Difference between revisions of "How the SmartSimple Support Desk Works"

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== '''What is the role of the support desk?''' ==
+
==What is the role of the Support Desk?==
 +
The role of the Support Desk is to be your first point of contact for anything [[SmartSimple]] related. If you have a question, have an idea for a new feature, or need a resolution to a problem, then we are the place to start.
  
 +
==Contact Information==
 +
It is our goal to provide you with timely and complete answers to your questions or concerns and to ensure that you are getting the most out of the [[SmartSimple]] platform within your organization.
  
−
To be your first point of contact for anything [[SmartSimple]] related. If you have a question, have an idea for a new feature or need a resolution to a problem then we are the place to start.
+
You can connect with us through any of the following channels:
 +
 
 +
* '''Phone (Canada and United States):''' (+1) 416-591-1668
 +
* '''Phone (Canada and United States) Toll Free:''' 866-239-0991
 +
* '''Phone (Europe):''' 353(0) 1 554-7428
 +
* '''Email:''' [mailto:support@smartsimple.com support@smartsimple.com]
 +
* '''Direct:''' From the Help menu within [[SmartSimple]], just select the Support Request option
 +
 
 +
You may also contact our live agents who provide round-the-clock technical support 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. You have access to live support during the following hours: 
 +
 
 +
* '''GMT: '''9pm Sunday - 2am Saturday
 +
* '''EST: '''4pm Sunday - 9pm Friday
 +
* '''PST: '''1pm Sunday - 6pm Friday
 +
* '''AEST: '''8am Monday - 1pm Saturday
  
−
The [[SmartSimple]] Community Support Desk provides first level support to clients plus a triage of the issue to determine if it needs to be redirected to other specialists within the company. You can anticipate the the Community Support Desk will be able to answer questions related to:
+
'''[https://www.smartsimple.com/support.php Contact Live Agent here]'''
  
−
* Accessing your organisation's copy of [[SmartSimple]].  
+
==Community Portal==
−
* Logging into the system (including lost [[Password|passwords]], etc).  
+
Current clients may log tickets through their own [[instance]] using our '''Community Portal''' function. The Community Portal is a dashboard that simplifies the process of managing your tickets and connecting with SmartSimple. 
 +
 
 +
To enter the Community Portal:
 +
 
 +
1. Click the 9-square menu icon on the top right of your page:
 +
 
 +
[[File:052919_MenuIcon.png]]
 +
 
 +
2. Under the heading '''Help,''' select '''Support.'''
 +
 
 +
3. Press '''Enter''' to launch the '''Community Portal.'''
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===Inside the Community Portal===
 +
:: [[File:Community portal.png|600px|border]]
 +
Below is a list of activities that can be performed from within the Community Portal. 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
||'''Topic'''
 +
||'''Activities'''
 +
|-
 +
||Ticket Information
 +
||
 +
* Create tickets
 +
* View all active tickets
 +
* Close resolved tickets
 +
* View enhancements
 +
* Export ticket information
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
||Community Features
 +
||
 +
* View upcoming [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEYZMkJF_TuiI4seyppHmdt6FASoMXJRd Webinars]
 +
* Read community news
 +
* View your event registrations
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
||Links to Access
 +
||
 +
* Live Chat 
 +
* Access to SmartSimple Forums
 +
* [[Discussion Boards]]
 +
* Access to the SmartWiki
 +
* Link to [https://www.youtube.com/user/smartsimplesoftware SmartSimple Youtube]
 +
 
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
==What the Support Desk Does==
 +
The [[SmartSimple]] Community Support Desk provides first level support to clients plus a triage of the issue to determine if it needs to be redirected to other specialists within the company. You can anticipate the Community Support Desk will be able to answer questions related to:
 +
 
 +
* Accessing your organization's copy of [[SmartSimple]].
 +
* Logging into the system (including lost [[Password|passwords]], etc).
 
* All standard features and functions within the system.
 
* All standard features and functions within the system.
  
 
The Community Support Desk will generally not be able to directly assist you if the issue is related to:
 
The Community Support Desk will generally not be able to directly assist you if the issue is related to:
  
−
* Your organisation's specific processes.  
+
* Your organization's specific processes.
 
