Service Request Management
For incoming requests, service request management software makes it easy to organize service work and track any status changes. OneDesk is made to handle all aspects of request management, from tracking status, to viewing assignees, to having records of any conversations about the request.
Because OneDesk is flexible, any kind of service request can be managed in our software. Keep all the crucial request details in one accessible application.
Service request tracking solution
To track a service request, there needs to be a way to easily see the set of all active requests. When tracking requests in OneDesk, our Tickets application provides visibility into the state of work.
With the ability to define clear workflow statuses, you can choose the steps your service request goes through to attain resolution. Workflows can have custom statuses for each type of ticket, which allows for different ticket types to have different workflows.
Once workflows are established, automations can be set up to trigger based on particular criteria. For example, when a request moves to a “To Be Triaged” status, a manager can be assigned the request to handle the next steps and a message can be posted to the ticket notifying stakeholders what the current state is. Knowing the current status of a ticket is crucial for providing updates to management and for communicating estimates on completion.
What is the benefit of service request software?
Service request management software covers a broad range of industries. Requests may be for for support work, ongoing maintenance, or general inquiries from customers. Regardless, the management of service requests includes a complex process of logging, triaging, and tracking work. It is also crucial to enable effective communication and ensure work is delivered as per requirements. As you receive more and more requests, juggling processes can become daunting.
By using software, request management can be turned into a straightforward and simple process. For one, requests can be centralized into one application. Second, requests can be assigned to agents as well as collaborated on, improving the visibility of work and bridging silos.
Keep reading to learn about the tools OneDesk offers to streamline the management of service requests.
Service request ticketing system
One key part of a service request ticketing system is having some way to capture the requests. Using our e-mail integration, any requests that are sent by email are automatically logged in the OneDesk system.
This integration ensures that communications done through e-mail about the request are also captured as conversations in OneDesk. You can define the internal process of assigning the service request, working on it, and updating its status. OneDesk constantly maintains a link between the context of the conversation and the underlying work.
When the work is completed for the ticket and it is moved to a “Resolved” status, a notification can be sent to the requester relaying the Service Request’s status. Using workflow automations, this can be done automatically. These communications and their documentation are captured on the ticket itself and can be viewed later so when similar future requests come in, there is a record of what was done in the past.
This unified communications platform is a valuable tool for any business that provides service to its customers.
Project request management
For your company’s strategic goals, it’s crucial that the right projects are being worked on at the right time.
Project requests may start off as tickets, and these tickets need to be tracked so they can be managed. By using our Tickets application, ticket types can be created to represent project requests. These requests can then be triaged according to a workflow that you can define.
Configure your request types
In OneDesk, custom statuses can be created to show each stage in a project request’s life cycle. As project requests are reviewed, assessed, and implemented, a project request can then move through each of these stages.
There are a lot of key details to capture in a project request, including the project owner, the project name, risks, constraints, and a proposed deadline. For a Project Request ticket in OneDesk, custom fields can be set up to store all of this information.
When reviewing project requests at a high level, it can be helpful to see them together in a timeline. Our Gantt view can be used to understand the dependencies between project requests and highlight areas where more resources might be required.
Keep your customers updated
The customer portal application is ideal for allowing customers to log their requests into OneDesk.
With the ability to tune the look and feel of the customer portal, users can configure their own branding. A major component of the customer portal is the webforms application. For each type of ticket available, a webform can be created to take in the customer’s request data. The form fields can be customized to make it straightforward to log a request without being too restrictive.
Aside from logging new requests, customers are also able to view previous requests they’ve entered. This visibility can be set to display just that particular customers’ requests, or permissions can be opened up to allow anyone in the customers’ company to view each others’ requests.
Get the right information with request forms
Take in service requests using a request form, also called a webform. It can be customized to suit your needs. This includes offering different input types and requiring certain fields to be filled in. Request forms ensure the right information is included when a request is logged.
Along with streamlining the experience for support requests to be triaged, our customer portal also allows the requesters to see the status of their requests. This keeps requesters up-to-date on status whenever they feel like checking.
Service request software for IT
IT departments need a way to manage requests from other departments that need their expertise. Our service request software can easily be customized to capture tech support requests.
With the ability to define custom ticket fields, IT departments can record and track a variety of details about their work. Combined with customizable workflows, every stage of a tech support request is captured and the movement of work through these stages can even be automated based on your criteria. By using workflow automations, IT support requests can get automatically triaged and even assigned to the right person without any manual intervention.
Customer request management
Customer requests are in many ways no different from any other request. The main difference is these are external stakeholders making the requests, which emphasizes the importance of communication, estimation, and tracking.
OneDesk’s timer and timesheets offer an ideal way to record how much time was spent on each request.
By setting up different kinds of ticket types to represent the different kinds of customer requests, workflow automations can be created to automatically manage or even fill in details on these tickets.
Frequently asked questions about service request management
What is a service request?
Service requests are formal work requests submitted by external customers or internal employees to the service provider. Service requests vary greatly depending on the industry and services offered by the provider. For instance, in IT services, a request may involve setting up a new account or software.
What are the advantages of a service request management software?
A request management software can help streamline processes in a number of ways:
- Centralize service requests from multiple channels into one app.
- Organize, filter, and group your work view.
- Save time with canned responses, macros, and workflow automations.
- Real-time analytics and built-in reporting.
- Enable self-service tools for customers.
- Eliminate silos with built-in collaboration and communication.
- Transparency on team work load, request statuses -- and more
How do I manage requests?
There is some variation to managing requests as it can be dependent on the industry, volume of requests, and general workflow. OneDesk can be configured in many ways in order to meet the needs of different industries or workflows. However for many companies, the basic flow of request management is as follows:
- Customer submits a request via email, web form, or live chat.
- Team receives the request in OneDesk. The can be automatically categorized, prioritized, and routed to an agent.
- The agent may communicate or collaborate with the customer or other agents.
- The agent fulfills the request and closes the ticket. A survey is automatically sent to the customer making sure they are satisfied with the resolution.
Ready to accelerate your service request management?
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