Service Desk Certification YOUR ESSENTIAL HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 Service Desk Certification YOUR ESSENTIAL HANDBOOK

2 COPYRIGHT NOTICE The trade mark SDI Logo is a registered trade mark of Customers International Ltd. Please see the list of countries where the trade mark is registered on the SDI website. ITIL is a Registered Trade Mark of AXELOS Limited. Capability Maturity Model and CMMI are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. SDI assumes no liability for error or omission. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of SDI, with the exception of trade publications reporting on the data. In such cases, credit must be given to SDI. Customers International Ltd trading as Service Desk Institute. Registered Office: Lynwood House, Crofton Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 8QE Trading & Correspondence Address: 21 High Street, Green Street Green, Orpington, Kent, BR6 6BG. Company No: VAT No: Service Desk Institute (SDI). All rights reserved

3 CONTENTS Foreword 5 Introduction to Service Desk Certification 6 The SDI Service Desk Standard 7-9 The Service Desk Assessment and Audit Process 10 The Formal Service Desk Standard Version Concept 1 - Leadership Concept 2 - Policy and Strategy Concept 3 - People Management Concept 4 - Resources Concept 5 - Processes and Procedures Concept 6 - Managing Employee Satisfaction Concept 7 - Managing the Customer Experience Concept 8 - Management Information and Performance Results Concept 9 - Social Responsibility

4 ABOUT THE SERVICE DESK INSTITUTE Our Company Vision The SDI vision is: To inspire service desks to be brilliant Our Company Mission To achieve our vision, we have developed a set of goals by which we inspire service desks to: Embrace: To raise the quality of service delivery by valuing best practice Engage: To create an inspiring and engaging customer experience Invest: To empower their teams to be inspired, take action and be better Shine: To demonstrate and deliver exceptional business value Our Company Values Our shared values that we are guided by are: Be Curious and Creative Be Open-Minded, Positive and Bold Be Passionate and Shine Explore Stuff and Grow Create Fun Share a Great Experience Amaze and WOW Love Customers Build Brilliant Friendships Smile Our Service Desk Standard The SDI Service Desk standard is a set of globally recognized best practice standards that provide a clear and measurable benchmark for service desk operations. The standard supports our vision to inspire service desks to embrace and value best practice in order to raise the quality of service delivery.

5 FOREWORD The goal of this handbook is to provide an easy to read document that explains the nature, content and aim of Service Desk Certification (SDC). It brings certification within the reach of a vast audience by providing an accessible guide that: l Promotes awareness and acceptability of service desk certification as a valid best practice standard for service desks l Supports the Service Desk Certification audit programme l Is a quick reference guide for IT service and support professionals This guide is aimed at a broad range of IT service and support professionals as well as other environments, ranging from experts in IT service provision to those who are looking for a suitable approach to quality improvement issues. It starts with an introduction to SDC covering its history and background. The next two chapters outline in detail SDI s maturity model and the structure of the assessment methodology. Chapter four describes the formal SDC service desk standard, along with its structure and format. The final chapter explains how you can use the standard in a continual quality and service improvement programme. 5

6 INTRODUCTION TO SERVICE DESK CERTIFICATION The performance of a service desk is a reliable indicator of the overall health of an organization s IT provision. As well as being a key business function the service desk enables organizations to deliver business objectives. SDI has therefore set the standard that all service desks should strive to meet. By achieving service desk certification, an organization demonstrates to both its customers and competitors that its support operation is truly dedicated to best practice. The level of certification that an organization achieves depends on the level of excellence and maturity that the service and support operation has reached according to SDI s service desk maturity model. During the service desk audit an organization will be assessed for compliance in the nine concepts outlined in the SDI service desk standard and given a score. The score is then converted into the Service Desk Certification maturity model. Only organizations using the following logo are officially recognised and approved to deliver the SDC audit programme. Visit for a list of approved audit partners. 6

7 THE SDI SERVICE DESK STANDARD The SDI Service Desk Standard provides a set of clear and measurable benchmarks for a service desk operation; some of which may not be found within other frameworks and standards such as ITIL or ISO/IEC There are nine certification concepts weighted as follows: 1. Leadership - 10% 2. Policy and Strategy - 10% 3. People Management - 10% 4. Resources - 9% 5. Processes and Procedures - 14% 6. Managing Employee Satisfaction - 10% 7. Managing the Customer Experience - 20% 8. Management Information and Performance Results - 15% 9. Social Responsibility - 2% An international committee comprising industry experts, service management professionals and practitioners review the SDI standard every three years to ensure that it aligns with the needs and demands of the industry. 7

