Professional IT support has a direct effect on productivity in companies and the satisfaction of their IT users. An effective IT service desk can also benefit you more than you might think. By generating cost-savings and greater business continuity, for example. Here are the 3 most important factors for success and the challenges that go with them:
Success factor 1: the right expertise
From conversations that we have with companies, it appears that service desks often struggle with a lack of specific expertise, or finding backup staff when people are absent. All this has an impact on the motivation and performance of the service desk staff themselves. And a lack of continuity and productivity can also push up costs. Having the right people in the right place and keeping their soft skills up to the mark can take your service desk to a higher level. Often, a combination of your own expertise and outside proves to be the right solution.
Success factor 2: tried-and-tested processes
Having well-oiled processes in place is also important. This is also a major challenge and investment for many companies. First and foremost, it is recommended that the service desk processes should be based on the well-established ITIL framework. It goes without saying that staff must also be aware of these processes and adhere to them. But it is mainly by regularly evaluating and adjusting the way the service desk operates and its quality, that measurably improved results can be recorded.
Success factor 3: effective tools
Finally, for the service desk to operate to best effect, professional tools and automation need to be used. The basic requirement here is an effective service desk management tool, complete with a reliable ticketing system, that enables IT incidents to be tracked, based on priority. This tool should also make it possible to keep a close eye on the way the service desk is performing and on all open tickets.
By combining expertise, tools and processes in the appropriate way, you can implement your IT service desk to best effect on behalf of your business objectives. And if your company and staff don’t waste time unnecessarily on solving IT issues, you will be able to work more productively and without irritating interruptions. Which in this day and age will give you a strategic or competitive advantage.