Practical IT Research that Drives Measurable Results Get Started Bringing Order to Help Desk Request Chaos

Introduction In organizations without a help desk, IT often struggles to provide timely user support while at the same time efficiently complete IT projects and initiatives. Creating a help desk is easy – it doesn’t require a large up-front investment and staffing isn’t as hard as you think. Setting up the help desk can be as simple as establishing a centralized phone number and making use of free help desk software. This solution set will help you to: Setup the Help Desk Process Resourcing the Help Desk Launch the Help Desk Measure and Mature the Help Desk

Executive Summary Decrease user downtime and improve user satisfaction within six months of setting up a help desk. Setting up a help desk significantly improves IT productivity and technology operations stability, by allowing freeing non-help desk resources. Help desks start with a simple process, tools and resources before evolving into mature operations. Staffing a help desk can start with an intern. New help desks are not outsourced, but help desk and desktop support can be successfully outsourced together. Good tools make the work go faster and without software, the help desk cannot gather metrics and monitor help desk success. Use a free, open source, or low-cost help desk software solution to get started. Ensuring successful help desk adoption requires regular monitoring. Encourage IT staff and users to adapt to the new help desk process. Positive user feedback and productivity improvements will support the need for additional resources and tools.

Decrease user downtime, improve IT productivity and user satisfaction within six months of setting up a help desk Help desk support quickly improves working conditions for IT and end users; 78% of small enterprises agree that help desk support improves overall user satisfaction. User Productivity Improves Projects Get Completed IT and Users are Happier Overall user satisfaction increases End user downtime decreases IT’s time for projects & initiatives increases In my experience, setting up a help desk was one of the easiest implementations as it directly benefits management and staff to reduce downtime frustrations. - Senior IT Manager, Insurance Corporation “ ” + =

Setting up a help desk significantly improves IT productivity and technology operations stability Problem “In our situation, the senior technicians were constantly interrupted with support calls and they couldn’t keep up with demands. It was total chaos. It was having a very interesting effect across all of IT - not just the lack of timely service to people who needed it.” Action “I put in place a very simple help desk with a phone number, an escalation process, and a ticket tracking system. Within weeks, users were already complimenting us on the improvements in follow up and personal service because our work load was more distributed.” Result “Since then, the senior technicians have been focused back on improvements to the infrastructure. So now our infrastructure is becoming more reliable which is driving fewer calls and problems back to the help desk.” Case Study from a CIO of a Small Health Services Organization Info-Tech’s research reveals that a help desk improves more than just user satisfaction.

Help desks start with a simple process, tools and resources before evolving into mature operations Setup the Help Desk Process A basic help desk process is required to ensure all stakeholders are reporting, logging, escalating and closing issues in a consistent manner. Allocate the ResourcesDetermine whether help desk staffing will be made up of internal resources, hiring new people, or outsourcing to an external company. Select a Software Solution Home-grown solutions are ineffective and unsustainable. There are a number of free or low-cost solutions available that are well suited to small enterprises. Launch the Help DeskHelp desk staff must be trained on the new process and software solution. Users must also be trained and encouraged to follow the new process. Consistent process monitoring and follow up will ensure successful implementation. Track Metrics and Evolve the Help Desk Use formal software to track incidents, process improvements as well as help desk performance. Use positive feedback and collected metrics to support the case for continuous improvement and growth of the help desk. Small enterprise help desks are best approached as an evolutionary process. Establish simple processes and focus on gaining user and IT staff buy-in. Leverage success to gain management approval for additional staffing. Where to Start?

2. Allocate Help Desk Resources 3. Select the Right Help Desk Software 4. Launch the Help Desk 1. Setup the Help Desk Process 5. Evolve the Help Desk

Nobody likes process, but setting up the help desk requires a few simple steps to ensure success Single Point of Contact Communicate the chosen methods of contact to users. IT must set up a dedicated phone number and address. Depending on the software package, a web URL to log tickets may also be included. Service Expectations Ensure that IT agrees on the incidence severity and resolution expectations. These services levels can act as benchmarks to monitor performance once metrics have been gathered. Train Staff and Users Communicate to users the new help desk process. Train IT and Help Desk staff how to coach users to use the new process and wean them off of calling their favorite IT person. Process Audit IT leaders must be diligent about ensuring that the process is followed by continuous audit. Monitor IT and user progress in changing behavior to align with new expectations. More instructions for implementation can be found in the Info-Tech research note, “Setting Up The Help Desk.”Setting Up The Help Desk Step 1 Step 2Step 4 Step 3

A simple help desk process to get started Help Desk Process Source: Info-Tech Research Group

2. Allocate Help Desk Resources 3. Select the Right Help Desk Software 4. Launch the Help Desk 1. Setup the Help Desk Process 5. Evolve the Help Desk

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