8 THE SDI SERVICE DESK STANDARD 1.01 Alignment with core business outcomes 1.02 Service desk influence 1.03 Collaboration 1.04 Leadership competencies 1.05 Promoting teamwork 1.06 Promoting the service desk 1.07 Service performance transparency 1.08 Critical success factors 1.09 Inspiring and driving continual service improvement (CSI) 1.10 Customer advocacy 2.01 Vision 2.02 Mission Leadership Policy and Strategy 2.03 Strategic objectives, Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators 2.04 Strategic planning 2.05 Business relationship management 2.06 Stakeholder input 2.07 Financial management 2.08 Diversity and inclusion 2.09 Flexible working practices 2.10 Information security management program 2.11 Strategic value of the service desk 2.12 Service desk project governance People Management 3.01 Role profiles 3.02 Recruitment 3.03 Onboarding 3.04 Skills development 3.05 Career development plans 3.06 Personal performance reviews 3.07 Talent management 3.08 Remuneration 3.09 Informal reward and recognition 3.10 Staff attendance 3.11 Service desk aspirational career path 4.01 Physical environment and ergonomics 4.02 Capacity and availability 4.03 Distribution of incoming interactions 4.04 Diagnosis and resolution 4.05 Staffing and scheduling 4.06 IT service management (ITSM) toolset 4.07 IT service management system utilization 4.08 Remote support 4.09 Integrated systems 4.10 Reporting systems 4.11 Knowledge management 4.12 Self-service 4.13 Service catalog 4.14 Security Resources 4.15 Supplier relationship management Processes and Procedures 5.01 Governance of processes and procedures 5.02 Risk management 5.03 Service level management 5.04 Managing feedback 5.05 Incident management 5.06 Request fulfillment 5.07 Incident and service request logging 5.08 Status assignment 5.09 Service level monitoring 5.10 Incident and service request closure 5.11 Incident and service request quality monitoring 5.12 Interaction quality monitoring 5.13 incident detection and remediation (event management) 5.14 Problem management 5.15 IT change management 5.16 Release and deployment management 5.17 Service information 5.18 Configuration and asset management 5.19 Service catalog management 5.20 Access management 5.21 IT service continuity management 5.22 Approval 5.23 Prioritization 5.24 Categorization 5.25 Industry innovation

9 Managing Employee Satisfaction 6.01 Employee satisfaction monitoring program 6.02 Skills and knowledge 6.03 Training plans 6.04 Staff morale 6.05 Employee engagement 6.06 Career development opportunities 6.07 Employee feedback 6.08 Positive team culture 6.09 Team meetings Managing the Customer Experience 7.01 Customer experience management 7.02 Event surveys 7.03 Periodic surveys 7.04 Managing customer satisfaction results (analytics) 7.05 Customer feedback 7.06 Complaint management 7.07 Business relationship management Social Responsibility 9.01 Community integration and charitable activities 9.02 Environmental protection 9.03 Health and safety 9.04 Code of practice and ethics 8.01 Business related metrics 8.02 Reporting activities 8.03 Target alignments 8.04 Number of incidents 8.05 Number of service requests 8.06 Average time to respond to incidents 8.07 Average time to respond to service requests 8.08 Abandon rate 8.09 Average time taken to resolve incidents 8.10 Average time taken to fulfil service requests 8.11 First contact incident resolution rate 8.12 First contact incident fulfillment rate 8.13 First level incident resolution rate 8.14 First level request fulfillment rate 8.15 Re-opened incident rate 8.16 Re-opened service request rate 8.17 Incident backlog management 8.18 Service request backlog management 8.19 Percentage of hierarchic escalations 8.20 Percentage of functional escalations 8.21 Bounce rate 8.22 Average incident resolution time by priority 8.23 Average request fulfillment time by priority 8.24 Average resolution time by incident category 8.25 Average fulfillment time by service request type 8.26 Comparison of service level targets to performance 8.27 Knowledge usage 8.28 Knowledge quality and effectiveness 8.29 Self-help monitoring measured against target 8.30 Monitoring incidents caused by changes measured against target 8.31 Total cost of service delivery 8.32 Average cost per incident by channel 8.33 Average cost per service request by channel 8.34 Employee satisfaction feedback 8.35 Employee turnover Management Information and Performance Results 8.36 Unplanned absence days 8.37 Periodic customer satisfaction measurement 8.38 Event based customer satisfaction measurement 8.39 Complaints, suggestions and compliments

