Helpdesk...

[mrbios]

I'm after some information from those of you that support multiple primaries, ideally as a central secondary supporting primaries. Normally I guess those of you working as a MAT will be doing something like this? We're a LA school looking to start supporting some local primaries. What sort of helpdesk solution do you have in place to enable the primaries to put in tickets, if at all? Any other methods of contact that have been useful for those primaries you can recommend?

[Steve21]

Well two places had two different ways of doing it.

 

One had a paid for helpdesk solution, that each school had their own login to via web portal etc.

 

One used emails via Spiceworks, so the emails from "school1domain" log to that school etc, and then they get auto replies when action is done via Spiceworks etc

 

Steve

[dcwhitworth]

We're just expanding into a MAT support situation. I think we'd be looking to expand use of our existing helpdesk software. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus.

 

This supports a multi-site configuration, user web portals, email tickets. It's basically a professional quality system, and the basic level is free.

[NB9457]

FreshDesk offer a free cloud version and you could easily make it work and it's simple to use. We used it with no issues, you can create rules and what not too to filter the groups. I love it personally, it's simple for us but effective.

[Homer]

+1 for ManageEngine. Very competent product and also what I needed with looking after more than one school.

[djm968]

Spiceworks Online Help Desk is another free and simple option, set up an ICT support email account, provide the details of this account to all your primaries and request that they send ICT support requests to this email address. Forward email from this account to your SpiceWorks online email address which will automatically generate a ticket.

[jmak]

I also use the Spiceworks online helpdesk. You can set up a portal for users to visit - I have it set up to verify the email domain (anyone with an email address on our domain can submit a ticket) and to force them to categorise the fault/request. I also have the app installed on my phone to record the ones that people stop me in the corridor for.

[fiza]

We're just expanding into a MAT support situation. I think we'd be looking to expand use of our existing helpdesk software. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus.

 

This supports a multi-site configuration, user web portals, email tickets. It's basically a professional quality system, and the basic level is free.

 

+1. We use ServiceDesk Plus too but at the moment we only support 1 Primary.

[yac2016]

Freshdesk does everything you need and is free for 3 users.

[CHM-ITServices]

+1 for freshdesk. Really good product. I pay a little more for the reporting side.

[Shadow_Walker]

We use Zendesk. Each primary has an email address to email but if they just email the main support address it moves it into the right group. Took some users time to get used to having to email but when logged jobs where getting prioritised above non logged jobs people soon come round.

[Edu-IT]

Used Kayako in the past but really any system that supports multiple email addresses and/or rules will do the job.

[Sylv3r]

We use Kayako here, primary school staff e-mail our support direct and the system allocates them to the particular school based on their domain. Any tickets we carry out for staff on site are also logged as that member of staff for full reporting i.e. to show what each school is getting for their money on an annual basis - number of jobs closed etc. It also helps me monitor whether there's a training need required or an issue with a particular piece of hardware that may need replaced / kicking.

[Mjstone1]

We use Freshdesk and the updated version this year is now free for unlimited agents. There are less reporting tools in the free options but I find it sufficient without these tools

[gomalley]

I'm using OSTicket, we provide contracted services to 11 primary schools and a playgroup, I've just set up each as a different department and filtered by e-mail address.

 

Done a few customisations to page views and options in OSTicket also to get it how I wanted it.

[markwilfan]

We moved to osticket this year from op support desk. Never looked back. So many bugs with opsd

[asm]

+1 for Spiceworks, I've had no issues with my time using it (across multiple sites)

 

Could always look at OTRS it has a free version that isn't very limiting and might offer you what you need at no cost.

[localzuk]

We moved from osTicket to SiteHelpdesk-IT here. I'm liking it so much more, handles us having 9 different sites nicely.