Service desk de TI

Where do the Service Desks come from?

The IT help desk function appeared in the late 1980s to provide support in solving IT problems. It was a highly technical function focused on technology rather than end users. The early IT help desks did not have the concept of SLA, or time-based targets for problem solving. It was not until ITIL came onto the scene in the 1990s, bringing together the set of IT service management best practices, that the concept of the user-focused IT service desk began to emerge. considered a fundamental part of "managing IT as a service".

 

In the mid-1990s, research by Iain Middleton, from Robert Gordon University, showed that the generation of value was not only a product of offering reactive answers to users' problems, but also of the unique position of the user. help desk to communicate daily with a large number of clients or employees. Information gained about technical problems, user preferences, and what satisfies users can be valuable for planning and developing IT services.

 

At the time of the publication of ITIL v2 in 2001, the role of the Service Desk and its role in incident and request management became one of the major components in IT service operations in many organizations. As the decade progressed, the effects of globalization and the growing need to reduce IT operating costs led many organizations to centralize their IT service desk functions, many of which turned to external partners for staffing. . The outsourcing of IT service desk functions led to further standardization of processes and the growth of a market for help desk ticket management software.

 

Modern technology trends include cloud-based services, the widespread use of external components in the IT ecosystem, and advancements in discovery and monitoring capabilities have led to the integration of independent help desk ticket management systems within platforms. ITSM tools, serving as the operations center not only for the IT service desk, but for the entire IT function. As companies seek to modernize and undertake digital transformation initiatives, the IT service desk is evolving again, to focus more on the commercial field, with greater awareness about business processes and data, transforming in many cases into a part integrated into the commercial operations of the company.

What does an IT Service Desk do?

The critical role of an IT service desk is to serve as the primary point of contact to monitor / take ownership of incidents, respond to user requests / questions, and provide a communication channel between other service management functions and the community of users. In addition to these core functions, the service desk often plays an active role in capturing change requests, maintaining external support contracts, managing software licenses, and assisting in problem management.

 

In some organizations, the service desk is integrated into other business processes, such as:

• Employee onboarding

• Procurement integration

• Data access management

• Incorporation and disincorporation of suppliers / partners

• Reporting and parameter management

• Business continuity management

• Infrastructure / services monitoring

Best Practices for IT Service Desk

Enterprises have been operating IT service desks for many years, and a number of best practices have emerged from such operations.

Customer Participation

• Examine customer behavior and expectations to ensure you understand their needs
• Offer a self-help portal for the end user, which is accessible 24 hours a day (even when their Service desk is closed)
• Use SLAs and priority / severity rankings to differentiate requests, so you can address the most critical first
• Try to solve problems at the first point of contact, and avoid transfers, escalations and the need to return calls
• Conduct customer satisfaction surveys regularly to understand how your customers feel about the services they receive

Management and Presentation of Service Desk Reports

• Use real-time help desk reports, dashboards, and analytics to monitor operations and take corrective action before problems escalate
• Ensure that escalation and transfer processes are clear and well understood to avoid SLA omissions
• Take advantage of the analysis capabilities of your ITSM system to reduce the time / effort required for generating reports.
• Ensuring that management experiences your service desk operations in person, so they get a first-hand impression of what your service desk staff do, and what challenges they face
• Treat Service desk staff as communication and problem solving professionals, giving them the tools they need for success

Use of Technology to Support the IT Service Desk

• Implement service request workflow capabilities in your help desk software to help orchestrate escalations and transfers
• Implement automation features for common user requests (login, password reset, etc.)
• Use your service desk software to facilitate and record communications between agents and requesters

• Integrate your service desk systems into your ITSM, to offer your agents greater access to information in the IT environment

Knowledge management

• Implement a knowledge management system that brings together knowledge in a place that can be accessed by many people
• Offer answers to frequently asked questions directly to end users, thus avoiding the need to contact an agent
• Keep your knowledge records up to date by purging and revising them frequently