10 THE SERVICE DESK ASSESSMENT AND AUDIT PROCESS Organizations can be assessed for maturity against the SDI Service Desk Standard and benchmarked. If the assessment and resulting audit is positive they can then be certified. Evaluation There is a free online SDC evaluation designed to help organizations to estimate the maturity of their service desk. The evaluation is a selection of simple questions based on the full certification audit. The intention of the online evaluation is to provide a guide to your performance and possible service desk maturity level, it doesn t give you an accurate final maturity rating. The evaluation can be accessed at Assessment and Audit Process The SDC programme comprises three key parts an initial assessment, the certification audit and the continual service improvement surveillance audit. 1. Initial Assessment The first stage of the audit process is a two day assessment of the service desk measured against the SDI Service Desk Standard. Carried out by an SDI accredited auditor, the assessment comprises a series of interviews and observations with the service desk team and key stakeholders including customers. The SDC assessment is designed to provide an organization with a baseline of its current situation measured against each of the nine performance criteria and to determine its readiness for the full audit that leads to certification. The assessment helps an organization to identify areas for improvement to existing operations and highlights the possible risk factors that need addressing. By following the steps outlined in the evaluation report, an organization is able to quickly identify key areas of strength and weakness in its support structure and the specific areas on which to focus attention so that it can make the most meaningful improvements prior to the certification audit. It is important to understand however, that the service desk assessment is not a substitute for a complete and thorough full audit. 10

11 2. Audit and Certification This is a full review of an organization s entire service desk operation, measured against the 132 best practice criteria s set out in the SDI Service Desk Standard using interviews, desk-side observations and a review of service level metrics. Taking place over four days, the SDI auditor asks over 600 comprehensive questions and drills down into more detail to obtain the specific information required for each of the nine concepts. The responses provided during the interviews and observation sessions are combined with, and cross referenced against, the initial assessment and a portfolio of pre-requisite evidence reviewed by the auditor prior to the audit. The audit usually takes place within nine months of the SDC assessment. There are minimum scores required for each of the concepts in order to achieve certification. In order for an organization to be certified, it must achieve a minimum score of 2.3 in each of the nine concepts and a minimum score of 2.5 overall. Provided an organization has met these minimum scores they will be officially awarded certified status along with a maturity rating. 3. Continual Service Improvement Once an organization has achieved certification, the programme doesn t stop there. In order to ensure continued and sustainable service and support delivery excellence, the audit programme comprises two follow-up audits that target specific areas of improvement. This provides an organization with the opportunity to increase its service desk s star rating. These surveillance audits are typically carried out at twelve and twenty four month intervals after the full audit. 11

12 THE FORMAL SERVICE DESK STANDARD VERSION 7.0 In today s business, the need to demonstrate the ability to provide services that meet customer requirements is evident. The Service Desk standard represents industry consensus on quality standards for service desk management processes and a commitment to continual service improvement. The full standard covering all nine concepts in their entirety can be found on the pages that follow. This standard is the definitive reference guide for any service desk looking at how and where to improve service levels. Concept 1 - Leadership How all levels of management and other staff in leadership roles inspire and drive continual improvement Alignment with Core Business Outcomes of the Supported Organization(s) Service desk management ensures that service desk staff understands the relationship between support services and the core business of the supported organization. Service desk management can articulate the core business of the supported organization(s). Service desk management cascades its understanding of the supported organization(s) business to service desk staff. Service desk management ensures that the services offered by the service desk are designed to support the success of its customers. Service desk management act as trusted business partners and enablers through established links with the business in order to understand its evolving requirements and to support business growth, productivity and flexibility. 12

13 1.02 Service Desk Influence Service desk management promotes a broad level of understanding of the role of IT service management across the IT organization. Service desk management displays understanding of how the service desk interacts with other IT processes and IT departments. The service desk team proactively engages and communicates with the IT organization. The service desk team collaborates with other IT teams and has influence across the IT organization. The service desk has an integral role in the IT decision making process Collaboration All levels of IT management encourage a collaborative culture, and shared objectives are defined across the IT organization in order to optimize contributions from stakeholders and achieve successful business outcomes. There are informal meetings to discuss how teams should work together. Teams are formed to help drive collaboration within the IT organization. Some shared objectives are defined along with a basic plan for how to achieve them. Shared objectives are fully agreed and the roles required and measures for success are clearly defined. Teams work together openly, honestly and effectively and understand the benefits of cooperative working. Effective relationships are cultivated to create a culture that supports the organization s strategy. Progress is evaluated and benchmarked and feedback is continually collected. New approaches and solutions are fed into continual service improvement initiatives. 13

