[kwlug-disc] Recommendations for Help Desk/Knowledgebase software

[unsolicited]

Oksana Goertzen wrote, On 05/13/2010 12:00 PM:
> Hello All,
> 
> We are entertaining some ideas around getting rid of our existing
> Help Desk system and replacing it, hopefully with something open
> source.  We also have a Knowlegebase system we use in Lotus Notes.
> We'd like to consolidate those two things. Does anyone have any
> recommendations?  We use ZENworks (ZCM) for desktop management, 
> patching and inventory, etc.

I don't have anything specific, but your description seems to indicate 
that you're looking to go beyond trouble ticketing to deployment as 
well. i.e. Subject line and desired functionality may not quite be the 
same thing - which is only to say, responders / repliers, make sure 
you respond to 'both.'

- you might also consider, and consider specifying, your migration 
requirements. It will be a chore, no matter what you go to, to migrate 
things over, but no doubt some things will be easier than others, 
especially if you get to a short list of two and one looks to be more 
accommodating than the other.

My own experience says:
- Each iteration of the implementation of such functionality brings 
staff higher up the learning curve as they 'get their heads around 
this stuff'. A consequence of which is each new system moved to must 
be more and more capable, thus more and more complex and 
inter-related, and the effort to implement greater and greater. So, I 
guess, go into this with eyes wide open.
- The single most important part of this process is for you and staff 
to sit down and define just what all you want it to do. Essentially, 
create pass/fail criteria, and a way to evaluate disparate 
functionality out to a 'which is best' decision.

Some day I'll get around to implementing egroupware for myself, 
bringing the ticket <-> task <-> project relationship together. It's 
not going to be pretty, and I'm going to have to adapt myself to the 
software, not the other way around, but I expect the result to be 
worth the effort.

I doubt, however, that egroupware will be as complete and 
sophisticated a solution as you are already running. Nor, as far as I 
know, has it any deployment aspects to it.