How TAnthony & Associates implemented a cost-effective SharePoint help desk with email-to-ticket automation

This story is based on an interview with Nigel Rodriguez, Managing Director at TAnthony & Associates. We’ve put together a summary of their experience implementing Plumsail HelpDesk for SharePoint Online as part of an IT support pilot. In this business case, they share how a simple email-to-ticket workflow helped establish a scalable service desk foundation.

In this article:

• About TAnthony & Associates
• Challenge: Reassessing an existing Zendesk setup within budget limits
• Solution: SharePoint ticket system with email-to-ticket automation
  • Ticket management
  • Faster replies with canned responses
  • Reporting for oversight and improvement
• Results: a reliable foundation for a growing service desk
• Get started with HelpDesk for SharePoint Online

About TAnthony & Associates

TAnthony & Associates is an IT consulting company working with small businesses and startups, helping them streamline operations, implement modern tools, and build efficient digital workflows.

Challenge: Reassessing an existing Zendesk setup within budget limits

We were recently contracted to consult several gated communities with the goal of improving their ICT Compliance. A major part of that work was assessing an existing Zendesk Pro implementation and recommending a suitable way forward.

As part of the assessment, we reviewed the existing help desk setup and explored several possible approaches:

• Renewing Zendesk Professional (with a possible upgrade to Enterprise)
• Migration to Zoho Desk
• Leveraging the existing Microsoft 365 subscription (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics)
• Building a custom SharePoint-based application

The biggest challenge wasn’t technical, but it was getting quick secure approval for a pilot deployment once a solution was identified, because cost was a major constraint.

Solution: SharePoint ticket system with email-to-ticket automation

To make a long story short, Plumsail HelpDesk was identified as the best possible solution with an out-of-the-box implementation to support five agents without major customizations, while still offering the ability to scale when needed.

We implemented a straightforward email-driven workflow:

• A user submits a request via email
• Plumsail HelpDesk creates a ticket automatically
• Tickets are auto-assigned to the appropriate agent
• The agent tracks progress and communicates with management
• The ticket is resolved, logged, and closed

This created a clean, reliable tracking system that didn’t introduce unnecessary complexity and made it easy to demonstrate value early

Ticket management

Agents use the tickets list to monitor incoming requests, track status changes, and ensure nothing is missed. This provides clear visibility into day-to-day IT support activities and helps maintain a consistent response process.

Faster replies with canned responses

To speed up communication and keep responses consistent, agents uses canned responses for common requests. This reduces manual effort and helps agents focus on resolving issues rather than repeating the same replies.

Reporting for oversight and improvement

Built-in reports give a quick overview of ticket volume, categories, and requester activity. These insights support better oversight during the pilot and help identify areas for improvement as the service desk evolves.

Results: a reliable foundation for a growing help desk

Plumsail HelpDesk proved to be an effective solution thanks to its easy implementation, impressive scalability options, and active user community. Our previous implementation suffered vendor lock-in as exporting data was locked behind a paywall, and SPAM was a daily issue among several other complexities. Our Solution? - Plumsail Helpdesk.

With the pilot in place, we established a practical SharePoint ticketing system for the client that is easy to manage day to day and ready to scale when needed, providing a solid foundation for future help desk growth.

Get started with HelpDesk for SharePoint Online

Start your free one-month trial of Plumsail HelpDesk for SharePoint Online by downloading the installation wizard and following the installation instructions in our documentation.