* Industry related issues.
 
* Industry related issues.
 
* In-depth technical issues.
 
* In-depth technical issues.
Line 18: Line 85:
 
For these types of issues the Community Support Desk will redirect to the appropriate industry or technical specialist.
 
For these types of issues the Community Support Desk will redirect to the appropriate industry or technical specialist.
  
−
In all cases a ticket number is issued and an email sent to you confirming that the issue has been logged, even if the issue was resolved on the first call. Where the ticket cannot be resolved on the first call the issue will be managed by Community Support Desk personnel - even if other specialists are involved.
+
In all cases a ticket number is issued and an email sent to you confirming that the issue has been logged, even if the issue was resolved on the first call. Where the ticket cannot be resolved on the first call the issue will be managed by Community Support Desk personnel - even if other specialists are involved.
 +
 
 +
===Ticket Service Levels===
 +
The Service Levels determine the classification and process of each Support Ticket:
  
−
It is our goal to provide you with timely and complete answers to your questions or concerns and to ensure that you are getting the most out of the [[SmartSimple]] platform within your organization.
+
{| class="wikitable" style="height: 562px;" width="1080"
 +
|-
 +
| style="width: 100pt;"|'''Severity of Impact'''
 +
| style="width: 150pt;"|'''Description'''
 +
| style="width: 200pt;"|'''Example'''
 +
| style="width: 200pt;"|'''Support Process'''
 +
|-
 +
||'''<span style="color: #ff0000;">Critical </span>'''
 +
||Issues relating to system availability or performance preventing usage or access to the system as a whole or to its primary functionality.
 +
||
  
−
You can connect with us through any of the following channels:
+
'''Server Unavailable'''
 +
 
 +
* This critical impact ticket was raised for an issue that directly affected system availability for multiple users.
 +
* Client was unable to log into their SmartSimple [[instance]] and was receiving an error message stating that the server was unavailable.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
||
 +
Client promptly contacted SmartSimple Support and explained the situation with a screenshot of the error message.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
Support immediately actioned the issue with our development team and was able to restore service after a brief outage.
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
||'''<span style="color: #ff6600;">High</span>'''
 +
||Issues relating to system availability or performance preventing usage or access to the system as a whole or its primary functionality. 
 +
||
 +
 
 +
'''User Unable to Submit Application'''
 +
 
 +
* This high impact ticket explained that an end user was unable to submit their application.
 +
* This was an issue for a specific end user; no other users were affected by the same issue.
 +
 
 +
||
 +
 
 +
Client promptly emailed SmartSimple Support with the user's name, email, application ID, and grant program. 
 +
 
 +
<br />Support checked the relevant application and determined a portion of the budget had not been completely properly. The end user was notified and the application was successfully submitted.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
||<span style="color: #ffcc00;">'''Medium'''</span>
 +
||Issues that prevent a subsection of the system processes from working for all users or configuration changes that need to take place in a timely manner.
 +
||
 +
'''Payment Activities Not Saving'''
 +
 
 +
* This medium impact ticket stated that changes made to Payment Activities ([[:Category:Universal Tracking Application|Level 3 Entity in the UTA]]) were not being applied after saving.
 +
* This issues prevented some system features from behaving as the client had intended.
 +
 
 +
||
 +
 
 +
The client submitted a ticket explaining which grant the error was applicable to, which level of activity, the details of the issue, and a specific example with the application ID. 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
This issue was resolved once Support notified the client that these activities were meant to be created through an automated process (called [[Payment Scheduler|Batch Create Payment]]) and not created manually, which is why they were experiencing the issue. The automated process was utilized to create the payment activity and the client was able to continue their work. 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
||<span style="color: #00ff00;">'''Low'''</span>
 +
||General questions relating to configuration.
 +
||
 +
'''Make Report Exportable'''
 +
 
 +
* This low impact ticket was submitted asking that we assist a client with making an existing report exportable.
 +
 
 +
||
 +
 
 +
The client contacted Support with the process they were attempting to do, the relevant IDs, and what outcome they wanted. 
  
