Trouble Ticket System
Prior to inventing Forward,Inc. my buddy Ian was working for KMT Software. They needed a custom Customer Relations System (CRM).
Basically, either a customer calls tech-support, and a tech-support guy will start a ticket, or a customer emails KMT, in which a cron-job will pick up the email and store the contents in a ticket. The ticket basically follows the correspondance between the user and the customer.
The features start at the very begining. I was inspired by a G4 notebook when the screen shook when I typed in the wrong password. I also designed the graphics. Its all written in AJAX.
Initially, a ticket can come in through two methods, from a cron'd email server or from manually entering it (tech support, phone, usually). Once the ticket has been created, the correspondance begins, its an ajax-handled tree of correspondance; the replies can use pre-fabricated templates and layouts. They can also assign tickets to pre-existing users or create new users.
The replies to the customer are in email form, thus, users can create html-formatted email templates to "brand" the emails. When managing layouts, users are allowed to incorperate variables, such as Customer's First Name, or Program name, thus personalizing the email w/o the busywork.
Inevitably, multiple customers will have the same problem, Templates take care of this, they are pre-fabricated replies. When managing templates, users are allowed to incorperate variables, such as Customer's First Name, or Program name, thus personalizing the email w/o the busywork.
Customers are stored in the database by either extracting the email information or entered manually during ticket creation. The customer manager lets a user view the customer's ticket history, as well as other personal information.
Instead of setting up a ticket system for each program, the users can manage (add/edit/delete) multiple programs. Also, they can manage multiple versions of each program.
If tech support users are interested in a particular ticket, they can save a bookmark to the entry.
After developing this, and recognizing several shortcuts I was humoring the idea of writing a framework. This is a very powerful program if one is willing to acknowledge all of the features it has.
Basically, either a customer calls tech-support, and a tech-support guy will start a ticket, or a customer emails KMT, in which a cron-job will pick up the email and store the contents in a ticket. The ticket basically follows the correspondance between the user and the customer.
Features
login screen
The features start at the very begining. I was inspired by a G4 notebook when the screen shook when I typed in the wrong password. I also designed the graphics. Its all written in AJAX.
Tickets
Initially, a ticket can come in through two methods, from a cron'd email server or from manually entering it (tech support, phone, usually). Once the ticket has been created, the correspondance begins, its an ajax-handled tree of correspondance; the replies can use pre-fabricated templates and layouts. They can also assign tickets to pre-existing users or create new users.
Layouts
The replies to the customer are in email form, thus, users can create html-formatted email templates to "brand" the emails. When managing layouts, users are allowed to incorperate variables, such as Customer's First Name, or Program name, thus personalizing the email w/o the busywork.
Templates
Inevitably, multiple customers will have the same problem, Templates take care of this, they are pre-fabricated replies. When managing templates, users are allowed to incorperate variables, such as Customer's First Name, or Program name, thus personalizing the email w/o the busywork.
Customer Manager
Customers are stored in the database by either extracting the email information or entered manually during ticket creation. The customer manager lets a user view the customer's ticket history, as well as other personal information.
Program Manager
Instead of setting up a ticket system for each program, the users can manage (add/edit/delete) multiple programs. Also, they can manage multiple versions of each program.
Bookmarks
If tech support users are interested in a particular ticket, they can save a bookmark to the entry.
Afterwords
After developing this, and recognizing several shortcuts I was humoring the idea of writing a framework. This is a very powerful program if one is willing to acknowledge all of the features it has.
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