Get people working again, with a clear route to help
When a laptop fails, an account is locked or a business application stops working, employees need help that is easy to reach and easy to understand. Stratiis provides remote and, where agreed, onsite user support for Scottish organisations, backed by a managed approach to the devices, identities and services behind each request.
What is a business IT helpdesk?
A business IT helpdesk is the first route for staff to report technology problems and request help. It records the issue, assesses its impact, resolves what it can and coordinates specialist or supplier escalation when needed. Within a managed IT service, the helpdesk also uses the wider knowledge of your systems, security controls and agreed support responsibilities.
Less disruption for users and clearer ownership for leaders
Good support is measured by whether people can return to work and whether recurring problems are addressed. It should also show who owns each request and what happens next.
One clear route
Staff know how to ask for help and where to find updates on an open request.
Practical resolution
Support focuses on restoring the user's workflow, not only closing the ticket.
Joined-up expertise
Engineers can draw on knowledge of Microsoft 365, devices, networks, security and suppliers.
Useful insight
Ticket patterns highlight training needs, weak systems and improvement priorities.
What can a managed helpdesk support?
The exact scope is set out in your agreement. A typical service covers everyday user problems and requests across approved devices and business systems, with clear boundaries for specialist applications.
Devices and workstations
Help with approved laptops, desktops, peripherals, setup, faults and replacement coordination.
Accounts and access
Password and sign-in issues, approved access requests, new starters, role changes and leavers.
Microsoft 365
Everyday issues with Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint and other agreed services.
Business applications
First-line diagnosis and coordination with the application owner or vendor for agreed systems.
Connectivity and printing
Initial checks for network access, Wi-Fi, remote connections and approved printers.
Remote and hybrid users
Support for people away from the office, subject to the agreed devices and access methods.
From first contact to a useful resolution
A request should have a clear owner, priority and next step. The process can be adapted to your organisation and service hours.
| Stage | What happens | What you should know |
|---|---|---|
| Log and understand | The user describes the issue, affected service and business impact. | How to contact the desk and what information helps diagnosis. |
| Prioritise | The team assesses urgency and impact against the agreed priority definitions. | How response targets and updates vary by priority. |
| Resolve or escalate | Support investigates, restores service where possible and brings in an engineer or supplier when required. | Who owns escalation and any approval needed for a change. |
| Confirm and learn | The team checks the user can work again and records the fix or next action. | Whether a recurring fault needs a longer-term improvement. |
Response and resolution are different measures. A response confirms that the request has been received and assessed; resolution depends on diagnosis, access, parts, vendors and the nature of the fault. Read our guide to IT support response times for questions to ask about service levels.
Clear ownership makes support faster
Helpdesk quality depends on current information about users, devices, applications and suppliers. The service agreement should identify what Stratiis manages, what your team approves and what a third-party vendor must fix.
Stratiis can coordinate
Ticket triage, remote troubleshooting, agreed device and account administration, escalation, user updates and reporting. Onsite visits and service hours follow the contract.
Your organisation remains involved
Business owners approve access and changes, keep staff and supplier contacts current, and set priorities when a system outage affects operations.
If you have an internal IT team, co-managed IT can divide first-line support, specialist escalation and project work without losing accountability.
Set up a desk that knows your organisation
Before taking on user requests, we agree the coverage and gather the information needed to support your staff safely.
Discover
Map users, sites, devices, core applications, suppliers and common issues.
Agree scope
Define channels, hours, priorities, approvals, onsite arrangements and exclusions.
Onboard
Document systems, access, contacts, escalation routes and the user communication plan.
Improve
Review ticket trends and recurring faults alongside wider IT plans.
Connect user support to the wider IT service
The desk works best when the underlying systems are maintained, protected and planned together.
Managed IT services
Helpdesk, monitoring, maintenance and strategic oversight within one agreed service.
Co-managed IT
Additional support capacity and specialist skills for an existing internal team.
Cybersecurity
Identity, endpoint, email and user protections that support safer day-to-day work.
vCIO services
Turn support trends into a roadmap for system, security and lifecycle improvements.
Helpdesk and user support explained
What is included in helpdesk and user support?
It commonly includes a route for users to log issues, ticket triage, remote troubleshooting, account and device assistance, user updates and escalation. The contract should state supported systems, hours, response targets, onsite provision and exclusions.
Can staff get onsite help?
Onsite support can be included where agreed. Many issues are resolved remotely; visits are arranged when a physical fault, setup or local investigation requires them.
Do you support specialist business applications?
Stratiis can diagnose agreed IT dependencies and coordinate with the application vendor. Product-specific changes and fixes depend on the agreed scope and the vendor's responsibilities.
How quickly will a ticket be answered?
Response expectations should be defined by priority and business impact in the service agreement. Urgent loss of a critical service is handled differently from a routine request.
Can the helpdesk support an internal IT team?
Yes. A co-managed arrangement can provide first-line capacity, overflow, holiday cover or specialist escalation with documented ownership between teams.
Will the helpdesk help reduce repeat issues?
Ticket trends can reveal recurring device faults, access problems, training gaps or unreliable applications. Those findings can feed into maintenance and technology planning.
Talk through your support needs
Tell us about your users, locations, applications and current frustrations. We can define a practical helpdesk scope and a clear route for escalation.
