I have a little experience with bug tracking systems such as FogBugz where help tickets are issues are (or can be) bugs, and I have some experience using a bug tracking system internally completely separate from a help center system.
My question is, in a company with an existing (home-grown) help center system where replacing it is not an option, how should a bug tracking system (probably Mantis) be integrated into the process?
Right now help tickets get put in for issues, questions, etc and they get assigned to the appropriate person (PC Tech, Help Desk staff, or if it's an application issue they can't solve in the help desk it gets assigned to a developer). A user can put a request for small modifications or fixes to an application in a help ticket and the developer it gets assigned to will make the change at some point, apply their time to that ticket, and then close the ticket when it goes to production.
We don't currently have a bug tracking system, so I'm looking into the best way to integrate one. Should we just take the help tickets and put it into the bug tracking system if it's a bug (or issue or feature request) and then close the ticket if it's not an emergency fix? We probably don't want to expose the bug tracking system to anyone else as they wouldn't know what to put in the help center system and what to put in the bug tracker... right?
Any thoughts? Suggestions? Tips? Advice? To-dos? Not to-dos? etc...
Have a promote to bug button on the help desk system, that publish the ticket on the bug tracker, with the appropiate reference info.
Is this for a production system with end users reporting bugs, or for issue resolution during QA?
If it is the former, some live person should triage the help desk tickets and only log as a bug what really is one.
If it is the latter, you should not integrate at all.
Well, it's a tradeoff.
We use separate systems for help desk tickets and for bugs.
Pros:
Workflows & requirements will probably different between devs and help desk, you can choose a system for each that fits requirements (e.g. fields that are only relevant for dev or for help desk, different kinds of email integration).
Clear responsibilities: Help desk handles tickets, devs handle Bugs.
Cons:
Integration will not be quite seamless (you need either automatic integration, which does not always exist, or manual back-forth links, which people may forget).
So far, we're quite happy with two products. It is occasionally annoying to have to paste links or close a ticket and a bug, but usually tickets and bugs are handled by different people anyway, so it's not a big deal.
One product might also work well, if you can find one which fits everyone's workflow.
In the raiseaticket help-desk system, we create a separate workflow for Prod, Dev and Bugs. The ticket is assigned to relevant group based on the nature of the issue. These tickets are not exposed to any other group. So, we can do a workaround in our help-desk portal system for the bug tracking.
For anyone in 2022 (and beyond) looking to integrate a help desk system and bug tracker, DoneDone does this well.
We use a DoneDone mailbox for general customer support (both via our support email address and the contact form on our website). It lets you have private discussion on emails, along with allowing you to assign, prioritize, tag, and create/change statuses on them (e.g. "Open", "In Progress", etc.)
We use DoneDone projects to manage internal bugs/issues/tasks.
DoneDone lets you connect support emails (the helpdesk part) to internal tasks (the bug tracking part) as well. So, if your company has distinct support and client-facing people while also having internal devs and you want to separate their work, you can create any number of subtasks from an incoming conversation.
Even if your company isn't that stratified, it's nice to be able to create bugs with their own workflows separate from a helpdesk ticket (which has its own workflow).
More info at https://www.donedone.com
Related
This is my first post/question. If I missed an existing thread that answers my question, I missed that thread in my search and definitely appreciate you linking me! Please let me know if I should be posting/asking this elsewhere....
My question relates to Salesforce.
I have a use case where a client has a monthly batch of files that need to be made available on various cloud-based storage/distribution platforms like Box and Dropbox but also other less ubiquitous tools specific to the sector. Currently, the client is logging into each distribution platform, one-at-a-time, and uploading the files; then, if at any point any files need to be updated or removed/restricted, the client logs into each platform one-by-one and takes the necessary action. Obviously the process being described is tedious/laborious and leaves multiple gaps for error. The client and I are discussing a solution that would allow for create/read/update/delete actions in all of the distribution platforms without having to leave their Salesforce org. I am aware of existing AppExchange integrations for Box, Dropbox, etc. but they don’t quite do everything we need (to my knowledge)—they tie-in nicely and there are use cases where they are powerful tools...but—my understanding of those existing integration is that they would still each require dedicated tabs within the Object and repeated ‘drags’ and ‘drops’ of the same files to each tab. Again, the end goal here is that, for example, the client wants to drag and drop one time and have it pushed to the various platforms, etc. Or another example is they would like to choose "delete" one time from within Salesforce and have the file removed/restricted on all distribution platforms.
I am a certified SF Admin 1, so...perhaps this should be in my wheelhouse but...I feel unsure how to approach. My feeling is this is asking for a combination of integrations via API and Process/Flow work, but I am hoping for some ideas/input/guidance. Any insight or help any of you have to offer would be so greatly appreciated!!
Thanks so much!
