[0:03] Hi, I'm Hayden Manard, the AV technology [0:05] specialist at Lakeville South High [0:06] School and a member of DISCT, the ISD94 [0:09] technology team. Whether you're brand [0:11] new to the district or have been with us [0:12] for decades, a phrase that seems like [0:14] you can't escape from these days is, [0:16] "Did you submit a ticket?" [0:19] Well, with us now having closed over [0:21] 70,000, [0:22] many of you clearly have, and we are so [0:25] thankful. But even still, with all of [0:27] the things people are expected to keep [0:29] track of these days, it's no surprise [0:31] that one of the biggest pieces of [0:32] feedback we've gotten is that people are [0:34] confused or even a little intimidated by [0:36] our ticketing system. So, with the goal [0:38] of reducing that, let's talk about what [0:39] a ticketing system does, why we use one, [0:42] when you should and shouldn't submit a [0:44] ticket, and what happens after one is [0:45] submitted. Let's get started. [0:52] Now, I could go into the history of [0:54] ticketing systems, how they got their [0:55] name, different kinds, but your time is [0:57] valuable, and I don't want to take any [0:59] more of it than I have to. So, let's get [1:01] right to the meat of things. When you go [1:03] to submit a ticket, it guides you [1:04] through a series of categories and [1:06] questions to identify as much as [1:08] possible about whatever the issue you're [1:10] experiencing is. This is because behind [1:12] the scenes, your ticket is being sorted [1:13] by over a 100 custom rules that are [1:15] basically acting as a giant flowchart, [1:18] making sure that your ticket gets to [1:19] someone who can help you as best as [1:21] possible as quickly as possible. An [1:23] issue with your projector will probably [1:25] get assigned to someone on the AV team. [1:27] An uncooperative piece of STEM equipment [1:28] will probably go to our special programs [1:30] tech or PC admin. Any issue with the [1:33] internet is going right to our network [1:34] team. This is important because with a [1:36] district of our size, it's not unusual [1:38] for dozens of tickets to come in in a [1:40] day. And while many of them might be [1:42] routine, non-urgent tasks. Oh, looks [1:45] like there's a new staff member starting [1:46] in a few weeks. I'll schedule that to [1:49] take care of. Anyway, like I was saying, [1:51] many of them aren't urgent, but some [1:54] Uh-oh. The internet is down in SeaWing [1:56] and testing is going on. I'm going to be [1:59] right back. [2:03] Well, glad that fires out. Actually, [2:06] that's a great segue to talk about [2:08] something else we get asked a lot of [2:09] questions about. When should and when [2:11] shouldn't you submit a ticket? Tickets [2:14] are our best way of keeping track of [2:16] issues. And this only becomes more true [2:18] the more complex it is and how many [2:20] people it involves. One of the reasons a [2:22] ticketing system is so useful is that it [2:24] creates a unified location where [2:25] everyone involved in a task, whether now [2:27] or in the future, can see what has and [2:30] hasn't been done. So if you have any [2:32] issue or question that will take an [2:34] extended amount of time or multiple [2:35] people to solve, then it should be a [2:37] ticket. If there are going to be any [2:39] costs involved or assets impacted, [2:42] whether it be purchased, replaced, or [2:43] repaired, those should be tickets, too. [2:46] The last big one is anything involving [2:48] student accounts or data. Got to [2:49] document that. And a ticket is a great [2:51] place to do it. Before we move on to [2:53] what shouldn't be a ticket, I want to [2:55] say that there is a lot of gray area [2:57] between ticket and not ticket issues. No [3:00] one is going to be upset with you if you [3:01] submit a ticket for something that could [3:03] have been a quick conversation. And [3:04] likewise, as many of you probably know, [3:06] if something should be a ticket, we are [3:08] more than willing to let you know. Take [3:10] that issue with the loss of internet [3:12] during a test earlier. Sure, submitting [3:14] a ticket is a great way to make sure it [3:16] winds up on my or whoever else's desk, [3:18] but it's still not a bad idea to throw a [3:20] phone call to your building's tech, [3:22] media clerk, or