Categorize and prioritize tickets the right way to improve productivity

In this blog, we discuss the pitfalls of incorrect categorization and prioritization of incident tickets.

The initial support provided to an end user after an incident is logged depends on the category and priority of the ticket. If the categorization and prioritization are done incorrectly, the ticket is likely to end up with the wrong technician or SLA; either scenario leads to a delayed resolution, which results in decreased end-user satisfaction.

Let's examine some common mistakes organizations make with respect to triaging IT tickets.

An improper categorization hierarchy

A proper categorization hierarchy is essential for tickets to be routed to specific technicians or groups based on their area of expertise. Accurate categorization also provides the technicians clarity regarding the ticket, enabling smoother, faster issue resolution.

Not configuring a categorization hierarchy or improperly configuring the one you've got also prevents your organization from effectively leveraging automation features like automatic technician and SLA assignment.

The absence of a priority matrix

SLAs are often defined based on priority, so the prioritization of tickets must be performed logically. If the task of defining the priority is left to end users, most tickets will invariably be logged as high priority. Organizations need a priority matrix that automatically assigns the priority for a ticket based on user-defined fields such as impact and urgency; this ensures the proper assignment of technicians and SLAs.

Insufficient information for proper categorization and prioritization

The priority matrix comes into play only when the impact and urgency fields are filled in. Similarly, automatic category assignment based on ticket parameters like the subject and description is only effective when all the right information is provided at the time of ticket creation.

One way to ensure the relevant information is collected is to mark important fields as mandatory during form submission. Your organization can also prevent incorrect categorization by prefilling category details in the incident templates. Failure to do so may result in tickets remaining unassigned and resolutions not being provided.

Tickets raised through emails without automation

Tickets sourced from emails need to be categorized and prioritized automatically so that no hiccups occur during the resolution process. This requires automation features to implement automatic categorization and prioritization based on the subject or description of a ticket. Without these automations, your incident management will be less efficient, especially if you rely on email as the primary channel for raising tickets.