Introduction
Sooner or later, you will find that you need help with a library task, such as printing labels or how to change the text of your overdue notices. Rarely (hopefully!), the software itself may not be operating correctly. These are times when you will need technical support from the staff at your ILS provider. Making sure that support is available, timely, and easy to contact is an important consideration when choosing an ILS.
Contacting Support
The more ways that you can contact the support team, the better! Having the ability to chat online, email, speak to a support technician, open your own tickets, etc. can help you get the assistance you need. Being able to contact support after hours and get a quick response when the staff returns is also important. If an ILS that you are considering offers a free trial, can you contact support staff during the trial period? This is a good way to gauge how helpful, professional, and prompt the support staff will be if you purchase the product.
Accessing Documentation and Tutorials
When shopping for an ILS, check to see how easy it is to access the help documentation and to search it for the information you need. Is the manual easy to find? Is it arranged in a logical fashion? Does the documentation explain concepts clearly, or is it full of unfamiliar jargon or hard to understand? Do sections contain screenshots or links to tutorial videos? You need to make sure that the documentation will be useful to you and your staff.
If online tutorial videos are available, that is a huge plus—especially for those of us who learn by seeing a task being performed rather than reading about it. You can pause, replay, and re watch to your heart’s content.
Conclusion
Support, documentation, and tutorials are useful resources when using your ILS. Sooner or later, you will need assistance, and you want it to be accessible, clear, and available in a timely manner. Making sure that the support resources fit your needs is another important factor to consider when choosing an ILS.
About Surpass Software
Surpass is the easy-to-use, cloud-based library management system for libraries of all types and sizes. Whether you’re a school, church, museum, business, or any other organization with resources to lend, Surpass is likely a good fit for you. We pride ourselves on being affordable and flexible, with an expert support team ready to help you at a moment’s notice.
Schedule a free demo to see Surpass in action.