Hi Overstock flow peoples,
I've been in the startup/digital marketing scene and know some things on analytics, html/css, and marketing automations and have recently picked up some SQL/Tableau. Im coming here looking for possibly help/recs on connecting a marketing system/inflow that uses Fare Harbor/Mighty Call/Life 360 and I'm wondering if I could automate things with Zapier (or some other platform), or if I'd have to do it all with development or using APIs or something.
I work with a company that does some travel taxiing/luggage help for travelers. Im looking to see if Zapier (or any other system) would be able to automate some tasks.
So clients book through Fare Harbor, their data goes into our system through Mighty Call, and we give updates to the clients on the drivers ETAs manually through Life360 (like the owner actually TEXTS people directly).
Would anyone here know if there's a way to use Zapier to automate the ETA/communication updates of Life360 through Zapier? (Or would I have to develop something completely on its own to do this?). Or know if there's any other type of software to do this immediately off the top of your head? (etc). Otherwise we have to text all these updates manually and we're trying to get away from doing things that way.
Sorry if this comes off as a rookie post, as its my first direct post on Stack Overflow, although I've used this website a number of times to configure CSS before and other ish (and this isnt my first rodeo). Any advice or direction that could be given would be IMMENSELY helpful.
What considerations are needed when creating a web app that is intended to be used in an industrial plant setting for a company? My specific use case is an industrial facility with several different production plants that would each have its own device for the application interface.
How do companies enforce the usage of such apps on a monitor/tablet? For example, could I prevent them from using other stuff on the tablet?
Importantly, how would security work? They'd share a device. There may be multiple operators that use the app in a given shift. Would they all use the same authentication session (this is not preferable, as I'd like to uniquely identify the active user)? Obviously I could use standard username/passwords with token based sessions that expire, however, this leaves a lot of potential for account hijacking. Ideally, they'd be able to log on very quickly (PIN, perhaps?) and their session would end when they are done.
As long as there is internet connection, I would presume that there isn't much pro/con regarding the use of native applications versus web based or progressive web apps. Is this assumption correct?
What's the best way of identifying which device the application is being run on?
Is this a common thing to do in general? What other technologies are used to create software that obtains input from industrial operators?
--
Update - this is a good higher level consideration of the question at hand, however, it has become apparent why focused, specific questions are helpful. As such, I will follow up with questions that are specific.
Identifying the Area/Device a Web Application is Accessed On
Enforcing Specific Application Use on Tablets
Best Practices for Web App Authentication in Industrial Settings
I'm not able to answer everything in great detail but here are a few pointers. In the environment as you describe we usually see these two options. 1) you tell them what you need, internet, security, if they give you device and how it will be configured 2) they tell you exactly what you need to deliver.
I do not think you can 100% prevent them. We did it by providing the tablet( well laptops in our case) and the OS configuration took care of that, downside we had few devices to support. You seem to hint that there is always an internet connection so I guess you can collect all info about the system and send it back to you daily?
We were allowed to "tap" into their attendance SW and when you entered the facility you were able to use your 4 digit pin to log in if you were out of premisses you could not log in at all. I can imagine the following: you log in with your username and password - this does full verification, after that, you can use 4 digit pin to login for next n hours.
maybe, kinda, depends on what you are doing. Does the browser have all features you need? Our system needs multicast to perform really fast, so we have a native app
touched on this in 1. You could also use device enrolment process. You can also contractually force them that there will be only your software and it may invalidate support contract. It really depends on your creativity. My favourite( and it works - just tell them, there will only be installed my software and if not you will pay me double for support. I only saw one customer who installed some crap on the device when there were told not to
it really depends on what industry you are talking about, every industry is different. We almost always build a custom solution
The enforcement of the device/app usage depends on the customer, if the customer asked for help in the enforcement, then you can provide guide, training and workshops. If the customer serious about the enforcement then it will be a policy that's adapted by all the organization from top to down. Usually seniors will resist a workflow change more than juniors, so top management/executive should deal with that. Real life story: SAP team took 6 months to transform major newspaper workflow, during that few seniors got fired because they refuse to adapt the change.
Security shouldn't handicap the users, usually in industrial environment the network is isolated or at least restricted through VPN to connect multiple sites (plants in your case), regarding the active user: we usually provide guide/training/workshop for the users and inform them that using colleague account or device will prevent the system from tracking your accomplishment/tasks, so each user is responsible to make sure the active account/device is the one assigned to him/her.
It depends, with native you have more controls than web, but if the app is just doing monitoring then most of today apps use web for monitoring and the common way to receive input is REST APIs (even if the industrial devices doesn't support REST API, a middleware could be written to transform the output). If you need more depth about native vs web you need to ask new question with more details about the requirements.
Depends on the tech you are using (native or web), and things I mentioned in point 2: you can use whitelist of devices that's allowed to run the app. overall there are many best ways to track down the device.
