---
title: "Answer IT questions from your own runbooks | Certant"
description: "Staff ask about VPN setup, device requests or approved software and get the current guide, cited. Unresolved issues reach the service desk with context."
url: "https://certant.ai/use-cases/it-helpdesk-self-service"
---

For IT service-desk managers

# Answer IT questions from your own runbooks

Staff ask about VPN setup, device requests or approved software and get the current guide. Unresolved issues reach the service desk with the context attached.

[See it on your documents](https://certant.ai/contact-sales?topic=use-case) [Start free](https://certant.ai/register)

Answers come from the guides your IT team maintains.

Example

"How do I set up the VPN on my new laptop?"

Answer

Install the VPN client from the self-service portal, sign in with your work account and approve the prompt in your authenticator app.

VPN setup guide v3.2 · section 2 · page 4

_The current guide, with the section the answer came from._

The problem

## Most tickets have a written answer

The service desk has a runbook for VPN setup, a form for device requests and a list of approved software. Staff don't know where those live, so they raise a ticket, and a technician pastes in the same link for the fourth time that day.

The tickets that need a technician wait behind the ones that only needed a link.

The documents

## What Certant reads

When you replace a guide, answers come from the new version.

| Document | What it supplies |
|---|---|
| Runbooks and how-to guides | The steps for common tasks such as VPN setup, multi-factor sign-in and printer access. |
| Approved software list | What staff may install, and how to request something that isn't listed. |
| Device and access policies | Who can request which device, the refresh cycle and how requests are approved. |

The answer

## Staff get the current guide

A question the runbook answersExample

"How do I set up the VPN on my new laptop?"

Answer

Install the VPN client from the self-service portal, sign in with your work account and approve the prompt in your authenticator app. If the client isn't listed in the portal, your laptop may not be enrolled yet.

VPN setup guide v3.2 · section 2 · page 4

Guide last updated 14 Sep 2026

The hand-off

## Unresolved issues arrive with context

When the guides don't cover a problem, the assistant says so and prepares a summary for the service desk. The technician starts with the question, what was already tried and the guide that was used.

An issue the runbook doesn't coverExample

"I followed that and it says 'certificate not trusted'."

Answer

The VPN guide doesn't cover that error, so I've prepared a summary for the service desk.

### Summary for the service desk

**Issue**

VPN client shows "certificate not trusted" after sign-in.

**Already tried**

steps 1 to 4 of VPN setup guide v3.2.

**Device**

new laptop, enrolment not confirmed.

Ready to send to the service desk

Scope

## What setup involves

You load your runbooks, software list and device policies, and the assistant answers from those. That part you can try yourself on a free account.

| Area | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Answers | From your approved guides, with the section each answer came from. |
| Tickets | Opening a ticket in your service-desk tool needs a connection configured for your deployment. |
| Accounts | Password resets and account changes need a configured tool and an approval step. The assistant doesn't make them on its own. |

Related

## Related use cases

### HR policy self-service

Answers from the handbook, enterprise agreement and benefits policy, with exceptions sent to HR.

[See the use case](https://certant.ai/use-cases/hr-self-service)

### Member policy answers

Answers for members from your published policies and bylaws, with the clause attached.

[See the use case](https://certant.ai/use-cases/member-services-chatbot)

### Document intake routing

A proposed category and destination team for each incoming document.

[See the use case](https://certant.ai/use-cases/document-intake-routing)

[See all use cases](https://certant.ai/use-cases)

## See it answer from your runbooks

Send us a few of your guides and we'll show you the answers and the sections behind them. Or start free and load them yourself.

[See it on your documents](https://certant.ai/contact-sales?topic=use-case) [Start free](https://certant.ai/register)

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