This article provides a high-level, general implementation plan for Issuetrak, including installation and configuration. Every implementation varies and may not directly follow these guidelines.
1. Communications: Time Frame: 1 - 2 Days
After purchasing Issuetrak, you’ll receive a series of emails. The information varies depending on your chosen deployment option.
Issuetrak Site Details (Cloud Customers)
This email contains your site’s login information, along with helpful resources and basic contact details.
Issuetrak Installation Information (On-Premise Customers)
This email includes links to the documentation, the Issuetrak installation zip file, and your Issuetrak Site ID, along with the next steps and basic contact details.
Scheduling your Professional Services Training
- You'll later receive a separate email with a link to schedule your Implementation training. Before booking, ensure your cloud site is accessible or that Issuetrak is installed on your servers.
- For onsite training, coordinate tentative dates with your Issuetrak trainer.
2. Installing or Accessing Issuetrak: Time Frame: 1 Hour - 1 Day
In this section, you'll find the installation steps for on-premises customers. Cloud customers can access Issuetrak without installation. Please follow the instructions below to ensure a smooth setup process for on-premises users.
On-Premises Customers
Customers installing Issuetrak on their servers will need to:
- Identify the hosting IIS server and SQL server. Please verify any prerequisites or system requirements. We provide an optional utility to assist you with this.
- Access your Issuetrak Installation Information email, which contains a link to download the installation files and the Site ID needed during your installation process. Please save this to a secure location for future reference.
- Using the instructions linked here, install the software using the installation files. The installation utility will guide you through creating a User ID and password to access your newly created site.
Cloud Customers
There is no installation required for customers hosting Issuetrak on our cloud servers. A link to access your site and login credentials will be emailed to you.
Need Help? Contact Support
If you encounter any issues or need help with installation or configuration, contact the Support team:
- Email: support@issuetrak.com
- Phone: 757-213-1351
The Support team can assist with these items and much more:
- Installation issues
- Active Directory module integration
- Basic configuration setup
- Login issues
3. Gather Data / Get Started: Time Frame: 1 - 3 days
To ensure a smooth implementation of Issuetrak, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the system and prepare for your upcoming training sessions. This phase includes logging into Issuetrak for the first time, exploring the site layout, and identifying any areas of concern. Additionally, you’ll begin reviewing the system settings and considering key factors related to your organization’s setup. This preparation will help you maximize the value of your Professional Services training and tailor Issuetrak to meet your specific needs.
Initial Site Review
Log into Issuetrak the first time, click through the menus, and look around. Become familiar with the layout and the way the site works. If you have any problems or concerns, contact Support immediately. Please reference this article for information about navigation and menus: Issuetrak Navigation
Before meeting with Professional Services, you can begin by clicking the gear icon and exploring the Settings Lightbox, focusing on the System submenu. To reference the product documentation for any specific page, click the Get Help icon in the top bar and then click 'Help with this page.'
Prepare for Your Professional Services Training
Use the Scheduling email to reserve your spot for your Implementation session. If you purchased onsite training, you can set up a time to discuss your goals and timeline with your Issuetrak trainer during your Implementation session. Be sure to answer the Implementation Questions before your first session. Also, lease reference this article in preparation for your session: How To Get the Most Out of Your Professional Services Consultation
Before meeting with Professional Services, also think about the following:
- Who will your administrators be? These are the users that should attend the training to learn how to set up and configure the software. They will also decide what options and features are enabled.
- What types of Issues will you be logging? Think about what your Issue Categories need to be.
- How do you want Issuetrak to represent your users or customers in the site so that you can control their access and then report properly once issues are logged?
- Will you be using an existing mailbox to process Incoming Email on your site, or will a new mailbox need to be created? If a new mailbox is needed, start working with your IT team to have it created.
- Be prepared to discuss your business use case with the Issuetrak trainer. Provide them with any documentation, process maps, or specifics that you feel will help prepare for your sessions or set up your Issuetrak site.
