The cost of a service desk will depend on a number of key factors - the location and availability of the service desk, the volume of calls received, the service levels to which the desk is required to work, the call centre software required and the requisite telephony and network infrastructure to support the levels of service needed. For an organisation without specialist skills in this area, the cost of providing even an average level of service desk provision could result in a large capital outlay, without any guarantee of getting a successful service.

By leveraging shared infrastructure and technical skills, for a defined monthly cost which is a fraction of the capital outlay described above, our clients can benefit from a professional managed service desk operation, operating on a 24 by 7 basis against a defined Service Level Agreement.

It is important that both the organisation and service provider know what measurable objectives can be met in order to assess whether or not the service is working effectively. Service levels are a way of defining success and ensuring that measurement is accurate and consistent throughout the contract period. Service levels for the service desk are typically based around callflow (pickup times, escalation), resolution of issues and repeat call statistics. Once detailed SLA's have been agreed, BSG will report against these pre-defined levels on a regular basis to ensure that the client's needs are met and that this information can be put to good use in the future (see Knowledge Management).

Some incidents that are reported to the Service Centre will demand resolution from another supplier or third party. To avoid a conflict of expectations, the SLAs from these other suppliers need to coincide with the Support Centre's SLAs. All parties - the client, BSG and the third parties - need to openly discuss and agree the Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) to ensure all SLAs from all organisations support each other and are achievable. In line with planned change, the OLAs need to be updated with the agreement of all the relevant parties to ensure that the overall service keeps in step with itself - and the client's needs and expectations.

The SDM has the day to day operational responsibility for a client account. S/he will check on a daily basis if service levels are being met, if performance targets are being achieved and the correct level of escalation is in place. S/he will check not only that calls are being answered and resolved within the pre-defined timeframes but also organise and conduct pro-active projects such as user satisfaction programmes, collating user centric information in order that the service desk is used to its maximum potential with the end user in mind. S/he is also responsible for ensuring that staffing of the helpdesk is always adequate for the needs of the clients and that staff performance is monitored and appraised.

The account manager will work with the SDM and the delivery team to deliver a combination of short and long term goals.

Short term and Reactive goals:

• Fix the problem/meet the challenge·
• Promote positive and confident response to requests and incidents.
• Address the 'quick wins'·
• See the user's point of view and understand through communication.
• Communicate progress / schedule / completion / problems / follow-up actions
• Set user expectations through quality of service.

Longer term and Proactive goals:

• Identify and lower the client's true cost of supporting their IT infrastructure.
• Provide a focal point for change and a central source for management information.
• Drive that change and improve service.·
• Increase productivity by efficient use of technology and resources.·
• Develop confidence in the support service that constantly grows, enabling both the clients and BSG's management to focus on their goals.
• Provide long term client satisfaction.

A well-planned transition and implementation will substantially affect the global impression of the new service, as well as the reaction from users.

In order to ensure that the transition is managed effectively, BSG aims to work with the client before the contract starts, assess the current situation, agree a transition plan and, during that transitional phase, to understand more fully the underlying nuances of the undertaking: the detail, the culture, method of working, commercial/strategic targets and user expectations.

No transition plan can be successfully implemented overnight. A phased approach, agreed with the client, is essential to ensure not only that the right service is ultimately provided but also that any existing service is maintained and any downtime kept to a minimum. Any transition will be managed by one of our project management team whose processes and procedures are underpinned by the ISO9001 certification held by BSG.

The help desk will be an integral part of the client's change control process, logging calls, tracking resolution of those calls and recording the closure of any incident. This means that changes are easily documented, actions can be traced and resolutions recorded for future reference. Call resolution can also be monitored by client personnel should the client choose to implement the Client Services option which allows a degree of self service in the area of call management.

In terms of changes to the helpdesk procedures, these will again be fully controlled and documented, with all documentation formatted to show where relevant changes have been made and for what reason.

