1. www.infotech.com Impact Research 1 Optimizing Your Help Desk: Summary Document

2. www.infotech.com Impact Research 2 This report will assist you in the optimization of your help desk by: 1. Identifying improvements that increase end user satisfaction and perception. 2. Demonstrating how to simplify the help desk and improve efficiency metrics. 3. Reducing the help desk annual cost and tickets per user. What type of help desk is optimal for your organization?  To optimize your help desk, you should understand both your current and your optimal state in the help desk maturity model.  As you approach your optimal state, costs per user decrease while performance metrics and end user feedback increase. Executive Summary

3. www.infotech.com Impact Research 3 Average Measurable Savings Automated Password Reset25% of tickets Power Users20% of tickets End User Training10% of tickets ITIL10% total cost of ownership End User Self Help8% of cost Remote Desktop Assistant25% productivity Knowledge Management25% tier 1 resolution Asset Management10% productivity There is always room for cost savings Executive Summary Most companies miss out on valuable cost saving opportunities.

4. www.infotech.com Impact Research 4 What is help desk success? Defining your help desk and success

5. www.infotech.com Impact Research 5 Success of the help desk is defined by two inputs SUCCESS: Alignment of IT services with business requirements End User Satisfaction Help Desk Efficiency + A successful help desk delivers its services in a timely and cost effective manner using the right people, processes, and technology. Help Desk Success Please see full report for details on measuring success

6. www.infotech.com Impact Research 6 How mature is your help desk? Understanding the Maturity Model

7. www.infotech.com Impact Research 7 Explaining the Help Desk Maturity continuum To understand your help desk you need to understand it in terms of Help Desk Maturity. Help Desk Maturity is based on effective use of people, processes and tools. Although the measure of Help Desk Maturity is truly a continuum, we have identified five discrete levels by aggregating common elements that occur around each level. End user Feedback IT Efficiency Help Desk Maturity Please see full report for details behind the Maturity Model

8. www.infotech.com Impact Research 8 Identifying the levels of maturity 13% 23% 33% 31% This table maps Help Desk Maturity to the equivalent level in the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). CMMI can be used to measure maturity of IT process. Process is only one aspect of our Help Desk Maturity model (people, processes and tools). Help Desk Maturity LevelsCMMI Levels 1. ChaosNo formal help desk. IT problems are dealt with on an ad-hoc basis. Level 1: Process has few, if any, formal definitions and performed on an ad-hoc basis. 2. ReactiveHelp desk staff and tools are identified, process is defined for tracking and escalating incidents. Level 2: Process is defined, executed and repeatable. 3. ControlledHelp desk processes are clearly defined. Tools are introduced for basic self service and knowledge management. Level 3: Processes objectives are aligned with business goals and are defined with greater detail. Process results are qualitatively predictable. 4. ProactiveHelp desk performance expectations are quantitatively set and measured against. Additional tools and processes are introduced to alleviate help desk calls. Level 4: Quantitative goals are clearly set and measured. Process results are quantitatively predictable. 5. OptimizedFrameworks are introduced to optimize help desk costs, metrics and end user satisfaction. Level 5: There is a focus on continually improving process performance. Common causes of process performance variation are identified and addressed. Help Desk Maturity Levels

9. www.infotech.com Impact Research 9 Where do you fit in the Maturity Model? Identifying the appropriate maturity level for your organization

10. www.infotech.com Impact Research 10 Maturity level recommendations level off as company size increases. Small organizations may have an optimized help desk at the lowest maturity levels. Factors influencing appropriate maturity level The recommended attributes for each maturity level are determined from a cost-benefit analysis. Organizations whose recommended maturity state is below the Optimized level, could achieve a higher level but typically, in doing so, the costs will outweigh the benefits. The recommendations for each maturity level are based on a combination of the factors below.  Size  IT Complexity 1.Simple 2.Midrange 3.Complex  User IT Knowledge Help Desk Maturity Characteristics Please see full report for details on determining your fit.

11. www.infotech.com Impact Research 11 What Should You do to Optimize? Creating the Plan

12. www.infotech.com Impact Research 12 Moving along the 5 stages of Help Desk Maturity Level 1: Chaos Level 2: Reactive Level 3: Controlle d Level 4: Proactive Level 5: Optimize d  Once you have assessed your fit with a particular Help Desk Maturity Level, use the following recommendations to move along the continuum. Help Desk Maturity Levels For more specific guidance on assessing your appropriate maturity level, please see “Help Desk Optimization Tool”

13. www.infotech.com Impact Research 13 The three inputs that enable help desk success Be sure to highlight cost savings in your business case for a help desk facelift. If you have difficulties gaining buy-in, management is more likely to listen when an opportunity for significant savings exists.  This section outlines how the key inputs to the help desk – People, Process, and Technology – can be modified to improve the efficiency of your help desk and increase end user satisfaction.  Please note that not all organizations fit the “Optimized” level. Based on your fit, another level may be your long-term goal. Help Desk People Process Technology Help Desk Maturity Levels Please see full report for implementation recommendations for each level

14. www.infotech.com Impact Research 14 Case Studies

15. www.infotech.com Impact Research 15 Case Study – Controlled Help Desk Case Studies Doubled Tier 1 Resolutio n Rate “We shut the help desk down for 1 hour every Friday and it's reserved for my hands on staff meeting. We reserve 30 minutes for training, and we also bring in guest speakers from the business, because it's good to hear what their issues are and what they do. As a result, over time, our tier 1 resolution rate has doubled.” Company Profile IndustryEducation Number of Employees5600 Number of IT Employees250 Key Initiatives Improvements Initiatives Successful  Staff training  Knowledge management  Power users  Advanced reporting  ITIL (incident management only) Key Improvements Going Forward  Full ITIL integration  End user self help  Service level agreement Help Desk Metrics Number of Users Supported5600 # of Dedicated HD Staff11 Cost as % of IT Budget3.5% Total Annual Cost/User$274.00 Total Annual Tickets/User6.0 % of High Touch Users5%