Mike Callaghan, Process Prodigy contributor
I worked with a college to set up systems for their Computer Help Desk. I began by interviewing the Help Desk staff and observing as they responded to phone calls and requests for help. After two days, I noticed that all user requests - for a new computer, a new monitor, or even an old spare computer or parts - were routed to the Help Desk manager. The manager never actually went to the customer location to physically handle a trouble call, fix anything, or install computers. So I asked her, why she was responsible for handling all of the hardware requests before assignment to a technician?
As it turned out, three years earlier, requests for new computers or monitors were routed directly to the Hardware Technician. He had 15 -20 older computers that they kept on hand for when computers broke down. Sometimes these computers were set up for special projects or used as temporary equipment for new employees. So, when the help desk received user requests and determined they were hardware requests, they routed them to the Hardware Technician who had access to all of the spare computers. One day, however, the Vice President of the college contacted the Help Desk manager and requested three computers to be used for the two weeks of student orientation. In arranging this with the hardware technician, the Help Desk Manager discovered that, although the Technician had three computers available, they were all different makes and models. This would have been unacceptable. In order for this not to happen again, the Help Desk Manager issued a policy (created a system) whereby all requests for computer hardware would have to be approved by her before installation for any user.
So, as you might imagine, she soon became the bottleneck in the process. Every time a user requested a computer or monitor, the Help Desk Manager had to call the Hardware Technician to see what was in stock. They would discuss what was available, decide what kind of computer to give to the user and then the Hardware Technician would handle the installation. However, because the Help Desk Manager was responsible for a myriad of other tasks, user requests for computer hardware did not always receive prompt attention. Furthermore, when she was sick or on vacation, all requests for new computers just stopped.
Really, this was a simple case of defining a process and establishing a system. I sat down with the Help Desk Manager and asked her what factors she considered when approving or disapproving a user request for a computer. She explained that the age of the computer being replaced, the number of spares they had in stock and the level of manager making the request, were among many factors that she considered. Some of these were easy to outline in a flow chart, such as, “if the computer to be replaced is less than two years old, than the answer is do not replace it”. A flow chart was developed that the help desk and hardware technicians were able to use to determine what make and model they could install for customers without the Help Desk manager’s prior approval.
By delegating this approval authority to a lower level, almost 90% of user requests for hardware were able to be resolved without the involvement of the Help Desk Manager – who’s time was now freed up for other tasks. She was still involved in the more complicated or higher level decisions, but the results were a faster response time and positive resolution for more customers.
© 2009 Beth Schneider, Process Prodigy, Inc. Want to reprint this article? Feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, President of Process Prodigy Inc., www.processprodigy.com, along with her team of highly sought after operations consultants, reveal the insider secrets billion-dollar corporations pay thousands of dollars for. Specializing in process creation, Process Prodigy tools and techniques have helped entrepreneurs increase productivity by as much as 600%, and revenues by as much as 250%. Visit www.processprodigy.com/ezine and grab your FREE systems starter kit valued at $297.00.
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