The key to technology helping a company is keeping IT functions
available and operational for use as much as possible. It is not
possible to have 100% operational up time, so what is the best way to
handle the times when they are not working? One very valuable solution
is a Help Desk.
What is a Help Desk and how is it implemented?
A Help Desk is a resource designed for IT users to contact when they
are having problems with their IT services. Help Desks institute a
multi-tiered trouble shooting approach by having personnel with
extensive technical knowledge available.
Implementation of this multi-tiered support varies widely within
companies. In one company it may be one person with a wealth of
knowledge carrying a cell phone. In another company it may be several
people who perform some of the support in house and several people from
another company that are contracted for additional support. In another
company it may be a multitude of people within their own company
performing all levels of support.
What standards should be implemented by a best practices Help Desk?
The most strategic method of implementing a Help Desk is to follow
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices. An
ITIL best practices Help Desk must include:
- Single point of contact (SPOC) for IT interruptions
- Computer or Software consultations
- Tracking capabilities of all incoming problems
- Problem escalation procedures
- Problem resolution
Implementation of best practices for Help Desk services is outlined
in the Service Management best practices section of ITIL version 3.
Specifically these areas include:
- Knowledge Management – A Help Desk should have a system that improves operational efficiencies by reducing the time spent to rediscover previous incidents or problems.
- Problem Management – A Help Desk should have a system that gathers information during incident management to help spot problems. This system will identify the root cause of frequent recurring incidents by capturing information in a knowledge base.
- Access Management – A Help Desk should act as the keepers of the user accounts along with password resets. Single ownership by the Help Desk will ensure quicker response time for end users with user or password problems.
- Service Catalog – A Help Desk should have a published service catalog, ideally with pricing information included and with detailed service descriptions.
A Help Desk will assist in enabling an enterprise to meet their strategic goals.
Help Desks are implemented in many different ways, however by
following the best practices outlined in ITIL v3, the Help Desk will
meet the most important need of the end user, it will get them
operational as quickly as possible. In addition, by following the best
practices, the Help Desk will enable the enterprise to have a foundation
for the IT department not only to meet the needs of the end user, but
for the IT department to link into strategic areas within the company.
Thus, the Help Desk will be one component in enabling the enterprise to
meet their strategic goals.