−
*''' Phone(Canada and United States):''' 416-591-1668 x 1
 
−
*''' Phone(Canada and United States) Toll Free:''' 866-239-0991
 
−
*''' Phone(Europe):''' 353(0) 1 662-9236
 
−
*''' Email:''' [mailto:support@smartsimple.com support@smartsimple.com]
 
−
*''' Online:''' via our [https://smart.smartsimple.com/ex/ex_Apppage.jsp?token=FggMUhsbZw%3D%3D Online Support Request] form
 
−
*''' Direct:''' From the Help menu within [[SmartSimple]], just select the Support Request option
 
  
 +
Support checked the report and made the requested changes in the [[Backup Server and Testing Instances|backup instance]]. Once the client confirmed the changes resulted in the desired export ability, they were applied to production.
  
−
== '''What other support options are available through the [[SmartSimple]] Community?''' ==
 
  
 +
|}
  
 +
==What other support options are available through the [[SmartSimple]] Community?==
 
We provide several methods for becoming more familiar and increasing your knowledge of the [[SmartSimple]] platform outside of our Community Support Desk. They are:
 
We provide several methods for becoming more familiar and increasing your knowledge of the [[SmartSimple]] platform outside of our Community Support Desk. They are:
−
*'''SmartSimple Wikipedia (Wiki)''' – This is our very own online [[SmartSimple]] encyclopedia. The easiest way to find the information you need would be to search by the 'key words' of the topic that you are trying to gather more information on. Or you can browse the Wiki by category or view the index alphabetically.
 
−
*'''Some quick Wiki tips!'''
 
−
**When searching 'key words' try to keep the words to a minimum and try to avoid using long phrases or sentences.
 
−
**Search on the key points rather than more general topics, so if you are looking for information on creating and making your own reports search on words like 'create report' or 'report builder'.
 
−
**Most important of all, we strive to keep the Wiki up to date so if you can’t find something in the Wiki then let us know and we will help you find it or add it to our list of topics to update.
 
−
*'''Online training sessions''' - We continually offer online training sessions that are available for anyone that uses [[SmartSimple]]. They are categorized into Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Open to best suit your current knowledge of the [[SmartSimple]] platform. Please contact the Community Support Desk to find out more information or schedule a session.
 
−
*'''Mobile Support''' - We also offer a unique type of onsite support. We are continually looking at the types of requests and tickets that come in through the [[SmartSimple]] Community Support Desk. If we see an opportunity that would benefit your organization to have some additional onsite support then we will reach out and schedule an onsite visit with our mobile support and make sure you are getting the most out of [[SmartSimple]].
 
  
 +
* '''SmartSimple Wikipedia (Wiki)''' – This is our very own online [[SmartSimple]] encyclopedia. The easiest way to find the information you need would be to search by the 'key words' of the topic that you are trying to gather more information on. Or you can browse the Wiki by category or view the index alphabetically.
 +
* '''Some quick Wiki tips!'''
 +
** When searching 'key words' try to keep the words to a minimum and try to avoid using long phrases or sentences.
 +
** Search on the key points rather than more general topics, so if you are looking for information on creating and making your own reports search on words like 'create report' or 'report builder'.
 +
** Most important of all, we strive to keep the Wiki up to date so if you can’t find something in the Wiki then let us know and we will help you find it or add it to our list of topics to update.
 +
* '''Online training sessions''' - We continually offer online training sessions that are available for anyone that uses [[SmartSimple]]. They are categorized into Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Open to best suit your current knowledge of the [[SmartSimple]] platform. Please contact the Community Support Desk to find out more information or schedule a session.
 +
* '''Mobile Support''' - We also offer a unique type of onsite support. We are continually looking at the types of requests and tickets that come in through the [[SmartSimple]] Community Support Desk. If we see an opportunity that would benefit your organization to have some additional onsite support then we will reach out and schedule an onsite visit with our mobile support and make sure you are getting the most out of [[SmartSimple]].
  
−
== '''Helpful Links''' ==
+
===Premium Support===
 +
SmartSimple's [https://www.smartsimple.com/premium-support.html Premium Support Services] provide you with a Dedicated Support Representative (DSR) who will handle all of your support requests directly and will have in-depth knowledge of your SmartSimple system. You'll also benefit from an optional monthly call with our Director of Customer Experience to discuss any questions about system functionality, training, or configuration. 
  
