Service Desks are traditionally thought of as a cost center–something to outsource or to minimize.
This presentation will review why Service Desks are thought of as cost centers, and argue for thinking about your Service Desk as a potential area for investment.
Why invest in the Service Desk? The Service Desk triggers expensive IT processes. The Service Desk is the face of IT–and customer stories affect perception more than service level reviews. Many internal IT areas lack the voice of the customer; the Service Desk is one of the few areas that can speak credibly on behalf of the customer. The information collected by the Service Desk can identify potential opportunities for continual service improvement, grounded in the user experience.
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The service desk as a strategic function
1. J O H N B O R W I C K , M A N A G E R A N D F O U N D E R
H I G H E R E D U C A T I O N I T M A N A G E M E N T , L L C
http://www.heitmanagement.com/strategic-service-desk
The Service Desk as a
Strategic Function
2. John Borwick, PMP®
Wake Forest
University, 2003-2012
Director of Service Mgt
PMO Director
Manager and Founder,
HEIT Management
Career goal: Make people’s
lives easier by improving
how higher education IT is
managed.
johnb@heitmgt.com
3. Higher Education IT Management, LLC
“Helping Higher Education IT effectively
deliver value to campus while minimizing
waste.”
One-on-one coaching
Custom engagements
Blog
http://www.heitmanagement.com
4. Agenda
Position of the Service Desk
Process Triggers and Inputs
Open-Ended Listening
Representing IT
What does the Service Desk look like, when it’s
perceived as a strategic function?
Q&A
6. The Service Desk doesn’t know what it’s doing
(user perspective)
“They wouldn’t do anything except reinstall my
machine.”
“I told them this was for the President, but they still
haven’t gotten back with me.”
7. The Service Desk doesn’t know what it’s doing
(IT perspective)
“The Service Desk manager called me again about
that ticket. Like I’m going to do anything about it!”
“The ticket says it’s broken but I can get into it.”
8. …well, try working at the Service Desk.
“Go to the gemba [real place]”: observe
ITIL simulations
10. Service Desks face systemic challenges.
It costs money to do more than reinstall machines.
There may not be a mechanism for the Service Desk
to escalate requests—or people may not pay
attention.
What direction has IT staff been given about new
work vs. existing work?
11. The Continuum of Usefulness
Unnecessary evil
Necessary evil (cost center)
Worth spending time on (there is an ROI)
Strategic
12. Strategic means…
A key component in moving to a future state
Strategy
Current
State
Future
State
15. Example Triggers
I’m hungry.
Time for the presentation to start!
We should buy a house.
16. Processes commonly triggered by
the Service Desk
Incident management
Service request management
Access management
Problem management
17. Bad incident description Good incident description
User cannot login. Since no later than Aug 7
user has not been able to
log in to their Windows
machine or Exchange.
Can log in to timecard
system.
User states they changed
their password Aug 5.
Incident management
18. The High Cost of Callbacks
User calls the Service Desk
IT calls the user back
User calls IT back
19. So why are there poor process triggers and
inputs?
Tickets opened by the least experienced staff
Key metric: number of incidents per hour
Service Desk used as a “pass-through” for IT teams
20. Impact of poor process triggers and inputs
Escalation when unnecessary
Second-level support callbacks
Frustration with the Service Desk
21. How could better process triggers and inputs be
strategic?
Free up second-level staff
Improved quality of service for users
Overall operational costs reduced
25. Talking with users, generally
IT knows the possibilities; users know the value to
them
e.g. listserv digests.
26. Personal relationships
“Remember that a person's name is, to that person, the
sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
—Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence
People
27. So why don’t we listen?
Key metric: number of incidents per hour
IT not listening to the Service Desk
Psychological demands on Service Desk staff
28. Impacts of not listening
Users feel no connection to IT
Users rely on escalation
Missed opportunities for value delivery
29. How could listening be strategic?
Create allies and build trust
Service Desk help IT understand what users value
Identify opportunities for process improvement
31. How do people understand what IT’s doing?
Quantitative (metrics)
Qualitative (stories)
32. IT governance vs. the gemba
IT leaders focus on IT governance groups
Strong preference for metrics
IT governance tools can be disconnected from
service delivery
Gemba: “The real place [where activity is occurring]”
33. The Service Desk is the face of IT for users
Service
Desk
Users IT
34. Why might the Service Desk poorly represent IT?
Not enough staff
Queues
Callbacks
Processes not designed for people
Unreasonable assumptions
Wasteful process steps
No ability to be flexible
Sorry—I’ll have to call you Monday.
Sorry—we’d have to charge you $100.
35. Impacts of poorly representing IT
Stories spread like a plague
Lack of respect for IT
IT not trusted to deliver service
36. How could representing IT be strategic?
IT seen as a partner
Good stories bring resources
The impact of a well-placed good story is virtually
unimaginable
37. A D D R E S S I N G S Y S T E M I C I S S U E S A L O N G W I T H
T H E S E R V I C E D E S K I T S E L F .
What does the Service Desk look
like, when it’s perceived as a
strategic function?
38. Time, space, and structure for improvement
Focus on improvement rather than blame
Service Desk manager has few operational duties
Time for staff training
Consulted or responsible for key supporting
processes e.g. knowledge management
39. Trust and a level of discretion
Ability to escalate
Give options for providing good service
e.g. Call centers can give staff discretion over returns (e.g.
<$250 OK to approve)
40. Identify service quality decisions that can be
made by IT governance
“Desk-side support” service can budget for
troubleshooting time, not just reinstalling
41. Reposition the Service Desk within IT
Service Desk manager’s rank respected
Service Desk canvassed for ideas
Service Desk provide feedback to other teams
Operational work prioritized
42. Quick Review
Position of the Service Desk
Process Triggers and Inputs
Open-Ended Listening
Representing IT
What does the Service Desk look like, when it’s
perceived as a strategic function?
Q&A