The ratings are in and BOSSDesk™ is once again an elite Help Desk and ITSM industry leader! BOSS Solutions Suite has received several awards in the top Help Desk and Service Desk software categories recently announced by Gartner Digital Markets. These include FrontRunner® for Help Desk Software from Software Advice, Category Leader for Service Desk from Get App, and Top 20 for IT Help Desk Software from Capterra. Gartner Digital Markets comprises the three leading B2B software search websites — Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice. They are the top destination for software buyers to discover, research and connect with the best software for their needs. The recognition by Gartner Digital Markets is due to the high ranking from users, a wide range of features, and excellent customer support. The FrontRunner report for Help Desk Software is available here. The Top 20 IT Help Desk Software report is available here. The Category Leader report for Service Desk Software is available here.

So what is National 811 Day and why is it important? Once a year, utilities and excavators come together to promote safe digging on August 11th. Originally initiated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), each year 811 Day grows to reach more and more people encouraging them to call before you dig. History of 811 In the late ’60s, there was a major accident on the west coast that caused major gas leakages, fires, and power outages. The cause of the accident was due to improper digging practices. This incident spawned a movement for notifying utility owners and operators before excavation projects started. This meant that before ground could be broken, an excavator needed to call each utility company in the area for markings. Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, the individual states created dedicated toll-free numbers which their residents and excavators could use to help consolidate the number of calls needing to be made. At first dialing, the number would help the call notify one or two utilities who opted to become members of each call center. This first step paved the way for more utilities with underground facilities to become members. At the same time that more utilities became members of their state one call centers, the laws started to reflect the value of protecting critical infrastructure and the lives of those on the job site. By the end of the 1990s, damage prevention became a staple of the excavation process with every state in the U.S. having a dig law and a way to call811. As time progressed, many states have updated their laws to include membership with the one call center mandatory. In 2005, 811 became the officially nationally recognized abbreviated number and was assigned by the FCC (United States Communications Commission) which would allow all homeowners and excavators to directly dial the one call center in their area quickly and efficiently. Importance of Contacting 811 Every 6 minutes, an underground facility is damaged by someone digging. In 2020 alone, 385,381 damages were reported to the Common Ground Alliance. 31.8% of those damages were due to not contacting 811 to get the facilities marked. Doing the calculations, that is 122,551 times that utility services were interrupted, 122,551 times the digger had to pay for repair costs, 122,551 times someone could have been hurt or killed, and it all could have been easily avoided by contacting 811. With the advancement of technology, submitting a request for utility markings is becoming easier, and most 811 centers offer multiple ways to make the locate request. You can call or submit the ticket online. As a homeowner, I have done both. By picking up the phone to dial 811, you will speak with a representative who can help you and answer questions you may have about the process. If you don’t want to talk with someone or if you are pressed for time, online entry is available. No matter what option you choose, it is extremely important to protect yourself, your property, and your community. You called, now what? After your request has been submitted, it is important to wait for the appropriate time for the utility locators to mark their underground lines. Depending on the state you are located in, this could be 2 or 3 business days. In many states, the point in time by which the facilities should be marked is called the “Proper Notice”. You can use the following link to review the laws in your state. Between the submission of the one call ticket and the proper notice, each utility will respond by sending out a locator to mark their public utilities within the requested dig site. These markings will be color coded by the facility type and will consist of one or any combination of paint, chalk, flags, stakes, brushes, or offsets. It is important to note what constitutes public utilities. This is the part of the facility lines owned and maintained by the utility up to the meter or point of sale. Anything beyond the meter or from one building to another is considered a private line. These lines are not the responsibility of the utility company