Helpdesk – What Is It and How Does It Work?

An IT helpdesk is one of the essential pillars of every organization. Its proper operation enables the efficient functioning of individual areas within a company. Instant assistance in the event of any hardware or software issues helps maintain the stability of business processes. What exactly is a helpdesk, how does it work, and what should you consider when selecting a solution?

What Is a Helpdesk?

An IT helpdesk is a central contact point that provides technical support and user assistance. The system enables the resolution of ongoing issues related to technology, applications, and IT infrastructure. A team of specialists is responsible for registering tickets, diagnosing and resolving problems, and answering user inquiries. The main objective of the helpdesk is to ensure fast and effective issue resolution, minimize downtime, and increase user satisfaction. A help desk can be divided into two variants:

• external, handling service requests submitted by customers
• internal, supporting the company’s employees within a single organizational unit.

An IT helpdesk can handle various types of requests, such as:

• computer hardware failures
• software issues
• application errors
• loss of network access
• requests for other types of technical support.

Helpdesk functionalities may vary depending on the needs of a given company and the nature of its operations. Most commonly, they include services such as:

• ticket registration
• analyzing and classifying tickets by priority
• tracking the progress of issue resolution
• providing appropriate solutions or escalating them to a higher support tier.

How Does a Helpdesk Work?

A helpdesk may operate in different ways depending on the solution adopted within the organization. A commonly used method is receiving requests by phone or email and providing technical support directly at the workstation where the issue occurred. However, to streamline this process, automated solutions such as a ticketing system operating locally or in the cloud are increasingly being used.

A helpful solution is also a knowledge base available to authorized users, enabling them to resolve simple issues independently or find answers to frequently asked questions. Such a base may also store user manuals and technical documentation. However, the dynamic development of business means that a help desk system addressing current problems alone is not enough. Therefore, it is often complemented by service desk systems.

What is a service desk system? It is software that enables comprehensive management of IT services, focusing on failure prevention. The Service Desk system for IT delivered by OXARI is a tool that supports both external requests—from customers (service provider <-> its clients)—and internal ones within the company (IT department <-> user). Service requests are registered as tickets, after which a service request is created to handle the process of addressing the incident. The system enables:

• assigning a person responsible for providing the service
• forwarding the ticket to a selected support tier
• changing the status and priority
• sending email notifications.

What Does a Helpdesk Include?

A helpdesk is responsible for resolving all technical issues that negatively impact the proper functioning of the IT system and company efficiency. Its role is also to restore the correct operation of devices and applications. Helpdesk tools are used primarily to maintain reliable IT infrastructure.

The system includes:

• receiving and handling service requests on-site (local helpdesk) or remotely (cloud helpdesk)
• classifying requests and routing them to the appropriate personnel
• searching for optimal IT solutions
• collecting problem-related data and analyzing it
• fixing existing errors.

What Are the Benefits of Implementing a Helpdesk System?

Implementing a helpdesk system in an organization allows for the automation of activities related to maintaining proper IT infrastructure and, consequently, ensures the efficiency and performance of processes. Combining it with service desk software can significantly improve company productivity—speeding up service delivery through proper prioritization and classification of incidents while also enabling the creation of reports useful for managing service requests.

Why Is It Worth Implementing a Helpdesk System?

• Proper problem identification enables taking appropriate corrective actions and speeds up error resolution
• An electronic system allows monitoring of response times and the problem-solving process, ensuring that the best possible actions are taken in each case
• Quick resolution of hardware or software issues and ensuring their smooth operation reduces downtime and maintains high productivity
• Improved performance of equipment and software, along with fast reaction to errors, increases user satisfaction and a sense of adequate support
• The ability to create detailed reports helps identify and eliminate bottlenecks causing recurring issues, ultimately reducing the number of reported incidents
• SLA analysis of ticket handling ensures that IT service availability remains at an appropriately high level
• Integrating the helpdesk with other IT tools enables faster and more effective response to irregularities, improving the performance of the entire company.

How to Choose the Right Helpdesk Software for Your Company?

When choosing a helpdesk system, you should consider the specifics of your company’s operations. Which aspects deserve particular attention? Let’s focus on the three most important ones.

In practice, many organizations looking for a ticket-handling system consider not only which helpdesk software to choose but also which service desk software will work best in their IT environment. Increasingly, companies choose a single solution that combines the functions of a traditional helpdesk with a broader range of service desk capabilities—so that one tool can handle incidents, user requests, changes, problems, and tasks related to IT service maintenance.

In such a scenario, a good direction is choosing a service desk–class platform that offers extensive IT process support while remaining a user-friendly helpdesk system for end users. One example of this approach is OXARI ServiceDesk—service desk and helpdesk software that consolidates ticket handling, workflow automation, and integration with other modules of the OXARI ecosystem (CMDB, Asset Management). This makes it easier to answer the question of which service desk software to choose when you need a tool that genuinely supports the daily work of the IT department.

Local or Cloud Helpdesk System?

Before implementation, it is worth considering which type of software you want to use. A common and practical solution is cloud-based software, which enables remote ticket handling. This solution is often chosen because it streamlines communication and eliminates the need to perform helpdesk tasks in a specific physical location. If a particular request does not require onsite support, assistance can be provided by a specialist from anywhere.

Internal, External, or Both?

Handling internal and external requests may require extended system functionality. Before implementing a helpdesk, it’s important to decide what type of support you will need to ensure that the chosen system meets all requirements.

Functional Helpdesk and Interface Flexibility

An important system feature is the ability to design a user-friendly interface for the end user. A wide range of configuration options allows the tool to be tailored very precisely to specific needs. Such a flexible solution enables efficient and intuitive management of service tickets and accelerates the process of their identification.