Help Desk · intermediate
Tiered Service Desk with SLA Policies and Automation
A working Jira Service Management desk — request types, tiered queues, SLA policies that escalate before they breach, and automation rules that handle the routine tickets without a human.
Project overview
Every help desk posting lists a ticketing platform, and almost every candidate has only used one as an end user. Having configured one — request types, SLA clocks, escalation, automation — puts you on the administrator side of the tool, which is the difference between a Tier 1 seat and a Tier 2 one.
Real-world use case
A 200-person company replacing a shared support inbox needs a real desk with priorities, response-time commitments, and routing so nothing quietly sits unanswered for three days.
Tools and technologies
- Jira Service Management
- Automation Rules
- Confluence
- SLA Configuration
Skills you can demonstrate
ITSM Configuration, SLA Design, Queue Management, Service Desk Automation, Knowledge Base
Build roadmap
- Get a free JSM site
Atlassian Cloud is free for up to three agents. Create a site and a service project — this is your lab for everything that follows. - Build the request catalog
Define 6–8 request types a real desk would field: password reset, hardware request, access request, software install, incident report. Give each the fields it actually needs and no more. - Design the tiered queues
Create queues for Tier 1, Tier 2, and escalations, scoped with JQL. Someone opening the desk should see only the tickets that are theirs to work. - Configure the SLA policies
Set response and resolution targets per priority using the AI prompt below. Pay attention to business-hours calendars — a 4-hour clock means something different at 5pm Friday. - Automate the routine work
Write rules that auto-assign by request type, escalate at 75% of the SLA clock, and auto-close resolved tickets after a set period with a satisfaction survey. - Run tickets through it and report
Submit 20–30 varied tickets and work them. Export the SLA report showing met vs breached, and write up what you would change. The analysis is what makes this intermediate.
Ways to extend the project
Add a Confluence knowledge base wired into the portal so common requests surface an article before the ticket is ever submitted, then measure how many submissions it prevents.
How to showcase your work
- GitHub: A documentation repo — your request type catalog, SLA matrix, automation rule inventory, and screenshots of the configured portal and queues.
- LinkedIn: Post the SLA matrix and one automation rule with its measured effect, e.g. how many tickets auto-route without a human touching them.
- Resume: Focus on "Service desk administration", "SLA policy design", and "Workflow automation".