What's 'issue tracking software'? If you’ve never heard this phrase before, you may not be aware how these applications can benefit your organization. Issue tracking software solutions help teams work more quickly, streamline everyday processes, and keep issues from slipping through the cracks.

When you call an electrician or take your car into the mechanic, you aren’t looking for someone to pass you the tools and tell you to “do it yourself” (DIY). What you’re looking for is expertise -- for someone who’s studied and trained and acquired a deep knowledge of the subject at hand to perform a service for you, or to walk you through a task with hands-on assistance.

When a customer has a complaint about your organization, picking up the phone or sending an email won’t always be their first move. It’s become more and more common for customers to go public when a problem occurs; social media and review sites like Yelp provide individuals with an enormous audience and can be used to put public pressure on organizations that haven’t been meeting expectations.

There’s no denying that we live in an online world. We may wake up and check our phones for emails and text messages, go to work and sit at a laptop all day, then relax with a tablet to read and browse the internet in the evening. With so many devices at our fingertips each day, information is becoming increasingly more mobile -- and companies have risen to the challenge of providing their products and services on every device imaginable, from the largest desktop computer to the smallest smartphone.

When there’s an issue at your organization, what’s your first move? Maybe you put the details down in an email, make a note of the situation in a spreadsheet, or even jot something on a sticky note. And then what? What steps do you take to make sure the issue gets resolved?

Our jobs are becoming more stressful than ever before: a report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) stated that 40 percent of employees found their job “very or extremely stressful,” and around 25 percent see their jobs as “the number one stressor in their lives.” While a little stress in the workplace can be motivating, high levels of stress over time can lead to burnout, low productivity, and even chronic health problems.

Issuetrak’s versatility is one of its greatest advantages, setting it apart from other issue tracking software. Though we emphasize six “major” usage umbrellas that many of our customers fall under, some Issuetrak users stretch the program’s capabilities and find new ways to deal with the unique challenges they face at their organizations.

Change is never easy. When you’ve been doing things a certain way for a long time, upsetting the status quo can become a major challenge. However, change is an inevitable part of the workplace, and at one time or another your organization may choose to do something differently -- such as adopting new software.

You’ve heard the old saying: “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” This sentiment still rings true for many tasks, but with the rapidly expanding scope of modern technology, it’s just as likely there’s software out there that can do the same thing as well as (or better than) a human can.