Y2K Compliance
SupportWizard
SupportWizard is fully Y2K compliant - and always has been. Starting with initial design and implementation five years ago, the test suite has included the transition from 1999 to 2000 and dates well past 2000.
SQL Database
The SQL database (MySQL 3.22.25) that ships with SupportWizard is fully Y2K compliant.
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Platforms
Server
Client
End User Interface: Any Browser
Staff Interface:
On Windows: IE 5.0+ Mozilla 1.0+ Netscape 6.2+
On Mac/Linux/Unix: Mozilla 1.0+ Netscape 6.2+
Internet Based
SupportWizard is 100% Internet based. The only client software is the browser.
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Installation Package and Upgrades
Installation Time
Installing SupportWizard takes less than 5 minutes and the average time to move from initial software
installation to full production use is two days. Some companies have
installed the software, trained their staff and gone into production
use with full Website access in less than 8 hours.
Upgrades and Support
The purchase price includes 30 days of Web and telephone support and upgrades. Continued support and upgrades are priced at 20% of the current purchase price.
SQL Database
Powered by MySQL
SupportWizard is based on a SQL database engine and ships with a fully
licensed copy of the MySQL database at no additional charge. MySQL is an extremely fast, easily
maintained SQL database with a capacity for over 50,000,000
records.
SupportWizard also supports Oracle 8.1.5+ and SQL Server 2000+
The database is automatically installed and configured with
the installation of SupportWizard.
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Customization
Tables
Custom Tables, each with the full power of SupportWizard reports, charts, escalation rules, custom fields and workflows can be created with the click of a button
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Customizable Templates
Customizable templates
The look and feel of SupportWizard can be modified by changing the template
files, allowing the easy insertion and modification of HTML or graphic images.
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Customizable Data Fields
Customizable date_fields
Ticket and User fields can be added, removed, modified or rearranged,
without interrupting production use.
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Field Types
Customizable field types
Field Types for user defined fields include Character, Date, Integer, Floating Point, Attached File, Date,
Time, User, User Group, system defined and user defined choice fields.
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Customizable Choice Tables
Customizable choice tables
Custom choice tables can be created, modified or deleted using the
point and click interface, and the system default choice tables can be
modified in exactly the same fashion.
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Customizable Graphic Images
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Customizable Fonts
Customizable fonts
The fonts and colors can be replaced with the fonts and colors needed to
match your Web site and corporate image.
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On-line Customization
On-line customization
SupportWizard can be customized through the modification of fields,
templates, scripts etc while it is on-line. So your 24/7 service is
never interrupted.
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Scripts
Scripts Allow Advanced Customization
Custom business logic and intelligence can be added to SupportWizard
through custom scripts that are invoked when problem tickets or users
are created or modified. Data is transferred to these scripts as
environment variables and the scripts themselves may be written in
Perl, C++, Basic, or the language of your choice.
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API
API for Server Side Customization
For advanced server side scripting and custom batch processing, Perl 5, with a full SupportWizard API is included with the standard product.
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Database Schema
Database Schema
The database schema used by SupportWizard is fully documented. However
it may evolve in the future to support functionality enhancements. By
using the API you insulate yourselves against having to change your
scripts to adjust to such changes.
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Systems Integration
Custom Development
Our customization tools provide everything you need to integrate SupportWizard with your in-house systems, and if your staff is
too busy we provide a full range of consulting and custom development services.
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Hardware Requirements
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Features
FAQ
FAQ Interface
To provide 24/7 help and reduce your support costs, SupportWizard
includes an interactive FAQ that is fully integrated with the
knowledgebase. Simply insert some HTML into one of your webpages to
provide your visitors with a seamless experience - they need never
know they are using SupportWizard - even if it is hosted at our
site.
For an example of how seamlessly the FAQ interface integrates with an existing Web site, click on the SupportWizard Interactive FAQ hotlink - it feels like a standard part of this website, but actually you are logged into SupportWizard.
FAQ customization
The graphic images, text font, size and color are easily customized to match the look and feel of your site.
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Standard Solutions
Searching for Standard Solutions
To streamline your customer support process, SupportWizard
lets you designate the answers to common issues as "Standard Solutions". Your technicians can find the best standard solution using a keyword search while they are responding to a customer inquiry.
Standard Solutions ready to insert
The ticket summaries are immediately displayed and the appropriate fields can be appended to the fields in the current ticket or can replace the existing field.
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Workflow
Sample Workflows
To keep your business running smoothly, SupportWizard provides full
Workflow functionality.