and therefore would need to be located by a private locator. Private utilities also include wells, septic systems, invisible dog fences, and most irrigation systems. Once the proper notice arrives, use your ticket to confirm all of the utilities on the ticket have responded. Most states have a portal for you to view all of the responses in one location. Use this information along with a visual inspection of the dig site before the first grain of dirt is moved. Should there be any issues, you will want to contact your call center. After verifying that all of the utilities have responded and the markings are present, it is time to begin your project. However, you want to make sure that you respect the markings by digging around them and not on them. Most states have rules regarding the tolerance zones around the markings. Should the digging need to occur within the tolerance zone, there are ways to do so safely. There are two other things to keep in mind. Locate tickets are only valid for a certain amount of time and it varies from state to state. If your work will not be completed by the expiration date, it is important to renew your ticket. The other thing is the visibility of the markings. Should the markings become weathered, faint, or disturbed by the excavation process, stop digging and request a remarking of the lines. One day a year is not enough. It is great that each year we take the time to promote 811, but it's important to remember contacting 811 is not just for August 11th. We have to remember that 811 is available every day, anytime you want to disturb the surface of the ground. Whether you are removing the sod to install pavers, removing a stump, planting a tree or garden, or building an addition, take the time to call 811. The utilities are happy to mark their lines to protect the community and you. This is why they are members of your one call center and include information about contacting 811 on your utility bills. It is why 811 is listed on utility boxes, pedestals, marker posts, transformers, etc. Are you an old hand at 811? Spread the word. If you are someone who has seen and used 811 numerous times over the years you may be asking yourself why you are reading this. Here is a better question to ask yourself: What am I doing to help educate others in my community about 811? There are a number of ways to get involved. The easiest way is during conversations with friends and family. Anytime someone discusses an upcoming project, you can slip a reminder to contact 811 prior to starting. If they don’t know what 811 is, you have an opportunity to engage them in more detail. A second way to promote safe digging is to ensure any excavators, contractors, or those who will be doing work on your property are educated about 811. Make sure that all parties are in agreement on who will be responsible for making the locate request. To make a bigger impact in your area, you can always reach out to 811 in your state and the Common Ground Alliance. They will be able to provide more resources, information, and outreach opportunities to help reach others. Teamwork for Safety Only if we all work together can we prevent damage and save lives. So next time you think about planting a tree for Arbor Day, landscaping as a Mother’s Day present, redoing the patio for Father's Day, installing stakes to hold holiday yard decorations -- whether it's your first request or your thousandth: take the time to plan. More importantly, take time to contact 811. BOSS Solutions is a provider of industry-leading provider of ticket management software for the damage prevention industry. BOSS811 is a cloud-based One Call ticket management software for municipalities, utilities, and locator companies managing excavation requests. It comes with an award-winning UI and easy navigation. With facility map integration, it provides a visual component for effective management and tracking of dig requests. The powerful ticket screening capability makes it easy to close tickets automatically or alert appropriate locators. BOSS Solutions is a proud partner in damage prevention. About the Author: Kristin Reed is a Senior Support Engineer with BOSS Solutions. Kristin has been part of the damage prevention industry since 2010. She is committed to helping utilities and locators protect their facilities and keeping excavators safe at the dig site.

BOSS Solutions Suite has recently received several awards including FrontRunner® for IT Service Management from Software Advice, Category Leader for Help Desk and Ticketing from Get App, and Top 20 for IT Asset Management from Capterra. Software Advice, Capterra and Get App are all part of Gartner Digital Markets, a service designed to help small and medium-sized businesses evaluate which software products may be right for them. The recognition is due to the high ranking from users, a wide range of features, and excellent customer support. The FrontRunner report for IT Service Management is available here. The Top 20 IT Asset Management report is available here. The Category Leader report for Help Desk and Ticketing is available here.

