The ticket tool is a software application used to track and manage issues, requests, and work items in an organization. It facilitates collaboration between team members by centralizing information into one location and streamlining workflows.
What are the benefits of using a ticket tool?
There are several benefits to using a ticket tool:
- Improved organization and tracking of tasks and issues
- Enhanced communication and collaboration across teams and departments
- Increased transparency into workloads and project status
- Streamlined workflows with automated routing, notifications, and reminders
- Reporting capabilities to identify trends and measure progress
- Reduced inbox clutter by consolidating requests into a shared system
- Audit trails to maintain history and accountability
- Customizability to match an organization’s specific needs and processes
By centralizing information into an easy-to-use platform, ticket tools make it simpler for team members to stay aligned while working on shared goals. The end result is improved efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
What features do ticket tools provide?
Ticket tools offer a variety of features to facilitate task and issue tracking such as:
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Ticket submission | Users can create new tickets to report issues, make requests, or assign work. |
Categorization | Tickets can be categorized for easy filtering and reporting (e.g. by priority, department, project). |
Assignment and routing | Tickets can be assigned to individuals or teams and automatically routed based on predefined rules. |
Collaboration | Team members can comment on tickets, attach files, and @mention others. |
Search and filters | Powerful search allows users to quickly find tickets based on keywords, tags, dates, and other criteria. |
Status tracking | Users can view the status of tickets (new, open, pending, resolved, closed) at a glance. |
Notifications and reminders | Notifications keep team members up-to-date on ticket changes via email, mobile, etc. Reminders alert when tickets are overdue. |
Reporting and analytics | Built-in reports provide insight into workload, productivity, resolution time, trends, and more. |
Custom fields and forms | Additional data fields and forms can be customized to capture all required ticket details. |
Automation | Workflows can be automated to save time on repetitive tasks and processes. |
APIs and integrations | APIs allow connecting the ticketing system to other tools and apps used by an organization. |
Audit trail | A complete record of all activities, changes, and events is maintained for reference and accountability. |
By leveraging these capabilities, teams can streamline issue tracking in a way that best fits their needs.
What are some popular ticket tool platforms?
Some well-known and widely-used ticket tool platforms include:
Jira Service Desk
Jira Service Desk is a robust IT service management solution for managing tickets, requests, and incidents. It is part of the popular Jira tool suite from Atlassian. Key features include custom Service Level Agreements (SLAs), advanced reporting and analytics, automated workflows, deep integrations, and mobile device support.
Zendesk
Zendesk is a leading customer service software known for its intuitive ticketing system. It emphasizes agent productivity with features like macro response templates, multichannel support, and unified inboxes. The platform also offers advanced analytics, automation capabilities, and flexible integrations.
Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a cloud-based help desk software that is designed to streamline and simplify ticket management. Key features include email-based ticketing, advanced customization options, multi-channel customer support, collaboration tools, and mobile apps. It is ideal for small to midsize business (SMB) teams.
ServiceNow
ServiceNow is an enterprise platform used by many large organizations for IT service management and digital workflows. Its capabilities include incident, problem, and change management, knowledge management, survey management, and integration with other enterprise systems. ServiceNow offers robust customization and reporting.
osTicket
osTicket is an open-source help desk system ideal for SMBs and teams needing an affordable option. It allows email-based ticket creation, agent collision prevention, canned response templates, permissions-based access levels, and report generation. Custom integrations are also supported.
There are many other excellent ticketing tools on the market catering to various organizational needs and budgets. When evaluating options, consider ease of use, customizability, integration and automation capabilities, and total cost of ownership.
How do tickets facilitate better project management?
Ticketing systems help improve project management in several key ways:
- Centralized task tracking – All tasks, issues, and requests can be documented in a centralized system for full visibility into the workload.
- Enhanced communication – Team members can collaborate directly on tickets through comments and @mentions rather than difficult-to-track email threads.
- Clear assignment and ownership – Responsibilities are defined by assigning tickets to individuals and teams.
- Prioritization – Ticket priority flags and due dates allow easier prioritization of work.
- Status updates – Project managers can check the status column of tickets to see what’s on track, pending, or blocked.
- Automated workflows – Standard processes can be automated for efficient hand-offs between teams.
- Reporting – Ticket reports provide insight into team productivity, backlogs, resolution times, and trends.
- Resource allocation and planning – Ticket volume and assignments help gauge resourcing needs and gaps.
With enhanced task organization, communication, and visibility, tickets enable better resource planning, status tracking, and delivery of projects.
What are some tips for implementing and managing a ticket system?
Here are some best practices for getting the most value out of a ticket tool implementation:
- Involve team members early in the setup process to get buy-in.
- Customize ticket fields, forms, and workflows to fit existing processes.
- Set service level agreements (SLAs) for response and resolution times.
- Train team members thoroughly on how to enter, update, assign, and resolve tickets.
- Establish clear guidelines for ticket submission and triage.
- Automate repetitive tasks in the ticket lifecycle via workflow rules.
- Integrate the ticketing system with email, chat, and other communication channels.
- Send reminders to agents for overdue ticket assignments.
- Run regular ticket reports to identify areas for improvement.
- Solicit user feedback and continuously refine and enhance processes.
With training, customization, and strong adoption across teams, an organization can fully leverage the many benefits of a ticketing system for project management success.
Conclusion
Ticket management systems provide a centralized and controlled way for teams to collaboratively track issues, requests, and tasks. Key capabilities include flexible ticket submission, assignment, prioritization, automation, SLA tracking, and robust reporting. Leading solutions like Jira Service Desk, Zendesk, Freshdesk, and ServiceNow give organizations enterprise-grade issue tracking tailored to their needs.
With proper implementation and adoption, tickets enable enhanced communication, accountability, visibility, and organization. Teams are empowered to deliver projects more efficiently while providing transparency into workloads. As business needs evolve, a ticketing platform can scale to manage growing volumes of issues, requests, and tasks across the organization.