Drupal as an intranet & helpdesk

Drupal as an Intranet & Helpdesk

Jaspher RespicioIT Specialist, Partners in Development Foundation

pidfoundation.orgjrespicio@pidfoundation.org

twitter: @jaspher

Required Features• Bulletin Board

• "We want to see faces!"

• File Downloads– Ability to download files/ forms from Admin offices (HR, Accounting, etc.)– Availability of files will be role/ permission based (Staff & Managers)

• Users will create their own account– Only allow users with a pidfoundaion.org email address– Less work for IT

• IT Helpdesk

*Heads up!I used Drupal 6

Modules used• Internal company news• Job postings• Reminders• “Bulletin Post” Content

Type• CCK + Taxonomy + Views

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Modules used• Spread out among all the

islands• “Nice to put a face to the

name”• Core Profile Module• Content Profile Module• Views to create an

employee directory• Big hit!

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Modules used• Staff will need to be able to

download files/ forms• Managers will need access

to files/ forms not available to regular staff

• Familiar “Folder/ dropdown structure”

• Web File Manager (webFM)

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Modules used• Ease burden on IT• Access Rules Module– Allow/ deny email &

usernames on new & existing accounts

• Allow any pidfoundation.org user to register

• Allow arbitrary emails

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Modules used• Helpdesk ticketing system:– “An issue tracking system

that manages and maintains lists of issues, as needed by an organization…”

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Modules used• Many modules to choose

from– Case tracker– Storm– Support– Rules + CCK

• Decided on Support Module

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Modules used• Seemed like an out-of-the-

box solution.• Support module worked

good… but the workflow* of the module did not match our situation.

• What is our situation?

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Our Workflow

Modules used• Revisit Rules Module– Define actions based on

occurring event conditions, Event-Condition-Action, or ECA Rules

• Created Rules based on events on a new Content Type, “Helpdesk Ticket”

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Our Workflow

Our WorkflowAdded events and actions to our workflow.

Our WorkflowAdded conditions and used Drupal terminology for Events Conditions and Actions.

Modules used• After testing; concluded

that using Rules will be better than using Support

• New Helpdesk will go live next week

• Planning on adding more Rules that will streamline ticket closing process

• Move all IT network documentation to intranet and tie in with Helpdesk

Bulletin Board"We want to see faces!"File DownloadsUsers will create their own accountIT Helpdesk

Before & After

Before Drupal..• Proprietary CMS• Pay for disk space used• Pay per user• Cannot extend or add

features

Before & After

Before Drupal..• Proprietary CMS• Pay for disk space used• Pay per user• Cannot extend or add

features

…Now• Online internal community

for our company• Basic features of an intranet

+ a highly customizable IT Helpdesk

• Free, free, free..• After moving to Drupal and

changing hosts, cost of maintaining intranet dropped 97%

Thanks!Questions, Comments, Suggestions?

jrespicio@pidfoundation.orgTwitter:@jaspher