Do you have Help Desk Software? Many companies do have Help Desk Software. However, that Help Desk Software is frequently not the best software for the needs of the company. Or, it was the best fit at the time it was purchased, but it has not changed or been updated to keep up with the needs of the company and its customers.
Do you need to get, change or upgrade your Help Desk Software? That’s a great question. How do you know? How do you justify new or improved or different Help Desk Software? Just because you want new bells and whistles is not a reason.
There are four reasons you might want to consider upgrading your Help Desk Software. To determine if you want to upgrade for one of those reasons, you need to answer some basic questions. In the process of answering the questions you may discover that you need to wait for a future release of a particular software.
1. Improved Functionality: Changes in Help Desk Software that improve productivity and address current or upcoming issues can be a powerful upgrade justification.
• Are there issues that users are experiencing that could have been resolved in the system upgrade?
• Is there new functionality that will help users be more effective, simplify complex tasks, or reduce training costs?
2. Planned Upgrade: If you recently implemented your first version or phase of help desk software, consider allowing users to get used to the new system first. However, if your current help desk software has been in use for more than two years, it is time to evaluate it to make sure it still meets your needs.
• Did you recently deploy the solution, or has it been up and running for several years?
• Is your current version still supported, and have you had any support problems?
• What are your current needs? What do you foresee as the needs you will have in the next 2-4 years?
• Is there a help desk software, or an upgrade to your current software, that will better meet those needs?
3. Software Version Maturity: Different products have varying degrees of stability upon release. Implementing a .0 release might not be in your company’s best interests since it will not have the testing of real customers, so you may prefer to wait for a service pack or a .2 or .3 release. Perhaps you have a .0 or .2 release and the newer release has patches and support for issues with which you have been struggling.
• How long has the new version been available?
• Will you be one of the first to upgrade your system? Are there advantages to being one of the first?
• Have others upgraded, and can you talk with someone who has to find out what their experience has been?
• Are patches and professional support resources readily available for the new version?
• Is this a newer version of the same software with which you’ve been working?
4. Implementation Timing: When considering a help desk software upgrade, consider when the best time will be for implementing it. Some companies have defined windows — the end of a quarter or fiscal year, for example — when no new functionality can be deployed. Identify also the implications and impact the new or upgraded help desk software will have on other systems.
• When should the upgrade be deployed, how long will the implementation take and what impact could this have on the business?
• Are there other systems integrated with the help desk software that will be affected by the upgrade, and can those systems be updated efficiently and at the same time?
• What will be the impacts on reporting, data warehouses or analytical applications?
You need to determine whether a Help Desk Software upgrade is in the best interest of the organization at the time. This may be a no-brainer if the updated software offers much-needed functionality or ensures continued support. However, if the answers to the questions reveal a heavy impact on the business, users or other internal applications, you may need to wait for a better time in your business cycle or you may need an extended timeline for considering the upgrade.
