Guide to Continual Service Improvement

Transcription

1 Guide to Continual Service Improvement Continual Service Improvement (CSI) is something that every service desk should strive to accomplish. Service Desk Institute In partnership with Published February 2014

2 Declaration While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this report, the results, estimates and opinions stated are based on sources which, while we believe them to be reliable, are not guaranteed. No liability can be accepted by SDI, it Directors or Employees for any loss to any person acting or failing to act as a result of anything contained in or omitted from this report, or conclusions stated. Prepared by SDI

3 2 Contents Introduction Sources/Channels for improvement Recognising a service improvement How to capture service improvements What to do with them? Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Don t stop moving! About The Service Desk Institute (SDI)

4 Introduction This report shows you how to implement a CSI for your service desk. The difficulty often lies in capturing all the feedback that we want to turn into actions and improvements and creating ways in which we can make improvements happen. CSI also considers past failures and successes in order to keep improving service. ITIL breaks CSI down into four distinct stages: Service Review Reviews business services and infrastructure services on a regular basis. The aim of this review is to identify areas for improvement; improve the quality of service; and identify more economical ways of providing a service where possible. Process Evaluation Evaluate process on a regular basis. This includes identifying areas where the targeted process metrics have not been reached and holding regular benchmarking, audits, maturity assessments and reviews. Definition of CSI initiatives Define specific initiatives aimed at improving services and processes, based on the results of service reviews and process evaluations. The initiatives that are produced by this review are then either pursued internally by the service provider or are initiatives that require the customer s cooperation. Monitoring of CSI initiatives This stage is designed to verify if improvements are proceeding according to plan and introduce corrective measures if necessary. For this guide we ll be taking aspects of the ITIL CSI stages and combining them with SDI s own CSI process which will provide a comprehensive guide to CSI and identify steps that will provide real improvements.

5 4 Sources/Channels for improvement Service improvements can come in many different forms: the trick is recognising what constitutes a service improvement and making sure that every service improvement is collected and recorded. Recognising a service improvement Service improvements can come from anywhere, whether they re suggestions from people on the service desk or chatting to someone by the water cooler. If someone says You need to answer the phone faster It would be good if the service desk stayed open later then this is a service improvement, but one that will not be a quick win or feasible if we re lacking in resources. again is a service improvement. I was not impressed with the way my call was answered is another service improvement. In fact, almost all feedback is a service improvement in some form thus we must ensure that we re capturing it.

6 How to capture service improvements To ensure that all improvements and feedback are captured successfully, you need to make sure that you have the correct channels open to receive them; make sure that they are all recorded; and that someone is regularly reviewing and monitoring them. In terms of having the correct channels open and available, a good place to start is on the service desk itself. Analysts are in a prime position to identify service improvements because they interface regularly with customers and use the service desk processes and procedures. Service desk analysts and resolver teams often prove to be a rich source for service improvements, so it s very important that they have an easy way to promote their suggestions. A good idea is to have a service improvement bucket where improvements can be written on a piece of paper along with their name and then placed in the bucket. If a bucket is not available, any central repository will be sufficient. Any and all service improvements should be encouraged, and it s a good idea to offer some form of reward and recognition system to recognise the best suggestions for improvement. There are also other ways to collect suggestions such as an ideas wall or board and to ask questions during one-to-ones and appraisals to encourage employees to think about what improvements they would like to see. Moving away from the service desk, other useful channels for service improvements are feedback forms from customers; customer satisfaction surveys; events, open days and forums; desk side visits; telephone and conversations; and any other form of communication that we have with the business and our customers such as intranet pages and team and department meetings.

7 6 What to do with them? Collecting service improvements is only the start of the task what needs to happen now is a process for turning these ideas into reality. Stage 1 All suggestions need to be recorded in a central location. This simplest way to do this is to use excel spreadsheet but the ideal solution would be to use an appropriate software solution to centralise control, visibility and administration of this process from start-to-end. However you choose to record them, the important details remain the same. Date suggestion received Name of person who created the improvement Summary of improvement Channel suggestion received Who recorded the improvement Link to original improvement

8 Stage 2 This is the review stage. Most improvement ideas will probably be impractical or just not feasible, but there will be ones that can make an improvement to service. Selecting the one that will improve service can be time-consuming, but it s always worth remembering that someone has taken the time to make a suggestion, and it s therefore good etiquette to give each one careful consideration and feed back to them the actions you have taken or the reason it was rejected. After selecting the improvements that are feasible, a document needs to be created that outlines how these ideas can become a reality. Typical steps could include: The improvement under review Time and date of the review The IT service that the improvement falls under (or other categorisation such as customer service, process etc.) Person in charge of the improvement Names of any other participants Summary of improvement Who has approved the improvement process Business case 1. Expected outcome of the improvement 2. Cost estimate 3. Specific desired result of the improvement Action plan/schedule of work 1. Description of the work to be undertaken 2. Key deliverables 3. Person in charge 4. Target delivery date 5. Currentstatus Documenting the steps in this way provides an action plan that should ensure that the ideas that have been proposed become a reality.