How common in general? I think such information can only be achieved by survey, the world full of variations. And having something common not mean its safe or best, our industry keep changing at all levels. So to stay in the loop, we must keep learning and self-updating without reboot.
Need suggestions on room reservation system. Posting it as I couldn't find a similar question here in SO.
Question: Can I use wordpress and create my own plugin using php/mysql for a very simple and straight-forward room reservation system (4 page workflow)? If not what are the possibilites, Please suggest.
If the post is not in the right forum, please feel free to close it or re-direct me.
Background: I work part time for a non profit organization (I dont get paid, it's just a service to the community during my free time). They own a small property with about 20-30 rooms onsite and manage their room reservations, manually with Google drive.
I've suggested them to build an online portal for reservation. This is a service project, to enhance my technical resume as well as help someone.
My technical abilities - HTML, CSS, VB, SQL, PL-sQL (A long time ago) and I'm an automation tester so very good with programming skills.
Project deadline - 4 to 6 months. (I'd be spending about 15 hours/week)
PS: If this is beyond my capabilities I will be asking them to outsource.
Did you look at SourceForge, etc, to see if you can get a ready made system for free?
You may have to tailor it a little, but it might still be the quickest & easiest way to get somethign up & running. Your skills seem fine, though (VB is fine for a Windows app, you would want PHP for web-based).
Take a look at
Meeting Room Booking System is a free, GPL, web application using PHP and MySQL/pgsql for booking meeting rooms or other resources.
Meeting Room Reservation System, a mock project for study purpose.
phpScheduleIt, a web-based resource scheduling system
OpenRoom provides a simple online interface for managing and reserving rooms
RoomTimes is a php written application with which you can manage the rooms of any organisation
or you might want to google for others
This has been something I have been trying to work on for a good long time. It first started with Prestashop as an integration with other scripts or pieces of the puzzle I needed to make for an overall website. I am currently still using Prestashop as my webstore but have since switched to Magento.
I switched to Magento because of it's complex flexibility and because overall I think it is the best solution, best backing and best overall eCommerce script to go with.
That being said, the same issues I was having with Prestashop appear to be the same I will continue to have any in aspect that I try to integrate things together in perfect harmony.
I have Magento setup, as the main portion of the website, and inside Magento in sub folders I have Wordpress installed in a folder called "articles" and I have also went with FluxBB as my message forums because of it's simplicity in not having a crap load of bloated extra features that I could care less about and that is in a sub folder called "forums".
From this point, we know that Magento, Wordpress and FluxBB all have their own way of managing users; creating, managing, and tracking them.
What I am wanting to do is find the best way to fit these three and more together for my website to make the experience for the customer as smooth and as functional as possible. After emailing the ever talented and helpful Alan Storm, he told me the best solution he was aware of working was to make a third party user management that they all point to and it manages the customers authentication. I do believe his thoughts may be the best but I wanted to put this out there here on StackOverFlow and I may post this on Magento as well to get the broad scrope of magento developers and smart guys that like challenges.
I have several thoughts, none may work, some may work half ass, or one may just be something workable. But first let me tell you what I have accomplished so far. I have done the necessary steps to integrate my overall design for the header and footer, so essentially Wordpress and FluxBB are wrapped and are contained inside Magento's outer design layer. So with that being said I have also made it where Magento will check the session to see if the user is logged in to Magento or not by saying "Hello Guest" or "Hello User". This is where I have hit a stopping point because I am out of my depth and would like assistance, whether it is something we create together out of pure challengeness or someone says if I pay them they will help me, either way I would like this accomplished. If and when I get the code figured out whether by means of paying for assistance of a group effort I would like to make it freely available for others to use the concept for their own projects.
Brain Fart #1:
Adjust the user tables for both Wordpress and FluxBB to conform more to the structure of Magento, as for the password and username/email login portion. The rest of the fields can respectively stay as they are for post counts, and etc.
From there, I would like to figure out which class in Magento does the actual input into the database when a customer is created out of registration. When I find that code, I would like to extend upon it the ability to copy the user credentials into the other two tables in the database for Wordpress and FluxBB. If necessary it can just be an added couple of fields to Wordpress and FluxBB if that seems like a better idea and yes I do mean the actual encrypted password that Magento creates, I want this to be secure as well.
From there, when we know that a customer registers with Magento the data is copied over to the other two tables then we at least have made progress, whether this progress will actually work, is still to be determined.
We then disable the login/logout and registration links in any way that we can from Wordpress and FluxBB because they will no longer be needed because we want the user to register, login and logout through one location which is Magento.
Then comes the fun part in my eyes, keep the damn session going throughout the entire website as they order products, review wordpress articles and possibly leave comments, send to friends and etc.... as well as post topics, replies and etc in the FluxBB capacity.