4. Configuration with Professional Services
If you purchased onsite training in place of or with an Implementation session, then a general training itinerary is used. Before your on-site training, you will be contacted by your assigned trainer. They will confer with you to discuss your specific needs. A training outline and list of deliverables will be provided to you. If your onsite training is in conjunction with an Implementation session, you can schedule the Implementation training using a web session first. You can then use your onsite time to get into more details of the configuration, including in-depth consultation to map your business practices or train your users.
Implementation Training
These training sessions are scheduled as needed to assist you in configuring your site and training your Administrator User or Users.
Implementation Session One
Begins with a discussion on how you want Issuetrak to work for you. The Professional Service trainers will use this information to develop instructions for the setup and configuration of your site. This session covers:
- Discovery discussion: Establishes an idea of the site's structure.
- User Interface: Navigation / Menus
- System Settings: Defaults, Site Appearance, System Colors, Features, and Hours of Operation
- Entities Menu Group: Organizations, Departments, Locations, Groups, Users
At the end of this session, you may be assigned homework by your Trainer to gather information and configure areas of the site. This information will allow you to test the system as you become more familiar with Issuetrak.
Additional Sessions
You may schedule additional sessions with your trainer as needed to complete your site setup and training. These sessions typically begin with a review of questions or follow-ups from the previous session. After addressing any concerns, the trainer will walk you through the advanced features of Issuetrak. You’ll explore various configuration options, with suggestions on the best ways to set up your site. You can then decide which configurations and features are relevant to your needs, and the trainer will assist you in implementing them. Once configured, these features will help automate tasks and give you better control over your processes. The trainer may cover the following topics if they are relevant to your site:
- Issue Types
- Issue Forms
- User Defined Fields
- Issue Templates
- Automation
- Scheduled Issues
- Incoming Email
- Outgoing Email
- Service Level Agreements
- Tasks
- Purchased Modules (such as Identity Management, Asset Management, Surveys, Billing)
- Events
- Knowledge Base
- Reporting
5. Testing and Documentation: Time Frame: 1 - 2 weeks
Once Issuetrak is set up and configured, the next crucial phase involves testing and documentation. This period is essential for ensuring that your configuration works as intended and for preparing your user base for a successful rollout. During this time, you will validate system functionality, develop training materials, and establish a structured approach for end-user training and deployment.
Testing Period
After completing the setup and configuration, a standard testing period begins. This phase allows you to:
- Test your configuration.
- Verify email functionality.
- Review user permissions.
- Develop Training Materials: As testing progresses, start developing the training materials needed to introduce Issuetrak to your user base.
End-User Training
Formal end-user training is typically conducted by your staff and focuses on the specifics of how your organization uses Issuetrak. If you prefer to involve the Professional Services team in end-user training, discuss your options with your account manager.
Controlled Rollout
It’s recommended to roll out Issuetrak to a small group of users after the initial training phase is completed. This approach allows you to:
- Implement Issuetrak in a controlled environment.
- Refine procedures.
- Make final adjustments to the configuration to best meet your goals.
Support and Assistance
If you encounter any challenges during this phase, don’t hesitate to contact the Support team for assistance.
6. Final Release: Total Implementation Time: 11 - 26 days
After testing and training are completed, the software can be released to all users. Issuetrak customers can set up one test site per production site for training and future upgrades, with support teams available for assistance.
Test Site Setup
Issuetrak customers are allowed one test site for every production site.
- Purpose: Some customers find it beneficial to set up a test site for:
- Conducting training
- Providing a testbed for future upgrades to your Issuetrak software
- Cloud Customers: If you are a Cloud customer, you will need to request a test site from the Support team, who will forward the request to Cloud Services.
- On-Premises Customers: The Support team can assist the with installation of a test site. The steps for test site creation can be found here.
Ongoing Support
After rolling out your Issuetrak site to your staff, our teams are ready to assist you:
- Support Team: Handles any technical and usage issues that arise.
- Professional Services Team: Assists with any configuration questions you may have.
- Sales: Your Account Manager assists you with adding additional licenses or modules.
Support Resources
If you have any questions or would like the assistance of our product experts, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
