Building & Managing a World Class IT Help Desk by Bob Wooton, softcover, 583 pages, 2001, $59.99

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Overview

Professional help for your help desk and help desk management career.

Delivering quality service is critical. But, you already know that -- that's not what this book is about. This book is for managers responsible for running the business of the help desk. Because, if the help desk organization's business isn't running smoothly and professionally, it's virtually impossible to deliver world class quality service.

No matter what management issue you face today, author Bob Wooton can offer a variety of methods for evaluating the causes behind your particular challenge and techniques for resolving the issues.  In fact, this book reads like a business executive's management "how-to" guide that has been tailored to help desk operations.  It actually teaches you good, sound business management practices that you can execute to improve the operations of the IT help desk.

When upper management asks you to identify or solve a service delivery problem, or examine the pros and cons of alternative organizational structures, staffing models, compensation plans, and the like, this is the reference guide you'll want to reach for and take home to read.  You will be sure to learn how to evaluate your own organization, consider alternative options, and apply sound management practices that prove that you are a valued member of the company management, not just the most senior or smartest person at the help desk. 

Whether your goals include building a help desk from the ground up, or reinvigorating your existing help desk, this book offers concrete methodologies for deployment and long-term success.  It's like having your own advisor.

You'll learn to:

• Identify critical drivers like customer base, company goals, and management style
• Examine the process of defining, documenting, and building your ideal help desk
• Establish a realistic budget and stick to it
• Find and keep the right people with step-by-step details on everything from defining skill sets to rotating staff and outsourcing
• Create organizational efficiencies with appropriate physical space and ergonomics
• Promote you help desk operations and services to customers
• Train, organize, and motivate your staff to prevent burnout and retain innovation
• Implement the latest technologies like workforce automation, customer relationship management, and system management packages

Table of Contents

1. Help Desk Concepts
   • Defining a Help Desk
   • Understanding Several Help Desk Names and Terms
2. Why Do I Want One?
   • Reasons to Create Your Own Help Desk
3. Identify the Drivers
   • The People
   • The Processes
   • The Tools
   • Senior Management
   • The IT Department
   • Vendors
   • Customers
   • Add Some Needs of Your Own
4. Defining the As Is
   • The Importance of Defining the As Is Environment
   • Questions That Must Be Answered
   • What Is the Environment in Which the Help Desk Will be Placed?
5. Define the Help Desk Processes
   • Mission Statement
   • Determine the Services the Help Desk Will Provide
   • Define Standards
   • Hours of Operation
   • Call Routing
   • Problem Handling
   • Notification
   • Customer Responsibilities
   • IT Department Responsibilities
   • Internal Communications
6. Budgeting
   • Know the Rules of the Game
   • Income Sources
   • Cost or Expense Items
   • Getting Budgetary Approval
   • People vs. Tools
   • Budgeting Is Not a One-Time Event
7. Organization Options
   • Organizational Chart Factors
   • Organizational Chart Options
   • Handling Mergers and Acquisitions
8. Staffing Your Help Desk
   • Job Descriptions
   • Skill Sets of Your Team
   • Management Skills
   • Determining Headcount Strategies
   • Methods to Find Agents
   • Interviewing
9. Tools for Your Help Desk
   • Help Desk Communication Devices
   • Help Desk Equipment and Technologies
   • A Common Area for Help Desk Agents
   • Culture
10. Beginning Operations
    • A New Person's First Day
    • The Help Desk's First Day
11. Preventing Burnout
    • Protect Your Help Desk From the Threat of Burnout
    • Signs of Burnout
    • Ways to Reduce Burnout
12. Implement Some New Processes
    • Service Level Agreements
    • Increase Your Support Offerings
    • Asset Management
    • Standards
    • Change Management
    • Intern Programs
    • Training
13. Measuring Your Help Desk
    • Rules of Help Desk Measurement
    • Quantitative Measurements
    • Qualitative Measurements
14. Promoting Your Help Desk
    • The Promotional Campaign
15. More Tools for Your Help Desk
    • Call Management Packages
    • Phone Tools
    • Electronic Display Boards
    • Web Page
    • Computer Lab
    • Additional Knowledge Management
16. Developing Your People
    • Agent Career Life Cycle
    • Associate Reviews
    • Developing Teams
    • Developing Managers
17. The Business of a Help Desk
    • Total Cost of Ownership
    • Software Maintenance Contracts
    • Implementation and Service Contracts
18. Identify Perceived Issues
    • Interview Stakeholders
    • Review Metrics
    • Common Causes of Complaints
19. Move Forward
    • Watch What is Happening
    • Build Upon Your Strengths
    • Overcome Your Weaknesses
    • Communicate Your Action Plan
20. How Not to Be Outsourced
    • Know Your Help Desk and Its Processes
    • Make Sure Others Know You, Too
    • Do Things Better, Faster, and Cheaper
21. The People
    • Organizational Empowerment
    • Developing Leaders
    • Outsourcing Revisited
    • Compensation Plans
    • Vendor Councils
    • Customer Training
22. The Processes
    • Measuring Others
    • Procurement Services
    • Hardware Repair Services
    • Disaster Recovery
    • Telecommuting
23. The Tools
    • Workforce Management
    • Customer Relationship Management Packages
    • Technology Integration
    • Telephony Practices
    • Systems Management Practices

Appendix A: Sample Job Descriptions

Appendix B: Sample Service Level Agreement

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Title Index
Subject Index
Author Index
Catalog Index

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