Working for a help desk or IT team can sometimes be a bit contradictory. Sure solving people’s technical needs is usually rewarding, especially if people call you a hero and sometimes give you food.

But admit it, there have been times when you think you could get more done without all those people needing help all the time. You’re never quite sure what more you could do with that extra time, but the feeling is akin to the student who thinks school would be much more fun without so many classes.

However, since “helping” is in your IT team’s primary job description, and sometimes there’s food, you should focus instead on how to make things more interesting and the day go by faster. Try these suggestions:

1. Knowledge Base
   This is the ultimate paper trail, but in a useful way. Instead of going through old emails, print-outs, piles of paper on your desk, or your memory to keep track of what work has been performed on certain machines in the past, an internal database can keep track of everything. Each machine can be logged, including what software and operating systems are running, plus a record of all reported problems and repairs. The searchable database can also include any common procedures or local fixes that may not appear in any official manual. It can save you time by not having to run the same diagnostics and treat every request like you’re starting a new job from scratch.
2. Remote-Accessible Help Desk
   Instead of repeatedly logging in from your desktop after helping each customer, you can log in from any mobile device. This will let you go wherever the requests take you, instead of having to go back and forth. If your employer has multiple properties, you can easily spend all day out in the field or at one spot doing whatever is needed. This eliminates a lot of the “sitting around and waiting for something to happen” on slower days and also frees you up to perform other outreach, knowing that you can still receive requests from anywhere.
3. Categorize Other Items
   Your help desk team can easily coordinate efforts with other departments such as maintenance and transportation. Instead of only keeping track of service and routine maintenance on computer equipment, you can easily create databases containing information about vehicles, such as their service history and what procedures need to be performed next. You can also keep track of the maintenance of facilities, such as when painting or other tasks were performed. Having current information – plus upcoming scheduled projects – on all these items can improve the efficiency of the whole company and help people plan ahead for different tasks.

Having the freedom and automation to visit different parts of the company rather than being tied to one location or fixing the same machines can certainly be enjoyable. Learn more about creating your own customized help desk for your organization here.