Using an Issue Tracking System

If you don’t have a system for tracking issues and have more than one person responsible for IT, I highly recommend considering such a system. Even with a single systems administrator, you may see some benefits.  

If you already use such a system, are you using it well? Are there problems with the policies in place that can be addressed? Some of these considerations can be helpful to you as well.

How can an issue tracking system help?

Your typical IT problems are probably frequent and simple. A tracking system can help with larger long-term projects as well, but I’ve just focused on the day-to-day tasks. Here are a few scenarios representing the daily problems that your IT staff faces every day.

Scenario 1: Joann sends an email to the IT manager that she’s having a problem printing. Joann has avoided interrupting the IT manager’s routine by sending an email, but when will she be helped? How soon will the IT manager notice the message an assign it to one of her staff members, especially if she’s busy prepping for a meeting?

Scenario 2: Steve can’t start his email program or get to the web this morning and dropped by the IT manager’s office to let her know. Obviously, since Steve can’t use the network the only choice was to call or visit, but he’s got meetings this morning so it can wait a little while. If someone is assigned to fix the problem, how do you let him know how the problem was fixed?

Scenario 3: Someone upstairs called to say that the copy machine isn’t working.
That’s probably important. You know that the last time the copier broke it was something simple, but you just can’t remember what you did. What if it’s the same thing? Can you avoid spending an hour rediscovering the fix?

The questions raised by each of these scenarios can be handled with an issue tracking system. If your IT manager is busy with another task and isn’t checking email, your other IT staff can be notified of a problem automatically. They can get to work on it before she even knows of the problem. If Steve’s problem had been entered into the system, he could receive a notification by email that the problem was resolved at 10:42am and that it was caused because one of his network settings was incorrect. By searching the system for “copy machine,” you are able find that four months ago, the last problem was resolved by flipping a hidden feeder reset located inside the third door from the right.

In addition, a tracking system can help the IT manager keep reports on outstanding issues and response times, help prioritize requests based upon severity, urgency, and importance, and help keep track of each IT person’s current task list.

Choose Good Policies

Before you pick a system you need to choose good policies regarding who will use the system and how the system will be used. Get feedback from your partners, IT department, managers, and others to make sure you have a good idea how to make the system useful for everyone.

Here are some good questions to consider during the process:

• Who will maintain the system and who will use the system? How? Email? Web? Desktop application? There are many solutions available. Find one that suits your needs.
• Do you require a system that seamlessly integrates with email or just sends email notifications? How will it integrate with your mail system?
• What kinds of tasks will your firm place into the system?
• How are priorities assigned? This is important and surprisingly difficult to define.
• Should the system link into your existing knowledge base or include a documentation management system?

Your IT staff must stay on top of the tasks in the system. Old tasks shouldn’t be allowed to become “stale.” I also recommend reviewing the way the system is used at least once a year during your IT review. Are your stakeholders still happy with the way priorities are assigned? Has your response time been maintained? Do you need to upgrade the system or add customizations to deal with business changes made during the past year?

Finally, an issue tracking system is no substitute for personal interaction. If your IT staff hides behind the system, everyone will become frustrated. You can help your IT staff stay focused, reduce interruptions, keep track of ongoing projects, and help schedule the daily trivia for a less disruptive time, but that is no substitute for personal visits. There will always be the problems and annoyances that never get reported unless you just go around the office and ask face-to-face.

An issue tracking system can be a useful tool. Make sure you prepare accordingly, involve all the stakeholders, perform a regular review, and do not neglect personal service. By doing all this, your IT staff can become more productive and successful.