Based on the rules you define with the point
and click interface, tickets are routed directly to the correct
individuals or groups. With support for automatic e-mail notification,
re-assignment and scripting, Workflow reduces administrative load and
helps ensure quality support.
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Import / Export
Import-Export First Screen
SupportWizard can import and export data in standard, tab-delimited ASCII,
or proprietary formats. Data can easily
be imported or exported to other database, spreadsheet, contact management
or word-processing applications.
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Automatic Backups
Automatic Backup
To prevent against the loss of data though disk failures, a fully
automatic backup utility is built into the product.
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Graphical Charts
Graphical Charts
Predefined, Java based charts provide a wealth of graphical feedback. There are
too many charts to list here, but they include charts showing the
number of outstanding problem tickets, the rate at which
problems are submitted on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis,
the severity of tickets, the average time taken by staff members to
resolve problems and the number of tickets generated by each customer.
Defining Graphical Charts
An unlimited number of additional custom charts may be defined and the default charts modified
in a few seconds using the point-and-click browser interface.
Raw Chart Data
The raw data behind the charts is available with the click of a button.
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Interactive Reports
Interactive Reports
With a few mouse clicks supervisors can define reports and view them immediately. Report formats can be saved and reused when needed
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Automatic Reports
Automatic Reports
SupportWizard will generate reports at specified times each week or month and email them to you automatically.
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Alerts and Escalation
Automatic Escalation
Supervisors and/or staff can be notified by e-mail of newly submitted tickets or particular situations, such as response times exceeding specified limits or new tickets assigned to them. Escalation rules are unlimited and easily customized.
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Self Registration
Self Registration
SupportWizard allows self-registration, if you do not want to import or
create logins for your users or support staff.
The ability of users to self-register can be
enabled or disabled with a couple of mouse-clicks.
Password Protection
Access is protected through password security.
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Automatic Login
Embedded Passwords
Embedded Password HTML
You may embed user names and passwords in HTML strings to allows users
to login to SupportWizard with a single mouse-click. The same HTML
string may contain the page to which the user is returned on exiting
SupportWizard. It may also specify which screen should appear first, such as the New User Form,
the Search screen, the Novice Welcome screen etc.
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Incoming E-mail Integration
Incoming E-mail Configuration
Incoming e-mail is automatically converted into a problem ticket and
stored in the database and an e-mail response is automatically sent to the person who
submitted the e-mail.
Resulting E-mail
For example, the above configuration resulted in this e-mail message.
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Outgoing E-mail Integration
Outgoing E-mail
SupportWizard provides for both automatic and manual generation of outgoing
e-mail messages. In the example shown above, the user's ticket, along with two linked tickets containing
existing answers to his problem, are being e-mailed to
him, along with a personal note from the staff engineer.
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History
Ticket History
The History field tracks all changes to a problem ticket automatically, so a full record of each transaction is available.
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HTML aware
Automatic Hotlinks
Ticket text containing URL information, such as
is automatically converted into working hotlinks.
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Attached Files
Attached Files
Files of any kind may be attached to a problem record either
though the Web interface or by attaching them to incoming e-mail.
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Problem Tracking and Management
Each problem is tracked by a user-defined set of criteria and
an automatically assigned ID.
The problems and solutions can be made accessible to end users at any time,
or you may elect to keep them visible only to internal staff members.
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Database Search
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Database Sorting
Search and Sort
During a search of the database, any field or combination of fields can be used to specify the order in which results are displayed to the user.
Sort after Searching
the results can also be sorted interactively by simply clicking on the title button.
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Saved Searches
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Ticket Threads
Threads"
Each response to a problem ticket is automatically linked to it in a thread, and the responses are indented in the ticket table.
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Ticket Links
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Year 2000 Compliance
SupportWizard is fully year 2000 compliant.
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Access Control
User groups
Menu Permissions
The admin can define precise access to menu items,
records and specific fields within records for each User Group.
User Groups"
Standard groups include admin, staff, registered users and unregistered
users. An unlimited number of additional groups may be added as needed,
and the permissions for the default groups may be easily modified.
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Record Level Permissions
Field Level Permissions
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Web Interface for Users
User Interface
It all comes together with a simple Web interface for users that makes it easy
to submit problem tickets and upload or download
patches, updates, or other files.
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Web Interface for Staff
Staff Interface
A powerful Web interface for staff and administrators makes it easy
to respond to problem tickets and perform administrative tasks.
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