With an IT ticket management system, MSPs get a suite of tools that streamline the process of tracking, organizing, and resolving IT service requests. IT ticket management systems centralize previously disparate service desk functions into one optimized platform, allowing tech professionals to see all requests in one place, prioritize them based on urgency, group them based on the type of request, and more.
Questions to ask when choosing an IT ticket management system
To help make this decision for your MSP business, we’ve compiled a list of questions you may want to ask yourselves as you navigate your options. Key decision makers in your organization can help answer these questions to provide a full picture of what you’re looking for, what you need, and how having an IT ticket system process in place may be able to help.
1. What benefits am I looking to gain from an IT ticket management system?
For MSPs considering whether or not to invest in an IT ticketing system, asking what benefits you specifically hope to gain can point you in the right direction. For example, are you looking to reduce the average time to resolve IT issues? Are you in the market for a platform that makes billing customers easier? Do you want to be able to analyze what types of issues your team handles well vs. which need work? In each area, an IT ticketing system can help.
2. How big should an IT ticket management system be for MSPs?
To make sure that MSPs will reap the benefits of their investment in an IT ticket management system, it’s critical they find a platform that can meet their current needs—and can scale as necessary to meet future needs. For example, MSPs with multiple customers can’t afford to spend too much of their time filling in specific customer information on each and every ticket that comes in. Instead, the right IT ticketing system should be able to automatically capture essential information and allow technicians to get back into their workflows as soon as possible.
Beyond that, an IT ticket management system can help smaller teams stay competitive in an increasingly crowded marketplace. While larger enterprises begin to enter the MSP space, small and mid-sized teams can leverage the tools available with IT ticket management software to punch above their weight and organize work as efficiently as possible. Doing so can help MSPs stay nimble while reducing overhead and keeping costs down for customers.
3. Where can an IT ticket management system help cut costs?
In addition to improving overall productivity, an IT ticket management system can help MSPs more effectively control costs. While IT ticketing systems can cut down on nonbillable work by capturing relevant information and creating tickets automatically, they can also track data decision makers can use to analyze trends across their business. Having access to this data and the possibility of more robust data analytics will allow them to make targeted, cost-saving improvements.
For instance, IT ticket management systems can track which kinds of service tasks are taking their techs the most time to complete. With this information, they can resolve persistent bottlenecks, reroute specific tasks to those with particular expertise in a given area, or figure out where additional training is necessary. Where outdated methods of ticketing leave MSPs in the dark, IT ticket management systems give them the visibility they need to make responsible changes throughout their operation.
4. What is the right IT ticket management system for my MSP business?
As MSPs work to deliver the best possible service to their customers, it’s important they consider which sophisticated tools they can invest in to boost productivity and cut costs. With an IT ticket management system, MSPs can do just that—provided they find the right suite of tools for their specific business needs and customer base.
With MSP Manager, MSPs can stay on top of ticketing and streamline their operations. IT professionals can leverage advanced and intuitive ticketing, batch billing capabilities, and use customer and knowledge management tools to get to the root of problems faster without getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty. From more responsive service for customers to efficient workflows for IT professionals, SolarWinds® MSP Manager can help.