28 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - MARCH 2015

Patrick Mackaaij
is an information distribution coordinator. He is specialized
in technical issues and optimizing processes.

COLLABORATING IN ONE
TOPDESK ENVIRONMENT
The processes for IT, Facilities and HR are broadly similar and
do overlap, such as with commencement and exit procedures.
So why not bring these processes together in a single tool?
When supporting departments each have their own tools and

towards Shared Service Management. Sharing software leads to an

processes, it is not always clear to end users where they should

initial coordination of processes, but also immediate savings in terms

turn. For instance, in practice we see that the management of

of licence and maintenance costs. It also helps departments who have

mobile phones can be sourced to each of these departments, or a

not yet implemented a tool other than maybe Outlook or Excel to get

combination thereof. The collaboration between IT, Facilities and HR,

used to using a professional service management tool.

also called Shared Service Management (SSM), cuts costs and improves
the quality of service for end users. In this article you can read how

Phase 1: shared tool

TOPdesk Enterprise supports each phase of the Shared Service

In this phase, the departments work as similarly as possible. Not

Management growth model.

only do they use the same software, but also the same TOPdesk

Shared Service Management growth model

environment. Agreements must be made about the terminology used

and how the tool is set up. Departments that use their own tool want

TOPdesks Shared Service Management growth model outlines four

to maintain their inventoried assets and high-quality calls (migration),

phases in the change process from the compartmentalized IT, Facilities

and screen off process information.

and HR departments to Shared Service Management. TOPdesk

consultants use this model to guide organizations incrementally

Phase 2: shared service desk

through implementations every day.

True collaboration starts in the second phase: the end user can turn
to a single service desk for all services, while at the back end each

Phase 0: nothing shared

department works in its own way. The previous phases need to screen

In phase 0, each department uses its own tool. This could be

off information slowly decreases and the department focuses on what

TOPdesk or something else. Some organizations choose to have each

is important to the end user.

department work in its own TOPdesk environment as the first step

WORKING SMARTER
Phase 3: shared processes

functionalities. However, you should make sure to discuss the

In the final phase the departments procedures are fully coordinated.

following topics:

In TOPdesk, only sensitive HR information is screened off so not all

Supporting files such as Person and Branch cards

operators can access it.

News items and the Knowledge Base

Functional settings such as mandatory fields and adjusted names

The path to Shared Service Management

Drop-down lists1 such as call type, impact, duration and status

Wanting to prepare your organization for Shared Service Management

Audit trails for fields such as time spent and operator

will of course have an impact on the organization. Be advised that you

Optional Object cards and fields

may face changes in information management, system settings, roles

Special events in the context menu

and filters.

The TOPdesk Administrator account with access to all data

TOPdesk can screen off Process cards category list. This lets each department work
with its own clear list.

Shared master data

From the first phase onwards, the departments use the same basic

Importing emails

data. This means that the departments have to agree upon which

TOPdesk can import calls and changes from several email sources. This

information is transferred. Examples include importing callers

lets every department (or operator) have their own configuration to

personal details from an external source such as Active Directory.

efficiently process emails.

For data migration it is important to take care when transferring the

information.

Sending emails
When sending emails, the Event Management module can add

System settings

information from linked cards. For example: TOPdesk can insert

If you are going to collaborate in one tool, you have to think about

a sender address and a signature from (optional) fields on the

how you are going to set up your TOPdesk application. How will you

Operator Group card. It is easiest if the default emails for the various

use the functionalities? How will you make sure that calls end up with

departments are very similar in terms of content. If the departments

the right department?

want to continue using emails with very different content, you can link

In practice, you will quickly reach agreements on how to use the

these to different events based on category or operator group.

SHOP

IT

FM

HR

30 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - MARCH 2015

Editorial
Self Service Desk

Download this issue and more at

End users can use the TOPdesk Self Service Desk to track the status of all their calls. You can

www.scribd.com/TOPdesk

decide how to ensure that new calls registered via the SSD are sent to the correct operator or
operator group:

The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects that

The end user chooses an operator group in their call

are topical in the world of professional

The end user first clicks a button with the name of the department, for instance

service desks in IT, facilities and other

The end user categorizes the call and TOPdesk uses this to determine the operator group

service providing organizations. TOPdesk

A first line operator manually determines the correct operator (group)

Magazine is intended for managers, service

Screening off data

desk employees, facilities organizations and

electronic city councils anyone who is

Users do not necessarily need to be able to see all cards. Screening off certain information also

involved with supporting clients on a daily

makes your TOPdesk interface more compact and therefore clearer. An example: Software cards

basis. This concerns both the processes and

are interesting to the IT department, but probably not to Facilities and HR. And inventory and

the technology behind these services.

fleet management probably arent interesting to IT. TOPdesks screening options are especially
important in the second phase of the SSM growth model. In following phases of collaboration,

TOPdesk Magazine is a TOPdesk publication

the departments gradually reduce the strict filters.

Tel: +44 (0) 207 803 4200

Email: editorial@topdesk.com

Roles
Roles let you determine per module which cards are relevant to the operators involved. In

Editors-in-chief: Milou Snaterse and Nicola

addition, you can use authorizations to determine which features are available to an operator,

van de Velde

such as the authorization to link a call to an object or room.

Editors: Nienke Deuss, Stefanie Klaassen,

Milou Snaterse, Luke van Velthoven

Filters

Translators: Laura van Rosenberg, Leah Clarke

Filters in TOPdesk hide certain cards in the index. This lets departments share a module without

and Nicola van de Velde

seeing each others cards. Filtered cards cannot be accessed by operators and are therefore not

Contributors: Pouyan Daddeh, Fiona IJkema,

displayed in search results, selections and reports. You can set up category and operator filters

Irene Kruijff, Patrick Mackaaij, Martijn Meeder,

in TOPdesk. The category filter works based on the selected category and/or subcategory. The

Robbert Petterson, Wolter Smit, Annemarie

operator filter works based on the operator, manager or contact field. TOPdesk can show the

Wolfrat

operator their own cards, their groups cards or cards for all operators in a group.

Layout: Louise van der Laak

You can also set up which operators can see cards without an operator or category.
Furthermore, each filter also lets the most recent changer of the card see the card. This lets

Photography: AVEVE, Menno van der Bijl, Aad

Hoogendoorn, Jonas Mertens

the last operator make a quick change or correction if the card was incorrectly routed or
categorized.

Copy editor: Leah Clarke

Collaborating in a single TOPdesk environment?

A print run of 10,000

A lot is involved with collaborating in one tool. Our consultants have extensive experience

Quarterly magazine

helping organizations in each phase of the Shared Service Management growth model: from

Languages: Dutch, English

aligning processes to setting up TOPdesk and migrating data. Do you want to get started with
Shared Service Management? Contact us via +44 (0)207 803 4200.

Copyright 2015 TOPdesk. Although this

publication has been produced with the
utmost care and attention, the writers
cannot be held responsible in any way for any
damages that may occur due to errors and /
or deficiencies in this publication.