Evaluating IT Service Management Software for a Small Business
If you want your business to be successful it’s imperative to install the best IT service management software, or help desk ticketing software, for your needs so you can keep your website running smoothly, manage your inventory and manage/track customer problems from start to finish.
Sounds easy enough, right? But with all the products on the market, how can you be sure you’re getting your money’s worth?
First, because IT service management software can be used for logging in tickets as well as high-end CRM systems, you have to clearly define your company’s needs. Typically, small businesses don’t need the most complicated and expensive products. On the other hand, the most basic software might not have all the features you need to operate your help desk effectively. After you determine your needs, you should set your company’s goals and then establish a list of requirements that the IT service management software must meet.
To help you determine which vendors offer the software to meet your company’s needs, you should ask people in companies similar to yours what works for them and what doesn’t work. You should ask what level of support the vendors offer and how good the vendors’ training programs are. Find out if the training is provided in your location or the vendor’s location.
And you should make sure there’s sufficient product documentation, or other self-service capabilities, so you can save money by not constantly relying on assistance from the vendor. However, you should also ensure that your software provider has a 24-hour toll-free hotline so you can get the assistance you need when you need it.
In addition, select a system that is quick and easy to install and deploy. It should also include an installation wizard to guide you through each step of the set-up process. And the software should be user-friendly.
It’s important to select software that you can customize for your specific business needs and that also gives your employees access to customize it and/or make changes. You don’t want to have to pay the vendor to customize the software for you. When you’re doing your research, also check to see if the vendor will charge extra for licensing, maintenance, implementation and training.
Finally, ask the vendors if their products have reporting systems built-in to them so you can analyze the information in order to develop more effective and efficient processes.
May 12th, 2009 at 5:34 am
I just wanted to add a couple more points for the small business owner.
First, inquire about your data. What happens if you want to switch software? What happens if the vendor you do business with goes out of business? These are important questions to protect yourself in the long-term. This problem is often referred to as “vendor-lock in” where the customer has no choice but to stay with a vendor. Make sure you have an easy way out. The most important thing is being able to take your data back in something usable.
Second, inquire about reliability. The most economical software delivery model is offered as a hosted solution these days. Inquire about their data center’s security and redundancy. Ask questions like, “How often is my data backed up? What is your up-time guarantee?, What security measures are in place to protect my data?”.
Third, understand that no software solution will be perfect. Even a customized solution has it’s flaws. Instead of trying to find a solution that matches your current operations 1-to-1, keep an open mind that there might be a better way to do things. There will never be a silver bullet to your needs, and understanding this early-on will help you quickly adapt.
Vincent
MHelpdesk, Service Management Software