FreshService : Full Review, Testing, and Presentation (2024)

What is Freshservice?

Freshservice is a cloud-based ITSM (IT Service Management) solution designed to modernize enterprise IT service operations.

By offering simplified incident, problem, change, and asset management, as well as a knowledge base and self-service portal, Freshservice helps improve the efficiency and productivity of IT teams.

The FreshWorks solution offers ease of use, flexibility, and powerful integrations that make it a popular platform for managing IT services, from small businesses to large organizations.

Features

Freshservice is a modern IT service management (ITSM) platform that caters to businesses of all sizes.

Freshservice software aims to simplify IT processes, improve operational efficiency, and increase end user satisfaction through a series of automated and intuitive features. Here is a structured overview of the key features that Freshservice offers:

1. Incident Management

Freshservice allows IT teams to quickly resolve issues and incidents, minimizing disruptions and downtime.

• Sorting automation : Incidents are automatically categorized, prioritized, and assigned for quick resolution.
• Self-help portal : Reduces the number of tickets by allowing users to find solutions by themselves via a knowledge base.

Critical review: Freshservice's incident management is remarkably effective, significantly reducing response and resolution times for IT issues.

However, the advanced automation of this tool could require a learning curve for IT teams that are less experienced in setting up such systems.

2. Request Management

The FreshService solution provides a one-stop shop for all IT service requests, from requests for access to services to ordering hardware.

• Service catalog : Allows employees to easily browse and request available IT services.
• Workflow automation : Requests follow an automated approval process, ensuring compliance and efficiency.

Critical review: FreshService's service catalog and automated approval workflows greatly simplify the process of requesting IT services. However, customizing the catalog could be more intuitive, allowing easier adaptation to the specific needs of businesses.

3. Asset Management

Provides a comprehensive view of the lifecycle of IT assets or inventory management within the business, from acquisition to disposal.

• Automatic inventory : Automatically detects and records IT assets for simplified management for everyone
• Asset tracking : Allows you to track the use, performance, and maintenance history of assets.

Critical Note: Automatic inventory and asset tracking provide a comprehensive and up-to-date view of IT assets, an essential feature for effective resource management. Nonetheless, integration with third-party asset systems can sometimes present challenges, requiring adjustments for seamless synchronization.

4. Problem Management

The FreshService solution helps identify and resolve the root causes of incidents to prevent them from recurring.

• Root cause analysis : Identifies systemic or recurring problems for final resolution.
• Management of known errors : Document temporary solutions and workarounds for ongoing issues.

Critical Note: The problem management feature is an asset in identifying and resolving the root causes of incidents, thus improving the reliability of IT services. However, the complexity of root cause analysis could benefit from more advanced data visualization tools to simplify this task.

5. Change Management

Facilitates the process of planning, approving, and implementing IT changes, minimizing business risks.

• Change workflows : Flexible approval processes ensure that all changes are properly evaluated and approved.
• Change planning : Ensures that changes are planned at times that minimize the impact on business operations.

Critical review: Freshservice's flexible change management workflows minimize operational risks and promote better IT governance. However, the functionality of this software could be improved by more configurable notifications to inform all stakeholders of upcoming changes.

6. Release and Deployment Management

The FreshService solution allows for controlled and efficient implementation of software and hardware updates.

• Deployment planning : Schedule updates to ensure a smooth transition and continued availability of services.
• Version tracking : Keep track of different software versions and their deployment across the organization.

Critical review: This feature makes it easy to update systems and software, ensuring business continuity. However, for more complex IT environments, more granular deployment options could enrich this offering.

7. Reports and analyses

The FreshService solution offers insights into IT operations through detailed reports and customizable dashboards.

• Intuitive dashboards : Visualize key KPIs and trends to make informed decisions about your business (asset database, customer tickets within your service center, stock management, contracts, etc.)
• Customizable reports : Create reports adapted to your specific needs for an in-depth analysis of IT performance in its interface

Critical review: Freshservice's reporting and analytics capabilities are robust, offering valuable insights for continuous improvement. However, the reporting interface could be made more intuitive, allowing users to generate custom analyses more easily.

