Issue Tracking Software – Issue Tracking Tips

Being both a web design and development firm, we required more than just a simple task manager. We needed an issue tracker to report, update, and resolve bugs with the web-based applications we were building for our clients.  The few online tools that existed at the time provided rudimentary task management and were absent quality time tracking capabilities. Issue tracking software is helpful for many reasons. When it comes to running a business and keeping track of large amounts of data using scrum software, things can sometimes go wrong to the point of your not knowing how to fix them. However, with a 24-hour help desk right at your fingertips, problems with your project or database will be dealt with and solved immediately. Listed are some tips for linking issue tracking to scrum software.

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The issue tracker no longer assigns new issues to any particular person, they go to “unassigned” instead. This means that anyone is welcome to pick up an issue and decide to work on it. But when is it the right time to do so? And how do you know anyone else isn’t working on it? If everyone follows a few simple rules, it will be clear.

Keeping Things Straight: While some people are well acquainted with their computer’s systems and inner workings, not everyone knows what to do (besides panic) when something happens to their database or their information system. It seems to be out of their control. Issue tracking software can help with this because it basically installs a help desk right into your computer.

Even though scrum project management software ensures that your data will be well taken care of, this may only mean that, in some cases, it will be kept organized and updated. There are no guarantees that your data will be protected from computer defects, hardware failures, or even viruses. Having someone at your aide can be of immense help, especially if computer maintenance is not where your strength lies.

Making It Work For You: All issues are different, and the folks on the other end of the issue tracking system know this. That’s why there is the feature of reporting the issue either over e-mail or by phone. This not only gives you the freedom to remain busy, instead of on hold for hours at a time or left lost trying to translate, but this also ensures that the help you receive will be intelligible and benefits your specific problem in a timely manner.

With some software it is necessary to get an update or add-on for different uses. Even if you are using something specialized and complex like scrum project management software, you will receive help from someone who knows about that specific software. There is always someone who is experienced with your problem waiting for your call for help.

Overview: Sometimes running large projects, organizing outrageous amounts of data, and keeping a team of hundreds in check can be stressful. But that stress only mounts when problems that you cannot fix by yourself arise. That is what issue tracking software was created to curtail–helping you with what you can’t do for yourself.

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Web Based Help Desk Software System on Your Website!

You may have been quick to visualize the hidden potential of an online business and may have already started one, but if you really want to succeed in today’s highly competitive business environment, then you will have to do a lot more than you can possibly imagine. Since ultimately it will all depend on how well you treat your customers, it’s recommended that you start taking the right initiatives that will allow you to provide the best possible help desk support services to your customers. Now the best way of doing that is to start a full-fledged customer support center, but since it’s highly unlikely that you have the millions required for doing so, its better that you try other far more affordable yet effective options that are available. What you can do is invest in a web based help desk software system that will automate and streamline all your existing customer support services and that too in the least possible costs. You will thus be in a better position to serve the interests of your customers.

One of the most prominent benefits of having a web based help desk software system is that you will no longer be required to spend long hours replying to customer generated queries and complaints. The software will automatically do that for you by leading customers to the exact answers that they might be looking for. You do not have to worry about customer satisfaction because in case customers are unable to find the right answers using the software, for more details visit to www.software-designers-pro.com they will always have the option of sending you an email. However, since there will only be a few such instances, you can rest assured that your mailbox will never ever get clogged by the hundreds of customer generated mails. The time and effort thus saved can then be employed for other equally important and productive purposes such as Internet marketing, lead generation, website traffic, profitability, business expansion, etc.

By installing a web based help desk software system on your website, you will also be able to get the desired protection from spammers and hackers who can use your email link to clog your mailbox with hundreds of unsolicited mails. Since, only those having a valid mail ID will be allowed to send you mails, for more details visit to www.pure-profit-software.com you can easily ensure that only the most genuine and customer generated mails reach your inbox.

For best results, it is recommended that you first test a few software systems before actually buying one. Just download some of the trial versions and try to ascertain which one best suits the needs and requirements of your online business. Giving due consideration to cost, you can then easily select the best and click on the ‘buy’ button.

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Mind the Gap! With Issue Tracking Software

It’s the age-old Project Manager’s nightmare; dodgy spec and a fixed-price project. Why doesn’t everyone accept that people will do their best and go for the flexibility and realism of Time & Materials (T&M)? These days there seems to be a strong leaning towards fixing the price of software development projects, after all, the budget is fixed so it doesn’t make sense not to fix the price as well. The trouble is, as many experienced PMs know, things are rarely that simple.

The issue is one of risk and who takes it. With a fixed price project the risk is deemed to be the supplier’s, with T&M it is the customer who takes the risk. This ‘risk’ is presumed to be the risk of overrun, in other words if the project is not completed on time the cost of resources to continue working on it will be borne by one party or the other.

In the fixed price scenario, the supplier is in theory happy to accept the risk because it is the supplier who names the price and sets the timeline. If the project comes in early then the supplier makes a super profit because the engagement was profitable even if it was only on time and the supplier is usually allowed to add a mark-up to the project for accepting fixed price risk in the first place.  Everybody is happy unless the project comes in so late that it eats into the supplier’s contingency and extra margin, but if that should happen it is the supplier’s fault anyway for getting it so wrong in the first place. Or is it?

In reality the supplier rarely sets the price or the timeline. Customers don’t just sit back and accept the estimates they are given, they negotiate and they usually negotiate the fixed price risk factor away. Suppliers need the business and recognise that if they don’t do it their competitors will, so they take the risk of a fixed price project scoped out to meet exact deadlines. However, if they fail to meet those deadlines they do not passively accept the cost of the overrun either. Even if it is entirely their fault, suppliers will do their utmost to stay in business and running unprofitable projects is not a good way to remain solvent. They will under-deliver on what was promised, scale back on resources allocated to the project, either by using less or cheaper labour, and they will hit back with that dreaded weapon, the Change Request. When the arguments start over the Change Requests then nobody wins.

