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UCLA Department of Psychology: Building the Future of Higher Education
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Education
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Use Cases
- Remote Collaboration
- Remote Control
Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Challenge
Like most universities, UCLA seeks to run its campus services efficiently so that it can devote more resources to teaching and research. The Department of Psychology is no exception, maintaining a core help desk staff of just two employees who handle support requests from more than 200 staff, instructors, and researchers. For years, they received support requests in a variety of ways—by email, by phone, and in person—with needs ranging from simple password requests to complex issues. It became clear that they would be more efficient with a simple trouble ticket system to track everything centrally. They also wanted a web-based help desk to avoid spending resources on internal IT.
About The Customer
Based in Los Angeles, California, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is one of the nine campuses of the University of California. UCLA’s Department of Psychology is one of the largest and most productive departments in the nation, boasting state-of-the-art facilities and numerous resources that provide abundant opportunities for innovative research. The renowned faculty members have received over $14 million in annual extramural funding and are acknowledged leaders in their fields. The department maintains a core help desk staff of just two employees who handle support requests from more than 200 staff, instructors, and researchers.
The Solution
Zendesk was chosen for its price, convenience, and ease of use. The solution delivers numerous features while being easy to use and highly configurable. When staff report an issue, they are shown how to log the request in the help desk software, which improves user buy-in by providing better, faster responses and allowing users to track progress. Zendesk’s triggers—automatic actions that occur when certain conditions are met—consolidate discussions into a single, trackable conversation. This ensures tight communication and effective issue resolution. Additionally, Zendesk’s reports help motivate the team by showing productivity improvements, and the support from Zendesk’s staff has been prompt and effective.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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