Glossary 1 Term Abandon Before Answer (ABA) Rate The percentage of customers that terminate a call (i.e., hang up) before the call is answered. ABA is a leading indicator that is used to manage staffing levels and scheduling. After Call Work (ACW) Work that is done immediately after a call has been concluded. Often includes entering data, completing forms, or making outbound calls necessary to complete a customer transaction. During this period, the agent is unavailable for the next telephone call. Asset Any resource or capability. A service provider s assets include anything that could contribute to the delivery of a service. Assets can be one of the following types: management, organization, process, knowledge, people, information, applications, infrastructure, and financial capital. Asset The tracking and optimization of IT equipment and related products. the implementation of a set of operating and accounting procedures intended to maximize the return on investment (ROI) of the equipment assets of an organization, especially capital assets. Automated Voice Recognition (AVR) Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) Considered the next generation of IVR systems, this technology enables a computer to interpret voice commands and convert them to data. The telephone system used in call centers. It is a programmable device that automatically answers calls, queues calls, distributes calls to agents, plays delay announcements to callers, and provides real-time and historical reports on these activities. May be a stand-alone system, or ACD capability built into a Central Office or network PC. 1 For a complete glossary of support center terminology, please visit HDI s Web site at www.thinkhdi.com. i
Average Speed to Answer (ASA) The average amount of time that a customer is waiting in a queue before the contact is answered. ABA measurements are leading indicators that are used to evaluate and adjust staffing and scheduling levels. Average Talk Time (ATT) The average amount of time the agent spends talking to the caller; usually timed from when the call arrives at the agent s station to the time it is released by the agent. Baselining A standard, starting point, or marker for comparisons. A baseline is a reference position for measuring progress in process improvement. The baseline is usually used to differentiate between a current and a future representation. Benchmarking (a) The process of comparing current levels of performance to past performance or another company s performance. (b) A method of measuring processes against those of recognized leaders. It helps establish priorities and targets leading to process improvement. Best Practice A technique, method, or process which is regarded as more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, or process; based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for various organizations. Change Any action resulting in a new status or value in baseline or configuration data. ii
Change Advisory Board (CAB) A designated group responsible for the assessment and planning of all changes that have an impact on business operations. The board is responsible for the assessment and planning of all changes that have a more than minor impact. All persons involved and all interested parties are represented on the CAB so that the entire course of events surrounding the change can be assessed and planned. Change (1) The process responsible for controlling the lifecycle of all changes. The primary objective of change management is to enable beneficial change with minimum disruption to IT services. A defined change management process minimizes interference and irregularity in customer service levels related to the implementation of alterations in business facilities, equipment, or processes. (2) Change management is the process of developing a planned approach to change in an organization that facilitates the adoption of changes in the business and/or employee environment. Coaching A collaborative leadership activity designed to encourage growth and development, sometimes addressing performance issues. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) Interfacing of IT and telecommunications equipment within the same network architecture to facilitate efficient processing of customer contacts and optimize the use of customer support resources through sharing of data between systems. For example, CTI typically allows a support center manager s console to display real-time metrics, such as the number of calls in queue and service request escalations. Configuration Item (CI) A component that is part of an IT infrastructure. CIs may vary widely in complexity, size, and type from an entire system (including all hardware, software, and documentation), to a single software module or a minor hardware component. iii
Configuration The process that brings all components of the IT infrastructure and the related documentation under control to support the other service management processes in order to provide, at reasonable costs, qualitative services in the context of continuously changing user demands. Configuration Database (CMDB) A database that provides a logical model of the IT infrastructure or a service by identifying, controlling, maintaining, and verifying the versions of CIs in existence; it contains details about the attributes and history of each CI and the important relationships between them. Critical Success Factors (CSFs) Areas (i.e., elements of success) that must happen if an IT service, process, plan, project or activity is to succeed. Customer (1) A person authorized to make decisions on behalf of an organizational unit within the business concerning a service and its associated service levels; a person who pays for IT services. (2) Someone who negotiates the Service Level Agreement (SLA). (3) Any person who comes in contact with a service desk or support center employee in person, over the phone, via email, or by other communication channels. Customers may be internal (employees of the company) or external (people outside the company who request information or help). Also referred to as clients. Applying the term customer to end-users who are not responsible for business decisions and/or payment is controversial within the ITIL community. Direct Software Library (DSL) A secure software library where all versions of software CIs that have been accepted from the developer or supplier are held in their definitive, qualitycontrolled form. By necessity this logical library may have to occupy one or more physical locations. Error Control The processes involved in tracking known errors until they are eliminated by the successful implementation of a change. iv
