IT Ticket Classification and Categorization SOP

Introduction

This document is designed to guide internal IT staff through the process of filing IT tickets using Freshservice. It provides a clear explanation of what qualifies as an incident and what qualifies as a service request, details the various categories, subcategories and items currently used, and offers examples for clarity. This is a living document and will be updated regularly to reflect any changes in the ticket-filing process.

1. Incident vs. Service Request

Incident

An incident is an unplanned interruption to an IT service or a reduction in the quality of an IT service. Examples include:

System outages
Application errors
Hardware failures

Example: Microsoft had an outage which left Teams unavailable for most of the country earlier this year.

Service Request

A service request is a user request for information, advice, a standard change, or access to an IT service. Examples include:

Access requests
Installation of software
Request for new hardware

Example: Users requesting access to a SharePoint/shared calendar/inbox.

2. Categories and Subcategories in Freshservice

A) IT Support

Account and Access Management

Password Resets and Account Lockouts: Handling requests for password resets and unlocking accounts.
User Account Management: Managing user accounts including creation, deletion, and modification.
Access Rights and Permissions: Managing access rights and permissions for various systems and applications.

IT Procurement and Asset Management

Hardware Purchases: Handling requests for new hardware purchases.
Software Licensing: Managing software licenses, including renewals and compliance.
Inventory Management: Tracking and managing IT inventory.
Warranty and Service Contracts: Managing warranties and service contracts for hardware.
Equipment Replacement: Handling requests for replacing old or faulty equipment.

Hardware Support

Computers and Laptops (Repairs, Upgrades): Repairing and upgrading computers and laptops.
Printers and Scanners (Troubleshooting, Setup): Troubleshooting and setting up printers and scanners.
Mobile Devices (Smartphones, Tablets): Supporting smartphones and tablets.
Peripherals (Keyboards, Mice, Monitors): Supporting peripherals like keyboards, mice, and monitors.
Network Equipment: Supporting network equipment such as routers and switches.
A/V Equipment (Conference Room, Music Speakers, etc.): Supporting audio/visual equipment.

Software Support

Application Installations and Updates: Installing and updating software applications.
Software Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting software issues.
Licensing and Subscriptions: Managing software licenses and subscriptions.
Cloud Services: Supporting cloud-based applications and services, such as Microsoft Azure, Citrix, Coptis Environment.
Collaboration Tools (Teams, SharePoint): Providing support for Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and other collaboration tools, including access and performance troubleshooting.
Other: Miscellaneous software support requests.

Network and Connectivity

Internet and Wi-Fi Connectivity: Troubleshooting issues related to slow or lost internet connections, Wi-Fi signal strength, and access point problems.
LAN/WAN and Network Equipment: Addressing issues with local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), switches, routers, and cabling, including installation and troubleshooting.

Security and Compliance

User Account Security: Managing unauthorized access reports, suspicious login activity, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) issues.
Data Security: Handling data encryption requests, secure file transfers, and data loss prevention (DLP) issues.
Incident Response: Handling phishing incident reports, malware or virus detection, and security breach reports.
Endpoint Security: Managing antivirus/anti-malware issues, device encryption, security patching, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) issues.
Network Security: Supporting firewall configurations, VPN security issues, intrusion detection system (IDS) alerts, and network vulnerability reports.
Email Security: Reporting phishing emails, managing spam/junk filtering issues, and addressing email encryption needs.
Security Training and Awareness: Providing cybersecurity awareness training and phishing simulations.
Software and Application Security: Handling security patch deployments, application vulnerability reports, and secure software installations.
Bitlocker Keys: Managing Bitlocker encryption keys.
Data Backup and Recovery: Managing data backup and recovery processes.
Other: Miscellaneous security and compliance requests.

Training and Documentation

Software and Application Training: Providing training for software and applications.
User Guides and Documentation: Creating and managing user guides and documentation.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training: Providing cybersecurity awareness training.

Project and Change Management

IT Project Requests: Handling requests for IT projects.
Change Management Process: Managing the change management process.
System Upgrade/Update Notifications: Notifying users about system upgrades and updates.
IT Service Feedback and Improvements: Collecting feedback and suggestions for improving IT services.

Microsoft/System Outage

Handling system outages related to Microsoft or other critical systems.

People x Culture

Onboarding/Offboarding: Managing the IT aspects of employee onboarding and offboarding.
Other: Miscellaneous requests related to People and Culture.

Vendor Management/Coordination

Pacific IT: Managing coordination with Pacific IT.
Data Resolution / ITVoice: Managing coordination with Data Resolution/ITVoice.
Alta Vista: Managing coordination with Alta Vista.
Other: Miscellaneous vendor management requests.

Other

Miscellaneous requests that do not fit into the above categories.

B) Facilities Management

Office Maintenance (Lighting, Heating/Cooling):

Any issues related to lighting (e.g., bulbs out, dim areas), or heating and cooling systems (e.g., temperature imbalances, HVAC issues) within the office.

Equipment Issues (Office Chairs, Desks):

Problems with office furniture such as broken chairs, desks, or other non-IT equipment necessary for workspace comfort and functionality.

Alarm System:

Issues related to the security alarm system, such as false alarms, malfunctions, or troubleshooting the system.

Door Access:

Problems with keycard access, malfunctioning doors, or security badge systems. This could include requests for new access or modifications to existing access levels.

C) Non-Essential Correspondence

Any general correspondence or requests that do not require immediate attention and do not impact essential business operations.