Converting TSSPEC Summer Teams into Flexible Support Teams John Harrison Supervisor of Helpdesk & Workstation Support

Background Summer 2013 – TSSPECs were placed in flexible teams to accomplish 50/50 refreshes at all the schools – The 50/50 refreshes were completed – Summer maintenance suffered – Quality control and consistent service delivery were difficult to oversee

Background Summer 2014 – TSSPECs were placed in fixed teams and coordinated site visitation schedules around custodial staff, renovations, Summer programs, and construction schedules (e.g. two new schools) – The goal was to create a group of TSSPECs familiar with each school as the first step in forming a defined support team that can address the needs of each facility, supporting the primary TSSPEC assigned to the school. – Additional benefits include improved quality control and dissemination of best practices across schools to begin developing a consistent delivery of IT services at the desk-side

Background Summer 2014 – The tasks assigned to each team were: 50/50 refreshes at all the schools Removal of XP workstations from the network Processing of stockpiled workstations waiting for disposal Upgrade of core management software on all workstations Internal ITS inventory of systems – The 50/50 refreshes, XP removals, and disposals were completed – Internal inventories were begun – We did not get the primary TSSPECs back into the schools early enough prior to school starting due to several factors, including: Reassignment of all TSSPECs for 1-2 weeks to the backpack initiative Reassignment of many TSSPECs to assist in getting schools ready that were in construction up to and including the last week of Summer

Background Summer 2014 – Lessons learned: Communicate the plan more effectively with site administrators in advance of Summer Now that the Support Teams are established, we do not require as much team involvement at each school, allowing primary TSSPECs more time in their own schools Set attainable and measurable tasks and goals, keeping the objectives of partner departments in mind

Current Situation We now have 9 Support Teams, balancing the load based on supported workstation counts – Between 4 & 7 TSSPECs / team – Between 7 & 11 Schools / team Team members are supporting each other in servicing the schools Teams provide a reporting structure for: – Identification of endemic issues – Sharing of solutions – Mentoring of junior TSSPECs

Next Steps Summer 2015 – Continue to develop the Support Team model – Set well defined objectives Maintenance Upgrades/Refreshes Internal Inventory Management Process Improvement & Best Practices – Teams will visit each school ~1 day/week – TSSPECs will be in their schools ~4 days/week – Coordinate the Summer schedule and communicate with site administrators well before Summer

Considerations Goals – Improve consistency and quality of Division wide desk-side services Outcomes – More efficient processes and assignment of personnel in support of schools Activities – Training (technical, customer service, and team dynamics) – Coordinated team projects and tasks to strengthen the support model Time Frame – This is an ongoing process, not simply a Summer project. – Prior to Summer 2016 the teams should be fully functional Risks/Opportunities – It is important that we remain flexible in our prioritization and assignment of limited resources to meet the rapidly increasing need for technical support – Communication will be critical to our success. Any and all concerns and questions are welcomed, please contact the Helpdesk & Workstation Support Supervisor at any time

Questions John Harrison