Escalation A defined management process in which a service request s priority is changed due to the impact or timing of the request, customer input or duration. Escalation is used for giving a call more priority, urgency, or resources. Fixed Costs Costs that do not change over time and are not based on usage or other similar factors, such as taxes or rent. Gap Analysis A comparison of the support center s actual performance against its potential (or past) performance. Goals The long-term, strategic accomplishment(s) that a business or organization sets out to achieve; quantified and measurable objectives. Goals are frequently confused with objectives, but they are not interchangeable with each other. See Objective. Incident An unplanned interruption to the standard operation of a service, or a reduction in the quality of that service. An Incident can also be the failure of an IT component that has not yet impacted a service something is broken or not working as expected. Incident The process responsible for managing the lifecycle of all incidents. Incident management ensures that normal service operation is restored as quickly as possible and the business impact is minimized. Indirect Costs Costs that cannot be easily or fairly attributed to the cost of a specific service or business process. Insourcing An approach to the service delivery strategy that relies on utilizing internal organizational resources in the design, development, transition, maintenance operations and/or support of new, changed or revised services or data center operations. v
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) A computer-based technology which allows callers to choose how their call will be routed based on their responses to a voice prompt. IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) ITIL provides one framework for achieving IT Service. It is a repository of best practices for delivering and supporting IT services. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) A metric used to manage an IT service, process, project, plan or other activity. KPIs are specific to the goals of the organization (and can be either leading or lagging). Knowledge Base A collection of information and solutions within an organization that is designed to provide efficient reuse of that knowledge. Knowledge The process of managing some or all of the knowledge within the organization as a resource. Also known as the capture and reuse of business and technical information. Known Error A problem where the root cause is known and a temporary workaround has been identified. Known errors are stored in the knowledge base or Known Error Database (KEDB), and can be used to resolve incidents and restore service quickly should future incidents occur. Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS) Mentor The average amount of time between the reporting of an incident and its resolution. This is a leading indicator. An experienced support center agent who is assigned to guide and teach novice agents through a combination of knowledge and experience sharing. Metric A metric in support is any measurement of performance or efficiency. vi
Mission Statement A formal, written summary that identifies an organization s purpose and reason for being. Objective (1) A quantified, specific statement identifying what a service desk or support center will accomplish over a period of time, such as reduce total cost of support by 15 percent during Q3 or decrease customer downtime by twenty-five hours per quarter during Q4. (2) The defined purpose or aim of a process, an activity, or an organization as a whole. Objectives are usually expressed as measurable targets. The term objective is also informally used to mean a requirement. One-Time Survey Surveys which are conducted at irregular intervals, and are typically used to evaluate satisfaction levels with current products and services. Ongoing Survey Surveys which are completed as soon as possible after a call or incident is closed, and measure the quality of that single incident. Operating Costs Expenses that provide no asset value to the enterprise, such as sales and administration (salaries). Operational Level Agreement (OLA) An agreement between the internal support organizations (IT) or teams that define the responsibilities, roles, and expectations for each that are necessary to achieve the SLAs. Outsourcing Contracting with another company to provide services that the organization would otherwise employ its own staff to perform. Periodic Survey Survey which is planned and scheduled on a periodic basis (normally annually), and which measures customers overall satisfaction levels with products, services, and support center personnel. vii
