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Expansion Tools for Help Desk Software

There can more to help desk software than just a central product for trouble ticket tracking. Often customer support software companies create several add-ons or expansion modules to augment their main call center software applications. This can keep the base price of the core help desk software down. Here's an overview of the modules you can find. Careful though, not all call center software companies offer every module. Also, some helpdesk software comes with the functionality of these modules already included in the core application.

Automatic Escalation and Reassignment Module
If business rules and service level agreements stipulate when issues have to be elevated, you'll want help desk software that performs those functions automatically. Automatic escalation modules are the answer. They can help you adhere to your service level agreement, elevate critical issues to their appropriate priority, notify help desk agents when key issue fields change, and notify managers if specified actions occur. Some examples of this type of module are:

Kemma Software's BridgeAutoEscalate
Intuit® Track-It!® Alert
House on the Hill Software's Escalation

Customer Interface
Customers are happiest when they believe their help desk is giving them instant support. Your help desk can do this with a customer interface. These modules allow customers to check on their issues, access the Knowledge Management module, and contact the help desk any time of day. Customer interfaces increase customer satisfaction, while they reduce the actual number of calls to your help desk. Some interface modules are:

Kemma Software's BridgeAccess
Intuit® Track-It!® Self Service
SerioWeb

Email to Issue Converter
A fast way to please your customers is to allow them to submit their own issues through email. With an email-to-issue converter, email that comes into a specified account can automatically be turned into an issue. Many email-to-issue converters also assign issues automatically and allow for manual control. Some converters currently on the market are:

Kemma Software's BridgeReceive
Intuit® Track-It!® Receive
Netkeeper HD Mail

Search Utility
Search utilities are something we take for granted but they are an essential way to find the information your help desk agents need to solve customer issues. While all help desk software applications contain a standard search mechanism, only a few carry more robust search features. Check out:

Kemma Software's BridgeSearch

Active Directory Integration
Security concerns pervade the software field. Despite this truism, it is annoying to type on passwords whenever you switch between applications. To ease this annoyance but maintain security, several helpdesk software packages have modules that integrate with Microsoft's Active Directory. These modules make it easy to manage users and verify passwords across the call center software. Some Active Directory integration modules are:

Kemma Software's Active Directory Integration Module
Intuit® Track-It!® User Synch
infraEnterprise

Knowledge Base
Knowledge bases are repositories of articles that discuss questions and solutions to common problems. These repositories come in three flavors and it is worth investigating each type before you make a decision. Some knowledge bases to look for are:

Kemma Software's BridgeTrak Knowledge Base
Intuit® Track-It!® KnowledgeBase
Serio Knowledgebase Server

Asset Management  What help desk doesn't check licenses or audit software? An asset management tool lets your helpdesk software keep track assets, inventories, and license compliance among your customers. Asset management varies by company, so it is good to look around. These modules integrate into some well known help desk software:

Kemma Software's CI Discovery
Intuit® Track-It!® Audit Plus
Abacus Systems' Workstation Audit

Reset Passwords
How many times has your help desk answered the question "Can you reset my password?" Many help desk software applications offer expansion modules that allow customers to reset their passwords without calling the help desk; modules such as:

Axios Systems' assystReset Intuit® Track-It!® Password Reset Magic Service Desk P-Sych

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