14 1.04 Leadership Competencies There is a program in place to develop service desk leadership attributes, skills and knowledge and desired behaviors. The leadership training available to service desk management is aligned to role profiles. There is a structured leadership training program in place for developing individuals. It has a set of core competencies, a well-defined curriculum and is supported by senior management. It is regularly evaluated and reviewed to ensure that it is meeting objectives. The leadership program focuses on developing the organization and culture-setting. Content is aligned with business strategy and senior management participates in the program. Senior management is fully engaged in the leadership program and applies leadership competencies to successfully execute strategy. Talent management is integrated and a learning and leadership culture is embedded in the organization Promoting Teamwork All levels of IT management actively promote and participate in team building activities and advocate team work throughout the IT support operation. There are organized and regularly scheduled team activities to promote and encourage service desk teamwork. There are defined procedures and training objectives in place to encourage teamwork in the IT organization. The success of team-based effort is defined, recognized and measured across the IT organization. The results of team-based efforts are successfully fed into documented continual service improvement initiatives. 14

15 1.06 Promoting the Service Desk All levels of IT management effectively raise the visibility of the service desk throughout the organization and promote it as a valued business partner. All levels of IT management encourage appropriate use of the service desk across support groups and by personal example. All levels of IT management recognize and articulate the value of the service desk function to the organization. The service desk proactively involves itself with other departments in the organization and promotes its role and value. The service desk is able to influence and participate in activities intended to improve the overall business performance of the organization Service Performance Transparency Service desk management actively promotes a culture of transparency by distributing service performance data and other support related information in order to deliver business value. Service desk performance is measured against service level agreements or agreed and documented service targets at least monthly. Performance results reports are readily available to service desk staff and other IT groups. Service desk management regularly provides information that gives direction to the service desk team and other support groups about service performance. Stakeholders have access to timely, meaningful and relevant service performance information that can be used to make business decisions. 15

16 1.08 Critical Success Factors Service desk management understands the organization s critical success factors and communicates them to staff. Service desk management can articulate the organization s critical success factors. Critical success factors are supported by key performance indicators and communicated to staff appropriately. Critical success factors and KPIs are periodically reviewed and updated appropriately. Improvement is evident when performance is measured against critical success factors and KPIs Inspiring and Driving Continual Service Improvement (CSI) Service desk management inspires staff to suggest ideas that lead to service improvements and that drive successful business outcomes. Service desk management has an ad hoc approach to CSI. Service desk management actively engage staff in formal CSI initiatives. There are regular cross-functional collaboration opportunities for service desk staff to contribute to service improvement initiatives. Service desk staff are empowered to initiate, test and drive continual service improvement activities and to influence other areas of the organization. 16

17 1.10 Customer Advocacy Service desk management actively encourages customer-centric behaviors and has processes in place in order to satisfy customer demand in a timely and cost effective manner. Service desk management actively engages with customers. A process is in place to ensure that service desk interactions are customer focused. Customer focus is culturally embedded in day-to-day service desk operations. The service desk or IT organization has invested in a comprehensive customer experience program that incorporates CSI activities. 17

18 Concept 2 - Policy and Strategy 2.01 Vision The service desk reflects the organization s vision in its strategic plans and cascades it to service desk staff. Service desk staff understand the organization s vision. The service desk s vision is aligned with the IT organization s vision. The service desk s strategic plans are aligned with the organization s vision. The service desk aligns continual service improvement activity to the organization s vision Mission The service desk s mission is aligned to the organization s vision and reflects both the service desk s role in, and its value contribution to the organization s success. Service desk staff understand the organization s mission. The service desk team is involved in documenting a memorable mission statement. The mission is embedded in its culture. There is a procedure to review, revise and publish the service desk s mission on a periodic basis. The service desk's mission is aligned with the organization's mission. The message is published across the organization and to its support partners. 18