If we look at what was intended rather than the means of getting and paying for it we might be able to see a way out of the problem. Customers want good, reliable software that addresses a need that they have. However suppliers cannot give customers what they want; they can only give them what they ask for.  Customers, not being experts in the software development business frequently don’t know how to ask for what they want. Sometimes they do not even know if it is possible to get it. If you know that there is a gap between what the customer asks for and what they want, and you have enough experience to know that they rarely like what they are given first time, then the solution is to show them what they are going to get, early.

Project Managers should try to minimize the size of the gap by making sure that as far as possible the customer sees what they are going to get as soon as possible, in small chunks. The sooner the “what you want” vs “what you get” battle is fought, the sooner the “risk” vs “pricing” issue gets resolved and the more likely the project is to succeed.

We call this “Minding the Gap” and we learnt to do this because the reality in large projects is that there is rarely only one gap. The need to “Manage the Gap” is just as great as the need to recognise it in the first place. Even Agile / SCRUM projects can fail if you fail to properly “Manage the Gap”.

Every issue represents a potential chasm for funds and resources to pour into and that is why Issue Tracking tools like Gemini can be extremely beneficial to all parties concerned.

CounterSoft are the provider of Gemini, a leading.NET issue tracking software solution. scrum project management software that offers a very effective browser-based project team experience, enabling total project issue and bug tracking.

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Using Web Based Help Desk Software to Boost Your Online Income


An online business that is very successful often has a growing customer base. The growth itself certainly has to be managed. Otherwise, the business may be crushed under the weight of its own growth – that is, if the business grows too fast for the entity to handle.


Fortunately, an online business is one of the few business models where almost everything can be automated with systems such as hardware and software. For example, you may want to install an billing system that is integrated with your payment processor so that all payments are automated. The billing software can then generate the appropriate reports for you and your finance department, thus saving you a lot of time and resources. Customers who pay online using your billing system will receive automated confirmations and invoices immediately upon payment. This will certainly help boost confidence, as everything is handled in a professional manner.


Billing is just one such example. The next example, is to use a web based help desk software to help handle support questions. Support can take up a large amount of time, and when the customer base is growing at an amazing rate, there has to be some system that tracks, log, and maybe even respond to the customer requests. The value of a help desk software is that it keeps all the support questions well organized. And anyone who has sent a support email will be assured that his or her questions won’t be lost. If the business loses or fails to respond to the emails in a timely manner, chances are the customers will not deal with the company ever again. Lost customers mean lost revenues. And that’s certainly not good for any business. So it’s important to learn the basics of what a help desk software can or cannot do, and pick the right system to install for your online business.


An effective help desk software can log and track all incoming support emails. These emails are treated as support tickets, and all support tickets have an ID attached to them. The help desk software will then route the tickets to the appropriate department. For instance, if it’s a billing issue, it’ll be routed to the billing department and so on. The respective departments can then respond accordingly in a timely manner. Emails will never be lost again.


These support emails are all added to a database, already installed on the web server with the help desk software. Most modern help desk software are web based. They are very easy to integrate into your, and some even come with step by step installation wizards.


But what does all that have to do with increasing revenues? Again, the presence of a professional help desk software on your website will boost the confidence of your customers. Customer retention rate is increased, and the rate of repeat purchases will increase as well, due to happy customers who have received great support. So if you’re already running a successful online business, it’s high time that you look into installing a web based help desk software to boost your income.

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How to Adapt Your Workflow to an EMR System


Recently, when discussing electronic medical records with a colleague, I was asked about the details of customization of different electronic medical records systems. Some of the systems available today highlight ease of use, or perhaps that the use of templates is not required. This more modular approach could be sufficient within some special medical practices, but overall this solution seeks simplicity at the expense of overall ability of the system. Sure, it would be great to have patient records in electronic format, but it may not be any easier to derive valuable meaning from the information, or use it practically in daily operations.

The field of ophthalmology requires a robust EMR system able to document both SOAP-notes and high resolution drawings and images. Several years ago we talked with an IT firm developing an ophthalmology EMR system; our practice ended up working with this group in developing a beta test site, thinking that if the system would work in ophthalmology, it could also function well within other specialties. Unfortunately, the system wasn’t quite ready for prime-time then, and as a result we became immersed in growing amounts of basic programming work.

Unfortunately, our previous EPM vendor didn’t have another appropriate product available for use in the field of ophthalmology, although they were a strong competitor in the overall EPM market.

When customizing, the consequence to consider is the need to apply more time and effort to enact system modifications. Many systems are ready for basic set-up out of the box; however, the true potential of these systems resides in their ability to modify overall operations to the individual needs of the physicians and the medical practice. To move the basic EMR system into an enhanced work flow tool at the practice, some modifications are definitely necessary. The best way to do this, we have found, is through the use of mind-mapping software.

Mind-mapping software allows members of a group to ‘think out loud’ in the visual sense. Participants can actually see the workflow diagram details, from the entering of patient info, to the selection of an open examination room, to billing and check-out. By examining the overall flow of the examination process, we have been able to modify the electronic medical records to better fulfill our needs. This process has helped up find places where workflow can be improved, streamlining the process and creating a more efficient system at the practice.

In using mind-mapping software, our practice was able to achieve better organization when creating custom features and functions for our system. By maintaining a clear vision and working out direction before setting out into production work, the entire process became more steamlined for the overall benefit of the practice.

No single ‘out of the box’ system is the right one for your practice. Instead, consider careful and thoughtful adaptation to create the electronic medical system that suits you best.

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