Policy A plan of action that guides decisions and behavior based on what is best for the organization. Priority 1) A status assigned to a task that determines its precedence for receiving resources. This can be a processing priority in a computer or a support priority queue for emergencies or identifying important clients to be handled first. (2) The relative assessment of an activity in relation to other activities, often determined my measuring impact and urgency. The characteristic of preceding, or having priority over, something or someone else. Problem The underlying cause of one or more incidents whose root cause is usually not known. Problem Control Part of the problem management process. The process of identifying the underlying causes of incidents to prevent future recurrence. Problem The process responsible for managing the lifecycle of all problems. Problem management proactively prevents incidents from happening and minimizes the impact of incidents that cannot be prevented. Procedure A set or series of instructions used to perform a specific task, sometimes referred to as work instructions. Process A process is a set of related activities designed to accomplish a specific objective that creates value for the customer or stakeholder by transforming inputs into outputs. Project A plan or proposal which requires the combined efforts of individuals and organizations, and which encompasses the resources, budget, and tasks to which each responsible party is assigned. viii
Quality Assurance (QA) The process responsible for ensuring that the quality of a product, service, or process will provide its intended value. A systematic way of ensuring that all the activities necessary to design, develop, and implement services that satisfy the requirements of the organization and of customers take place as planned and in a cost-effective manner. Request for Change (RFC) A formal proposal to change the nature or status of a system item which is under configuration control. Return on Investment (ROI) Financial calculation that is used to determine the time it will take to recover the costs of an investment (or payback period). Return Rate The percentage of surveys completed and submitted. Right-sourcing Identifying the proper balance of outsourcing and other sourcing options to ensure financial and operational effectiveness. Sampling A statistical method used to estimate the characteristics of a certain population. Scheduling The process of determining the specific assignment (tasks and timeframes) by which people are required to meet the SLA. Service Catalog A complete listing of services, applications, processes, hardware, and support groups/people that will be supported by the support center. Service Level A statistical criteria for measuring successful service. The expression of an aspect of a service in definitive and quantifiable terms; specifies a term in a SLA, and quantifies its associated measure(s) (e.g., the percentage of total calls answered within a specific time, such as 80% in 1 minute ). ix
Service Level Agreement (SLA) A formal agreement between the customer(s) and the IT service provider specifying service levels and the terms under which a service or a package of services is provided to the customer. Service Level (SLM) The strategy and tactics of defining, achieving, and maintaining required levels of IT service to the business user population within the organization. It is designed to optimize and provide cost-effective delivery of IT services that are aligned to business requirements. Service Request (1) A request from a user for information, advice, or a standard change. (2) Request for change in service, such as password reset or adding a printer. A service request is different from an incident because it does not indicate an error in a system or process. Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Term used to describe the support center s role as the customer s one-stop resource for all support-related issues and requests. Solution (Knowledge ) The content required to capture the answer to a problem or question. Sourcing The process of determining staffing needs and what resources will be utilized to fulfill those needs. Staffing Levels The number of support personnel required to deliver on SLA commitments. Staffing Model A tool used to determine the number of support personnel required to deliver on SLA commitments. x
Stakeholder Any person or group that can contact the support center for support, such as customers, owners of products or services, employees, associates, partners, contractors, and/or suppliers. Strategy A careful method or plan. Support Center Term used to incorporate the multiple meanings for help desk, service desk, and contact center, which provides technical support to internal end user employees or external customers. Total Cost of Ownership A financial calculation used to analyze the direct and indirect costs of owning and using hardware and software. Trend Analysis The analysis of changes in a given item of information over a period of time. Underpinning Contract (UC) Legal contracts with third parties who will provide support to the organization. Urgency The acceptable delay to resolve an Incident or Problem based on the effect to the user or organization. User A person who uses IT services on a day-to-day basis. Utilization Variable Costs The total percentage of actual time analyst spent handling customer issues. Costs that are based on usage or other variables, and may include office supplies, paper, etc. Vendor A third-party, external company that supplies goods or services to the support center or customer. xi
Vendor Reviewing vendor performance and responsiveness through statistical problem reports. Vision A description of where an organization wants to be or what they want to get done at some point in the future. Workaround A temporary solution that reduces or eliminates the impact of an incident for which a permanent resolution is not yet available. Workarounds may be used indefinitely when the cost of a permanent fix outweighs the benefits of a permanent resolution. xii