19 2.03 Strategic Objectives, Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) The service desk has identified the strategic objectives and CSFs that are required to achieve its mission. These are underpinned by KPIs that enable measurement of strategic performance in order to ensure successful business outcomes. The service desk has strategic objectives in place. The service desk s strategic objectives and CSFs are supported by KPIs. Strategic objectives and KPIs are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-related (SMART) and are communicated to service desk staff. The service desk s strategic objectives, CSFs and KPIs take into account organizational CSFs and those of the areas it supports. They are regularly reviewed and updated. Business outcomes are discussed and agreed between stakeholders and the IT organization and supported by strategic objectives, CSFs and KPIs. Performance results are communicated to stakeholders Strategic Planning There are strategic plans and supporting operational plans in place designed to meet the service desk s strategic objectives and achieve successful business outcomes. There are documented operational plans in place. The service desk s operational plans include elements such as vision, mission, objectives, services provided, infrastructure requirements, financial information and tactical action plans. The service desk s operational plans are aligned with the IT organization s strategic plans and include elements such as resourcing, training, projects, and technology implementation. The service desk s strategic plans specify how service desk operations support and integrate with the strategic plans of the IT organization and the organization as a whole. There is a documented process to ensure that these plans are reviewed and regularly updated to support the changing requirements of the organization. 19

20 2.05 Business Relationship Management The service desk actively engages with the business relationship management function in order to ensure that appropriate services are developed to meet user demand. The service desk s engagement with a business relationship management function is ad hoc. The service desk has a documented policy for regularly engaging with the BRM function. Service desk staff are trusted contributors to business relationship management activities that feed into operational planning. There is a strategic business led partnership between the service desk and the business relationship management function that drives service strategy and continual service improvement activities that results in business value realization Stakeholder Input The service desk s objectives and strategic plans incorporate stakeholder input in a practical, meaningful and balanced manner to facilitate improved customer engagement and collaboration. Service desk management and staff are able to define and readily identify stakeholders and their relative importance, and ad hoc activities exist for incorporating stakeholder input into strategic plans. The service desk has a documented procedure to proactively solicit stakeholder input to its operational plans. Stakeholder input is used to define strategic objectives and plans. Feedback is provided to stakeholders about how their input was evaluated and used and the business value it delivered. 20

21 2.07 Financial Management Service desk management demonstrates a realistic understanding of the link between service desk requirements, budgeting, staffing levels, technology and facilities and understands the financial performance results of both the service desk and the IT organization. There is a defined budget for the IT support operation. The service desk has an allocated budget. The budget is regularly reviewed and updated and periodically reported to stakeholders. The service desk manager has influence over allocation of the budget. Service desk management utilizes financial and performance metrics to calculate overall return on investment. The budget is aligned to required business outcomes and drives business value Diversity and Inclusion Service desk management recognizes the business value of having a diversity and inclusion strategy. The service desk embraces the organization s diversity and inclusion practices. Diversity and inclusion form part of the service desk s strategic plan. Service desk staff are trained in diversity and inclusion practices. Diversity and inclusion are integral to the service desk s activities and are embedded in its culture. 21

22 2.09 Flexible Working Practices The service desk has a proactive approach to flexible working practices that are appropriate to the organization s business model. The service desk has isolated initiatives in place for flexible working practices that are appropriate to the organization s business model. The service desk has enabling policies and technology in place to support flexible working practices. The policy is applied consistently across roles and flexibility is accepted as the norm. The service desk s working practice model is based on a comprehensive strategic vision and clear and flexible working principles and has brought measurable business benefits to the service desk Information Security Management Program There is a security policy in place that identifies the service desk s role in the information security process to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability in order to encourage compliance and mitigate business risk. Service desk staff are aware of the organization s security management policies. Service desk staff participate in monitoring and logging security breaches. The service desk proactively educates users about security matters. The service desk contributes to the assessment of security risks and security management improvement initiatives. Its security priorities and actions are integrated with organization at all levels. 22

23 2.11 Strategic Value of the Service Desk The service desk is an influential contributor to the organization at operational and strategic levels. The service desk is able to influence operational decisions. The service desk is able to contribute ideas at a strategic level. The service desk is consulted at a strategic level about decisions and investments that affect service. The service desk is an integral part of the organization s decision making process and is fundamental to driving strategic thinking and business transformation Service Desk Project Governance The service desk has policies, regulations, functions, processes, procedures and responsibilities in place that define how its projects, programs and portfolios are established, managed and controlled, and that improve staff motivation through better communication. Stakeholders are engaged at a level that reflects their importance to the organization and in a way that builds trust. Business cases for projects are ad hoc. There is a business case for most projects that include budgets, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and performance criteria. Project processes are consistent and standard and have formal links between business strategy and budgets and activities at the application level. Stakeholders are involved in developing business cases. Budgets for projects and maintenance and support are integrated. Accountability of participating organizations is agreed and documented. Resource planning is coordinated with application portfolio management and project portfolio management. Projects are aligned with CSI activities and prioritized accordingly. 23

