When selecting the right service desk software for your organisation, the options can be overwhelming. Every vendor claims to offer the best solution, but how can you be sure that it will meet your requirements? To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a comprehensive checklist of features and considerations to keep in mind when evaluating service desk software options.
Note: The following service desk software checklist provides a general overview of key features to look for. Keep in mind that the availability of these features may vary between software vendors.
Admin Experience
Customisation: Can administrators tailor the service desk software to the specific needs of their teams? Look for solutions that offer out-of-the-box and configurable workflows and requests.
Multi-Lingual Support: Do you cater to customers around the world? If so, multi-lingual support may be needed.
Email Notifications: Are the email notifications and access customisable to ensure they align with your business processes?
Branding: Does the software allow you to customise the portal with your branding?
Agent Experience
Streamlined Work: Does the service desk software help agents streamline their work with features like automated task assignment, rules, workflows, reminders, and templated responses.
SLA Management: Can you set and customize Service Level Agreement (SLA) goals to match your specific criteria and business hours?
Mobility: Do you need a mobile app version for agents to work on the go?
Work From Home – Do you need the facility to allow agents to work from home or multi-site?
Integration: Does the software integrate with other tools for seamless workflow management?
Customer Experience
Multi-Channel Support: Does the service desk software allow customers to get help where and how they need it? Look for options that support various channels like portal, email, embedded widgets, live chat, social media, phone, and SMS.
Workflow Visibility: Can customers easily track the status of their requests with configurable workflows and notifications?
Knowledge Base: Is there integration with a knowledge base with automated article suggestions for self-service?
FAQ’s: Is there an FAQ facility to allow customers to self-diagnose issues?
Customer Feedback: Does the software offer features for customer satisfaction feedback and self-service ratings?
Reporting and Management
Reporting: Does the service desk software provide comprehensive reporting on service performance and allow you to forecast future needs? Look for default reports and customizable dashboards.
Time Tracking: Is there a facility for or ability to integrations with an app for time tracking?
Queue Updates: Does the software provide real-time queue updates to ensure tasks are prioritized correctly?
Collaboration: Can the software help collaboration across different teams within your organization?
Compliance: If applicable does the software integrate with regulatory compliance software?
Ready for ITSM
ITIL Certification: Does the service desk software have certifications for IT Service Management (ITSM)?
ITSM Workflows: Look for workflows that support incident management, service request management, change management, and problem management.
Best Practices: Does the software offer best practice guides and advice to help your team continually improve?
Asset Management: Are there features for asset management and discovery?
Resources and Support
Documentation: Does the software come with comprehensive documentation, how-to articles, and best practice guides?
Training: Is training provided?
Consultation: Does the vendor offer a consultancy to understand your requirements and ensure the service desk software they offer is a good fit?
Support: What support is offered by the vendor? Is it included in the plan?
Developer Resources
Integration: Can the service desk software integrate with other tools? Is there support for custom app development?
Developer Community: Look for developer documentation, tutorials, and an online developer community.
Uptime and Incidents: Is there transparent uptime status and incident communications for users?
Security and Compliance
Data Security: Ensure the software provides robust data encryption at rest, regular backups, disaster recovery, and rigorous security testing.
Compliance: Check for certifications like ISO/IEC, and compatibility for industry and area standards (e.g., HIPAA and GDPR).
Pricing and Licensing
Transparency: Does the service desk software offer transparent pricing with no hidden fees?
Value: Consider pricing structures, volume discounts, and the availability of a free trial to assess the product.
Deployment Choices
Deployment Options: Does the software offer flexible deployment choices like cloud and data centre to align with your scalability needs?
Onboarding: Is onboarding provided? If so, is it included in the cost or does it incur an added charge? How long is the onboarding process?
Platform
Platform Features: Is the service desk software built on a platform that simplifies integrations and user management?
Vendor Track Record
Vendor Reliability: Ensure that the software vendor has a track record of stability and continued investment in product improvements. Take some time to read testimonials and case studies
This service desk software checklist covers the key features and considerations to guide you in your search for the perfect solution. Remember that because your specific needs may vary you need to prioritize the features that align with your organisation’s requirements. When in doubt, reach out to software vendors for more information, demonstrations, and references to help make an informed decision.
