Help Desk Software Comparison

With hundreds of help desk solutions in the market, it is becoming more and more cumbersome to do help desk software comparison.If you are looking to do Help Desk software comparison, the following helpful tips will make the process easier. You should keep in mind that the software is only one part of a successful help desk; the total solution implementation involves your agents, back office users and of process management or workflow.To start your help desk software comparison, start by identifying your requirements. One approach is to use is the MoSCoW technique

M - MUST: Describes a requirement that must be satisfied in the final solution for the solution to be considered a success.
S - SHOULD: Represents a high-priority item that should be included in the solution if it is possible. This is often a critical requirement but one which can be satisfied in other ways if strictly necessary.
C - COULD: Describes a requirement which is considered desirable but not necessary. This will be included if time and resources permit.
W - WON'T: Represents a requirement that stakeholders have agreed will not be implemented in a given release, but may be considered for the future. (note: occasionally the word "Would" is substituted for "Won't" to give a clearer understanding of this choice)

Core features

All help desk software in the market has different features, and deployments options. The core functionality to drive a successful business is:

Multi-channel support such as Self service portal, email, social media, chat
Support for case management logging and tracking
Service Level management
Workflow management
Feedback surveys
Reporting, Metrics, and Dashboards
Escalation management
Tasks Automation

Evaluation and Selection Process

The help desk software comparison starts by selecting potential vendors that meet your initial requirements and offer prices that fit within your allocated budget. Organize a demo with your potential vendors and give the presenter your own requirements and the description of the problems you are trying to solve before the demo so they can get specifically addressed during the demo. Focus on the areas and features relevant to your business and do not ignore other non-functional requirements such as scalability, performance, security, and support

Acquisition Phase

Do some basic ROI calculations to identify your savings from the solution implementation. Evaluate your short term and long term costs. The maintenance and support cost is something that most customers drop during the evaluation process. For example, acquiring cheaper software with high maintenance or support fees may be something that blow up your ROI calculations.

This drives you to look at is Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which is more than the original cost of purchasing hardware and software. TCO must include all direct and indirect costs associated with the solution over an average period of 4 years.

Finally, do a proper planning for the acquisition, mobilization, implementation, training and support with your vendor and have all the process agreed upon in a well-defined statement of work.