Some manual tasks can be tedious and time-consuming for IT agents of all tiers. Especially when they have to stick to standard routine activities. To address this, IT support automation systematizes service desk processes, saving your organization time, effort, and resources.
But we know that sometimes it's hard to spot what is most convenient to automate. You shouldn’t automate anything or everything. That’s why we bring you some service desk automation ideas to improve your service delivery and reduce human error.
In this article, we will explore a comprehensive list of ideas and how you can use InvGate Service Management to take them to the next level.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
What is service desk automation?
Service desk automation refers to the implementation of technology and processes to streamline and optimize IT support services. At its core, it aims to reduce manual effort and human intervention in repetitive and time-consuming activities. This allows IT support teams to focus on more complex and critical tasks.
This process typically involves the use of intelligent ticketing systems, self-service portals, and workflow automation tools. These technologies enable the automatic routing and categorization of support tickets, automated responses to frequently asked questions, self-help resources, and the orchestration of various tasks and approvals.
The ultimate goal of service desk automation is to increase the efficiency of incident resolution. By reducing human error, organizations can also provide better and quicker responses, enhance service quality, and achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction.
5 service desk automation benefits
Let's have a look at the benefits that well-implemented automation can bring you:
- Expanded tool Return On Investment - By maximizing the effectiveness of your organization’s IT support operations, you can ensure that you are getting the most possible value out of technology investments.
- Improved SOP compliance - Automating workflows and processes will ensure that all support tickets follow predefined protocols and that critical steps are not missed. This helps maintain a high level of service quality and reduces the risk of errors, even in the case of a staff shortage.
- Time and cost savings - Automation significantly reduces the time and effort required to handle routine and repetitive tasks. Thus, service desk agents can focus their time and expertise on more complex issues and value-added activities. This also helps to cut costs by optimizing resource allocation and reducing the need for additional staff.
- Reduced agent churn - It reduces repetitive and boring tasks for agents, helping to keep them engaged with their job.
- Enhanced user empowerment and satisfaction - With automation, users can perform certain tasks such as password resets without relying on support agents. This leads to increased user satisfaction, as they can quickly resume their work and meet their goals without experiencing big delays or disruptions.
9 service desk automation ideas to implement ASAP
The possibilities of automation are wide, and it’s key to go step by step and not try to do everything at once. We recommend starting with a defined scope of automated tasks and learning the trick before taking on more.
To guide you through the process we have put together a list of ideas to start implementing automation with InvGate Service Management.
1. Automate onboarding and offboarding processes
Every business carries out onboarding and offboarding processes as part of their activities. This includes a set of routine tasks to be followed every time, making it an ideal candidate for automation. Automate tasks such as user account creation, access provisioning, email setup, and system configuration by creating a workflow on InvGate Service Management.
2. Automate ticket routing and assignment
Take advantage of InvGate Service Management’s automatic assignment rules to create a standardized ticket process flow. By automating the ticket routing process, you’ll ensure that:
- Each request falls into the hands of the right service desk.
- Your agents’ workload is even and achievable.
- No ticket is left unattended.
3. Automate periodic reports
Configure InvGate Service Management to generate and send periodic reports automatically. Define the metrics most relevant to your work (such as Ticket Volume, Resolution Time, or Customer Satisfaction) and schedule the chosen reports to be generated and delivered to relevant stakeholders on a regular basis.
4. Use Machine Learning capabilities
Artificial Intelligence is another ally that can be employed to automate some service desk tasks.
For instance, set out InvGate Service Management’s predictive suggestions to help agents follow a consistent service delivery. They appear when the ticket is opened and are based on the content of the requests and the company’s average decisions towards that particular type of issue. In other words, this AI feature suggests different actions and priority based on your instance’s previous activity.
5. Automate ticket replies
Enable automated replies for tickets that arrive via email to acknowledge the issue and provide end-users with a standard reply. You can also automate responses for other stages of the ticket resolution process as well, such as when there are certain actions needed or for when a ticket is closed.
This help desk automation is particularly helpful to increase your user’s satisfaction and improve your service desk metrics.
6. Automate satisfaction surveys
Another great service desk automation idea is to trigger satisfaction surveys to be sent after a ticket is closed. Configure this on InvGate Service Management to ensure end-users rate the service and write real-time feedback, providing you with valuable insights on how your IT support team is performing against quality standards and helping you spot areas for improvement.
7. Automate SLA monitoring
Set up automated Service Level Agreement monitoring on InvGate Service Management from the automation menu. Define SLA parameters, such as response time and resolution time, and configure automated alerts or escalations when SLAs are at risk of being broken.
Doing this will help you easily identify issues and setbacks to address them, and have a better follow-up of your team’s performance.
8. Integrate communication channels
Use InvGate Service Management’s integration with other systems to convert inbound communications into tickets directly. Offering omnichannel options is a great way to meet your customers halfway instead of using a new tool to create their requests.
For instance, if your organization uses Microsoft Teams for internal communications, you can natively integrate it with InvGate Service Management. There are also the Zapier third-party integrations to set it up with your chosen communication.
9. Automate knowledge featured requests
Set knowledge base articles to appear in certain request categories, to avoid ticket submission and save time for end-users and agents alike. This service desk automation allows you to pin up to three articles on each category of your service catalog to encourage self-service. Pro tip: check your most common issues per category before deciding which articles to feature!
Key takeaways
You probably knew before coming across this article what automation do for your IT support services and how powerful it is. Automation helps save time, money, and better allocate your resources. Now you should also have the extra knowledge and practical ideas to successfully put it into practice and make it work towards your success.
Not everything can or should be automated. Focus on repetitive or standardized tasks, which can go from ticket routing to self-service options or periodic reports. The key is to find the right balance between automated and manual tasks to keep agents feeling in control and make sure the activities that require it are still subject to human intervention.
InvGate Service Management includes a wide range of automated tasks which can aid you through whichever path you choose. Ask for a 30-day free trial and see for yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
What impact does automation have on a service desk?
Automation significantly improves the efficiency of a service desk by reducing manual tasks, increasing productivity, and enabling faster ticket resolution, leading to improved response times and customer satisfaction.
Why is automation important to the service desk?
Automation is crucial for the service desk as it enables streamlined processes, cost savings, scalability, and improved agent retention, allowing organizations to handle a higher volume of tickets effectively and deliver faster and more efficient support.
What should I automate on my service desk?
You should consider automating standardized tasks such as ticket assignment, onboarding/offboarding processes, periodic reporting, ticket categorization/prioritization, and communication, as well as implementing self-service options and knowledge management automation.
What tasks can't be automated?
Certain tasks that require complex decision-making, creative problem-solving, or personal interactions (such as high-level troubleshooting, strategic planning, and Customer Relationship Management) may not be suitable for automation and require human intervention.
