The WOW Factor! Optimising Work Order Management and Trouble Ticketing

WOM (Work Order Management) and TT (Trouble Ticketing) tools are solutions and concepts that have been around for quite a few years. Despite their long use, they are still often difficult to get on with and have much room for improvement. For the uninitiated, WOM is commonly used to support planned projects, by letting users create, maintain and manage key data involved in finishing a task. TT is a mechanism used to track the detection, reporting and resolution of problems or unplanned work that arises.

There are three main challenges facing users of ticketing tools. These relate to integration of information, productivity, and the speed and agility of the systems to model processes; quite an uncomfortable mouthful to swallow for any business.

Usually WOM systems integrate information from several different sources into a single ticket in order to provide a user with all available information. However it can prove to be a challenge to merge so much information from so many varied sources.

Another issue is time. It's extremely unproductive when users have to populate fields in non-automated task entries, just to ensure a ticket or work order contains all necessary information. Complexity and human errors often increase the risk of mistakes, leading to even more delays.

Finally, adaptability is perhaps the biggest challenge. To change a system once it is set up and running is not easy, as most processes are hard-coded and take considerable expertise to change. To incorporate new procedures, significant recoding of the original system will likely have to take place. This period of alteration can severely decrease operational agility, costing businesses time and money.

So what's the answer? What does the next-generation of software need to provide?

First off, single-click ticketing is the way forward. A system able to integrate all relevant information sources and create a ticket with a single click would prove far more efficient. Also useful would be an ability to identify the root cause of a problem, one that might ordinarily create several alerts, and reduce these into just one ticket.

Accurate, automatic field population would negate the need for human intervention, ensuring fewer errors and greater productivity. Correct coding and access to the right information early on can mean quicker solving and closing of tasks, thus encouraging greater productivity.

A big benefit would be improved configurability. Processes with 100% configurable forms – within systems that avoid the trap of hard-coding – supply a solution that is truly adaptable and mobile, able to follow the evolution of a business.

And last but not least, a nice healthy return on investment complemented by a reduced total cost of ownership would make the whole thing taste a lot sweeter.

Well, the good news is that better software is already on the menu. With single-click ticketing, automatic entry, 100% configurability, a better ROI and reduced TCO, Critical Software's WOW (Work Order Web) is quite a dish, and builds on ten years’ real-world experience of developing solutions for global players like Vodafone.