1. Leveraging resources: Best practices for professional support Copyright 2002, Texas Association of School Boards

2. 1 Three key measures of professional support Customer Satisfaction Cost Staff Satisfaction

3. 2 Customer satisfaction What are your customers asking you to do? How well are you doing it? –Surveys –Anecdotal evidence –Statistics

4. 3 Staff satisfaction What is your staff asking of you? How well are you doing it? –Surveys –Anecdotal evidence –Statistics

5. 4 Cost How much is your company willing to pay for customer satisfaction and staff satisfaction? Does your operation pass the outsourcing test?

6. 5 Customer Satisfaction Cost Staff Satisfaction How do you ensure high customer and staff satisfaction... and still control your costs?

7. 6 Leveraging key resources for professional support People Processes Tools

8. 7 People Job factors Training Physical environment Management support

9. 8 People: Job factors Variety Flexibility Responsibility Fair pay

10. 9 People: Training Skilled generalists versus narrow specialists Avoid information silos Training alternatives –outside the box –high impact –indirect Anticipate organization’s future needs

11. 10 People: Physical environment Arrange work space for collaboration and privacy Automated Call Distribution (ACD) System Provide good tools

12. 11 People: Management support Be patient; be persistent Run interference Set job targets Monitor service levels Share information – up and down! Celebrate successes

13. 12 Processes Software standardization Software rollout methodology Hardware standardization Work process mapping Root cause analysis Crisis management

14. 13 Processes: Software standardization Leverages user training Reliable installs Can use imaging tool to build machines quickly Easier, faster to support

15. 14 Processes: Software rollout methodology Develop hands off, “silent” software installs Push delivery Pull delivery Phase rollouts whenever possible

16. 15 Processes: Hardware standardization Specify high quality, reliable PCs, laptops, and printers Can use imaging tool to build machines quickly Easier, faster-to-service machines Results in lower total cost of ownership

17. 16 Processes: Work process mapping Leverage brain power – don’t waste it Powerful knowledge transfer tool Achieve consistent, high quality outcomes

18. 17 Processes: Root cause analysis To eliminate unnecessary or repetitive calls Must document all requests Contributes to end-user productivity Lowers stress

19. 18 Processes: Crisis management Slow down Appoint a point person to coordinate internal communications Intercept incoming calls with status message Communicate status Inform users of the outcome

20. 19 Tools Service request management system Automated call distribution (ACD) Remote control Build machines from images Automated software installations Anti-virus measures “MyCompany Toolbox” Two-way radios

21. 20 Tools: Service request management system Document service requests, assignments and status Searchable database of your solutions and commercial knowledge base(s) Log every request Key component of quality initiatives

22. 21 Tools: Automated call distribution From chaos to control Monitor your call volume Are all requests documented? May be cheaper than you think

23. 22 Tools: Remote control Avoid working blind Excellent for unique or hard to describe problems Faster, more accurate solutions Reduced need for desk side visits May be cheaper than you think

24. 23 Tools: Build machines from images Reduce cost of hardware deployment Reduce cost of operating system upgrades Deliver high quality, reliable PCs and laptops

25. 24 Tools: Automated software installations Make installs “silent” using the answer files Faster rollouts – eliminate “walk arounds” Cheaper rollouts – requires half the people

26. 25 Tools: Anti-virus measures Automate signature updates to desktops and servers Protect your remote users Scan e-mail messages before they enter user message stores

27. 26 Tools: “TASB Toolbox” Central point to access installs, utilities, etc Use network rights for license control Include user and technician tools

28. 27 Tools: Two-way radios Someone is always available Many heads are better than one Huge time saver

29. 28 Case study: Texas Association of School Boards Will this Help Desk be outsourced?

30. 29 Customer satisfaction Are we doing what they ask us to do? Starting point: –Inconsistent service delivery –Too long to resolve requests –Too long to install new hardware Goal: Provide consistently high quality service on all requests Outcome?

31. 30 Staff satisfaction Starting point –Technical staff had long tenure –Information silos and skill gaps –Poor physical environment Goal: Develop and retain staff in highly competitive market Outcome?

32. 31 Customer satisfaction: Help Desk Calls Starting point: Closed 70% within 1 business day Goal: Close 85% within 1 business day. Success: 92% of all SM Help Desk calls are closed within 1 business day.

33. 32

34. 33 Customer satisfaction: New hardware installs Starting point: 61% installed within 3 weeks Goal: Install 85% within 3 weeks Success: Averaging 90% installed within 3 weeks

35. 34

36. 35 Customer satisfaction Survey says: successful Windows 2000 upgrade My boss’s boss’s phone doesn’t ring Keep those cards and letters coming End-user productivity

37. 36

38. 37 Staff satisfaction Gave them training, tools and variety – and they stayed Information silos are gone, skills way up Benefit from higher levels of respect from other MIS departments

39. 38 Cost New CFO asked – can we get the same services less expensively by outsourcing? Outcome?

40. 39 Cost Total fully burdened costs 28% less than the lowest outsourcing bid 45% less than the outsourcer we thought could provide comparable quality

41. 40 Case Study: Will this Help Desk be outsourced? No way! Vendors across the board asked, “Why would you do this?”

42. 41 Resources Downloads, newsletters and more: www.ksasystems.com/prolink/ www.techrepublic.com www.supportindustry.com www.thinkhdi.com www.bruton.win-uk.net/ www.philverghis.com/resources.html

43. 42 Resources (cont.) Helpdesk-L Listserv Send e-mail to SUBscribe HDESK-L; blank subject line; SUBSCRIBE HELPDESK-L in message body The sky is NOT falling: www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html

44. 43 Resources (cont.) Technical and tactical research: www.gartnergroup.com www.techrepublic.com - click on “Research index”

45. Leveraging resources: Best practices for professional support