Support Workflow
Each support scenario followed a consistent service-desk troubleshooting and resolution process.
The workflow was designed to reflect how an IT Support or Service Desk technician can move from a user-reported problem to a verified technical resolution.
Standard Support Process
1. Understand the Request
Identify the user's reported symptom, requested service, or access requirement.
The focus is on understanding the problem from the user's perspective before investigating the technical cause.
2. Establish the Baseline
Check the normal or expected configuration before making changes.
This may include reviewing:
- User account status
- Group membership
- License assignment
- Mailbox permissions
- Service configuration
- Device status
- Intune policy or compliance state
Establishing a baseline provides a reference point for identifying what changed when a problem is introduced.
3. Investigate
Examine the relevant Microsoft 365 service, account, permission, group, policy, or device configuration.
The investigation is based on the symptoms reported by the user rather than changing settings without first identifying the likely cause.
4. Reproduce or Test
Where appropriate, a controlled change was used to reproduce the reported problem.
For example, a permission, group membership, alias, license, or device security setting could be temporarily changed to create a known failure condition.
Not every support scenario required an intentionally introduced failure.
5. Identify the Cause
Connect the user-facing symptom to the underlying technical condition.
The objective is to determine why the problem occurred rather than simply changing settings until the problem disappears.
6. Apply the Fix
Apply the appropriate corrective action based on the identified cause.
Changes were limited to the configuration necessary to restore the affected service or user access.
7. Verify
Test the result from the user or service perspective.
Verification could include:
- Sending or receiving a test email
- Accessing a shared mailbox
- Checking group membership
- Testing a calendar or resource booking
- Verifying application access
- Checking device compliance
- Confirming a restored configuration
8. Document
Record the relevant technical findings and outcome, including:
- Reported issue
- Investigation performed
- Identified cause
- Corrective action
- Verification result
- Supporting evidence
Evidence-Based Troubleshooting
The project uses screenshots to document significant configuration, testing, troubleshooting, and verification points.
Screenshots are treated as evidence of the lab state at the time of testing, rather than as decoration or a replacement for the technical explanation.
Where a support scenario involved a controlled failure, the documentation shows the relevant baseline, failure condition, diagnosis, and restored state using the available evidence.
The project deliberately avoids claiming technical results that were not actually observed or verified.
Overall Workflow
The complete support process can be summarized as:
User Request → Baseline → Investigation → Reproduction/Test → Diagnosis → Corrective Action → Verification → Documentation
This workflow was applied across the project's completed Microsoft 365 support scenarios to demonstrate a consistent, evidence-based approach to IT troubleshooting.