24 Concept 3 - People Management 3.01 Role Profiles There are role profiles for all positions within the service desk that accurately describe the responsibilities and competencies required to successfully fulfill the roles. Job descriptions are documented for all service desk positions. There are role profiles that accurately describe the responsibilities and competencies for all service desk positions and that define the deliverables and outcomes required. Role profiles are specifically referred to during performance reviews and 1-to-1s and are reviewed and revised as necessary. To support talent management role profiles are reinforced by detailed competency matrices that indicate an individual s level of expertise in each core area. Responsibilities and accountabilities are aligned with organizational goals Recruitment There is a structured recruitment process in place to increase the quality of staff selection, to attract the right talent and to increase efficiencies in hiring and retention. There is a basic tactical recruitment process in place. People engaged in the recruitment process receive appropriate training. There is a strategic focus on candidate experience. Multi stage recruitment steps focus on testing and evaluation based on the competencies required for the role. The process is documented, regularly reviewed and updated. Vacancies are evaluated and stakeholders are invited to be involved in the recruitment processes. Multi-stage recruitment steps focus on organizational fit with brand values. 24

25 3.03 Onboarding There is a structured on-boarding process to ensure that new staff feel valued and part of the business, understand company culture and become efficient and effective as soon as possible. There is a basic induction or onboarding process in place. Specific onboarding metrics are defined that incorporate training, culture and compliance. Timescale milestones are identified. Regular formal reviews are conducted to assess progress against required outcomes. The onboarding process includes specific metrics, tracked at multiple points in time that inform recruitment decisions. The process is documented and regularly reviewed and updated. The onboarding experience is Integrated with recruitment and is customized for the service desk. It teaches organizational culture and strategy, supports interpersonal network development and provides early career support and job readiness skills Skills Development There are development plans in place to ensure that service desk staff have the skills to perform their defined roles. There is a skills development plan for each defined role and for each member of staff. A gap analysis is regularly conducted for each member of staff. Gap analysis are linked to documented skills development plans and training plans are aligned to each service desk role. These are regularly reviewed and updated. There is a training budget allocated to achieve the minimum skills level specified in the development plans and time for training is included in the staffing model. There is a service desk staff skills matrix aligned to business outcomes. It is periodically reviewed and updated in order to match the competencies of existing staff to future business requirements. 25

26 3.05 Career Development Plans There are career development plans in place to ensure that staff achieve their full potential, to support succession planning, and to increase job satisfaction. A career development plan exists for each member of the service desk team. Career development plans for service desk staff are documented and they reflect agreed personal preferences for career direction and development. Progress is monitored in 1-to-1s. Career development plans align training and qualification/ certification goals with desired role profiles. Role profile reviews, career development planning, compensation reviews, and performance appraisal processes are integrated Personal Performance Reviews There are agreed objectives in place for service desk staff that align with the objectives of the service desk and the organization as a whole. There is a performance review program in place. The performance review program is documented and key job performance criteria are linked to service desk and organizational objectives. Reviews are conducted annually. People engaged in the performance review process receive appropriate training. Team leaders/supervisors / managers give regular feedback to service desk staff between formal performance review meetings. The formal performance review program is scheduled biannually. Service desk staff input to and agree objectives and areas for improvement are identified. 26

27 3.07 Talent Management There is a talent management program in place to identify, attract, develop, retain, manage and evaluate service desk staff who demonstrate the highest level of potential for the future or because they are fulfilling business/operation-critical roles. The fasttrack program has clear objectives and a defined development path. There is ad hoc talent management in place. A talent strategy is documented and there are processes to support it. Managers are trained to identify talent. The talent management program is aligned with business strategy and supports changing business needs. There are entry and exit points for new service desk staff and for longstanding employees who have varied backgrounds. Talent management forms part of the business strategy and helps to drive business decisions. It is linked to diversity policies and activities and includes succession planning at all levels. Processes and systems are fully integrated and stakeholders participate in developing the strategy and associated activities. Talent management results in increased productivity, improved performance, lower staff turnover and reduced recruitment costs Remuneration There is a fair and equitable remuneration program in place that focuses on improving staff productivity, satisfaction, development and retention. Service desk staff remuneration is reviewed on an ad hoc basis. A formal remuneration program is documented and compared to similar positions within the same industry sector and geographic area. Management regularly reviews the impact of the program and makes adjustments and improvements based on the review results. The program rewards service desk staff for achieving personal, team and organizational objectives. 27