To me this is where the creating the fields or adding the data from Magento's customer registration comes into play, I can make it check to see if they are logged into Magento already and from there we may be able to have it validate itself. This may be over kill or this may just be how it needs to be done. But to me if the credentials are located in all three databases then they should be able to be validated by changing the code in Wordpress and FluxBB or adding code. And Yes I am aware that we will also have to do something about Profile Editing and Password Editing if a customer so desires to change their information.
But that is my first thought on this whether it is the right decision or not, I would like hear from the vast knowledge of people here who have more experience and knowledge than I get with Magento, PHP and everything else.
Brain Fart #2
This illogical idea seems like an outside stretch entirely to me because of the complexity of Magento and how it is overall setup.
But the idea is to remove/edit the Wordpress and FluxBB (and any other third party software) to pretty much ignore it's own method of registration, login, logout, edit and look to Magento for it's credentials and establishing new customers. Essentially making them an oversized module of Magento.
I just know that the way Magento is setup is to be modulerized and its complexity seems like it would take a lot more coding and troubleshooting to do this.
Brain Fart #3
Dump both Wordpress and FluxBB and look towards modules in the Magento Connection Store that pretty much has all of the functionality that I need and can add to them what is missing and not mess with trying to integrate third party software.
I love Wordpress, I think replicating it with a module, at least after the hours I have spent looking at all of the modules available that are CMS/News related is a tough call. FluxBB I could take it or leave it, if someone had an already viable solution to use phpBB or vBulletin or SimpleMachines I would go with them. I rather it be free open source software, not because I am a cheap skate but just because I support open source as much as I can.
Brain Fart #4
Can this be a cookie this, but would only be effective if they allow cookies, or could somehow addon to the session to allow things to pass through but Magento sets up different sessions or allows you too so they things to crash against each other so this may not at all be an idea or may be one as well.
I know I am not giving examples of things I have tried, files I have looked at or anything related to that and I apologize, I provide some links related but nothing specifically found so far that matches what I am trying to accomplish. And I have tried to merge things together with some fun disastrous results.
Link Examples?:
http://www.magentocommerce.com/wiki/doc/webservices-api/api/customer#customer.create
http://www.magentogarden.com/blog/how-are-passwords-encrypted-in-magento.html
http://www.nicksays.co.uk/magento_events_cheat_sheet/
http://www.magentocommerce.com/wiki/5_-_modules_and_development/customers_and_accounts/registration_fields
How to access Magento customer's session from outside Magento?
Any assistance with this would be nice, I am trying to work on several parts of the website at once and this one is troublesome and I would say that everyone is going to find it hard or have found it hard. Anyone like challenges? :)
--------- EDIT:
I have got Magento and Wordpress to work perfectly together with James Kemp's module found on CodeCanyon's website (Single Sign-On for Magento and Wordpress) and I am going to adapt it to work for FluxBB or anything else I do.
Just passing along the information... I see this was edited, don't know what was edited and don't care. Just passing along information I have since found since posting this.
I am managing/customizing a combo of magento+vanilla forums+a custom app made in Yii framework. The users are "shared" between the apps. None of the two links are good. As Alan already replied to you, the correct SSO will be with an external user database/manager. But well, not everyone is up to recoding three apps just to get 1 post a week forum and 1 article a month blog to work with magento. So we are left with less options. First of all, if you don't want (most probably not) to rewrite a good portion of already written open source project that is being updated and maintained and then maintain your changes against periodical updates (you want them), then you have to duplicate the user data over three databases. Unless the project you adapt has some way to manage users data as plugin or external module. AFAIK both of your choice don't.
So, how to implement it? Assuming you choose Magento as mother-of-all, you need it to export an API for authentication, which may work over browser using cookies and javascript but this is rather tricky, or you can use it's frontend cookie to validate the sessions doing server-server API requests from children apps. This is a preferred option as far as "classical" SSO goes. Technically, what should happen when your users open forum or blog, the respective apps detect magento's cookie and check if the session is valid and who is the user. If the user is found, his data is copied to the blog or forum tables. Then you need to start an authenticated session on blog or forum app using the newly created user record.
So far so good, but yet some work. you need to disable the user profiles management in the children apps or modify it so the data held in Magento is always the correct one and you need to invent something to synchronize the Magento's representation of user profile down to the children. This is better to be hooked up on Magento's events so every time a user changes his profile the data is updated in the children app. But there is another but too. You probably want to keep some data app specific, a display name on the forum is not necessary the FirstName+LastName from the Magento and some would like to keep it private.
The above is just what I can recall as interesting facts about keeping it running. There are certainly many other things I've left out, more or less specific. But hopefully my comment can help your brain farting.
We've tried to evaluate other options but anything without duplicate data seems to be too expensive to implement or to maintain. Maybe later. With budget and time.