In our previous blog posts in this series, we’ve covered how JSM streamlines service delivery and service operations, with in-depth explorations of both incident management and problem management. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how JSM streamlines service support.
Jira Service Management is most widely known for its service desk and request management functionality. It is an exceptional tool for streamlining the intake and fulfillment of requests, both for IT teams and for other business teams. It eliminates the confusion that comes from taking in requests via email and further increases productivity and efficiencies by automating repetitive tasks. When integrated with a knowledge base like Confluence, it supports customer self-service, it has a mobile app so teams can keep efforts moving while on the go, and it even allows for reporting around KPIs so teams using it can set benchmarks, set goals, and improve service support.
The following are several key ways JSM can streamline service support, particularly as it relates to service desk and requests management functionality.
JSM gives people a single place to go for help, instead of guessing who to email when an issue or question arises. It’s flexible enough to support IT requests as well as Facilities, HR, Marketing, and other types of requests, too. Teams can customize intake forms, so they get all the necessary information upfront and do not have to play email or phone tag with requestors. It’s less frustrating and less time-consuming. Workflows can be customized so the right steps are followed, the right people are notified, and the requester is kept informed of progress. Everything is visible and traceable every step of the way.
With JSM, teams can gain even greater efficiencies by automating repetitive tasks and processes. This becomes increasingly important as companies grow and need to scale their support. Some common tasks that can be automated in JSM include: closing old support tickets that customers haven’t responded to, reopening closed support tickets when customers comment on them, linking related support tickets, and automatically assigning approvers to certain types of tasks.
JSM enables teams to measure their performance in a way that they could never do if they were using disparate emails as a request intake system. With JSM, teams can track how many total requests are coming in, what types of requests they are, and how long it takes to resolve them. Armed with that information, they can develop more content for the self-service portal so requesters can resolve their own issues without having to submit a ticket. Perhaps more importantly, they can identify patterns and address underlying causes. In addition, this data not only helps them improve their own performance, it helps them communicate their value to the larger organization.