TOPdesk plus

Part 2

TOPdesks range of software products is easy to integrate, and we are continually forming new and resourceful links between our software and other tools on the market. In the previous edition of TOPdesk Magazine, we discussed a number of these integration possibilities in TOPdesk Plus Part 1. In this edition, we will continue this discussion, and examine the link between TOPdesk and Integrated Service Management, the Performance Monitor and the SAP Solution Manager.
TEXT: NIENKE DEUSS

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Over the past few years, TOPdesk has entered into a number of sustainable partnerships with specialists in the area of business processes and technologies, with capabilities outside the realms of TOPdesk software. As a result, TOPdesk has acquired expertise in-house to create practical, new applications of the software. Accordingly, we have developed links that combine the best of TOPdesk with the expertise of other specialists, such as telecommunications providers and barcode specialists. This article discusses a number of these integrations, based on their daily application at TOPdesk clients.

it to level 3 of the 5 levels of the Capability Maturity Model. Two weeks later, they had moved up to level 4. TOPdesk and BHVB offer a standard implementation of TOPdesk in the area of Integrated Service Management (ISM), the purpose of which is to support the processes as optimally as possible as well as increase awareness of the work process among employees. Every call or change is linked to a service in TOPdesk, making the service level measurable. Consequently, each departments performance can be displayed in reports in TOPdesk. Uniformity at Eneco Eighteen months ago, all the small IT departments at Dutch energy company, Eneco, were combined. Every department was used to its own way of doing things and, as a result, a number of divergent views, tools and processes existed, tells Colinda van der Meij, Incident Manager at Eneco. To combat this, she began looking at ways to streamline these processes. We looked for a way to create this uniformity and a tool to support them. We wanted to be able to record processes and implement them easily.

Integrated Service Management (ISM)

Functional managers are primarily responsible for dealing with clients who log incidents; however, they also look after the smooth running of IT assets, as well as the tools that they use to manage hardware and software. Every department within any organization operates based on three components: people, process and tool. In collaboration with Bureau Hoving & Van Bon (BHVB), TOPdesk offers an out-of-the-box solution that enables you to streamline these processes. Indeed, the support that Integrated Service Management lends, simplifies process-based working. Process awareness Working on the basis of processes, and raising awareness of these, is vital to ensure that activities are delegated and standardized effectively, particularly when put into practice. In order to streamline these elements, BHVB has defined six processes based on ITIL. BHVB examines each clients business processes and delivers just the right mix of people, process and tool. By developing a portal, the IT employee gains access to all the assets that he or she needs, allowing for insight into all process activities linked to the available functions, roles and departments, at all times. Improving the performance The improvement in the performance is clearly visible, tells Robert Wempe, Senior Consultant ISM at BHVB. Within six weeks, one of our clients had made

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Eneco soon made the decision to begin using BHVB and TOPdesks ISM application. Once we had analyzed our processes, we had a guideline in place. We then drew up agreements within the existing process components, which matched the needs of our company. The IT department has been using TOPdesk and working on the basis of the ISM model since December 2009. We are now all able to agree on the service we provide, which is, of course, particularly beneficial for our clients. But change is always difficult, as Colinda tells. Most employees were not yet familiar with TOPdesk, and processes and tools are not exactly exciting. However, when employees are able to see all the possibilities they offer, it sparks their enthusiasm. Now we can look at how we can continue to improve our work processes.

Acquiring graphic insight into the process The graphs and diagrams are formulated using data in TOPdesk. The Performance Monitor takes a snapshot of the processes, so to speak, and examines, for example, how many calls have been received and dealt with, and within what period. These data are then analyzed recurrently, creating a trend. Consequently, you acquire insight into which processes remain within the agreements or not. You can then see in which areas you perhaps need to improve direction, explains Karel van der Poel, from Mirror42. Using the Performance Manager, you can see which percentage of calls or changes, for instance, are being handled within the target date, giving the IT and facilities departments insight into important information. You are then able to visualize the progress of a particular department or process, and can see how busy it is.

Performance Monitor
TOPdesk, in collaboration with Mirror42, has developed the Performance Monitor, which offers a way to chart operational processes and trends. A dashboard appears in TOPdesk, in which around 30 KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) display the organizations performance in graphic form. A new version of the Performance Monitor is currently available, which enables the set-up of the dashboard for both IT and facilities departments.

Set up various KPIs for each process

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Specific performance Using a scorecard, you can also zoom in on individual KPIs in the graphs on the dashboard. For example, you can acquire a close-up of the moving average per time unit or conduct a sensitivity analysis, tells Karel. You can then see whether your service is improving. You also have the option to compare groups or processes. For example, you might notice that everything is going well at branch A, and that all calls are being dealt with effectively and efficiently, but that at branch B, theres a huge backlog, explains Karel. In order to address this problem, you can try moving an employee from branch A to branch B temporarily to try to pinpoint the difference. A unique feature of the Performance Monitor is the indexing of processes; for example, when you wish to find out how Incident management has performed compared with the previous month. You can then determine the index figure based on the KPIs that you have set up for this process. In this way, you can compare the current performance with the index figure of the previous month. It is often difficult to prove that a departments performance has improved, explains Karel. However, an index figure enables you to do this.

Performance Monitor module

SAP Solution Manager

TOPdesk is often used to manage SAP and, since the beginning of this year, SAP clients are obliged to log incidents about SAP software via the SAP Solution Manager. Using the SAP Solution Manager link, you can also log such incidents in TOPdesk. When you log an incident like this, you can indicate that it needs to be escalated to the Solution Manager, tells TOPdesk Account Manager, Erik van de Wiel. This incident then ends up with SAPs support department, via the Solution Manager. As soon as someone responds to this incident, it ends up back in TOPdesk automatically. Once the incident is resolved, it is closed in TOPdesk and in the Solution Manager. The finishing touches are currently being added to this link. It has been running successfully in a test environment at one of our clients for some time now. SAP is in the process of validating the quality and performance of it, based on the SAP certification. The best of both SAP and TOPdesk TOPdesk has effected this link in collaboration with Uphantis, a consultancy and management organization that specializes in applied information technology and has years of experience in SAP service. TOPdesk and Uphantis are currently looking into the further linking possibilities with SAP.

Trend analysis created with Performance Monitor module

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