The 2024 State of ITSM Report reveals that organizations with a well-structured IT service desk resolve tickets significantly faster, improve employee satisfaction, and reduce IT workload. Yet, many organizations struggle with inefficient service desks that lead to delayed resolutions and frustrated users.
So, how can you make your service desk the go-to resource for employees? Here’s what the latest data suggests.
Make your knowledge base easy to find and use
A robust knowledge base is key to improving self-service and reducing ticket volume—but it only works if employees can actually find and use it.
The 2024 State of ITSM Report highlights that organizations implementing a self-service portal see an average reduction of two hours per incident resolution. Additionally, companies using knowledge base articles resolve incidents six hours faster than those that don’t.
To make your knowledge base more effective, ensure articles are easy to search and written in clear, user-friendly language. Instead of technical terms like “Network Connectivity Issue,” use phrasing employees are likely to search for, such as “Why won’t my Wi-Fi work?” Regular updates are essential to keep content relevant, and AI-powered suggestions can help surface the most useful articles before employees even submit a ticket. When employees can quickly find the information they need, they’re more likely to solve issues themselves—reducing the burden on IT teams.
Use clear, end-user language
A common issue with IT service desks is that they’re written for IT pros rather than the employees who rely on them.
For example, an FAQ titled “Application Latency Issues” won’t resonate with an employee who wants to know “Why is my app so slow?” The State of ITSM Report highlights that simplifying language helps improve ticket resolution times and increases self-service adoption.
How to simplify IT service desk content:
- Write knowledge base articles and FAQs in the way employees ask questions.
- Test search functions with non-IT staff to see if they can find answers easily.
- Use AI-powered search tools to help match queries with relevant support articles.
- Optimize your FAQs based on real user data
Your FAQ page should be one of the most useful resources in your service portal—but too often, it’s written from an IT perspective rather than based on actual user questions. When employees search for help, they’re not looking for complex IT terminology; they want clear, straightforward answers that directly address their problems.
A well-optimized FAQ section is built around real user inquiries. One way to improve your FAQ section is by tracking common ticket submissions and identifying recurring questions. This ensures that the content is relevant and reflects the actual concerns of your employees. Another critical factor is phrasing questions in the exact way employees ask them, which improves searchability and usability. Additionally, keeping answers concise, clear, and actionable reduces frustration and increases the likelihood that employees will find the help they need quickly.
Beyond structuring FAQs properly, incorporating AI-driven search functions and auto-suggest features can further enhance the user experience by directing employees to the right answers before they even submit a ticket. By refining your FAQ approach, you not only improve self-service adoption but also reduce the overall workload for your IT team.
Implement proactive IT Incident Alerting
Even with a well-organized service desk, some IT issues require immediate action. That’s where IT service alerting tools come in.
The Impact of IT Incident Alerting:
- Organizations that implement automated alerts reduce incident resolution times by an average of three hours per ticket.
- SLA management improves ticket resolution by an additional two hours on average.
By using IT alerting tools, you ensure the right teams are notified of critical incidents in real time—reducing downtime and improving response times.
Measure and Improve Your ITSM Maturity
The SolarWinds ITSM Maturity Model helps organizations assess their current service desk efficiency and find areas for improvement. According to the State of ITSM Report, companies that progress to a higher ITSM maturity level see faster resolution times, improved user satisfaction, and more efficient service desk operations.
How to Advance ITSM Maturity:
- Assess your current service desk maturity level. Are you reactive, proactive, or fully optimized?
- Identify gaps in automation, self-service, and incident alerting.
- Implement data-driven improvements to streamline service desk operations.
The Bottom Line
A service desk that’s too complicated—or simply not designed with employees in mind—leads to frustration, inefficiency, and increased IT workload. You can improve service desk efficiency and user adoption by making your knowledge base easier to use, simplifying language, optimizing FAQs, and implementing IT incident alerting.
Want to see how SolarWinds Service Desk can help simplify your IT support? Learn more here.
