while ago, but I was researching helpdesk software last week and stumbled upon a web 2.0 app called Pathworks that is currently in beta form. Have you heard of it?

http://www.pathworkssoftware.com/index.php

[Mark Willson]

After several tools we switched to BridgeTrak and fully satisfied how it works. Surprisingly, some time ago kemma software - the original developer of this tool was acquired by scriptlogic. And we use scriptlogic's desktop athority for years. I'm sure that I'm not the first who thought that will be great if they integrate this helpdesk system bridgetrak to powerful desktop management solution desktop authority.

http://dl.scriptlogic.com/landing/bridgetrak/default.aspx

[Pual Rutledge]

We went with the web help desk software solution (http://www.webhelpdesk.com) and couldn't be happier. It's not the cheapest solution on the planet but then again, you get what you pay for! ...but it's cheaper than Track-nyet! ;)

We got a 40% non-profit discount! Not sure if that is standard but made the decision a no-brainer at that point!

Here is a list of their customer list of church orgs: http://www.webhelpdesk.com/client.html#NonProfit

Hope this helps!

Paul

[Joel]

Hi jason, Really nice listing and i would like you to list AJ Help Desk SaaS - for customer support. AJ Help Desk is providing unlimited free plan for its customers. Add it with the list.

[Senesoft]

Excellent article. I would like to add that Senedesk by Senesoft Corporation is a powerful web based help desk software package which tracks not only service requests (trouble tickets) but also assets, inventory, vendors, RFQs, stand alone devices and more. For more information go to http://www.senesoft.com/cms/index.php/products/senedesk-web-helpdesk-asset-management-software

[Priyanka]

Hey Jason,

That's a pretty good list of HelpDesk Softwares. You could also add HappyFox (http://www.happyfox.com) to it. We have been using this customer support tool and ticket management software for a while now. Our experience with this helpdesk has been good so far and we would recommend it to anybody.