For smaller businesses and teams, many pre-built solutions are available but often come with heavy costs or, in some cases, too many features that are simply not needed when working within a small team. This guide shows how to build a cost-effective helpdesk solution using Microsoft Power Automate.
The Challenge
Our previous solution was costing £5,000+ per year only to receive no more than 5 tickets on a busy day. The costs weren't justified, especially with stakeholders not finding the ticket submission very accessible, and the team not making use of the features provided.
System Components
Microsoft Forms
Used for ticket submission with no login required, leveraging existing stakeholder familiarity.
Excel
Handles record keeping and ticket tracking without complex database setup.
Shared Mailbox
Centralizes communication and allows team-wide access to ticket correspondence.
Microsoft Planner
Manages tasks and tracks progress with simple, intuitive interface.
Implementation and Workflow
1. Ticket Creation
- User submits a request through Microsoft Forms
- Power Automate triggers on form submission
- Generates a unique ticket number
- Creates entry in Excel for tracking (submission time, ticket number, submitter email, form details)
- Sends confirmation email to user with ticket details
- Copy arrives in the shared mailbox
2. Ticket Processing
- Creates a new task in Microsoft Planner
- Assigns to bucket relevant to ticket type based on form selection
- Includes form details and ticket number
- Generates checklist items based on ticket type
- Team members can assign themselves to tickets
3. Communication Flow
- All email responses are tracked in the shared mailbox
- Team members can update tickets directly in Planner using templated notes section
- Stakeholders can reply to the ticket email for updates
- Staff must manually add any notes to the planner task
4. Ticket Closure
- Team member marks task as complete in Planner
- Triggers Power Automate flow for closure
- Sends completion notification to stakeholder with feedback link
- Updates Excel with completion time and assigned staff members
- Includes resolution notes from task
Cost Analysis
- Previous Solution
- £5,000+/year
- Power Automate Solution
- £150/year
- Annual Savings
- £4,850+
Conclusion
At a cost of £150 per year to run, this solution provides a cost-effective way of providing helpdesk support in a small business/team environment while still having the benefit of allowing some customizability and adaptability that would be found in more expensive options. This system does require close review and management as there were a few times it needed updating to ensure, for example, the form and the inputs expected were followed exactly and not open to human error from the stakeholders' submission.
This system can also be adapted to workflows outside of an IT Helpdesk since a slightly simpler version was altered for use by the Media & Comms team for how they manage requests.
Ready to Implement This Solution?
Want to save thousands on your helpdesk costs while maintaining efficient support operations? Let us help you set up and customize this system for your specific needs.
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