Helpdesk Procedure Manual

Introduction

One of the primary functions of the IT department is to provide IT support to the other departments that make up Wyoming 211. To ensure that all issues are handled with high quality and that all end users are treated equitably, these procedures outline the responsibilities of IT staff and end users.

The responsibilities are clearly defined in separate sections to help each user understand the procedures for the new help desk system.

Purpose

The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to ensure consistency of help desk ticket processing across all IT areas, from ticket creation to closure.

Help Desk Procedures

Ticket Creation

Users must report issues using the help desk system, which serves as the central point of contact for all IT related issues, requests, questions, and problems.
1. When necessary, IT staff should use the following message to redirect requestors to the help desk system:
  - “Thank you for reaching out. To ensure you can be helped efficiently, please submit your issue/request through the help desk by submitting a ticket at https://helpdesk.wyoming211.org. This allows me to set the issue/request on the right path towards resolution though proper tracking and ensures the right assets are assigned to your ticket. Submitting a help desk ticket is mandatory and the best way to receive timely and effective support. Thank you for your cooperation!”
No work should be carried out without a ticket being created.
In urgent situations, work may begin without a ticket, but a ticket must be created by the end user by the end of the workday.

Criteria for Urgent Tickets

A ticket should only be marked Urgent if all of the following apply:
1. Urgency: Work is completely blocked
  - The user(s) cannot perform any job duties.
  - No workaround is available.
  - Immediate attention is required to avoid serious disruptions.
2. Scope: Impact is significant
  - A single user in a mission-critical role, or
  - A group of users (e.g., a department or team), or
  - A system or service used widely across the organization.
3. Time Sensitivity
  - Must be resolved immediately to prevent downtime, missed deadlines, compliance/security risks, or financial loss.

Examples of Urgent Tickets

Network outage affecting an entire office or department
Email system down for executives or key staff
Security breach or ransomware detection
Inability to access core business applications

Defined Priority Tiers

Low: I can do my job just fine, but a "nice to have" broke.
Medium: I can do my job, but one of the tools that allows me to do it more efficiently is not working.
High: Something is broken and I cannot do my job.
Urgent: Something is broken and preventing multiple people from doing their job.

Ticket Submission Guidelines

Only one (1) issue or request should be submitted per ticket.
1. If multiple issues exist, you must submit multiple tickets for consistent issue tracking.
Provide as much information as possible when submitting a ticket.
1. Minimum required information:
  - Requestor (Email)
  - Subject
  - Priority
  - Detailed description with any attached relevant screenshots
Users should not attempt maintenance on hardware or software unless directed by IT staff.
Submitters will receive an email confirmation with ticket details once a ticket has been submitted.
Should the submitter not be contacted within the expected amount of time (which is contained below), an escalation will automatically occur which will send additional automated emails. This will allow IT Staff the opportunity to be reminded of the ticket and its current status.

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Ticket Resolution Procedure

When work is completed, IT staff should change the ticket status to “Resolved.”
The “Resolved” status gives users 24 business hours to confirm resolution.
If no response is received within 24 hours after setting the ticket status to resolved, the ticket status will automatically change to “Closed.”
IT staff must add detailed resolution steps to the ticket before marking a ticket as “Resolved.”

Unresponsive End User

If a user is unresponsive and the ticket cannot proceed:
1. Send a message via the ticket portal requesting the need for a response:
  1. If no response after 3 business days, send: “I have not heard from you regarding this ticket. I am unable to move forward until I receive your response. Please respond at your earliest convenience.”
  2. If no response after 2 additional business days, send: “I have been unable to reach you. I understand you may not be available to work on this ticket at this time. I am marking this ticket as resolved. If you still need assistance, you can reply to this ticket within 24 hours, so that it is automatically re‐opened. If you need further assistance after this timeframe, please open a new ticket.”
The “Resolved” status gives the end user 24 business hours to respond before the ticket auto-closes.

IT Staff Commitment

IT Staff commits to act with integrity and honesty, and to keep users informed about their issues.
IT Staff will communicate in clear, understandable terms and avoid technical jargon unless appropriate.
IT Staff will explain technical concepts in plain language when needed.
IT Staff will help users identify critical issues and prioritize accordingly.