“A stitch in time saves nine.”
Whoever came up with that saying probably never dealt with IT incident management, but the principle holds true. Fix small problems before they become big ones, and have a system that helps you do it instead of getting in your way. Most ticketing systems fall into the second category, turning simple fixes into bureaucratic nightmares.
Companies prefer to buy expensive ticketing software and then wonder why their IT incident management still looks like a game of hot potato. Everyone passes problems around until someone gets stuck holding them when the music stops. The software isn’t the problem; it’s how people use it that makes the difference.
Walk into any IT department and ask about their ticketing system. Half the team will roll their eyes, and the other half will start complaining about how tickets sit in queues for days or get assigned to people who have no idea how to fix them. Good systems should make work easier, not create more headaches.
Why most ticketing systems create more problems than they solve
The typical ticketing system setup goes something like this: someone reports a problem, it gets logged as a ticket, bounces between a few different teams, sits in someone’s queue for a while, then eventually gets fixed or forgotten. Along the way, the original person calls three more times asking for updates because nobody bothered to communicate what was happening.
This approach treats tickets like paperwork instead of problems that need solving. The focus becomes moving tickets around rather than fixing the underlying issues. IT incident management turns into an administrative exercise where closing tickets matters more than helping users.
Most organizations also make the mistake of treating all tickets the same. A broken laptop gets the same priority as a server outage that’s affecting hundreds of people. Without proper classification, urgent problems get lost in the noise while someone spends time on routine maintenance requests.
Getting ticketing systems to work for people instead of against them
Making ticket routing automatic and sensible
Smart ticketing systems route problems to the right people without human intervention. Email issues are directed to the messaging team, hardware problems are addressed by desktop support, and network outages are escalated immediately to infrastructure specialists.
This eliminates the guessing game of who should handle what. Routing rules should be based on keywords, affected systems, and business impact, rather than on who happens to be available. When the accounting software crashes during month-end closing, that ticket needs special handling regardless of what time it comes in.
Building escalation that works when people are busy
Escalation shouldn’t depend on someone remembering to make phone calls. High-impact incidents need automatic escalation after specific time periods, with notifications going to both technical staff and management. The system should assume people are busy and might miss initial alerts.
Time-based escalation also prevents tickets from disappearing into black holes. If nobody responds to a ticket within reasonable timeframes, it should automatically move up the chain until someone takes action.
Making IT incident management less painful for everyone
The best ticketing systems fade into the background once they’re set up properly. Users can report problems without jumping through hoops, technical staff can focus on solutions instead of administrative tasks, and managers get visibility into what’s happening without micromanaging every ticket.
Good IT incident management feels boring when it works correctly. Problems get reported, assigned, fixed, and closed without drama or confusion. The ticketing system becomes a tool that helps rather than hinders, and everyone can get back to doing their jobs instead of fighting with software that’s supposed to make life easier.
Final Thoughts
Your ticketing system can be the difference between seamless customer service and complete chaos. When a designed and used effectively, it acts as your best friend organizing requests, ensuring accountability, and creating a smooth workflow that boosts customer satisfaction. However, if the poorly managed or outdated, it can quickly turn into your worst enemy, leading to frustration, delays, and lost trust. The key lies in choosing the right platform, training your team, and continuously optimizing processes. In the end, a ticketing system should empower not hinder your ability to deliver exceptional service.
