Implementation planning

Implementing Helpdesk+ in your workspace(s) correctly from the beginning will greatly increase the value you receive from the platform.

Process Overview

1. Gather information on the current state and define use cases and success criteria.

2. Set up a sandbox account.

3. Configure the HelpDesk+ access and permissions.

4. Plan your roll-out.

5. Create a communication strategy that includes where, when, and who will deliver the message.

6. Go-Live with implementation.

7. If necessary, plan post-release engagements.

Gather information on the current state and define success criteria

Identify the need

• Is it to receive notifications in Slack on actions?

• Is it to create actions from Slack?

• What objectives are you aiming to achieve by connecting Slack and Atlassian?

• Are you seeking feature parity with an existing integration? If so, define those features for testing purposes.

Success criteria

Examples:

• Time saved in context switches

• User satisfaction and feedback post-release

• Reduction in time to first response

• Number of issues created from Slack in Jira via API

• Time to resolution

Other considerations

• Which groups or individuals within your organization are involved, and what are their roles?

• How many Jira projects are you connecting to Slack?

• How many Slack channels are you connecting to Jira?

• Are approvals required to add new bots to Slack or connect with Jira? If so, who needs to approve?

Set up a sandbox

Create a sandbox account to start understanding HelpDesk+ for Slack and validate that it helps solve your use cases.

1. Create a new workspace or log into an existing sandbox workspace in Slack.

2. Follow the connection process to connect your bot to Jira (you can use a sandbox Jira).

3. We recommend using a Service Account as the main authorized user.

4. Configure the global settings.

   • Define which service desk you want to use.

   • Set up the default agent channel.

   • In Slack, set up a support channel.

5. Start your testing and validation. Basic test scenarios we recommend running include:

   • Creating a support request

   • Responding to support requests as an agent

   • Integrating with your referred knowledge base (for ticket deferment).

Configure access and admin permissions

Once your bot is connected, you can explore our Slack-first interface for Jira. Check out our how-to-use section for more information on using our app.

See important information regarding configuring access beyond the default Jira permissions:

User types

1. Application Link User: The user authorized the application link when setting up the connection. This user must have access to the projects in Jira and the ability to create webhooks. This user will be treated as a "Fallback Agent" if one is not specified in the bot's system configuration.

2. Fallback Agent (optional): This user must have access to the projects your users need to access in Jira.

3. Agent: This is a Jira login user with Jira access to the project. When this user performs an action in HelpDesk+, we will always use this user's credentials.

4. Jira User: This user has a Jira login but cannot access the project. When the user performs an action, we will use the user's credentials when we can, and the "Fallback Agent" when we can't.

5. Customer: This user only has a service desk portal login (no actual Jira account). Any actions taken in HelpDesk+ will be done by the "Fallback Agent.”

Considerations

• Jira permissions are always respected automatically with Helpdesk+, and these settings allow further restrictions where required.

• We recommend restricting admin access in most cases. Make sure to add yourself as a user before saving.

• You can update your access settings in the account portal anytime.

Configure the global settings

There are a number of settings that are configured by an administrator and apply to the account globally. On set-up, these are set by default to our most common settings, but you can review all the global settings to make adjustments that suit your workflows.

Plan your roll-out

The next step in planning a deployment for your team is determining the workspaces, channels, and users that will be initially configured for your roll-out. This process involves investigation and planning based on your team and current state. We recommend the following process with adjustments to fit your needs.

A launch consists of:

1. Announcing the bot's availability so users can add the app and receive notifications.

   1. Slack Block Kit Message Template - Edits will be necessary.

2. Adding the bot to channels to assist users in team collaboration.

Identify channels to integrate

• Are there any existing channels that would benefit from the bot's collaboration features?

• Are there existing support channels? We created this Google sheet your team can copy and utilize to plan your channel rollout:

• View and download our channel configuration template.

Plan your training and communication strategy

Training

If you are an account admin and would like to review Helpdesk+ features and functionality, feel free to schedule time with our team to review.

Communication Plan

Each organization has preferred communication channels with end users. Many customers send a launch email and a message in a main Slack channel (we recommend using Slack Block Kit if available). Announcements in internal newsletters, intranets, or company updates can also help with awareness of the new solution.

Go-Live

We're excited for Helpdesk+ to be live within your organization. A successful go-live should include the following (adjust for your organization).

1. Install and configure Helpdesk+ in the production workspace. These will be the same steps you followed if you were able to test in a sandbox environment.

2. Add the bot to the identified channels and configure channel notifications based on defined use cases.

3. Send launch communications. This will prompt users to add the app and connect their Jira and Slack accounts to receive bot notifications.

4. Monitor feedback and usage to see how Helpdesk+ helps your users!

Post Release Engagements

Ongoing engagement is a key part of driving lasting change and adoption. Be sure to have a feedback loop. You can use HelpDesk+ to allow users to ask for changes or features! Check-in on a regular basis on the following:

• Were we successful? What are our success metrics telling us? Do we need to course-correct?

• How are our teams feeling about the change?

• Are teams asking for additional features, add-ons, or products? Would other training resources be helpful?

• Are there successes in one department that can be highlighted and shared to keep up the momentum?

• How can we take this to the next level? Is there a new use case we want to land org-wide, or are we ready for teams to start using another Atlassian product to help solve ongoing challenges since it is now so easy to get users to create from Slack?

As always our team is here to support you with all of this. Contact us for support!