9 8 Stage 3 This is the implementation stage, where the improvements become live and in everyday use. Like any change, there needs to be a strong process in place to ensure that all pertinent considerations have been considered and that the introduction of the new improvements will not have a negative impact on existing services. Stage 4 This is the feedback stage. After the implementation of any change or improvement it s important to review the impact that improvements have made. Has the initial motivation for completing the improvement been realised? Have the stated aims and objectives been fulfilled? Another important part of this stage is to feed back to the person who initially raised the suggestion exactly what you have done and why you have done them. It s good etiquette to go back to the person who raised the improvement and feed back to them what has happened. Additionally, following up on feedback and turning these ideas into reality is a fantastic marketing tool and one that shows that you are actively listening to your customers and are committed to driving improvements that will enable them to work more effectively and improve the service that you deliver to them. Some good marketing messages could follow the lines of you said we did. Making sure that you advertise the improvements you ve made based on customer feedback throughout the organisation will place your service desk in a very strong position. When you ve made an improvement make sure that you make lots of noise about and share the message far and wide not only are you advertising your own achievements and ability to engage and listen but it ll also encourage more people to raise suggestions in the future. Like all of us, customers become reluctant and disengaged with raising suggestions if they always appear to disappear into a black hole without being given any due thought or consideration. This is why a feedback mechanism for customers and the service desk team as well is vitally important.

10 Don t stop moving! 1 2 Continual Service Improvement is just as the name says continual. This means that the service desk always needs to be ready in terms of collecting improvements, acting upon the best ones, and then feeding back to the people who have raised the suggestions. This creates a loop because, as mentioned, people will be unlikely to keep raising suggestions if they can t see how their previous suggestions have been acted upon. Thinking beyond service desks and just in terms of service, every one of us has ideas and suggestions about how our favourite products and services could be improved. These improvements could range from cost, to ease of use, functionality, and accessibility. It s also true that brands and services are reaching out to customers more than ever before to gather their feedback and feed these suggestions into their future product offerings and services. They ve realised the value of feedback in that it offers free advice and consultation on how their products can be improved by those who ultimately matter the most those consuming them. We can learn a lot from how organisations engage with customers, whether it be through social channels such as Twitter or Facebook, or perhaps more traditional routes such as Scotrail s customer forums. 1. Twitter is abound with good examples of this; not least Paddypower s Euro 2012 campaign based around their slogan we hear you! 2. This simple phrase has removed the barrier between bookmaker and punter to a jovial and fun relationship. by asking lots of questions and engaging with their customers, Paddypower has brought their customers into the heart of their company. Likewise with Scotrail, making customers feel valued and important not only helps their brand but also their business. The trick is not asking for feedback, but making your customers know that you care and that you value them. 3 We can always improve, and one of the very best ways to do this is to use the people who use our services day in day out to guide us in the right direction: we might not be able to achieve everything that they ask, but they will appreciate you trying.

11 10 About SDI Founded in 1988, the Service Desk Institute (SDI) is the leading authority on service desk and IT support related issues, providing specialist information and research about the technologies, tools and trends of the industry. It is Europe s only support network for IT service desk professionals, and its 5,000 professional members span numerous industries. Acting as an independent adviser, SDI captures and disseminates creative and innovative ideas for tomorrow s service desk and support operation. SDI sets the best practice standards for the IT support industry and is the conduit for delivering knowledge and career enhancing skills to the professional community, through membership, training, conferences, events and industry awards. It also offers the opportunity for international recognition of the support centre operation through its globally recognised Service Desk Certification audit programme. About RAD Established in 1997, RAD Software (RAD) is a Glasgow based provider of the leading HEAT Service Desk and HEAT Service Management software solutions, offering everything from high quality training packages to full end-to-end implementation and consulting services. RAD s capabilities extend to organisations of varying industry sectors and sizes throughout the United Kingdom, utilising leading best-practice methodologies to enable clients to meet both unique and standard requirements. For more information on RAD, visit: or contact Rad by Tel: +44 (0) or info@rad.co.uk About FrontRange FrontRange is a leading provider of Hybrid IT software solutions for organizations of all sizes. With our suite of HEAT applications, FrontRange is the only company in the world that provides, from a single platform, Service Management and Client Management software on-premise and in the cloud. HEAT manages millions of service interactions and millions of devices every day for more than 15,000 leading organizations around the world. Our customers deliver world-class service while maximizing operational efficiencies with reduced cost and complexity. FrontRange is headquartered in Milpitas, Calif. and can be found at

12 Contact SDI Service Desk Institute 21 Hight Street Green Street Green Orpington kent BR6 6BG Service Desk Institute +44 (0)1689 servicedeskinstitute.com Publisher s Note Copyright 2014 by SDI. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of SDI