Help Desk Strategic Plan

The motivation for an Help Desk is to deliver computer services for faculty/staff while providing real-world training for students interested in becoming computer technicians. Utilizing student help to augment the full-time staff also represents an attempt to deliver timely and effective computer services in the current environment of limited resources. The creation and running of a Help Desk is a significant undertaking. esides the great educational opportunity this could provide for students! there is considerable risk in failing to provide computer services needed by the campus! since so many activities re"uire computer usage. The following plan will outline the #oals and $trategic %b&ectives for carrying out this endeavor.

Goals
'. To provide real-world e(perience for students interested in pursuing a career in computer services. This includes the skills needed to handle all aspects of a computer service call. )n addition! this e(perience can be e(tended to include participating in the planning that goes into a successful service organization. *. To provide timely computer services for the campus +Honolulu ,ommunity ,ollege-. .. To build a help desk that has continual improvement built into its design. /. To build a knowledge base that helps to resolve computer problems more rapidly in the future. To utilize this knowledge base to maintain continuity in service even as students leave and are replaced. 0lso! to utilize this knowledge base to raise computer maintenance skills throughout the campus. 1. To provide training for faculty/staff wishing to upgrade their computer maintenance skills. 2. To provide a workspace that supports student group computer activities.

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Strategic Objectives
). 3rovide real-world e(perience for students in the following areas4 Technician 1 (A3) 0nswer ,all ,enter phone+s-! entering re"uests into database 5onitor $tudent ,omputer 6ab! assisting with lab activities such as printing! connecting to wireless network )mage computers )n-house Tech work 7 +what does this include8Technician 2 (A4) Updating knowledge base of problems and resolutions 9ield Tech work +making service calls'st 6evel :etwork Troubleshooting )nnovation/;esearch 0ll skills for Technician ' Technician 3 (A5) Train and supervise Technician ' and Technician * workers ,reating/updating procedural manuals 0ll skills for Technician ' and Technician * 0. 3rovide training for students so that all students are can perform skill levels up to Technician ' within a semester of starting work. . 3rovide training so that at least 1< = of students can perform up to Technician * skills. ,. 3rovide training so that at least *1 = of students can perform up to Technician . skills. )). 3rovide timely and effective computer services. 0. ;espond to >< = of re"uests for service within */ hours of the re"uest for re"uests made during working hours. . ;espond to '<< = of re"uests for service within /? hours of the re"uest +for re"uests made during working hours. ,. ;espond to '<< = of re"uests made on weekend by second working day of the following week. *

D. ;esolve >< = of software-related re"uests within . working days for supported software. @. ;esolve '<< = of software-related re"uests +for supported software- within 1 working days. 9. Diagnose >< = of hardware-related problems within . working days. There is no set time limit for resolving these problems as ordering replacement parts depends on getting the money to pay for the replacement parts +unless administration wants to provide a budget for hardware replacement-. ))). uild a Help Desk system designed to continuously improve. 0. 3rovide high +online- visibility showing records of handling computer service re"uests. This includes displaying the initial re"uest within one working day of the initial response. This also includes displaying the resolution of the problem within one working day of the problemAs resolution. . ,onduct semi-annual surveys that have the campus assess the Help Desk performance in all areas involving +e(ternal- contact with the campus. 3rovide a written plan for improvement for all areas scoring . +out of 1- or lower. ,. 0s part of follow-up for a resolved problem! allow the client to assess the "uality of service. $tudents must discuss any "uality assessments that are . +out of 1- or lower with their supervisor. )B. uild a knowledge base that improves our ability to resolve computer problems. 0. 0dd new problem record or update e(isting problem record within * working days of discovering a new problem. . ,reate written documentation for the top five most commonly occurring problems. This is an ongoing process that should be updated once a month. ,. ,reate public versions of problems and documentation that are available online. Update these public versions within one week of creating new entries. B. Develop and provide training in computer administration skills for interested faculty/staff 0. ,reate public versions of problems and documentation that are available online. Update these public versions within one week of creating new entries.Develop classes that support training for two levels of e(pertise4 '- can administer their own computer! *- can administer their departmentsA computers. ,reate e(ams that must be passed to complete each level. 0ward certificates for passing each level and give associated privileges to awardees. .

. 0ward at least *< certificates at level ' and at least '< certificates at level * within the first year of operation. ,. 0ward at least *< certificates at level ' and at least '< certificates at level * for every subse"uent year for ne(t 1 years. B).3rovide workspace for student group computer work. 0. During first semester! average a minimum of * group sessions per week. . During each subse"uent semester! average a minimum of / group sessions per week.

Implementation Items
)tem :o )tem Description ' * . / Develop and deliver training in each of the skill areas $trat. %utcome )0

Have Technician . workers train Technician * and Technician ' )0! ) ! ), workers Develop and maintain protocols for handling service calls 5ake weekly assessments of time needed to resolve softwarerelated re"uests. 5ake ad&ustments if strategic ob&ectives are not being met 5ake weekly assessments of time needed to resolve hardwarerelated re"uests. 5ake ad&ustments if strategic ob&ectives are not being met. ))0! )) ! )), ))D! ))@

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Develop procedure for using H@;T system to record initial )))0! )B0 re"uests for service! and resolution of problem. Utilize H@;T data to come up with publicly viewable records of performance. 9ind and/or design software that can automate +at least partially- the process of making publicly viewable records )))0

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9ind and /or design software that can serve as a better )))0! )B0! )B, knowledge base than H@;T. This new software would be easier to search and possibly easier to use in automatically generating reports and the publicly viewable records of performance Develop surveys that are used to assess Help Desk performance ))) on a semi-annual basis. ,onduct semi-annual surveys that assess Help Desk performance ,reate written plans for improving all items that show up as unsatisfactory performance +../ out of 1 or lowerDevelop mini-surveys that allow customers to assess "uality of service. 5ake sure that such mini-surveys are part of the standard procedure of resolving problems. ))) ))) )))0! ))),

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%n a monthly basis! document the 1 most commonly occurring )B problems. This will include descriptions of the symptoms of the problem as well as solutions to the problem +if resolved)nitiate research that solves problems not resolved in )tem '. )B Develop list of skills needed to pass level ' certification for B0 individual computer administration. )n addition come up with list of allowed activities for level ' certificate holders 1

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Develop list of skills needed to pass level * certification for individuals administering department computers. ,ome up with list of allowed activities for level * certificate holders. ,onduct training for item '2

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,reate sign-up sheet for groups using computer lab group area. B)0! B) +5onitors will use this sign-up sheet to relocate students who are using the group area when the area has been reserved. The sign-up sheet will be used to keep track of the number of group sessions0ssess the number of groups using the computer lab group area. B)0! B) ,ome up with different strategies/layouts if usage does not meet strategic ob&ectives B)0 and B) . %btain feedback from students using group areas on what can be done to make group areas better B)0! B)

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