On July 10, UNC-Chapel Hill will switch to a new customer support tool — here’s a preview of the features you’ll notice on day one.
The customer support tool powers the UNC Help Portal and helps campus users report tech problems, search for help, request services and chat with the ITS Service Desk. Behind the scenes, UNC’s customer support tool handles workflows and automations, tracks assets and connects Tar Heels with information and services.
ITS expects that the new tool will improve the experience for both customers and people who work in the tool — and save the University money.
ITS initiated a request for proposal (RFP) in 2023 and chose TeamDynamix as the new provider. TeamDynamix was the top scorer across all assessment areas and received positive feedback from stakeholders across campus. The University’s contract with current provider ServiceNow expires in September.
Customer support tool preview
Most importantly, the Help Portal URL, help.unc.edu, won’t change. But on July 10, when you visit the portal for tech help, you’ll see a fresh look and feel.
The new portal is designed to make it easier for you to find information, whether you’re searching for answers or referencing a previous help ticket. The new portal also features colors and elements you’ll recognize from UNC’s brand.
‘Easy button’ and other ways to get help
The new portal design has a big “get help” button so you can quickly create a help ticket. The project team made this new “easy button” as a simpler way to get help — solving one of the issues with the current portal.
The new Help Portal footer at the bottom of the page shows all the ways you can get tech help, including live chat, phone support and walk-in assistance. The team also added operating hours for live support options, so you can pick the best support method for your needs.
And after the portal launches, you’ll have a new way to contact the ITS Service Desk — email. While the ITS Service Desk does recommend you create a ticket through the portal because it guides you through providing necessary information, more ways to get tech help is a win-win.
Searchable on the web
Another big benefit of the new tool will be outside the portal. With the new tool, search engines will be able to index and find help articles. This means you’ll have the choice to search for tech help from inside the portal or from search engines like Google.
Not only will this make finding help easier and more intuitive for people searching for answers, it will also reduce the workload for people who maintain web pages at the University. Because the outgoing customer support tool, ServiceNow, didn’t allow search engines to find help articles, many people at the University duplicated information on their publicly searchable webpages. This helped people find information but meant extra work — and potential confusion.
Even better, the links to help articles are permanent. With the current tool, links often break when IT staff update the articles, which makes sharing them difficult.
Big changes behind the scenes
For IT staff and others who respond to requests and manage tickets in the portal, the changes are much larger. But thankfully, TeamDynamix is a much simpler tool than ServiceNow.
Over the past several months, ITS has been helping IT staff and those who will work in the system prepare for the transition. The project team has held two town halls, offered training and shared regular updates along the way. If you’re interested in catching up on all the features of TeamDynamix, viewing the communications archive or reviewing questions IT staff have about the new tool, check out the project website.
The project team is working diligently to launch the portal but will continue to work hard over the coming months to add full functionality and improvements.