Running head: BUSINESS CASE PROJECT – LAKEWOOD

Business Case Project – Lakewood

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BUSINESS CASE PROJECT – LAKEWOOD 2

Software as a Service (SaaS) Solutions

The IT service desk is the functioning branch of the IT department of a company,

intended to keep activities smoothly flowing. IT support desks address everything from personal

technical issues to sweeping system interruptions, supplying IT customers with a single point of

contact (SPOC) to communicate with the IT division of the enterprise seamlessly and

conveniently (Kumar, 2017). The advantages of an IT support desk include: aligning IT and

company processes/departments, improving inventory management, improving operating

performance, and making decisions based on results. The decision of Lakewood to implement a

third IT customer service department – the IT service desk, will not only aid the firm in solving

most of the client’s tech-related issues but will also make the company a one-stop for all

customer services. SaaS applies primarily to business software systems that, rather than being

installed on local networks, are distributed on request by a cloud provider. There are several

variants of available SaaS programs. Here are some typical types of SaaS applications which can

align with organizational goals and users in Lakewood:

Solution 1

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

This SaaS version is used to analyze customer knowledge, document customer

experiences, aggregate corporate data, and automate sales. For users to communicate with an

enterprise, it provides a single point of touch. They can quickly reach out for assistance and self-

help information when clients cannot fix an issue. For support staff, some assistance desk

systems provide both self-service and ticketing. Others rely on either an information base or a

center for ticketing. Most programs for the support desk combines with live chat software and
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software for call centers (AlQami, 2020). Most would also integrate, like a CRM, with similar

networks. This is one of the ideal solutions that Lakewood ought to consider in its SaaS

deployment.

Advantages

Effective, longer-lasting interactions between clients

The main feature of the IT help desk CRM applications is that it facilitates you with

storing large volumes of customer information. This includes the demographic profile of the

respondents such as name, location, profession, age, sexuality, etc. You keep a much better view

of who each client is with all this knowledge, how they have dealt with your business in the past,

challenges they have encountered, etc. This helps the IT team to get to know your clients more

intimately and connect with them. This results in stronger ties, commitment to consumers, and

increases trust among the clientele.

A deeper understanding of the clients.

You come to understand their distinctive, specific points of discomfort, expectations,

struggles, desires, and much more (Abbas and Hafeez, 2017. Equipped with this kind of

understanding, the IT desk service staff will walk into a customer conversation with all the

details they need to build a swift relationship.

Solution 2

Enterprise resource planning (ERP)

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software optimizes, helps streamline, and

incorporates corporate procedures through divisions of finance, HR, procurement, delivery, and
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others. The standardization and simplicity provided by ERP software lead to less rigid processes,

thereby building a more flexible organization that can adapt efficiently while increasing

teamwork capacity. A consolidated collection of ERP programs, though being a greater target, is

easier to secure than data spread over hundreds of systems. Big, multinational corporations are

sponsored by Tier I ERPs which resolve all internationalization concerns, namely currencies,

language, grammar, postal code, accounting laws, etc. (Sauer and Seuring, 2019) This SaaS

variant is suitable for Lakewood considering the nature of the IT service department in the

company.

Advantages

ERP will accelerate organizational operations in any organization having too many

applications. In our situation, the ERP program will be used along with the IT Support Desk to

combine the current customer-facing departments: IT-Hardware/Software Sales and IT Parts.

The whole business database is operated singularly by having a standard user interface, creating

even more productive operations.

Enhanced engagement. An ERP aims to handle multiple means of interaction such that

workers can stay connected, whether it's with their agency, suppliers, or clients (Cricelli et al.,

2020). Besides, an ERP system allows firms to produce products closer to consumers, increase

efficiency, and enforce inventory management. By accurate lead, chance, and quote monitoring,

a modern system also facilitates improved customer contact. Integrating the ERP system as a

SaaS solution in Lakewood will ensure the company enjoys the benefits of reliable

communication between the different customer-facing departments and with the clients while

providing IT help services as well as improve resource allocation within the department.
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Preferred Solution

ERP and CRM programs tend to merge their footprints, both managing contacts and

firms, and plenty of order information. The key users of CRM applications, though, are in the

divisions of distribution and support, which are ultimately customer-facing. The sales order

generation and service systems, such as the help desk and call center, are also handled by CRM

tools. For Lakewood, this SaaS Kit makes it the most fitting option.

