I'm new to managing IT and have inherited a very disorganized setup. I'm the sole helpdesk, IT support, and Microsoft 365 administrator for a company of about 80 hybrid employees across the UK. I also handle RMM, security, and day-to-day support, while someone else manages the servers.
Right now, requests arrive through sticky notes, Teams messages, and email, which is becoming difficult to manage. I'm looking for a very simple, inexpensive or free, preferably cloud-based ticketing system since I can't self-host one.
The most important feature is the ability to create templates or structured forms. Onboarding new employees is a major source of confusion, since it involves setting up Microsoft 365 accounts, permissions, groups, shared mailboxes, and other access. Ideally, department managers could complete an onboarding form that collects all the required information. For everyday issues such as SharePoint sync problems, Salesforce access, or replacing mouse batteries, a normal ticket workflow would be sufficient.
I'll be the only person responding to tickets, so I'm mainly looking for something straightforward rather than a complex enterprise platform. What would you recommend?
5 Answers
A simple starting point would be a dedicated Exchange Online mailbox such as [email protected]. Use folders, categories, and Outlook reply templates to organize common requests and onboarding questions. It won’t provide the automation or reporting of a proper ticketing system, but it’s easy to implement and gives everyone one official place to submit requests.
The important part is setting a firm rule: if a request isn’t sent to the support mailbox, it doesn’t enter the queue. When people ask for help through Teams, direct them to email the request so it can be documented and handled in order.
Jira’s free plan could be worth considering, especially if you spend some time configuring it around your own processes. You could create an onboarding issue template with the required fields and tasks. It may feel more complex than necessary at first, though, so keep the setup as minimal as possible.
There are also more feature-heavy options such as GLPI, which supports custom forms, assets, vendors, contracts, tasks, and budgeting. However, it generally requires self-hosting, so it may not fit your current situation. Self-hosted tools like Zammad can be powerful, but they’ll add infrastructure and maintenance work that probably isn’t ideal for a one-person IT department.
Freshservice is worth investigating if its current pricing meets your requirements. Its service catalog can provide exactly the kind of structured onboarding form you described, allowing managers to submit the necessary information instead of sending vague chat messages. In your situation, collecting complete information up front may save more time than the ticket-tracking features themselves.
Jitbit is another option to compare. It’s designed to be relatively easy to set up, is available as a hosted service, and supports templates. It may be a better fit than a larger platform if you want a lightweight system and responsive support.
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