We all know the traditional meaning behind an IT Help Desk: something breaks, you call, we fix. Moving to an IT Service Desk can add further meaning: we also work with you on the goal. But, with both of these, we still have a problem. IT has to wait for the organization to have a specific request to react to, we become a store where the customer is always right. Well guess what? The customer in this case is not always right, and IT should not be managed in a way that forces it to only fill requests and fix things. We will talk about how to manage a help desk while still allowing IT to be a partner to the organization.

1. Help Desk or
Service Desk
Steve Heye @SteveHeye
Dar Veverka @DarVeverka
John Cronin @
#15NTChelporservice
Evaluation Survey: http://po.st/CunRzm
Collaboration Notes: http://po.st/TdULQe

2. WHAT IS A HELP DESK?

3. When IThink of Help Desk…..

4. When IThink of Help Desk…...

5. What Is A Help Desk?
• Helpful!
• A resource for end users to get assistance & support
with technology
•Main/centralized point of contact for users & IT

6. One is the Loneliest Number
•If you’re a small org, your helpdesk may be just a single person
or may be completely outsourced to an MPS with no internal
Help Desk people
•Every organization needs one – scaled to the size of the org

7. How Basic Is Basic?
•Can be as simple as a spreadsheet and someone to manage it
•Or a kanban style app
for users to note issues

8. Help Desk – Key Benefits
Benefit #1:
Responding to User Problems!

9. Why?
•Problems generally don't go away on their own
•Left unchecked, users will see IT/Tech as the problem

10. Help Desk – Key Benefits
Benefit #2 –
Tracking Issues!

11. Why?
•Can't fix what you don't know is broke
•Build knowledge base

12. Help Desk – Key Benefits
Benefit #3 –
Helps Plan and Prioritize!

13. Why?
•At some point your org will grow & you'll need to
plan for tech
•You have limited resources, no matter the size of
your org

14. What Makes a Great Help Desk?
How
What
Who

15. Help Desk – Key Elements
Key Element #1 –
People!Trained IT Staff or
Reliable Vendor

16. Why?
•Adds a level of efficiency that benefits the org

17. Spreadsheets,
Access DB
Internally Built
or Hosted
Software
Cloud-Based
Apps
Help Desk – Key Elements
Key Element #2 –
An IssueTracking System!

18. Why?
•Data!
•Data!
•Data!
•Data to help track and fix the organization's tech
issues

19. Help Desk – Key Elements
Key Element #3 –
Policies & Procedures

20. Why?
•Help set user expectations
•IT can be seen as beneficial/friendly if things are
clear

21. What
Policies & Procedures
Issue Tracking
Trained Staff/Vendor
Tools
Cloud Based – Zendesk,
Freshdesk, Spiceworks
In House – Heat, Remedy, Excel
Who
All Staff supported
by technical staff
Benefits
Respond to User Issues
Problem Solving
Plan & Prioritize
Help Desk

22. What is a Service
Desk?

23. Definition of Service
ITIL defines it as a means of delivering value to
customers by facilitating outcomes customers
want to achieve without the ownership of
specific costs and risks.
Or in plain english-
helping to get it done

24. Definition of Service Desk
Similar to a Help Desk:
The central point of contact between service providers and
users/customers on a day-to-day basis.
But extends to:
Providing expertise, tools and structure to
enable the staff, Departments and Organization
to meet the mission.

25. Help Desk Difference
Service Desk
Incident
• Tools
• Trouble
shooting
Problem
• Trends
• Get to the
root
Service
• Process
• Change
Mgmt.
Help Desk

26. Service Desk for a small org
Every org
could do a
service desk,
but scaled to
match the
sizeneeds of
the org
Larger Org
Smaller Org
IT Team with specialized skills,
training and tools
Small cross functional
team supplemented by
volunteers and vendors

27. Service Desk for a small org
Completed by IT Team
Pro Bono consultant
backed by small staff
team
Formal structure established
and supported by CIO in
partnership with Leadership
Small cross functional
team meets to plan
together
Examples
Process Mapping for new
software Implement Change
Management Governance

28. Become Proactive

29. Improvement not repairs

30. Organizational Impact
Understanding how
it all works:
•Staff
•Departments
•Organization
•Mission

31. Organizational Impact
Tools People Process
Understanding how
it all works

32. Organizational Capacity
Documented
Process
Aligned
Technology
Trained Staff

33. Organizational Capacity
Documented
Process
Aligned
Technology
Trained Staff
Focusing on how
work is completed
and staff use
technology
creates lasting
improvement
Implementing
the change in
a manageable
way is critical

34. Service Lifecycle
Service
Strategy
• Strategies
• Policies
• Standards
Service
Design
• Plans to
create &
modify
services
Service
Transition
• Manage
transition of
changed
service
Service
Operation
• Day to day
operation of
services

35. Service Strategy
•Strategies – Pick your focus
•Policies – Set the rules
•Standards – How you win

36. Service Strategy
•Strategies
•Policies
•Standards This is about defining how you will
help the staff, departments and
organization succeed.
The tools to help them change, not
what the change is.