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The Go-To Help Desk Solution for Governments, Cities and Municipalities Nationwide INDUSTRIES / BOSSDESK FOR GOVERNMENT An all-in-one easy to use ITSM platform that’s flexible, affordable and expandable - either on premise or in the cloud. Help Desk and ITSM For Government FREE PREMIUM U.S. Based Support DEDICATED Best Practices Resources FREE Fast-Launch Priority Implementation Request a Demo Schedule a Demo Now ! CUSTOMERS Trusted By Federal, State & Local Governments City of Marietta "Excellent platform for Service Desk” We use BOSS service desk to manage the service desk requests, 811 (Call before you DIG) requests, inventory management and reporting of all these key metrics. The price of BOSS was very modest compared with the alternatives and the flexibility of the BOSS product was outstanding. Ronald B Director of IT Read more reviews on Capterra BOSSDESK BENEFITS ​ Sheriff, Police & Fire Departments Manage Vehicle Maintenance Requests, Equipment Orders & Human Resource Tasks Create Custom, Secure Service Catalogs Dedicated To Sensitive Content Manage Burn Permits, Plan Reviews, Fire Inspections & Vehicle Information Technology Departments Manage Service & Help Desk Requests Segment Requests by Internal & External Origin Provide Quick Assistance, Support, User Account Management & MORE! Robust Asset Management, Hardware & Software Support & License Management Transform the way you manage Service Requests across your Government Organization Public Facilities Manage Requests For Electricians, Plumbers, Painters and Builders Track Time & Receipts On Work Orders Automatically Generate Service Requests For Routine Maintenance Mobile Apps enable Service Technicians to track and update tickets on the go Human Resources Departments Manage New Hires, Terminations, Transfers & Promotions Expedite Employee Onboarding Monitor And Track Employee Access And ID Card Public Works Manage Service Requests For Fleet Management, Roadways, Traffic Signage & Other Problems Mobile Apps Allow Field Technicians To Manage Tickets Anywhere Unlimited Watchers Enable Individuals The Ability To Watch & Follow Ticket Progress Public Libraries Manage Help Desk Tickets And Research Requests Schedule Events And Reserve Meeting Rooms Manage Network Password Requests Request a Demo Learn how innovative Government Organizations are using BOSSDesk "With BOSSDesk we were able to expand the Help Desk to other city departments and have seen significant improvement in response and resolution times." City of Marietta Expands Service Desk Capability And Migrates from On-Prem to the Cloud THE CITY OF MARIETTA Kelly Hanson Service Desk Manager, City of Marietta See Customer Story More Case Studies Resources Case Study City of Yucaipa Improved Service Delivery and Remote Working with a Modern Service Desk Webinar Integrated Service Management for Improved Client Service - Forsyth County GA Webinar IT Service Catalog - Process Improvements for Onboarding - City of Boca Raton, FL Webinar Service Catalog - The Modern Way to Deliver IT Services -City of Albany, GA INDUSTRIES ​More industries that benefit from using BOSSDesk Government Municipalities, state and other agencies use BOSSDesk ticketing systems for help desk and damage prevention solutions. Learn more Retail BOSSDesk ITSM helps retail companies extend and scale highly customizable IT services. Learn more Education Customers, including K12 and universities, use BOSSDesk for easy-to-integrate IT services and asset management. Learn more Transportation BOSSDesk works with transportation companies to manage IT needs with staffs that are constantly in motion. Learn more Healthcare Healthcare organizations turn to BOSS for service desk and IT asset management, including on-premise implementations. Learn more Hospitality From IT to Facilities management, BOSSDesk ITSM is at the service of hospitality companies. Learn more Finance In the cloud, or on premise, BOSSDesk ITSM provides flexible and secure ITSM tools for finance. Learn more Construction Powerful routing, scheduling and automated workflows help IT departments build a better service desk solution. Learn more Get Started Today Request a Demo Contact sales

Powerful ITSM, Help Desk and 811 Ticketing Systems Turning Ticket Management into an Exceptional Customer Experience Address complex IT issues, like self-service , workflow automation , incident management, asset management and underground utility damage prevention with BOSS' ticketing management software. Explore BOSSDesk Explore BOSS811 PRODUCTS BOSSDesk for ITSM Cloud and on-premise in one platform Help Desk Ticketing Incident, Change and Problem Management Enterprise-Wide Automation of IT processes Comprehensive Service Catalog Integrated Asset Management IT Self-Service Portal Mobile apps for ITSM on the go Get Started With BOSSDesk An integrated Help Desk Ticketing and Asset Management platform for providing easy and efficient Customer Service and Customer Support ticket resolution PRODUCTS BOSS811 for Damage Prevention Call Before You Dig Ticket Management 811 One Call Center Integration Facility Mapping & Annotation Alerts and Notifications Manifest Marking Solutions with virtual maps Mobile Apps for Ease of Use in the Field ArcGIS Map Integration Driving Directions Optimized for Locators Get Started With BOSS811 Modern, Easy To Use, 811 One Call Utility Locate Ticketing Solution for safe digging One Award-Winning Platform, Many Features and Benefits CUSTOMERS What Our Clients Say "The best helpdesk software I have used in my 20+ years of helpdesk experience. The deployment capabilities and the reports help reduce my workload by at least 60%." Van M. FORSYTH COUNTY, GA Read more reviews on Capterra CUSTOMER STORY The City of San Jose Saves Millions $ with BOSS811 One Call Ticket Management Find out how the city replaced an antiquated computer-based one-call ticket management system with a modern solution that could better manage their ever increasing demand for service from underground marker & locate crews. See Customer Story