An IT ticketing system for a one-person IT team
When you run a company’s IT alone, your biggest problem is rarely the technology. It is the sentence “Got a minute?”, twenty times a day, in the corridor, in Teams, by phone. 404desk collects it all in one place, shows you what is urgent, and makes sure someone else can carry on when you are on holiday.
A Monday morning, alone in IT
Calculated for a fictional company with 60 people at two sites. Times use Europe/Berlin.
- A list instead of an inboxOver the weekend six tickets arrived through the portal and email, plus two alert emails: “Backup failed” and later “Backup successful”. That closed the alert incident by itself. You see six open tickets, each with its deadline.07:45
- The printer on the 2nd floorFive tickets about the same printer in ten minutes. Radar suggests a banner. You publish it, the five tickets are bundled, and the next ten people tap “I am affected too” in the portal instead of writing again.07:52
- A new colleague todayThe new starter request has been sitting there with its checklist for two weeks. What is still open is the initial password, which goes out as a one-time link.08:10
- “Got a minute?”The sales manager at the coffee machine. You say: “Sure, send it to me through the portal, then I will not forget.” Two minutes later it is ticket #1452, with a screen recording.08:25
- Coffee firstThe first Monday of the month: the “Check backups” ticket is there, with a task list. Today you will not forget it, because you do not need to keep it in your head at all.09:00
Which features help most when you work alone
- Employee portal
- One place for all reports. The history answers “So, has anything happened yet?” before anyone asks.
- Email to ticket
- Your familiar IT address stays and forwards. New emails land as tickets in the list, automatic bounce-backs are caught, and unclear ones wait for review.
- Incident banners
- Say once that you are on it, instead of twenty times.
- Knowledge base
- Write down the five most common questions once. In the portal people find them before they write a ticket.
- Recurring tasks
- Check backups, updates and permissions, without sticky notes.
- Expiry reminders
- Certificates and domains no longer expire unnoticed.
- Cover with guest access
- Your IT partner covers for you on holiday, with time-limited access.
- IT service report
- Every month, in black and white, what you got done.
What it costs for 60 people
| 60 activated accounts × €1.50, you included | €90.00 |
|---|---|
| Guest access for the IT partner while you are on holiday | Not counted |
| Optional AI add-on, 60 × €0.50 | €30.00 |
| Total without AI | €90.00 |
404desk: No VAT is charged under the small business scheme (§ 19 UStG).
Systems that charge per IT seat can be cheaper for a single person. Work out which plan you would need there for deadlines, Microsoft sign-in and device management. How to do that is in the guide What does an IT ticketing system cost?.
Two weeks of holiday, without a work phone
The biggest difference for one-person IT is not Monday but holiday. Without a system, everything is in your head and your mailbox. With the system you enter an absence and set up cover, for example your IT partner with guest access. The guest sees only the tickets handed over to them, replies there and sets the status. Internal notes and administration stay closed. The access ends by itself, after 31 days at the latest.
Anyone with an open ticket in the portal can see that you are absent and who takes over. When you come back, each ticket’s history shows what happened. No handover by phone on the first day.
How to start without a project
Sign up
It is easiest with Microsoft 365. The setup asks about location, business hours, categories and email intake, and offers templates for snippets and requests. Anything you do not know, you skip.
Use it yourself for a week
Create every interruption as a ticket yourself. That shows you how much really comes in.
Send the link
A short email to everyone with the portal link, saying that the IT address stays.
Put QR labels on the problem devices
Printers, projectors, the computer at reception.
Frequently asked questions
Is a ticketing system worth it if I am on my own?
Especially then. You are the only person who knows what is open. A ticketing system takes the remembering off you and shows management how much you do.
What does it cost for 60 people?
60 activated accounts times €1.50 is €90 a month, with every feature except AI included. With the AI add-on, €30 is added, and exactly that amount becomes your AI credit.
How do I get people to use the portal?
Make it more convenient than a phone call: QR labels on printers and projectors, the IT address stays the same, and when someone asks “Got a minute?” you reply politely with the link. After a few weeks it becomes the normal way.
What happens when I am on holiday?
You enter an absence and set up cover, either internal or with an external partner as a guest. Guest access does not count as an account and ends by itself.
Further reading
- Cover and guest accessRecord absences and hand tickets to a colleague or external IT partner. Employees see who is covering. Guest access expires automatically.
- QR labelsPrint QR labels for devices and rooms on A4 sheets. Scan with a phone to open the employee portal with the device or room already selected.
- Roll out an IT ticketing system in four weeksA four-week rollout plan for internal IT: start with a pilot, announce the new help desk and build good habits. Includes an email template.