Simple help desk solution

[outonalimb]

We have over 200 users in our organisation but we don't want all of them to have access to e-mail via Outlook on our Exchange server due to the cost implications.

To allow users to contact the IT department, we'd like to create a form on our intranet so they can submit requests for help, etc. We are currently using IIS4 on NT4 Server to host the intranet and CDONTS to turn current web forms into e-mails. I don't want to store data in an Access (or whatever database) as yet. An e-mail will suffice.

However, I would like the IT department form to supply the user with a unique case reference number when they press the Sumbit button on the form. This will allow the 3 members of the IT department to search for the case in Outlook when given a reference number.

What i'm suggesting might sound primitive but I don't have much time at the moment and we're under pressure to deliver something.

Can anyone help with the unique reference number side of things? I understand I will need an Access database to manage this but I have no idea where to start or the code to use.

Any help from anyone would be fantastic or if you can suggest a better way of providing the solution i'm after would be great.

Regards,

 

[ChrisHirst]

to be honest a simple and quick solution for a help desk is to use forum code. Take a look at Snitz Forum. Free, runs on IIS4/5.x. Then a forum could be set up as a self-help system with searchable FAQs and common issues detailed etc.



Chris.

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[outonalimb]

Thanks for the quick reply Chris but it's not the solution I really want.

A webform-to-e-mail solution is what i've been briefed to provide unfortunately.

Regards,

 

[Genimuse]

Do the case numbers need to be short and consecutive? If the answer to both is "no," then you could use, for example, current time in seconds plus the last, say, 5 digits of this user's session id. That kind of thing.

 

[ChrisHirst]

Actually a little bit of outside the box thinking and it's exactly the same.

logon to forum,
post question (web form),
forum sends email to moderator (IT team)
Unique number assigned (thread number)
all post are on mod/admin preview (never approved therefore don't go public)

just needs a bit of juggling to show only the buttons and the pages you want.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?

http://www.candsdesign.co.uk

A website that proves the cobblers kids adage.

http://www.cram-system.com

Nightclub counting systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.