8. Integrations and Compatibility

Freshservice has extensive connectivity that allows centralized and automated IT management, essential for modern businesses looking to optimize their IT operations.

• Integrations with Productivity Tools : Integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace for easy communication and collaboration.
• Cloud Platform Connectors : Compatible with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud for easy management of cloud resources.
• DevOps Operations Support : Integrations with Jira, Jenkins, and other development tools and operations for an integrated view of development and operations.
• Computer security : Connection with security tools for rapid response to security vulnerabilities and incidents.
• Robust API : Allows custom integrations, offering flexibility and adaptability to specific business needs.
• Mobile app : Allows you to follow all the activity of the platform, no matter where you are (Android, iOS)

Freshservice integrations and compatibility play a crucial role in the efficiency and flexibility of IT service management. The platform's ability to integrate seamlessly with a broad range of tools and services significantly improves workflows and IT process automation.

Pricing

FreshService offers four pricing plans tailored to various organizational needs, each with annual or monthly billing.

• Starter: Starting at $19 per agent/month (billed annually), this plan is ideal for businesses starting out with incident management, a knowledge base, and a self-service portal.
• Growth: For $49 per agent/month (annually), growing businesses get everything in Starter, plus asset management, purchase orders, and onboarding new hires.
• Pro: At $95 per agent/month (annually), this plan is for large organizations that require advanced issue, change, release, and project management.
• Enterprise: The most comprehensive plan, at $119 per agent/month (annually), offers a service management solution for businesses, with additional features like audit logs and a significant increase in orchestration transactions.

Free 14-day trials are available for all plans, and add-ons like Freddy AI are offered to improve the experience

Alternatives to Freshservice

Does Freshservice not seem to fit your needs? Here are 3 alternatives you should consider if that were the case:

1. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk focuses on improving the efficiency of customer support teams through automation, centralized ticket management, and a knowledge base to reduce ticket volume.

Features

• Centralization of support tickets from multiple channels within the system
• Automation tools to assign, notify, and close tickets.
• Reports and analytics to measure customer service performance.

Pricing

• Offers a free plan for a limited number of agents.
• Paid plans start at $14 per agent/month, offering more features and greater flexibility.

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Zoho Desk is a great Freshservice alternative for businesses looking for a powerful and affordable customer service management solution. Its free plan and competitive pricing for paid plans make it an attractive option for SMEs, while its ease of use and advanced reporting and automation features can benefit organizations of all sizes.

2. ServiceNow

ServiceNow is a workflow automation platform that provides a comprehensive set of ITSM services to manage and optimize IT processes and services.

It is renowned for its ability to evolve and adapt to large businesses, offering customized solutions for various business needs.

Features

• Complete management of IT services, including incidents, problems, changes, Project management and request management.
• Automating workflows to improve agent operational efficiency
• Customizable dashboards and advanced reporting for better decision making.

Pricing

• ServiceNow offers subscription-based pricing, which is customized to the specific needs of the business, requiring a direct quote.

ServiceNow is ideal for large businesses with complex IT service management requirements. Its platform may be more expensive and complex, but it offers unparalleled flexibility and scalability.

3. Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer service platform that also includes ITSM capabilities, allowing businesses to provide high-quality support to their end users. She focuses on improving customer engagement through integrated support across multiple channels.

Features

• Unified ticket management across multiple channels including email, chat, social media, and phone.
• Self-service knowledge base and community forums.
• Analytics and reporting to monitor service performance and efficiency.

Pricing

• Plans start at $5 per agent/month for basic features, with more advanced plans offering more features and customization.

Zendesk is a solid option for businesses of all sizes looking to offer effective multi-channel customer support.

Although it is not as specialized in ITSM as Freshservice, its ease of use and affordable cost make it an attractive alternative.

Final Freshservice Review

Freshservice is a solution that is positioned as a complete ITSM solution, designed to improve the efficiency of IT operations while providing an exceptional user experience.

Its range of functionalities, ranging from incident and request management to asset and change management, makes it a preferred choice for businesses looking to optimize their IT processes and provide superior service while maintaining a very simple handling.