28 3.09 Informal Reward and Recognition An informal reward and recognition program for service desk staff is in place in order to actively encourage desired behaviors. Service desk staff are given positive feedback about desired behaviors. There is evidence of an informal service desk reward and recognition program for individuals and teams. Service desk staff participate in the development and maintenance of the informal reward and recognition program. Service desk management periodically reviews the impact of the informal reward and recognition program and makes adjustments and improvements based on the results Staff Attendance Service desk management monitors and measures employee attendance and instigates measures to address unacceptable behavior. There is a procedure in place for measuring and monitoring unplanned absence. A trend analysis of unplanned absence is regularly performed. Back to work interviews are conducted after several periods of unplanned absence within a specified time-frame. Unacceptable levels of unplanned absence are addressed through personal improvement plans Service Desk Aspirational Career Path 28

29 The service desk is positioned as an aspirational career path within the organization. Staff working elsewhere in the organization are able to move into a service desk role. Procedures exist to allow staff working elsewhere in the organization to consider and initiate a move into a service desk role. Career moves into the service desk are published and actively promoted throughout the organization. In line with published career options the movement of staff into the service desk is in operation and evidence of derived benefits exists. 29

30 Concept 4 - Resources 4.01 Physical Environment and Ergonomics The service desk s workspace design reflects a safe, appropriate, flexible and ergonomically effective work area. The service desk s work area conforms to standards for general-purpose office space and is comparable to other administrative/office facilities within the organization. The facilities reflect the special requirements of a service desk environment such as: low traffic and noise levels, headsets, easy access to information and facilities and provides the right tools required to support remote working. The service desk has facilities available for both public and private interactions between staff and management. Workspaces have a high level of ergonomic design that demonstrates the service desk s value to the organization and ensure that facilities in office and remote working locations comply with local legislation or standards Capacity and Availability There is appropriate functionality, capacity and availability in the technical infrastructure that allows support tools and related services to be effective. Connectivity links together support analysts, users, key workgroups and suppliers. The service desk, or its support partners, captures performance data relating to the infrastructure components in order to identify capacity and availability issues and reports the metrics to stakeholders. The infrastructure is reliable and unplanned interruptions are minimized. Capacity and availability models and metrics are used to plan and implement changes and improvements to the infrastructure. 30

31 4.03 Distribution of Incoming Interactions There is a system in place to efficiently distribute incoming interactions from all channels of communication supported to ensure that incidents and service requests are delivered to analysts quickly. There is a system and/or process for appropriately distributing incoming interactions to analysts from all channels of communication (i.e. , internet, telephony, instant messaging, live chat, SMS, self-service, social media). The distribution system or process provides routing capabilities and it monitors and reports the incoming volumes and response times. The distribution system alerts the service desk and its users when volumes peak and it has advanced reporting capabilities. The distribution system is integrated with the incident tracking or IT service management system Diagnosis and Resolution The service desk operation has access to services, systems and technology that facilitate replication of incidents and/or problems in order to assist service desk staff to deliver efficient resolutions. It also has appropriate access permissions to be able to perform key tasks. Service desk staff have access to up-to-date documentation for all supported systems, tools, and products. Service desk staff have access to systems and configurations commonly used by users in order to reproduce incidents and problems to help restore service effectively. Common user systems and configurations are accessible from the workstations of service desk staff and they have the appropriate level of access permissions to services, systems and technology to perform key tasks. There is a facility available for service desk staff to replicate incidents generated by less commonly used systems, devices, configurations or tools. 31

32 4.05 Staffing and Scheduling The types and levels of staffing resources deployed within the service desk are sufficient to meet the requirements of the services it is contracted to provide and the staffing assessment method or model used supports continual service improvement initiatives and drives business value. Staffing levels are based on a formal method or model that accounts for the volume of service desk work and includes the number of incidents and service requests received and the work-time involved. The staffing method or model takes into account the agreed service levels it is contracted to deliver. The staffing model or planning tools used have the capability to adjust for fluctuating workloads. The output from the staffing model or planning tool is used to monitor performance, anticipate future workload, develop long-term staffing strategies and contribute to continual service improvement initiatives IT Service Management (ITSM) Toolset There is a toolset in place that supports the ITSM processes required to deliver the strategic objectives of the organization. There is a basic logging and tracking system in place that includes categorization and prioritization. The service desk has implemented an ITSM toolset that has the functionality required for the service desk to be successful. The ITSM toolset has the functionality needed to support the ITSM processes implemented by the organization. Ongoing investment in the ITSM toolset to optimize process integration has resulted in a system that is fully optimized, drives continual service improvement initiatives and delivers strategic business value. 32