DMS to make sure that [3:24] they know to come running as soon as [3:25] possible. So, what things don't need to [3:27] be tickets? First off, we have quick [3:30] questions. If you have a non-urgent yes [3:32] or no question for me and just want to [3:34] swing by my office on your way to the [3:36] bathroom and ask, by all means, stop by [3:38] or send an email. Somewhat similarly, [3:41] exploratory or minor questions can be [3:43] great things to ask in those less formal [3:45] ways. If you want to know whether [3:46] something is possible with a piece of [3:48] software before potentially going [3:50] through an official requisition or [3:51] approval process or even just want to [3:53] know how something works, you can always [3:55] start it as a casual conversation and if [3:57] necessary submit a ticket later. [3:59] Finally, issues involving personal [4:01] technology should not be tickets. You [4:03] can still ask. I know that I always try [4:05] to help people if I have a free moment, [4:07] but we want to keep that separate from [4:09] the issues we have to prioritize and [4:11] technology we actively manage. [4:14] So, you've learned all of that. You've [4:15] gone to submit a ticket. What happens [4:17] now? Well, first off, behind the scenes, [4:20] all those rules we talked about kick [4:21] into effect, making sure that the ticket [4:23] gets assigned to the right teams and [4:25] people. With a few exceptions, some of [4:27] the first people to see your ticket will [4:28] be your building's technology team, your [4:30] DMS, media clerk, and tech, if [4:33] applicable. Once we see it, we either [4:35] assign it to whoever should handle it or [4:37] take ownership ourselves. Unfortunately, [4:39] we can't take care of every ticket the [4:41] moment we see it. But we do try to [4:42] respond to all of our tickets in good [4:44] time, prioritizing those that are more [4:46] serious or time-sensitive. While you can [4:49] see once an agent has started working [4:51] your ticket, it's not always obvious [4:52] what work is being done. A lot of times [4:55] the first step when working on a ticket [4:56] is to ask around, see if anyone else has [4:59] run into that or a similar issue or has [5:01] relevant knowledge. Sometimes actions [5:03] taken on a ticket will be visible to [5:05] you, the requester, and sometimes they [5:07] are for documentation only. What you [5:09] need to watch out for is this. [5:12] Whenever your ticket says waiting on [5:14] requester, it means that the agent [5:16] working it can't continue without some [5:18] form of input from you. Usually, this is [5:20] just a clarifying question or approval [5:22] to continue down a path or sometimes [5:24] even asking if something they did solve [5:26] the problem. But no matter what, if you [5:28] see waiting on requester, you should [5:30] check your ticket. So, you've submitted [5:32] your ticket, it's been worked on, you [5:34] responded to a follow-up, and now it's [5:35] resolved. What next? Well, hopefully [5:38] your issue is solved, and the answer is [5:40] nothing. But we all know that sometimes [5:42] a problem only appears to be resolved or [5:45] refuses to stay resolved. And in those [5:47] circumstances, [5:49] reopen the ticket. Yet another benefit [5:51] of a ticketing system, and a big reason [5:53] we use one, is that they're really good [5:55] at tracking repeat issues and showing [5:57] what has and hasn't worked in the past. [5:59] A closed ticket just means that the [6:01] agent working it either doesn't [6:02] currently intend to or can't do further [6:04] work on it. Think of resolving a ticket [6:06] like closing an open door. It might feel [6:09] final, but you can always open the door [6:11] again. That's how doors work. [6:14] Well, thank you for taking some time to [6:16] hear about how our ticketing system [6:18] works. We know adopting any system isn't [6:20] easy, and we really do appreciate it. If [6:22] you're interested in how our application [6:24] request and approval process works, we [6:26] have a video on that that you can watch [6:27] here. Hopefully, this has helped clear [6:29] up some of how our system works and why [6:31] we use it. If not, or if you have any [6:33] more questions, don't be afraid to reach [6:35] out or even submit a ticket. Thank you [6:37] for watching. [6:44] [Music]