 +
While '''Essential Support''', also known as our Technical Community Support, comes standard in all of our Service Level Agreements (SLAs), '''Premium Support Services''' offer enhanced access to our support team. 
  
−
*[http://smart.smartsimple.com/ex/ex_openreport.jsp?key=&token=@Hw0NUh4aZllTSRJYQRJRQFZZZVA~ SmartSimple Training and Event Calendar]
+
{| class="wikitable"
−
*[http://www.smartsimple.com/partners.html SmartSimple Partners]
+
|-
 +
||'''Item'''
 +
||'''Technical Community Support'''
 +
||'''Premium Support'''
 +
|-
 +
||Live Agent
 +
||General client support group on rotation
 +
||Named Dedicated Support Representative (DSR)
 +
|-
 +
||Director Level Access
 +
||Upon request or escalation
 +
||Regular meetings and on-demand access consultations
 +
|-
 +
||Configuration Services
 +
||At additional fee as estimated
 +
||Included (up to 4 hours per request)
 +
|-
 +
||Training
 +
||At additional fee as estimated
 +
||Included (up to 3 hours per quarter)
 +
|-
 +
||Fee
 +
||Included in licensing
 +
||Please contact your Account Manager
 +
|}
  
 +
You may contact your Account Manager for more details about Premium Support Services. 
  
−
[[Category:System Management]][[Category:Help Desk]]
+
[[Category:System Management]][[Category:Help Desk]][[Category:SmartSimple]]

Latest revision as of 10:14, 22 October 2021

What is the role of the Support Desk?

The role of the Support Desk is to be your first point of contact for anything SmartSimple related. If you have a question, have an idea for a new feature, or need a resolution to a problem, then we are the place to start.

Contact Information

It is our goal to provide you with timely and complete answers to your questions or concerns and to ensure that you are getting the most out of the SmartSimple platform within your organization.

You can connect with us through any of the following channels:

  • Phone (Canada and United States): (+1) 416-591-1668
  • Phone (Canada and United States) Toll Free: 866-239-0991
  • Phone (Europe): 353(0) 1 554-7428
  • Email: support@smartsimple.com
  • Direct: From the Help menu within SmartSimple, just select the Support Request option

You may also contact our live agents who provide round-the-clock technical support 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. You have access to live support during the following hours: 

  • GMT: 9pm Sunday - 2am Saturday
  • EST: 4pm Sunday - 9pm Friday
  • PST: 1pm Sunday - 6pm Friday
  • AEST: 8am Monday - 1pm Saturday

Contact Live Agent here

Community Portal

Current clients may log tickets through their own instance using our Community Portal function. The Community Portal is a dashboard that simplifies the process of managing your tickets and connecting with SmartSimple. 

To enter the Community Portal:

1. Click the 9-square menu icon on the top right of your page:

052919 MenuIcon.png

2. Under the heading Help, select Support.

3. Press Enter to launch the Community Portal.


Inside the Community Portal

Community portal.png

Below is a list of activities that can be performed from within the Community Portal. 

Topic Activities
Ticket Information
  • Create tickets
  • View all active tickets
  • Close resolved tickets
  • View enhancements
  • Export ticket information
Community Features
  • View upcoming Webinars
  • Read community news
  • View your event registrations
Links to Access

What the Support Desk Does

The SmartSimple Community Support Desk provides first level support to clients plus a triage of the issue to determine if it needs to be redirected to other specialists within the company. You can anticipate the Community Support Desk will be able to answer questions related to:

  • Accessing your organization's copy of SmartSimple.
  • Logging into the system (including lost passwords, etc).
  • All standard features and functions within the system.

The Community Support Desk will generally not be able to directly assist you if the issue is related to:

  • Your organization's specific processes.
  • Industry related issues.
  • In-depth technical issues.

For these types of issues the Community Support Desk will redirect to the appropriate industry or technical specialist.

In all cases a ticket number is issued and an email sent to you confirming that the issue has been logged, even if the issue was resolved on the first call. Where the ticket cannot be resolved on the first call the issue will be managed by Community Support Desk personnel - even if other specialists are involved.

