IT ticketing from a business leader’s perspective
As a business leader you want to know whether IT works, what it costs and whether your data is safe. 404desk answers that with a monthly IT service report as a PDF, a price you can work out in your head and a data processing agreement you can read in advance. Getting started needs no sales call and no consultant.
The first of the month at eight
With monthly delivery switched on, the IT service report for the previous month is created on the first of the month from 8 am, and you get an email with the link to the PDF. The PDF says: 212 new tickets in October, first reply after 38 minutes, 94 of 100 deadlines met, 41 thank-you messages. Biggest topic: printers, 48 tickets.
That turns a feeling into a decision: perhaps a maintenance contract for the printers costs less than the time IT spends on them. And if ticket volume has been rising for a year, and resolution time with it, that is a basis for a conversation about a second IT post.
All figures are example values from the fictional company Brenntal Armaturen.
Three questions a business leader asks
- What does it cost?
- One core plan: up to 50 accounts: €2.00, 51 to 200 accounts: €1.50, 201 accounts or more: €1.00 per account per month, at least €29. Only AI costs extra. No plans by feature, no minimum term, invoice as a PDF.
- Is the data safe?
- You can read the DPA in advance. IT and admins can protect their sign-in with two-factor authentication, and you can make it mandatory for admins. Changes are recorded in your company’s audit log. Our support team sees no ticket contents without your approval.
- What does it bring?
- Visibility: what IT does, how fast, where it gets stuck. And an IT team that can be covered during holidays, because everything is in the system instead of in one person’s head.
The servers are in Germany, with Hetzner.
Cost example for 140 employees
| Item | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 140 activated accounts × €1.50 | €210.00 | €2,520.00 |
| Optional AI add-on, 140 × €0.50 | €70.00 | €840.00 |
| Setup fee | €0.00 | €0.00 |
No VAT is charged under the small business scheme (§ 19 UStG).
On top comes your IT team’s time for setup. It guides you step by step, and every step can be skipped. Until everything is in place, allow a few days alongside daily work. The guide Rolling out a ticketing system gives a framework.
Less dependence on one person
In many companies with 20 to 500 people, IT depends on one or two people. What is open, which certificate expires when, who has which laptop: that is often only in their heads. If that person falls ill or leaves, it is a risk to operations.
A ticketing system spreads this knowledge into one system: open tickets with their history, devices with handover forms, expiry dates with reminders, instructions in the knowledge base. Cover, whether internal or an external partner with guest access, can carry on from there.
What management can contribute to the rollout
One sentence. When management says in an email or a meeting that IT problems are now reported through the portal, it helps IT more than any manual. Best of all, management reports its own next problem there too.
When to choose something else
- As customer service for your end customers. There are dedicated tools with telephony and chat for that.
- As an ITIL tool for an audit with change and problem management.
- If you have to run everything in your own data centre. It is hosted only.
- If the interface for employees has to be in English. For now it is in German only.
Frequently asked questions
What is the annual cost for our company?
Activated accounts times the tier rate, at least €29 a month. With 140 accounts that is €210 a month without AI. The cost example on this page shows the annual amount.
Is there a minimum contract term?
No. You cancel at the end of the paid period, directly in the product.
Do we need to involve our works council?
That is a legal question we cannot answer for you. A ticketing system contains reports on the work of IT, so the topic belongs on the table early. The guide Ticketing system and works council lists the questions to settle.
What if 404desk stops operating?
An admin can request an export of all company data as a ZIP at any time. That way you are not tied to us.
Further reading
- IT service reportAn automatic PDF with ticket volume, response and resolution times, satisfaction, employee thanks, leading topics and SLA performance.
- PricingOne core plan, rates of €2.00, €1.50 or €1.00 per account per month, minimum €29. Calculate your price. AI is optional. German interface.
- SecurityTwo-factor authentication, audit log, controlled support access, export and deletion. Review hosting, service providers and the German DPA.