33 4.07 IT Service Management System Utilization The functionality of the ITSM system allows the IT organization to plan, deliver, operate and control the IT services offered to customers. The service desk utilizes a basic logging and tracking system. All support groups utilize the same IT service management system as their primary tool for tracking incidents and service requests or they automatically share data. The IT service management system provides users with the ability to log their own incidents and service requests (interactions) check their status and access other relevant information. The system also provides users with alternative means of access to the service desk e.g. , internet, telephony, instant messaging, live chat, SMS, self-service, social media. The IT service management system proactively notifies users of changes in interaction status and escalates interactions if service level commitments are approaching a breach situation, or if they are missed, using an appropriate delivery channel e.g. , internet, telephony, instant messaging, live chat, SMS, self-service, social media Remote Support The service desk has a remote support capability in order to quickly diagnose and resolve issues. The service desk has implemented a tool to provide analysts with access to users devices in order to aid diagnosis and resolution. The remote support tool has become an integral and accepted component of the support process used by the service desk. Remote access tools support mobile and off-site devices and are integrated with the ITSM toolset in order to improve productivity and efficiency. There is a capability to generate incident and service requests and initiate appropriate actions automatically. 33

34 4.09 Integrated Systems IT support systems are integrated in order to provide strategic advantage e.g. improved efficiency, accuracy and capabilities. The ITSM system has the functionality to import data from other systems. Communication with support staff and customers occurs automatically through electronic communication channels supported by the ITSM system. Integrated tools are accessible to support staff from within the ITSM system. The ITSM system automatically enables activities in other systems and receives updates from other systems as activities take place Reporting Systems Reporting and analysis tools are used to monitor and manage the activity of service desk operations in order to optimize quality and performance. Ad hoc monitoring, analysis and reporting of critical service desk activities is carried out. Relevant service desk process results are regularly analyzed and reported on, e.g. incident history, customer satisfaction, delivery of service level agreement targets, re-opened incidents, incidents caused by change and aged calls. Reporting systems are flexible and easy to use and show progress in performance and quality improvement by comparing results to a target or baseline. Reporting systems are consolidated across the IT organization and the content is regularly analyzed. The results are used for continual service improvement initiatives that optimize performance. 34

35 4.11 Knowledge Management There are systems and methods in place to capture, record and share knowledge in order to answer common questions, search for known errors and to improve service to users. A knowledge management system or process is in place. It is easily accessible for service desk staff to use in the resolution process and it is moderately accepted by the service desk team e.g. Known Error Database. The knowledge management system is integrated into standard workflow processes and is culturally accepted by all support levels. Service desk staff regularly contribute to and review and maintain knowledge content to keep it relevant and its use is tracked and monitored. There is a procedure in place to publish appropriate knowledge to users. Knowledge is viewed as a significant support asset and its creation is valued. It is used to facilitate cross-functional collaboration and communication and is published and used effectively by the wider community. There is a formal repository that integrates all knowledge e.g. Service Knowledge Management System Self-service There is a self-service facility in place that gives users access to the information required to answer common questions and log incidents or request services without assistance that drives business efficiency and cost effectiveness. There is a basic self-service facility available for users to request service. Users are able to access answers to basic support questions, and log incidents and service requests and check their status. Self-service effectiveness and usage is regularly reviewed and automated procedures are in place for password resets and software deployment. Self-service has positively impacted user productivity and satisfaction and the service desk s efficiency and cost effectiveness has improved. 35

36 4.13 Service Catalog The service desk supports the services contained in a service catalog. The services are defined and agreed with its customers. A structure of services is defined and documented for reference purposes. The services have been discussed and agreed with customers. The service catalog is presented through an integrated, actionable and current portal to allow users to request services. The portal is regularly reviewed and maintained. The service catalog provides a framework for business and technical IT reporting that is accepted by users and it delivers value to the organization Security Security measures are in place to monitor and control access to service desk facilities. Supplier relationship management is in place to support the supplier delivery mechanism. Security measures are in place to monitor and control access to service desk facilities. Security policies are regularly communicated to service desk staff and there are regular security awareness training sessions. All support staff have their own user id and password for accessing support systems; the passwords are periodically changed. Security systems are in place and resources are assigned to safeguard critical assets. Security awareness is embedded in the service desk s culture. Security systems are in place to protect personal, organizational and user information from improper disclosure, all security issues are traceable. Security metrics and audit trails are reviewed and evaluated on a regular basis and the baseline is adjusted as necessary. 36