CCS Service Request ... Features

Two Versions To Choose From: Standard and Pro

Outlook, Web and Email interfaces

CCS Service Request is the only service request management application to offer all three:

• Outlook: Users can submit and view tickets directly in Outlook.
• Web: Users can submit and view tickets with a browser with the Standard version.
• Email: Users can simply send an email to the Service Area Folder. The Email Converter feature converts the email to a ticket.

Fully integrated with MS Office, Exchange Server and Active Directory

CCS Service Request is built upon MS Outlook and fully integrated with Exchange

• Data resides in the Exchange public folders
• Automatically connects to Active Directory or Contacts to pull in user details
• Link to Outlook Contacts for customer/client details
• Ticket assignments are made from Active Directory list
• Or designate an Outlook Contacts folder to connect with
• Make appointments via Outlook Calendar from ticket
• Attach Word, Excel, PDF and HTML or image to ticket
• Use Hyperlinks from the tickets, knowledgebase or emails to link to any online resource
• Uses Exchange web server to connect with tickets via browser (std)
• Exchange event sinks are used to convert emails to tickets

Keeps the end-user informed on ticket status

CCS Service Request provides options to automatically update the user during each stage of the support process with auto notification features. Through the notification utility the Service Area staff can set up the application to send the user emails or text messages when the ticket is accepted, assigned and completed.

Link to and attach forms, documents, images to tickets

Your organization may have existing forms (examples - hardware requests, password changes etc.) that you wish to keep. With CCS Service Request Template Manager you can bring those forms to the requester to fill out right in the helpdesk ticket. Once filled out that form is attached to the ticket through out the workflow process.

Automate approval processes

For those requests which require approval, CCS Service Request can route the request to an approver before routing it to the service department folders.

Support for Complex and Cross Department Tasks

Task Splitter -- One ticket can be split into multiple tasks. Sometimes, one ticket requires multiple staffers to work on parts of it separately. It could be a ticket to upgrade a company with three locations, for example. One ticket is created, but you could split the ticket up when assigning it so that each site has a separate task to complete.

Cross Department Requests -- like New Hire requests can automatically spawn tickets in IT, Facilities and HR departments. Great way to standardize processes.

Capture Email Collaboration

Often in addressing or fulfilling a request, additional information is needed from the requester. CCS Service Request captures all email traffic related to the ticket and links it with the ticket. Worklogs record any emails sent out in relation to the ticket.

Bring External Data into the Request Ticket

CCS Service Request can integrate with external ODBC-compliant databases to bring relevant information such as maintenance data (Facilities), Employee data (HR) or Hardware and software inventory informattion. Contact us for information and customization costs for integrating your department's database..

For IT Help Desk Service Areas, CCS Service Request now links with CCS Network Inventory, an asset tracking and network auditing tool that is part of our support productivity tools. When you are working on a ticket, this will allow you to bring up information about the computer or asset involved. Our tickets can connect with the CCS Network Inventory audit database, providing information that is invaluable in solving problems quickly.

Knowledge Base keeps reusable information

The Knowledge Base provides a valuable and easily accessible repository of information on Service Request issues. It is built from completed tickets and from articles the Service Area staff enters directly. By having a readily available list of articles categorized and sorted, the Service Area staff and users have an important resource to draw from when issues arise. The Knowledge Base can be accessed directly or from within tickets. It is available through Outlook forms and Web interface.

Create Tickets from Email

Email can be converted to tickets manually and automatically. Using a "create ticket" button, the Service Area staff can quickly and easily create a new Service Request ticket from any email selected. Instead of dragging and dropping or manually moving an email, the staff can press the "Create Ticket from Email" button on their toolbar and a new Ticket is created in the Service Area Folder.

The Email Converter (std ) runs on your Exchange server and intercepts emails to the helpdesk and automatically converts them to tickets. Contact information is automatically populated and the summary and description fields are filled in.

Generate Reports with Report Builder

With our utility "Report Builder", ticket information can be selected based on status, category or filtered on any field then easily exported to an Excel spreadsheet or a Text file, great for running reports and tracking the performance of the Service Area.

The Export to MS Access and Export to SQL (both standard version) pushes ticket data to external databases for reporting by Crystal Reports and other third-party reporting tools

Utilities to Manage CCS Service Request

• List Manager gives you the ability to customize the contents of field labels and all drop-down boxes on the Request Ticket forms.
• Field Manager allows you to control which form fields are hidden or required for all forms
• Billing Module lets you set the billing rate/level to track ticket fulfillment costs
• Notification Manager utility to setup staff notification emails based on selected problem category and allows you to set email addresses that receive notice of a new tickets. You can set a special address to receive notices of critical tickets.
• Popup Message lets you configure messages to display to the users whenever they fill out a new Ticket. The message is easily changed or turned on and off.
• Ticket Mode sets tickets to open in end user mode (end users create tickets) or help desk mode (help desk creates all tickets -- great for call centers!)
• Templates allow you to ask for additional information based on the category and type of request
• Ticket Numbering sets up sequential numbering of tickets with prefixes and suffixes, if needed.
• Ticket Colors allows you to change the ticket colors on the fly and change the form headings.
• Upgrade Utility makes it simple to upgrade tickets and settings from previous versions.