Non-Software as a Service (Non-SaaS) Solutions

In-house implementation of Non-SaaS features, housed and accessible on both enterprise

premises and machines and cannot be accessible from outside company grounds.

SysAid

SysAid is a solution for customer service that boosts the effectiveness of technicians, improves

the experience of end-users, and drives value through the enterprise (Kärkkäinen, 2019). SysAid

aims to address the key issues facing companies today through built-in asset management, and

automated automation & orchestration.

Advantages

Providing the base of ITSM that they require. Software for IT service management from SysAid

offers features that the firm can expand on. Development into other ITSM modules such as

configuration management, issue management, and more will be accompanied by an initial

introduction of help desk functionality.

Highly customizable capturing of data. Input data is obtained by the SysAid IT service

management program from as large a variety of sources as you like. This includes conventional
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desk resources, self-service for end-users, electronic reporting, capturing of emails, and more.

Either via pre-built integrations or through the SysAid API, SysAid is also easy to integrate with

other IT management and business systems.

Solution 2

HelpSpot

This is a holistic approach to customer service that delivers multi-brand assistance and

unrivaled customization. Its versatility and specific workflows make it suitable for organizations

of all sizes in a wide variety of sectors, including tech companies, industrial companies, and

higher education institutions (Helpspot, n.d.). HelpSpot delivers all the resources that your

organization needs to consolidate and efficiently handle customer service. Ticket development,

ticket processing, ticket replying, customized branding, aggregation, monitoring, systems

integration, self-service, and automation are some of its principal features.

Advantages

HelpSpot help desk program is a versatile technology that can be tailored to form the

foundation of the customer support of any company. All of its dimensions are conveniently

configurable, ensuring that it's seamless to make the solution an integral part of your framework

and enterprise.

HelpSpot makes it easier for the most popular ticket connections to simplify responses. The

batch activities may also be optimized by agents to upgrade multiple tickets at once. This keeps

the staff focused on delivering smooth customer service in combination with automatic

workflows instead of coping with ordinary, routine activities.

Preferred Solution

HelpSpot is the recommended on-premise option. For streamlining support ticketing

within the company, HelpSpot is well adapted. Lakewood will improve reaction time and case

settlement by providing a single point of touch to email for assistance via the improved

reliability of ticket sorting via workflows and the potential for IT support workers to catch tickets

from the queue rather than making them piling up in a mailbox that also holds other emails.

Besides, inside the IT division, Lakewood will HelpSpot to troubleshoot departmental tickets

(Helpdesk, n.d.). It will also provide the IT department with a centralized point to manage their

work and provide the other divisions with a centralized point to send emails to fulfill their IT

requirements.

In conclusion, for the most efficiency and effectiveness, while delivering customer

support services at Lakewood, the incorporation and implementation of CRM and HelpSpot will

be the most recommendable. As aforementioned, these two systems will provide innumerable

benefits to the company thus putting it in a better position in handling its clients.
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Reference

9 best SaaS help desk software platforms of 2021. (2019, October 24). Adam Enfroy.

https://www.adamenfroy.com/best-help-desk-software

AlQarni, A. (2020). HELP DESK (Doctoral dissertation, Majmaah University).

Cricelli, L., Famulari, F. M., Greco, M., & Grimaldi, M. (2020). Searching for the one: Customer

relationship management software selection. Journal of Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis,

27(3-4), 173-188.

Customer service ticket software | Help desk ticket management. (n.d.). HelpSpot.

https://www.helpspot.com/tour/tickets

Just enough help desk software. (n.d.). HelpSpot. https://www.helpspot.com/help-desk-software

Kärkkäinen, K. (2017). Improving and developing customer knowledge in B2B co-operation

plan.

Kumar, R. (2017). Software as a Service (SAAS), Future of Information Technology &

Business. International Journal, 5(2), 199-203.

Sauer, P. C., & Seuring, S. (2019). Extending the reach of multi-tier sustainable supply chain

management–insights from mineral supply chains. International Journal of Production

Economics, 217, 31-43.