Help desk and incident reporting auditing is an examination of the controls within the help desk

Help desk

A help desk is an information and assistance resource that troubleshoots problems with computers or similar products. Corporations often provide help desk support to their customers via a toll-free number, website and e-mail. There are also in-house help desks geared toward providing the same kind...

 operations. The audit

Audit

The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...

 process collects and evaluates evidence of an organization's help desk and incident reporting practices, and operations. The audit ensures that all problems reported by users have been adequately documented and that controls exist so that only authorized staff can archive the users’ entries. It also determine if there are sufficient controls to escalate issues according to priority.

Types of help desks

The management and support of IT

Information technology

Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...

 assets is essential for all businesses. Help desks are now fundamental and key aspects of good business service and operation. Through the help desk, problems are reported, managed and then appropriately resolved in a timely manner. Help desks can provide both internal and external users the ability to ask questions and receive effective answers. Moreover, help desks can help the organization run smoothly and improve the quality of the support it offers to the users.

• Traditional - Help desks have been traditionally used as call centers. Telephone support was the main medium used until the advent of Internet
  Internet
  The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
  
  . Although telephone support has worked effectively and is still being used today, it has a number of weaknesses. For example, it is frustrating for customers to be put on hold or navigate automated phone answering messages.

• Internet - The advent of the Internet has provided the opportunity for potential and existing customers to communicate with suppliers directly and to review and buy their services online. Customers can email
  Email
  Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
  
   their problems without being put on hold over the phone. One of the largest advantages Internet help desks have over call centers are that it is available 24/7. This is extremely important in today’s global business world where customers and staff members may be in different time zones.

Objectives

• Determine if the sufficient controls have been implemented into the system. This will ensure that all problems reported by users have been adequately documented. The controls exist so that only authorized staff can archive the users’ entries. Also, customers should be notified of the timing of the corrective action.

• Determine if there are sufficient controls to escalate issues according to priority. In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the trial has been completely recorded and what action has been taken by whom.
• Monitor if customer requests are timely cleared. Outstanding requests should be reviewed and actions should be taken immediately.

Auditing procedure

• Review and evaluate the overall process followed by the help desk. The review should focus on how the incoming problems are handled, if the problems are classified and prioritized, and if there is timely follow up to ensure efficient and complete resolution.
• Observe the operation. This observation should include the promptness of answering questions, immediate logging, and adequate knowledge to resolve problems quickly.
• Perform a test to determine the control environment. For example, the auditor could test whether all the users’ requests are logged into the system and whether all questions are properly documented.
• Determine if management defines the help desk mission statement
  Mission statement
  A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
  
  . Also, the auditor should evaluate whether management has established clear responsibilities for the help desk.
• Evaluate the help desk service level by determining the management’s methods of performing services. This can be accomplished by asking these questions:

1. Does management calculate how many problems are reported per month?
2. How many problems are resolved per month by individual help desk staff members?
3. Does management compare the number of problems reported per day with the number of problems resolved per day?
   

For the last question, tracking systems will help to identify whether the help desk has adequate staff to deal with the number of issues received at any given time. Furthermore, the problems distribution should be monitored to ensure that the staff is appropriately scheduled in to meet customer demand.

• Evaluate the training
  Training
  The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
  
   of the help desk technicians. This will help determine if they are aware of the development of hardware
  Hardware
  Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
  
   and software, industry trends and have sufficient technical skills.
• Check the security systems of the help desk. This includes such systems as physical security
  Physical security
  Physical security describes measures that are designed to deny access to unauthorized personnel from physically accessing a building, facility, resource, or stored information; and guidance on how to design structures to resist potentially hostile acts...
  
   and password
  Password
  A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource . The password should be kept secret from those not allowed access....
  
   access controls.

Software

Today, there are many software choices which help management operate the help desk functions. In addition, these software products greatly improve the auditing of help desk operation. Help desk software is management software that automates many features of an organization’s help desk environment, such as automated email

Email

Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...

 response. It gives businesses the capability of using a systematic approach to responding to both internal and external users.

The typical functionality of help desk software includes:

• Call management
• Call tracking
• Knowledge management
• Problem resolution
• Self-help capabilities

The core components of any help desk software application include the abilities to record and track support requests through all stages. In addition, reporting is also a key element to providing detailed information on how the system is running. The right choice of help desk software depends on the size of the organization and the complexity of the support process. The business needs will vary greatly during different periods of time.

Help desk software common functions

• Help desk software systems range in complexity from basic ticket logging to fully integrated CRM
  Customer relationship management
  Customer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...
  
   systems.
• Functionality is varied, but the essential core elements are the recording and tracking of support requests.
• Reporting is important and often complemented by a third party application for user-definable reports.
• Service Level management is often crucial to the help desk process as a measure of its success. This is usually an automated benefit of the help desk application.

Outsourcing

The outsourcing

Outsourcing

Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...

 of the help desk function and IT operations

Business operations

Business operations are those ongoing recurring activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders...

 as a whole are a growing trend. However, it is important for the management to be aware of the ultimate responsibility for the help desk. This responsibility is still retained in the organization and not in the outsourcing firms. Help desk is still substantially important even if it is outsourced. In addition, it is critical to have appropriate management structure. Outsourcing decisions always involved both risks and benefits. The risks can be mitigated through careful planning. Whether it is a right decision or not for the organization to outsource can be decided through research.It also helps in delegating responsibilities to one and each.

Summary

Help desks play a key role in modern business organizations. A well designed and maintained help desk can substantially:

• Increase the efficiency of operations
  Business operations
  Business operations are those ongoing recurring activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders...
  
  
• Reduce costs
• Gain customer satisfaction
• Improve public image

Effective auditing practices can contribute to maintaining the high quality of help desks, and help desk software may further improve the efficiency of help desk auditing.

See also

• Comparison of help desk issue tracking software
  Comparison of help desk issue tracking software
  This article is a comparison of notable issue tracking systems used primarily for help desks and service desks rather than for bug tracking or project management.- External links :* * * * * *...
  
  
• Information technology audit
  Information technology audit
  An information technology audit, or information systems audit, is an examination of the management controls within an Information technology infrastructure. The evaluation of obtained evidence determines if the information systems are safeguarding assets, maintaining data integrity, and operating...
  
  
• Information technology audit - operations