1. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 1 Help Desk Operation

2. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 2 Objectives In this introduction you will learn: About help desks and typical help desk organisation The incident management process How hardware and software tools are used to manage incidents Help desk trends

3. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 3 Introduction to Help Desk Operation Organisations can choose to provide support to employees and customers in several ways Informal peer Support Formal structure Support Group Information Center Information Technology Department

4. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 4 Help Desk 1. Single point of contact for end user support Components of a Successful Help Desk 2. The four components of a successful help desk are tightly integrated and each must be given attention. · People · Processes · Technology · Information Customer Service – The Bottom Line 3. Strategies and tools

5. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 5 Supplying Support 1. Single point 2. Concentration of expertise 3. Multi level support model

6. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 6 Multilevel Support Model

7. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 7 The Incident Management Process Incident Management is a well-defined, formal procedure that help desk staff follow to handle problem incidents, get the information users need or solve their problems, and close the incident Call Management describes the steps in handling primarily telephone contacts between end users and support staff

8. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 8 Call Management / Incident Process 1. Receive call 2. Pre-screen call (user) 3. Authenticate call 4. Log call 5. Screen call 6. Prioritise call (1-Urgent, 2-High,3-Medium,4-Low) 7. Assign call 8. Track call 9. Escalate call 10. Resolve call 11. Close call 12. Archive call

9. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 9 Help Desk Tools and Technologies 1. Help desk software 2. Computer telephony systems 3. Web Site support 4. Physical layout of help desk work areas

10. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 10 Introduction to Help Desk

11. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 11 Objectives Here you will learn: The role automation tools play in support How processes and procedures are used in support The primary types of support tools available How support tools evolve The reasons why tools don’t work in a particular environment How constant change affects support and support technology

12. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 12 Help Desk Tools, Technology, and Techniques Technology includes the development of new materials, equipment, and processes to improve goods and services production Companies established information centers, places within companies where employees could receive training and help in using personal computers A help desk is a single point of contact within a company for managing customer problems and requests, and providing solution-oriented support service

13. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 13 Understanding the Role Technology Plays in Support Technology affects support in several ways: The increase in the amount of technical support available The complexity and interconnection among technology components has increased the needs for support Businesses depend on technology to collect and manage information, which enables them to react to trends more quickly Better and more complex electronics are used both at home and in business, including computers, telecommunication systems, network devices, and software

14. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 14 Resource Challenges Support resources are the company employees who provide support services Technical skills refers to basic computer literacy and experience with specific hardware or software Support staff also need good problem-solving skills

15. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 15 Resource Challenges In addition to technical skills, the entire support staff needs good communication skills Communication skills are those skills that enable a person to interact effectively with others by speaking, listening, and writing

16. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 16 Importance of Goals, Processes, and Procedures The support group depends on its resources to deliver services and accomplish its goals Every company uses a mission statement, which is a broad, general, written guideline that defines the company’s vision and specific goals Goals are further refined into different processes and procedures so that the support staff knows how to accomplish the goals

17. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 17 Sample Support Group Mission Statement

18. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 18 Importance of Goals, Processes, and Procedures A process is a list of the input, the interrelated work activities (or tasks), and the desired output needed to accomplish a goal A procedure is a detailed, step-by-step set of instructions that describes who will perform the tasks in a process, along with how and when those tasks will be performed

19. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 19 Importance of Goals, Processes, and Procedures To better understand the relationship between a goal, process, and procedures, consider a teenager who wants to drive a car Consistent delivery means that the output of a process is the same no matter who completes the procedures

20. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 20 Types of Support Tools Support tools are specific to the processes and challenges of a particular group Some tools are designed for support staff Computer users can use some support tools to address their own support needs

21. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 21 Support Staff Tools The correct technology can help support staff work more efficiently Tools are the equipment, processes, or software that are necessary to perform a task or that assist someone in practicing a profession Support staff use tools to organize, troubleshoot, and deliver services

22. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 22 Support Staff Tools Logging tools track all questions that the support group receives Organizing tools help support staff manage their daily work Troubleshooting tools help equalize the skills of the support staff by providing reference materials the staff can use to quickly and easily find information about a particular problem or topic Other tools are designed to deliver a particular service

23. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 23 Management Tools Management-oriented tools enable managers to review all work for the support group and to supervise their resources Most important tools support managers use is reporting software Managers also regularly run monitoring reports to show how support staff performance improves over time

24. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 24 Sample Database Records

25. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 25 Driver’s License Workflow

26. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 26 Chapter Summary Automation tools can be used to address resource and service challenges Support groups have common goals, which are defined by processes and procedures Support staff, managers, and computer users employ different types of tools A small support group may start out with very simple support tools Automation does not guarantee a support group will meet its goals Technology continues to change rapidly

27. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 27 Introduction

28. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 28 Objectives Here you will learn: Basic help desk concepts Internal support processes External support processes What core activities support staff complete in different environments Special challenges unique to some support organisations

29. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 29 Support Environments and Processes Support staff complete different tasks as they follow procedures, based upon the company’s business and the tasks its customers are trying to complete Most business tasks are completed using technology that has grown very complex The support environment is the collection of customers that a support group assists, the tasks customers need or want to complete, the technologies those customers and staff use to complete tasks and the experience and skill of the support staff

30. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 30 Multilevel Support Model

31. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 31 Basic Help Desk Concepts A multilevel support model defines the role a support person plays in different support processes and the amount of interaction they have with a customer Front-line support, or level one support, is the point of first contact with the customer Level one support staff answer the telephone, record problem details, and attempt to resolve the problem or answer the question A dispatcher is a front-line support person who answers the telephone but forwards the problem to someone else to solve

32. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 32 Basic Help Desk Concepts Dispatchers pick up overflow calls if all level one support staff are busy or when the problem requires someone to visit a remote location to repair hardware Subject matter experts (SME) are usually members of level two or three support, with a greater amount of experience or knowledge about a particular subject than level one support They have more detailed knowledge about specific products or more experience troubleshooting

33. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 33 Basic Help Desk Concepts Level three support also may include network specialists, database administrators, or programmers To escalate an issue is to raise the issue to the next level of support or to notify managers First, the lower level support staff may already know that a particular problem requires more knowledge or experience to resolve Second, customers may think that the problem is taking too long to solve and ask that more resources or more experienced staff work on the problem

34. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 34 Internal and External Support Environments Support environments are divided into two types— internal and external An internal support group, or help desk, is a department within a company that responds to questions, problems, or requests from company employees In a small company, employees may be able to rely upon a guru, a coworker who learns to use new tools quickly and who helps other employees unofficially

35. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 35 Internal and External Support Environments As the internal support group delivers service, it may also: Answer questions about software that is purchased or developed within the company Troubleshoot software problems and identify hardware problems Take requests for network or administrative services Refer callers to other support centers or corporate resources Distribute information to employees about system availability Identify employees who need more attention or training in specific areas Install or upgrade new versions of software or hardware

36. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 36 Internal and External Support Environments The use of a guru is practical only as long as that can still complete his or her own work Frequently, companies set up a help desk as a necessary evil at first, because computer users need a centralized point of contact An external support group addresses questions, problems, or requests from customers who buy their company’s products and services External support groups may be called “customer support”, to differentiate them from internal support groups

37. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 37 Internal and External Support Environments Large companies that sell products usually have both internal and external support groups There are two good reasons that a company will set up an external support group First, if most of a company’s competitors provide customer support, then it also must provide some level of support to remain competitive Second, a company may find it profitable to sell maintenance or repair services for its products

38. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 38 Internal and External Support Environments External support groups often: Troubleshoot computer hardware or software problems with other electronic equipment Explain installation or instruction manuals that are difficult to understand Decide when broken equipment needs to be returned for repair or replacement Start or stop services from utility providers, such as water or power companies Provide additional information about a product or service As the support group provides good service, customers renew their annual maintenance contracts, providing a source of revenue for the company and funding for the support group

39. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 39 Processes Common to All Help Desks

40. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 40 Call Logging Call logging is the process of creating records that capture details about problems, requests, and questions as they are reported to the support group A problem is an event that prevents someone from completing a task Some problems take longer to solve than others, requiring support staff to collect additional information A request is a customer order for new hardware, software, or services, or for an enhancement to a product or service a customer already uses

41. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 41 Call Logging Customers make inquiries about small tasks or subjects they don’t under-stand, which are logged by support staff as questions Questions usually begin with standard phrases, such as: How do I…?- Where is the…? When will…?- Who do I call if I need…? Some questions take only a few minutes to answer However, questions can become either problems or requests, depending upon the answer

42. by Rodger Burgess Information Technology Department 42 Problem Management Problem management is the process of tracking and resolving problems that are reported to a support group The problem management process defines procedures to ensure that staff members collect problem details, work on outstanding problems regularly, assign additional support staff when needed, and provide status updates to the customer Finding the cause of a problem, removing or preventing the cause, and correcting the disruption that the problem caused is part of problem resolution