Plain Ticket
 | |
| Initial release | April 10, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Platform | Web application developed in Java |
| Available in | English, French, Spanish |
| Type | Issue tracking, Help desk |
| License | Software as a service |
| Website |
plainticket |
Plain Ticket is a remotely hosted, web-based issue tracking system, also called a help desk system. Plain Ticket allows any department in a company to answer customer requests and to track these requests until they are resolved.
Characteristics
Plain Ticket is computer software:
- also called a web application, that works in a web browser.
- a Software as a service, where all data is stored and kept on many remote servers. It thus corresponds to the definition of a cloud-based service,[1] or a cloud computing application
- that allows a team, and its agents, to resolve internal and external issues, by storing and classifying all interventions leading to the resolution of a problem,[2] or an issue, in a 'ticket.' A 'ticket' is composed of the description of the problem and of all the interventions leading to its resolution.
- that allows its agents, within a resolution team, to regroup and classify requests and issues in categories[3] they define themselves.
- that allows agents, to assign or transfer a ticket to another member of the resolution team. Agents can, thus, partially solve a request before transferring it, or directly transfer it when another member of the team is in a better position to solve the issue.[4]
- that keeps track of all the history and all interventions leading to the resolution of an issue.[5]
- that is integrated with email, which allows the sending of notifications upon new interventions, and also the creation of new tickets, when an email is sent directly to an email address corresponding to a certain issue category.
- that allows user-defined ticket statuses, to match the end-user business cycle.
- that allows to add and manage custom fields. Those will be added to all tickets, on top of the default fields.
- where one can add attached files[6] to tickets, to detail a request.
- where one can prioritize[7] requests, according to their relative importance.
- where one can classify requests according to their planned resolution dates.
- that is fully searchable, where all tickets and their messages are indexed by keywords.[8]
- that allows to create a knowledge base, with all tickets and their keywords.[9]
- that allows to sort tickets by categories, by user name, by priority, or by status.
- where user access is defined according to roles.[10]
- that is secured, where all data access is done by https protocol, and thus, encrypted.
- that is built for desktop as well as mobile platforms (smartphones, tablets). This effect is achieved through responsive web design.
History
Initially developed in 2005 to answer Turbine interactive's internal needs, Plain Ticket has been created to simplify and to create order in issue management.
Plain Ticket has been deployed in many institutions and companies in the educational field in Montreal (Canada) among others, Dawson College - Commission scolaire de Montréal - Éditions du Renouveau pédagogique - Concordia University.
The 2011 version of Plain ticket broadens its base to include small and medium companies, by the means of a monthly subscription[11] to a hosted web service.
Development
Plain Ticket has been developed by Guillaume Carrier, from Turbine interactive (Montreal - Canada), a company founded in 2002.
Initially, Turbine interactive specialized in providing eLearning and distance learning solutions. Its main focus has since been reoriented towards providing solutions to small and medium-sized companies.
See also
- Help Desk
- Issue tracking system
- Comparison of issue-tracking systems
- Comparison of help desk issue tracking software
References
- ↑ Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work, Michael Miller, Que Publishing, 2009, Chapter 1
- ↑ A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists - Fred Beisse, Course Technology Editions, 4th edition, 2009, pp.197-200
- ↑ - Plain Ticket website - Custom categories
- ↑ A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists - op.cit., pp.204-206
- ↑ Creating a customer-focused help desk: how to win and keep your customers, Andrew Hiles, Yvonne Gunn, Rothstein Associates Ltd, 2000, pp.34-35
- ↑ - Plain Ticket website - Attachments
- ↑ - Plain Ticket website - Prioritization
- ↑ A Guide to Service Desk Concepts, Donna Knapp, Course Technology Editions, 2010, pp. 189-230
- ↑ The Complete Help Desk Guide, Mary Lenz, Flatiron Publishing, 1996, pp.64-65
- ↑ - Plain Ticket website - Types of users
- ↑ - Plain Ticket website - Monthly subscription