UBB.Developers Forums UBB.classic V6.4 - 6.7 Modifications V6 Mod Ideas Using UBB as Trouble-Ticketing System

I've been using UBB now for about a year, and I've pretty much tried every hack made. I've actually learned some elementary Perl/CGI programming trying to walk through the hacks.

I've suggested this a few months ago, but I'm not sure it would be too feasible, unless a major hack was written (private or by Infopop).

Has there been any talk within Infopop on adding a module that will allow you to use UBB as a full-blown Trouble-Ticketing system? I'm in the process of procuring an off-the-shelf trouble-ticketing package within the next few months. I would love to see Infopop modify the UBB to stretch its functionality outside of just a bulletin board.

Anyone at Infopop think this is feasible? You could probably sell the module add-on for more than the cost of a UBB license. I'm currently looking at spending $10k on a decent package called Footprints from Unipress Software. They use a flat file system like UBB, but just came out with a SQL version.

If any Infopop marketing guys read this, and have something up their sleeve for the near future, let me know so I can hold off on purchasing Footprints.

[ July 17, 2001 03:25 PM: Message edited by: Dino ]

Doubtful it would be part of UBB, even as an addon, unless someone made an (unofficial) hack for it.

It's a good idea for Infopop to make tho, as another product... I can hear the dolar signs cha-chinging in their eyes now!

Cha-ching for Infopop, for sure.

What I'm thinking, is a seperate install of the whole UBB engine, running a Trouble-Ticket add-on. It would be so easy, since archiving is inherent to UBB, as well as topic numbering (which could act as the ticket #). Permissions could be set to reply (with notification) to tech admins, and an FAQ can be built on the fly.

For me, I would have five Trouble-Ticket centers: 1) PC, 2) Unix/CAD, 3) Cost Accounting System (CAS), 4) NexPrise (an online collaboration software we use), and 5) Building Operations.

When an end user would initiate a ticket via some plug-n-chug GUI, the system would take the data, store it in UBB, issue a ticket #, issue an auto-response, and contact the appropriate tech specialist.

The tech specialist would then trouble-shoot the issue, resolve it, and issue the resolution (perhaps with a reply), where the end user would get a confirmation. The tech could then label it a common problem, and post it to the FAQ, which would allow users to search for solutions before issuing a ticket.

The engine is there. The corporate need (globally) is there. I just don't have the resources now to build a system like this from scratch, or modify a UBB. I just wanted to offer it out to the Infopop/UBBDev community to see what others think, and to see if Infopop thinks this is a good idea.

If I was them, I would totally see this as another avenue for revenue... expanding the UBB engine to applications other than bulletin boards.

Actually, we rolled our own trouble ticket system (within Infopop)... at one time, it was with the intention of distributing it, however that idea was shelved quite some time ago. (i.e. years)

You might want to mail Ted your idea directly, Dino.

Anyone else give this a thought?