Chapter 2 Organisation and People

HD Location Centralised –Single physical location within an organisation Decentralised –Multiple support sites located throughout the organisation

HD Structure Pool –Simplest, shared resource, generalised Dispatch –Log and pass onto second-level personnel Tiered –First-line resolution(80%), ownership, timed resolution at each level Specialised Structure –By product or business Method Structure –Organised in manner in which support is provided

Question Which kind of HD structure offers the best career opportunities for a HD analyst? Why?

Outsourcing Process of using an external company to provide support services for internal employees.

Reasons for Outsourcing Lack of resources Global issues Language differences Core competencies

Advantages –Reduced support costs –Access to latest tools & technologies –Flexible staff size –Highly qualified support staff Disadvantages –Lack of familiarity with the business –Lack of quality control

Roles of a HD analyst Team member Problem-solver Communicator Marketer Researcher Expert Customer Service representative

Qualities of a HD analyst Focus Problem solving skills Initiative Communication skills – written & verbal Technical aptitude and skills Customer relations skills

Reflect Do your own skills and personality traits match the requirements for working on a help desk? Which of the required skills and traits are your strongest and which do you feel you need to develop further?

Careers Help desk management –Managing, monitoring, planning of the HD function Network Engineer –Building and maintaining the network infrastructure Quality Assurance/Test Engineer –Responsible for ensuring that the technology products are error free before going live

Careers Software Engineer/Developer –Design, develop and maintain software – VB, C++, Java … Database Administration –Develop, implement, update, test and repair company’s server databases Project Manager –Plan and monitor project executions Web Production and Development –Creating, maintaining, revising and optimising web sites

Question In your opinion, should companies require helpdesk employees to perform other kinds of work, such as configuring workstations for a network? Why?

Case Study You are the new head of IT in a medium-sized company with approximately 500 employees that manufactures outdoor clothing. You have facilities in Mayo and Donegal. The company recently invested heavily in new technology for inventory and distribution. Describe how you would organise the IT support function for the organisation. Give reasons for your suggestion.

Case Study You are the manager of a HD with a tiered structure. Your job performance ratings for HD analysts are based primarily on the number of calls they handle. The first-level analysts who answer all calls, have 15 minutes to resolve the problem before passing it on to second-level analysts. The first-level help desk analyst with the highest rating (highest number of calls answered) does not solve as many problems as most of the other first-level analysts.

Questions What might explain why this analyst solves fewer problems than others at the same level? Would you want this analyst to solve more problems? Explain your answer. What steps could you take to encourage the analyst to solve more problems?