Ticket Service Levels

The Service Levels determine the classification and process of each Support Ticket:

Severity of Impact Description Example Support Process
Critical  Issues relating to system availability or performance preventing usage or access to the system as a whole or to its primary functionality.

Server Unavailable

  • This critical impact ticket was raised for an issue that directly affected system availability for multiple users.
  • Client was unable to log into their SmartSimple instance and was receiving an error message stating that the server was unavailable.

Client promptly contacted SmartSimple Support and explained the situation with a screenshot of the error message.


Support immediately actioned the issue with our development team and was able to restore service after a brief outage.

High Issues relating to system availability or performance preventing usage or access to the system as a whole or its primary functionality. 

User Unable to Submit Application

  • This high impact ticket explained that an end user was unable to submit their application.
  • This was an issue for a specific end user; no other users were affected by the same issue.

Client promptly emailed SmartSimple Support with the user's name, email, application ID, and grant program. 


Support checked the relevant application and determined a portion of the budget had not been completely properly. The end user was notified and the application was successfully submitted.


Medium Issues that prevent a subsection of the system processes from working for all users or configuration changes that need to take place in a timely manner.

Payment Activities Not Saving

  • This medium impact ticket stated that changes made to Payment Activities (Level 3 Entity in the UTA) were not being applied after saving.
  • This issues prevented some system features from behaving as the client had intended.

The client submitted a ticket explaining which grant the error was applicable to, which level of activity, the details of the issue, and a specific example with the application ID. 


This issue was resolved once Support notified the client that these activities were meant to be created through an automated process (called Batch Create Payment) and not created manually, which is why they were experiencing the issue. The automated process was utilized to create the payment activity and the client was able to continue their work. 


Low General questions relating to configuration.

Make Report Exportable

  • This low impact ticket was submitted asking that we assist a client with making an existing report exportable.

The client contacted Support with the process they were attempting to do, the relevant IDs, and what outcome they wanted. 


Support checked the report and made the requested changes in the backup instance. Once the client confirmed the changes resulted in the desired export ability, they were applied to production.


What other support options are available through the SmartSimple Community?

We provide several methods for becoming more familiar and increasing your knowledge of the SmartSimple platform outside of our Community Support Desk. They are:

  • SmartSimple Wikipedia (Wiki) – This is our very own online SmartSimple encyclopedia. The easiest way to find the information you need would be to search by the 'key words' of the topic that you are trying to gather more information on. Or you can browse the Wiki by category or view the index alphabetically.
  • Some quick Wiki tips!
    • When searching 'key words' try to keep the words to a minimum and try to avoid using long phrases or sentences.
    • Search on the key points rather than more general topics, so if you are looking for information on creating and making your own reports search on words like 'create report' or 'report builder'.
    • Most important of all, we strive to keep the Wiki up to date so if you can’t find something in the Wiki then let us know and we will help you find it or add it to our list of topics to update.
  • Online training sessions - We continually offer online training sessions that are available for anyone that uses SmartSimple. They are categorized into Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Open to best suit your current knowledge of the SmartSimple platform. Please contact the Community Support Desk to find out more information or schedule a session.
  • Mobile Support - We also offer a unique type of onsite support. We are continually looking at the types of requests and tickets that come in through the SmartSimple Community Support Desk. If we see an opportunity that would benefit your organization to have some additional onsite support then we will reach out and schedule an onsite visit with our mobile support and make sure you are getting the most out of SmartSimple.

Premium Support

SmartSimple's Premium Support Services provide you with a Dedicated Support Representative (DSR) who will handle all of your support requests directly and will have in-depth knowledge of your SmartSimple system. You'll also benefit from an optional monthly call with our Director of Customer Experience to discuss any questions about system functionality, training, or configuration. 

While Essential Support, also known as our Technical Community Support, comes standard in all of our Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Premium Support Services offer enhanced access to our support team. 

Item Technical Community Support Premium Support
Live Agent General client support group on rotation Named Dedicated Support Representative (DSR)
Director Level Access Upon request or escalation Regular meetings and on-demand access consultations
Configuration Services At additional fee as estimated Included (up to 4 hours per request)
Training At additional fee as estimated Included (up to 3 hours per quarter)
Fee Included in licensing Please contact your Account Manager

You may contact your Account Manager for more details about Premium Support Services. 

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