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How to manage the Helpdesk? We are here when you need us. Vision: Helpdesk as business enabler.
Purpose: Business goal is to get our products / services recommended to prospect by existing customers (Users). Helpdesk goal should be to excel in after sales service or even during the warranty period. User support is important because this leads to satisfaction and user organization will give us more references (this means more business). It is important to create a good track-record of DNS user.
Solution: DNS ERP Helpdesk module for service division. This special module is designed especially for the service business, say for example ‘Software product’ company. Since we are ourselves Software Company, we are also using this ‘DNS ERP Helpdesk module’ extensively. Here usually ‘spare parts’ are not the issue but the time of support professional is important, which requires to be managed. (Time spent by support staff is a resource).
[For physical product company like say, UPS manufacture we have developed service module that takes care of ‘spare part management’, serial number management and warranty management of physical product].
Any customer call that is received from customer is called a ‘point’ or an ‘instance’. Common mistake is to call the customer’s call as ‘complain’. The instance is from DNS user. Instance may be received via phone, email or personal visit, etc. In any case it has to be entered in the Helpdesk system. No user (customer who is using our service) should say, I have already informed Mr. so and so., and no DNS user should remind because the instance was forgotten. Instance may be regarding error, bug fix, additional (new) requirements, improving the service or product, etc. All of these must be routed through the helpdesk only.
Background : There are few professions which require as much continuous updating as that of the ERP professional. Not only does the hardware and software scene change relentlessly, but also ideas about the actual management of the ERP support function are being continuously modified, updated and changed. Thus keeping abreast of what is going on is really a major task. It is necessary to reduce the time it takes for ‘instance’ or even new leading edge ‘ERP ideas’ to move from the ‘mind’ into the hands of the ERP user. In many larger ERP companies the user support is outsourced (to BPO) to have a better focus and support professionals are paid as per the performance. Smaller companies may plan in-house ‘Helpdesk’ department (Function). It will be a good idea to put Helpdesk function under main stream marketing function.
The ‘developer’ team (R & D) provide improved features (e.g. new software version) and may maintain the old ‘avatars’ too. Their relationships with the user population is that of consultant to client, where the developer team is expected to provide a long-term solution to major issues that may crop up in the field. Therefore ‘support team’ has a special relationship with development team. The purpose of this service support module is to ensure that there is no communication gap between users, support team, developers, and ‘QC team’. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is not really a form of support as such, but an industry term for a method of working and range of technologies. CRM is a way of governing all the ways in which the organization interacts with its external customers (product or service users).
What is not covered: Please note that scope is limited to after-sales; point does not include calls pertaining to marketing function. Enquiry or sales leads are not in the scope of this module. This is taken care by DNS pre-sales module. The MIS: Helpdesk module prepares status wise point register. The helpdesk is used to do the CRM by generating automatic reports and sending email alerts to top management as shown below. The reports generated will also be useful in the review meetings to assess the area of user training.
How does the HELPDESK module for service business work? Ans: We have taken example of a software company to illustrate; however, the same can be changed to suit your business process. [Yes, like that hotel owner says, ‘I also eat here’, we also use our own ‘DNS’ for our own ‘helpdesk management’ J.
Important: View the video movie that we have specially made to explain ‘HelpDesk’ module. http://www.dnserp.com/helpdesk.htm
Workflow:
Special email id is given for this purpose e.g. helpdesk@dnserp.com. Users are requested to send email to this id only. Settings in the email control panel can be done to send cc automatically to other email id. E.g. an email sent to helpdesk is cc to Mr. xyz, Mr. abc, too. Alternately, user can also think of making special email id for each project separately. For instance, we have made hdfire@dnserp.com or chinwalas@dnserp.com and so on. This email id is given to user for sending the feedback email. These are created in the email control panel of the email service provider (your website hosting company). The setting for sending automatic cc is also done in the email control panel.
Select name of customer from dropdown Copy paste the content into the point data entry screen.
Email is stored for future reference. Automatic date and time stamping helps to know when and from whom the call was originated. The point may be given by internal QC team as well. This internal point is also duly captured and a point number is generated.
Above screen dump shows the dropdown – Point from: Client: Internal or general. Note the status shows ‘Pending for programmer’
Note the project master is made whenever a new project (customer) is taken up. User will select from the project name from the dropdown menu. Note the status shows ‘Programmer to Close’.
Note the status shows ‘QC to close’.
Point register list all the points. User can select the status: e.g. show all ‘not started’ points. Or show only completed points.
Status changed to ‘Completed’
MIS: Helpdesk report can be prepared in many ways. The example above shows the ‘date’ selection. User can select point register date.
Status of point register can be seen for a given project (customer) or for ‘all’.
User can also select ‘milestone’ and filter the report as per specific requirement. Of course like all DNS ERP reports, user can instantly export the report to Excel sheet, save; this can be further, email as attachment, or print, and so on.
Helpdesk user can send email to top management.
Sample report showing ‘Point Register’. This is the main MIS report for the top management.
Sample report showing report exported to MS Excel worksheet.
Email sample as sent by DNS Helpdesk module, for points pending for > nn days.
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