Harris Ul Haq ITM Group D B2044308 Service Desk Implementations

Contents Page Introduction Page 3 Implementations + Examples Page 4

Local Page 4 Centralised Page 4 Virtual Page 5

Links to ITIL Framework Page 6 Bibliography Page 7

Introduction
In this report I will be comparing and contrasting different It service desk implementations and seeing how they relate to different areas of It service support as well as providing real world examples and linking it to different areas of the ITIL framework. A service desk is a single point of contact between the service provider and the customer, a service desk must manage incidents and make sure normal service is restored as quickly as possible. The service desk also escalates unresolved incidents to problem management which can then be solved. A service desk has only one phone number, one email address and one main website. The Service Desk has to be sure that the incident is entirely resolved and that the users agree that the incident should be closed. The Service Desk should also check the following:

Closure categorization. Find out and confirm that the first incident classification was accurate or, where the categorization subsequently turned out to be wrong, update the record. User satisfaction survey. Carry out a user satisfaction call-back or e-mail survey for the arranged percentage of incidents. Incident documents. Track any outstanding details and ensure that the Incident Record is completely documented so that a full record is complete. Ongoing or frequent problem? Decide on whether it is likely that the incident could happen again and make a decision on whether any action is necessary to avoid this. Working with Problem Management, raise a Problem Record in all such cases so that preventive action is initiated. Formal conclusion. Formally close the Incident Record. (http://www.itilfoundations.com/processes/incident-management/closing/)

Benefits of a service desk: One point of contact Better communication Faster to manage requests User satisfaction Able to log problems to identify reoccurring problems.

Implementations + Examples
The implementation deployed will depend on the various attributes of the business itself e.g., the size of business or the number of users of the service. There are three ways to implement a service desk: 1. Local Service Desk 2. Centralised Service Desk 3. Virtual Service Desk

Local Service Desk

The local service desk option is mostly taken by businesses that are based on a single site as the desk will be accessible; this option also allows the business to manage all requests from one location as well as making it easier to log and evaluate incidents that occur frequently. If more than one local service desk is needed then they should share common practices to ensure productivity. Local service desks are set up at each site of the business. For example a hospital would need multiple local service desks to ensure good service but it will all need to be linked to one patient database. The best example of a local service desk is at a school where the service desk is centrally located even if there are multiple buildings which allows for easy access. This option can be costly as if the company has more than one site each of the sites would have to have staff and all of the sites must be maintained and kept up to standards, however it would provide quick resolution of problems which would increase customer satisfaction which will help the overall image of the company.

Centralised Service Desk

A centralised service desk solution is another type of service desk and it is set up at one of the locations of a business and supports multiple locations, this is a good way to save money as there is only one site that needs to be managed and resources. Money can further saved by using VoIP for communication across the sites, this type of service desk will allow the business to effectively manage its incidents through one location. A centralised service desk also minimises the need for more staff as one team can manage one centrally located service desk. The only issue with this type of implementation is that if the communication service breaks down the service will be disrupted and could lead to unresolved issue or a failure to log incidents which would not be representative of true activity, this can however be resolved with a backup communications plan. A good place where a centralised service
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desk could be utilised would be at a small shopping centre where there are lots of shops in close proximity, I believe a centralised service desk would be suitable to manage such operations.

Virtual Service Desk

The third implementation is a Virtual Service Desk and this type of service desk is not visible to the customer which means there is no face to face contact which may mean some customers may find it hard to explain problems or service desk personnel may need to view problems which are not possible over the phone. The main advantage to this type of virtual service desk is that it can be spread out over a larger geographical area, this is especially advantageous to a business requiring a 24 hour service as it`s service desks can be transformed into the `round the sun model` in which as the day progresses a different desk in a different time zone can take over to keep optimal performance e.g. a service desk in India could take over out of hours if the business is located in the UK, this however requires multilingual staff and may require some onsite support staff at the locations. This would mean that this type of service desk would not be as cost effective as it would require specialised management staff to keep on top on of all the locations and to ensure productivity also the salary that the managers would demand will heavily increase costs. For this type of service to work you would need to have common practices such as language and also will need to have a single incident log from which analysis can be undertaken. For example a computer company like `HP` could need a virtual service desk as its customer may need assistance outside normal working hours so it could help to have a 24 hour service with locations in other countries. Overall out of the three implementations i believe the most cost effective option for a medium sized business with multiple buildings would be the centralised service desk as it does not require as many resources as the other two service desks as it is located at just one site and I believe it will also be easier to log and keep control of incidents at one site also it will only require one staff team which will be more effective as they will know all the practices. A smaller business with just one building could benefit from a local service desk as it will be accessible and it does offer benefits as it available close by and on site. However if your business operations require 24 hour services then the only option could be the virtual service desk making the most of the around the sun model to ensure ongoing activities are managed effectively.

Links to ITIL Framework

`ITIL is the most widely adopted approach for IT Service Management in the world. It provides a practical, no-nonsense framework for identifying, planning, delivering and supporting IT services to the business` (Itil official site, 2012).

The ITIL framework is the Best Management Practice for IT Service Management and is used to determine the service management strategy, it looks and highlights different areas of IT Management and it also helps keep the business integrated. The ITIL Framework has been taken on by some of the biggest companies in the world as a solution to service support. `When an Incident is reported to the Service Desk, it attempts to resolve it by consulting the Known Error Database and the CMDB` (http://computingnebula.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/why-incident-management-is-hard/, 2010 ). The service desk is directly linked to Incident management as support as once a incident occurs that the service desk cannot handle it can hand over to incident management which can then resolve the incident and restore normal service as quickly as possible. Within the incident management team there will be a few levels of support starting from first line support if they cannot handle it then it will be handed over to second line support which will the takeover. The service desk is also linked to problem management because if an incident is resolved by the service desk but it is a frequent incident it will be referred to problem management who will then try to get to the root cause of the problem and completely resolve the problem. The service desk is also linked to change management as when an event has occurred which results in a change in status the change management team is consulted. Release management is also linked to the service desk as the service desk is responsible for conducting user surveys which will be needed by release management when they decide on future changes to the service. The service desk can also provide its own recommendations on service improvement which is taken on board by the release management team when it makes it decisions on future provisions. The service desk is also linked to event management as its activities can help in event management as it can help with the detection of events, logs and helping to determine which events have occurred more frequently and what needs to be prioritised amongst others. The links to the other ITIL areas show how the service desk is central to IT service support and as the first line it has to deal with many tasks so the type of service desk must suit the businesses needs and budgets. It also shows how the service desk is the gateway access to other areas and can also help in shaping the future of the business as it deals with the users needs directly. Overall I believe a service desk is necessary for the success of the business as without it the users needs would not be met in terms of support and things such as logging incidents would not be done.
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Bibliography
(2012, 10 05). Retrieved from Itil official site: http://www.itilofficialsite.com/AboutITIL/WhatisITIL.aspx http://computingnebula.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/why-incident-management-is-hard/. (2010 , July 18). http://www.itilfoundations.com/processes/incident-management/closing/. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.itilfoundations.com: http://www.itilfoundations.com/processes/incidentmanagement/closing/ ITSS Lecture slide 4 ITSS Lecture slide 7 ITSS Lecture slide 9