Module 4: Reactive Processes
Service Desk
The process review is to help you examine your implementation and operation of a service desk, check your understanding of the process, compare it with what a successful implementation should look like, and consider what you have achieved by introducing it into your school. This will help you to assess how successful its introduction has been and direct you to parts of FITS service desk that you should revisit if necessary.
Recap the process
In FITS service desk we introduced the concept of having a single point of contact for co-ordinating incidents and problems.
- an implementation guide with step-by-step instructions to help you implement an entry-level service desk designed with secondary schools in mind
- an operations guide outlining the day-to-day activities you must perform to maintain the process and reap the benefits
- descriptions of the roles and responsibilities and guidance on how to assign them.
Summary
Role
Responsibilities
Create a single point of contact
- Select the most appropriate place and people for the service desk.
- The place should be accessible and central
- The people should be available at all (defined) times and have good customer-facing and administrative skills.
Implement the tools
Put in place the methods of communication needed for end-users to be able to contact the service desk, for example:
- a single telephone number
- a single email address
- an answering machine or voicemail.
Put in place a method for recording the details of incidents and problems and keeping track of them when they have been assigned to technical staff for resolution. We have provided some basic tools for you to use as they are or tailor accordingly:
- incident record template
- problem record template
- incident log template
- problem log template.
Tell end-users how to report incidents
Publish details about the service desk, including:
- telephone number
- other methods of contact
- hours of operation
Make it easy for end-users to use the service desk and encourage them to do so:
- Have a formal launch
- Provide a poster outlining the contact procedure
- Get support from senior school staff
- Publish a user handbook.
Manage incidents and problems
Follow the FITS incident management and FITS problem management processes to handle incidents and problems.
Assess your implementation
Answer 'yes' or 'no' to the following questions. If you answer No to any of the questions, follow the guidance for resolution.
Characteristics of a successful process
Yes
No - Follow the guidance below
You have assigned all roles and responsibilities
Revisit the roles and responsibilities section for guidance.
All staff involved understand the purpose and requirements of the service desk
Guide them through FITS Service Desk. In particular, make sure that technical staff are aware that they must not accept incidents directly from end-users. If they do, they will undermine the process and make it impossible to enforce.
Technical staff can work on their priorities free from unnecessary interruption
Identify a single point of contact and set up communications.
Incident and problem record forms are available
Download and use the incident record template and the problem record template.
Incident and problem logs are set up
Download and use the incident log template and the problem log template.
A procedure describing how to report incidents has been documented and distributed to end-users
Download the technical support charter template and personalise it with your details. Issue it to all staff as part of a formal launch of the service desk.
End-users, without exception, report incidents to the service desk, not directly to technical staff
Remind end-users of the benefits of using the service desk and explain the ways in which the new procedure provides them with better customer service than previously. The section 'launch the service desk' lists some examples of the benefits of the new procedure and the disadvantages of the old way of working.
You have the backing of school leaders and they visibly support your aims.
Enlist the support of school leaders before you try to implement the service desk. For it to work, not even the most senior member of school staff should be exempt from the procedure for reporting incidents. It makes sense that the most senior member of school staff set the right example and insist on compliance from everyone.
Technical staff can work on their priorities free from unnecessary interruption.
Identify a single point of contact and set up communications.
Continuous improvement
By giving continuous attention to processes, you keep them alive and ensure their long-term success. Now you have implemented a basic service desk you should check that it is effective in delivering the expected benefits. If the process is effective you should make it as efficient as possible, by making improvements to the way in which you perform it. This means that you get the most benefit from the minimum of effort.
Improving process effectiveness
An effective service desk should be providing you with:
- the central reporting and co-ordination of ICT incidents
- end-users who understand and follow the procedure for reporting incidents
- proactive progress reports being provided to end-users who have reported incidents
- technical staff who are able to carry out scheduled work without the unnecessary interruption of new requirements
- central co-ordination of problems.
Perform these actions at regular intervals as soon as you have implemented the service desk. When you are confident that it is working as it should be and those involved are comfortable with what they have to do, you may consider improving process efficiency. You must continue to perform the effectiveness actions regularly though, to make sure that changes to the way you carry out the process do not undermine its success.
Actions
Monitor service desk activities
Regularly review sample incident and problem records to make sure that all sections are being filled in and the information provided is appropriate.
Check links between incident and problem records to make sure that underlying causes are being addressed and incidents are being processed in a timely manner. Check that there is no misunderstanding about the difference between an incident and a problem.
Ask end-users about their experiences of using the service desk. Is the telephone always answered? Are their messages responded to? Do they get prompt feedback about the status of their incidents? Consider carrying out a user satisfaction survey or just call a selection of people at random and ask them.
Review the implementation of the service desk
Use the implementation assessment to review your implementation on a regular basis. Even if you answered 'yes' to every question in the past, many factors can affect your process at any time, such as conflicting priorities and changes in staff.
Make improvements
Use your findings from monitoring activities and the implementation assessment to identify improvements and make them. Small, incremental changes are sufficient to keep the momentum going and demonstrate your commitment to success.
Improving process efficiency
A fully efficient service desk would include:
- multiple methods of contact using up-to-date techniques
- full cover during agreed availability times, with no recourse to the use of voicemail or answering machine for message taking
- development of service desk staff technical skill and the provision of remote first-level technical support
- remote access to end-user computers to assist in the provision of remote first-level technical support
- increased scope of service desk responsibility.
Work on these actions only when you are satisfied that your process is working properly and you have followed the actions to improve process effectiveness. You must continue to monitor the effectiveness of the process when you start to improve efficiency, to make sure that it is not adversely affected.
Actions
Add methods of communication
Improve flexibility for end-users by increasing the variety of methods of communication available to them. As you review your tools for incident and problem management (discussed in those process sections) you can consider features such as web browser based incident reporting.
Fully staff the service desk
As the benefits of the service desk become more apparent, make the case for formalising its staffing (if you haven't done so already). The more reliable the service desk is as a point of contact, the more successful it will be.
Improve technical response to incidents
Build on the administrative skills of the service desk staff by providing them with some basic technical knowledge and tools. They will be able to provide a better service to end-users if they can:
- understand the symptoms of the incidents described to them and pass more information on to technicians
- take remote control of end-users' computers (given permission) to experience the symptoms of incidents and carry out basic checks
- access knowledge bases about ICT services in use, for example the configuration management database and the known errors database.
Use the service desk more
Widen the scope of the service desk's responsibility. There are many roles in FITS that require the same qualities as the service desk and its central position makes it ideally suited to them. Such tasks include:
- preparing process reports about incidents, problems, changes and service levels
- proactively contacting end-users with pre-emptive information, such as alerting them to an unplanned outage
- preparing and distributing change advisory board agendas
- distributing change advisory board minutes
- issuing notices to end-users about forthcoming change plans
- maintaining the configuration management database following changes to services
- maintaining the service catalogue following changes to services
- recording financial expenditure for accounting purposes
- managing the filing and storage of all documents, such as installation instructions (build procedures), contingency and disaster recovery plans, change records and so on managing the filing and storage of all documents, such as installation instructions (build procedures), contingency and disaster recovery plans, change records and so on
- playing a key role in communication in the event that service continuity plans have to be invoked.
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