Service Desk Flashcards
Service Desk
Service Desk is the single point of contact between the Service Provider and the Users
Service Desk
A typical service desk manages incidents and service requests and also handles communication with the users
Service Desk is a function (organisational unit)
Dedicated number of staff
Responsible for dealing with events (processes)
Events reported via:
Phone
Web Interfaces
Automatically Generated
Objective
The Primary aim of a service desk is provide a single point of contact and to execute incident Management and request fulfilment to restore “normal service” to the users as quickly as possible
Finding workaround may mean escalating the incident to another function (co-ordinating via shared processes)
The service desk gains knowledge from the experience of restoring “normal services”
Responsibilities
Closing resolved incidents / requests
Communicate with users or change / resolutions
Updating CMDB/CMS as necessary
Conducting user satisfaction surveys
Provides recommendation for service improvement
Why have Service Desk?
Every users going to different technical staff
Inefficient use of staff time
No clear picture of where issues are
Unaware of re-occurring events / incidents
Poor quality services
Benefits of Service Desk
Proactive approach
Faster turnaround of incident resolution
Improved awareness of business needs and technical issues
Better quality communication
End User perception and satisfaction increased
Continual Service Improvement
Service Desk Implementations
Three ways to implement:
Local
Virtual
Centralised
Which one will depend on:
Number of supported users
Nature of business
Geography
Scope of services provided
Local Service Desk
Used for single site or specialist operations
SD is co-located within (or near) end-users that it supports
Benefits :
Clear visible presence
Aids Communication
Easier to support:
Different time zones / cultures
Specialised services
Central Service Desk
Used to support multiple locations
SD is located at different site to some (all) business operations
Supports all business needs
Benefits:
Reduced operational costs
Holistic Overview
Efficient use of resources
Virtual Service Desk
SD location is “invisible” to customers
Can split across geographical locations
Still a single point of contact for customers
Contact is not face-to-face
May need on-site support for some business operations
Requirements:
Common procedures / common language
Single incident log / knowledge base
Common reporting summaries
Service Desk Options
Multiple Local SD and virtual SD can facilitate the “follow-the-sun” option
Need multi-lingual staff
Need clear escalation channels
Technology can facilitate a self-service option as front line support
Can give customers the ability to:
Log Incidents
Request changes
Search knowledge base for resolutions
Can provide 24x7 support and reduce load on Service Desk
Service Desk Characteristic
Regardless of the type. Service Desks all have the following characteristic:
Single point of contact for the customer
One Phone number
One email address
One main website
Log of all incidents
Diagnostics tools
Supported by configuration management
Well-defined escalation procedures
Proactive monitoring of IT D Services
Staff with technical skills, and business understanding
