IT Problem Management

KEY TOPICS:Drawing upon extensive real-world consulting experience, Gary Walker presents specific process improvements IT organizations and outsourcers can make to achieve breakthrough results in their help desks and service centers. Walker reviews every key element of the problem management process, including problem identification, customer validation, problem logging, service delivery, knowledge capture and sharing, and finally, management review and oversight. Walker introduces the Immediate Response Model, which gives IT managers a formal way to account for request variability, complexity, and volume; shows how to use metrics to measure your progress; and offers guidance on creating and using service level agreements. The book includes a detailed chapter on tools for communications with customers, service delivery, and proactive monitoring, as well as opportunities to use the Internet and Integrated Voice Response (IVR) systems to empower customers. Finally, Walker addresses the human side of help desks and service centers, offering practical guidance on motivation and recognition.

MARKET:For all IT executives, CIOs, help desk and service center managers in both internal and outsourced organizations, and for the senior-level customers of any IT problem management organization.

Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Ch. 1 Introduction to Problem Management 1
• 1.1 Help Desk 2
• 1.2 Internal and External Service Centers 3
• 1.3 Building a Successful Service Center 4
• 1.4 Problem Management Process Overview 7
• 1.5 Management Review and Oversight 11
• Ch. 2 Service Center Organization 13
• 2.1 Immediate Response Model 14
• 2.2 Managed Response Model 22
• Ch. 3 Maintaining a Service Catalog 25
• 3.1 Add a New Service 27
• 3.2 Remove a Service 32
• Ch. 4 Problem Identification 35
• 4.1 Problem Discovery 36
• 4.2 Problem Reporting Access 37
• 4.3 The Proactive Service Center 42
• 4.4 Implementation Considerations 44
• Ch. 5 Customer Validation 45
• 5.1 Typical Validation 47
• 5.2 Formal Validation 49
• 5.3 Validation Process Description 50
• 5.4 Validation Implementation 54
• Ch. 6 Problem Logging 57
• 6.1 Current Problem Logging Approaches 58
• 6.2 Future Problem Logging Methods 60
• 6.3 Service Request Categories Overview 64
• 6.4 Prioritizing Requests Overview 71
• Ch. 7 Service Delivery 85
• 7.1 Problem Determination 86
• 7.2 Work Restoration 90
• 7.3 Service Center Organization Overview 105
• 7.4 Escalation 108
• 7.5 Tier 1,2, and 3 Problem Management Responsibilities 121
• 7.6 Service Request (Ticket) Ownership 123
• Ch. 8 Knowledge Capture and Sharing 127
• 8.1 Knowledge Capture and Sharing Overview 128
• 8.2 Knowledge Capture Process 130
• 8.3 Implementation 135
• Ch. 9 Management, Review, and Oversight 137
• 9.1 Building Your Plan: Strategic Objectives and Metrics 138
• 9.2 Using Metrics to Measure Your Progress 140
• 9.3 Formal Review of Metrics 166
• 9.4 Key Roles and Management Teams 168
• 9.5 Reports 172
• Ch. 10 Service Level Agreements 175
• 10.1 SLA Content 177
• 10.2 Using the SLA 179
• Ch. 11 Service Center Tools 181
• 11.1 Access Tools 184
• 11.2 Service Delivery Tools 188
• 11.3 Proactive Monitoring Tools 203
• 11.4 Customer-Enabling Tools 205
• Ch. 12 Motivation 209
• 12.1 Motivation Through Reward 210
• 12.2 Motivation Through Incentives 213
• 12.3 Other Motivation Techniques 214
• 12.4 The Manager's Role in Motivation 218
• Index 229