IT Service Desk Benefits & Integration with AI

When you hear the phrase “service desk” you might first imagine going to a store to make a return at a physical desk or going up to a concierge at a hotel. But, service desks aren’t always real-life desks. The phrase also refers to software that helps businesses of all kinds interface with customers and employees.

In this article, we’ll delve into the benefits of IT service desks and explore how integrating artificial intelligence can elevate the customer experience.

In this case, a service desk, also called an IT service desk, is a digital space that serves similar purposes to help desks in storefronts but focuses on IT-related problem management by resolving reported issues by monitoring support tickets that get logged into the IT Service Management System (ITSM) via a service portal and assigned to a member from the IT support team.

An AI-powered service desk system can serve knowledge base articles as answers to common employee queries, and then seamlessly manage the ticket handoff to a live support agent for handling the more critical IT tasks.

Discover some of the ins and outs of an IT service desk ticketing system and why having one is so vital.

You can think of an IT service desk as a communication touchpoint where employees can get help with their information technology and computers. Depending on the type of business you have, the technological and internet issues will vary.

Service desks are meant to be a single point of contact, or SPOC, for these kinds of issues. They create a centralized communication center for your IT support staff or AI programs to help employees.

But, beyond being a place where employees can request IT support, service desks can also perform other functions for our business, such as:

• Onboarding for employees
• Access to internal data
• Tracking various business metrics
• Managing incidents
• Monitoring various services
• And much more

Because each business is unique, service desks will also be individual to serve the needs of each company. You already have various software to keep track of inventory, communicate internally, and onboard various people. So, instead of trying to manage all of these software and tasks separately, an IT service desk can integrate them together to make things easier for management, employees, and more.

It’s common to hear both of these terms when discussing similar software. So, they might be used interchangeably by some people and companies, but when looking at the technical definition, there are some differences between the help desk vs service desk.

An IT help desk is a more specific touchpoint that’s meant to resolve issues as they come up. Generally, this kind of desk reacts to needs and other issues. These help desks are meant to offer quick support to various problems.

An IT help desk is usually one function of a broader IT service desk. It’s possible to have only a help desk without the more varied functions of the service desk, but, in most cases, the help desk is a subsection of the service desk.

Help desks usually offer support for the following four concerns:

• Keeping track of various incidents
• Providing support for level one and two problems
• Giving self-service choices for users
• Being a point of contact for support for IT issues

On the other hand, service desks have a more comprehensive range of functions and a different strategy. While IT help desks are more narrowly focused on helping end users, a service desk includes helping end users, while also offering services for other business strategies and needs.

Therefore, service desks often include the above four functions along with other processes like workflow optimization, change management, tracking SLA, and ITSM processes.

Before going further, it’s vital to refresh on some other essential AI terms and IT software and infrastructures terms. The ITIL, the IT infrastructure library, is a term referring to the best practices on a global scale for ITSM, or IT service management.

According to ITIL, a service desk is a crucial tool and element of IT support, and without a functioning, high-quality service desk, the ends of your end users won’t be met properly.

Simply put, service desks are equipped to address incidents that arise as well as various service requests. Some further definitions include:

• Incidents: These are events related to IT that halt services whether because they aren’t working or the quality is diminished.
• Service requests: These are more routine issues like tasks that users need help with. These requests include generating a new account for a new user or a user that needs to change their password.

The main benefit of a service desk is a central point where both of these broader issues are resolved. Many service requests are automated within systems, while incidents might require working with an employee or IT support technicians. However, the service desk helps mitigate incidents at lower levels by assisting end users in navigating through situations that can be easily resolved.

Along with the functions mentioned above, service desks are also vital to help with business management, regardless of the type of company you run. The ten primary benefits of a service desk include:

• A ticketing management system: By creating a ticket when a user requests support, it saves time and money. The software can automate and track tickets, too.
• Overall savings to the company: With the right AI and staff, a service desk can save money through efficient management of IT concerns. The service desk addresses more minor issues, which frees up the time of experts who need to focus on more complicated matters.
• They create a base of information for self-service: When employees have questions, they can get answers to most of them through a service desk.
• The prevention of problems: Service desks have tools to track data. Through data tracking, companies can figure out common service issues and employ strategies to mitigate them. Service desks can also warn of early problems before they become more significant disasters.
• Service desks automate more tasks: Routine functions can be automated so that IT employees can focus on bigger projects and concerns.
• Access to information on users: Because so many IT services start with service desk software, they gather information and monitor various interactions with employees. Organizations can use this information to get insight into employee welfare and also other talent management use cases.
• Management of SLA: Service-level agreement management can improve the flow of efficiency.
• The creation of a service catalog: A service desk creates an online resource center where various users can learn about company services.
• Management of incidents: There will always be incidents that arise, even with functioning software and efficient systems in place. An exemplary service desk ensures these incidents are fixed as quickly as possible. This ensures everyone can resume work as normal.
• They ensure asset management: Service desks help with the valuation of assets and CMDB, or the configuration management database.

While these aren’t the only benefits of a comprehensive service desk, they are some of the most common and important to know about and consider.

IT service desks may perform many functions and help with efficiency, but they also quite other support. There are some other technologies you should consider to increase the value and output of a service desk. These include:

• Self-service for end users
• Incident management
• Knowledge management
• Management of the service desk itself

There are options to customize your service desk based on your business or organizational needs.

Now that you know the definitions, importance, and function of an IT service desk, you may see the value of one for your business. However, if you don’t currently have one or aren’t happy with your current options, Aisera could provide the self-service solutions and productivity increase you are looking for and that you can rely on. We combine the best practices of the past decades with improved AI technology for the best service desks for all kinds of industries.

Our AI Service Desk for IT drives efficiency and creates happy employees and end users. Our service desk software is empowered by AI and offers workflow automation, ticket intelligence, and 24/7 support.

We are more than happy to discuss the options with you and help you determine how a service desk fits the needs of your company or organization.

Discover more about how Aisera’s AI Service Desk improves employee experience while reducing costs. Calculate the ROI & cost savings you could achieve right now!