| Do you know you can open, answer, close and report | | | | automation can drastically improve incident response, |
| help desk information without human intervention? | | | | problem resolution, and change requests, by |
| Automation is a powerful feature provided by most | | | | incorporating predetermined "if, then" capabilities. For |
| enterprise level help desk products; however, most | | | | example, if a call for a printer problem is received at |
| organizations rarely take advantage of these features. | | | | the help desk, workflow automation can determine the |
| Based on a survey conducted by RightStar Systems, | | | | type of call and direct that call to the right person or |
| only 5% of the help desk managers interviewed were | | | | provide an automated answer to the requestor. In |
| using automation to its fullest capacity. Most use it to | | | | other words, "if" you receive a request like this, "then" |
| some degree while others do not use it at all. Tom Jud, | | | | do this specific task.o Increase Reporting Accuracy |
| Emerging Growth Manager for BMC Software, has | | | | Automating workflow provides the ability to capture |
| observed "...that the Business Rules Engine provided by | | | | accurate help desk statistics by removing the various |
| the Magic Help Desk product, is the key feature that | | | | inconsistencies injected through human error. I know |
| organizations should leverage to drive support | | | | help desk managers that spend hours each month |
| efficiency and cost savings." He explains that the two | | | | collecting, editing and refining help desk statistical |
| main reasons for organizations not deploying workflow | | | | reports. They spend most of there time correcting |
| automation are 1) the perceived level of difficulty in | | | | errors and adjusting the numbers that tell the real story |
| implementing these functions and 2) The lack of | | | | of the help desk. Automating workflow is one primary |
| workflow planning used in developing the helpdesk | | | | way to assist help desk managers prepare and create |
| program. Once organizations learn the importance of | | | | accurate reporting.o Create Consistency while |
| workflow automation and the benefit gained, they | | | | Reducing Call Volume |
| embrace the feature and drive added value from their | | | | Have you ever called a help desk and received two or |
| help desk product. | | | | three different answers for the same problem, or |
| After having conducted over 600 site visits and | | | | worse, no answer at all? It's frustrating and it reflects |
| product demonstrations, I have identified 4-main focus | | | | poorly on the help desk. Several help desk tools |
| areas where organizations can benefit from deploying | | | | provide the capability to deliver answers on various |
| workflow automation.o Enforcing best practices | | | | issues in a consistent automated manner. This |
| through automation. | | | | provides the requestor with confidence that they |
| Companies looking to provided better and less | | | | received the right answer while taking the guesswork |
| expensive support services have adopted any number | | | | away from the help desk analyst when answering |
| of help desk "best practices" guidelines. Automating | | | | questions. In many cases, the answer can be provided |
| workflow to enforce a help desk's best practices | | | | without human intervention. There are various ways of |
| deployment can drive even more value and efficiency. | | | | deploying these capabilities; collectively they can |
| By pairing certain best practice areas with automated | | | | provide a tremendous reduction in call volume and a |
| workflow, a help desk can provide a consistent and | | | | higher degree of customer satisfaction. |
| predictable level of support.o Improving incident | | | | Incorporating automation in your help desk workflow |
| response time through automation. | | | | provides many benefits. As with any undertaking, it |
| Incident response time is how most service support | | | | takes forethought and planning, but with the right help |
| organizations are judged. According to Beverly Wells, | | | | desk tool and the desire to provide timely, accurate |
| Help Desk and Groupwise Manager for CarMax, "Of | | | | answers with little or no human intervention, the effort |
| all the statistics gathered by the CarMax Help Desk, | | | | will off-load pressure from the help desk staff and |
| the one area reviewed with the most scrutiny, is how | | | | integrate an atmosphere of help desk brilliance. |
| fast we responded to and resolve calls." Workflow | | | | |