37. Service Design – Document
IT Services
-Technical Support
-Process Management
-Project Management
-Business Analysis
-Data Analytics
Organization Services
-Program
-Operations
-Financial
Development

38. Improve your Services
Defined IT services:
•informs how to make improvements
•assists in staff turnover
•creates awareness for all staff
Tools People Process

39. Service Transition – Governance
Documented
Process
Aligned
Technology
Trained Staff
Focusing on how
work is completed
and staff use
technology
creates lasting
improvement
Implementing
the change in
a manageable
way is critical

40. Service Operation

41. Summary
What
Defining Services
Improving Process
Growing Skills
Tools
Documentation
(process & procedure)
Policies
Intranet
Who
All staff collaboration led by
staff with Business Process,
Analytic and Project
Management skills
Benefits
Common Understanding
Best Practices
Building Capacity
Service Desk

42. Intros
What is a Help Desk?
What is a Service Desk?
Ignite style!
5 min
20 slides
15 seconds each

43. Help Desk or Service Desk...
What
Defining Services
Improving Process
Growing Skills
Tools
Documentation
(process & procedure)
Policies
Intranet
Who
All staff collaboration led
by staff with Business
Process, Analytic and
Project Management
skills
Benefits
Common Understanding
Best Practices
Building Capacity
Service Desk

44. What is the Switch?
Responding to staff
From User
Support
Collaborating with
teams
To Service
Support
Keeping things running
From
Problem Solving
Leveraging the tools
To
Improving
Enabling staff
From
Individual Focus
Sustaining the org
To
Org and Dept
Needs
Build Foundation
From
Infrastructure
Enable Innovation
To
Strategic

45. So is Service Desk better?

46. Help Desk Service Desk
Overview Supporting users and
solving problems to build
infrastructure
Provide services to the
org to build capacity,
formalize governance
and streamline process
Importance Build infrastructure, solid
technology, establish
trust and enabling staff
Leverage IT skills to
strengthen Depts and org
to allow for sustainable
innovation
Requires Technical skills, Help
Desk tool, budget and a
tactical technology plan
Specialized skills for
process improvement,
project management and
training
Help Desk

47. So is Service Desk better?
Not for everyone. You have to be ready.
● Capacity in IT
● Org ready for change
Oh, and it really isn’t a choice. Even with a
Service Desk, you still need a Help Desk.

48. With Help Desk ....
With Service Desk....
IT becomes a partner

49. Start with Formalization
Policies (not a
bad word)
• Help
establish
clear
expectations
(not a set of
rules)
Procedures
• The steps we
follow for a
task
Process
• The
cumulative
flow of our
procedures,
how we get
stuff done

50. ● Acceptable Use
● Help Desk (with
SLAs)
● Security
● Social Media
● BYOD
● Business
Continuity
Policies
● Self Help
● Staff Roles
● Common Tasks
● IT
● Operations
● Program
● Organization
Procedures Process

51. A good Help or Service Desk
requires...
Listening.

52. Listening.
Listening with intent to reply
vs.
Listening with intent to understand
A good Help or Service Desk
requires...

53. Communicate

54. Build the
Relationship
Find
Opportunities
Budget
Planning
Cycle
Business
Continuity
Audits
New Software
Staff Changes
Collaborate
Work in teams
Attend
Department
meetings
Host Lunch N
Learns
Run trainings
Be social
Celebrate
Money saved
(limit focus)
Improvements
made
User stories
Projects
completed
Thank staff
involved

55. How do you make this a partnership?
Alignment
Relationship
Transparent

57. Evaluation Survey: http://po.st/CunRzm
Collaboration Notes: http://po.st/TdULQe
Help Desk or
Service Desk
Steve Heye @SteveHeye
Dar Veverka @DarVeverka
John Cronin @
#15NTChelporservice