BSG can effectively remove the need or a client to administer its servicedesk function offering the following capabilities:

Call flow management:

Developing staff behaviour, processes, training, call control and management software

Intelligence:

Developing self-help and knowledge databases

Escalation:

The ability to set automated alerts, together with technical and management escalations, for virtually any incident - whether tied to an SLA or not/p>

Reporting:

Tailoring meaningful operational and management information on any aspect of the work, from logistics through to trends.

Accessibility:

Giving users and technicians the ability to record, track and monitor incidents.

Staffing:

BSG will administer changes in shift work, call volumes and staff absence.

Backup

All data is backed up securely, ensuring continuity of service

Remote management:

Remotely viewing and controlling users’ desktops to resolve issues. Network administration tasks and resetting passwords can also be handled remotely. Hardware can be monitored for equipment/ component degradation, and service calls logged, before the equipment shows signs of becoming dysfunctional.

BSG is able to offer regular reporting in respect of both standard and bespoke elements of any service. The following reports are available as part of the Managed Servicedesk offering:

Monthly Service Report and Review:

SLA and other tactical discussions and review.

Quarterly Balanced Scorecard:

Highlighting perceptions of service quality. Continual Service Improvement Plan: All discussions / reviews / changes / goals are built into a rolling and measured programme.

Annual client Satisfaction Survey:

General user comments and suggestions are collected and reviewed, together with the achievements and failures within the Improvement Plan.

ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) is a widely accepted, government approved approach to IT Service Management. ITIL provides a cohesive set of best practice guidelines and is supported by a comprehensive qualification scheme implementation and assessment tools. BSG's processes are ITIL compliant; where necessary its employees are ITIL accredited, ensuring that our clients are guaranteed compliance with industry best practice without any need to train staff, employ new systems or adopt new processes. In addition, in order to deploy and operate its servicedesk offering, BSG uses Network Associates' Magic Enterprise software which was one of the first "Pink Verity" certified ITIL products providing a leading edge, 100% browser-based, integrated service desk solution.

As stated previously, to set up a servicedesk from scratch within an organisation requires capital outlay for network infrastructure, telephony, call centre software, security, back up and other requirements related to the physical location of the desk. It also requires staffing, (taking into consideration shift patterns, the service provided out of core business hours), written procedures and processes, and dedicated management time.

This requires considerable time, focus and capital and yet, by outsourcing its servicedesk to BSG, the client will benefit from cost and management savings:

• Infrastructure and telephony - No initial investment is required as BSG has already invested heavily in telephony and network infrastructure in order to provide a managed servicedesk to a wealth of clients.
• Software - No initial investment in software is required as BSG has invested in an ITIL compliant call centre software which the client can access itself via a Client Services module. This will relieve the client from the headache of licensing, upgrades and future development
• Staffing - Investment in recruiting, training and managing call centre staff is unnecessary with a fully manned 24*7 service desk being available to our clients from BSG.

Known as our "Client Services" option, BSG can deploy a range of self-service components to its servicedesk offering, all of which are compatible with, and of the same standard as, the ITIL compliant helpdesk software operated by BSG.

Clients can choose to operate the self-service components such that their staff can use the online call logging facilities or, if they would rather rely on the personal service of the helpdesk team to log and resolve calls, then they may simply opt to use the comprehensive reporting tools which are available through the Client Services package. Whatever use method adopted, BSG is pleased to offer a greater degree of transparency to the service which also demonstrates visibly enhanced value to the client.

The following features are available within Client Services:

• Customisable browser-based solution
• Multi-Tier segregation: - BSG can provide multi-level access to tickets and incidents raised.
• Intuitive technology - the browser interface is intuitive and easy-to-use with no training
• Incident Logging, Viewing and Updating
• Embedded Reporting - On-Line SLA reports are provided that can be viewed on-line
• Greater accessibility - Client Services allows access to service and maintenance requests, order entry and update of client information,
• Full Integration with BSG's call centre software
• Knowledge Management - Client Services provides access to the BSG Knowledge Base, with on-line FAQ's

BSG is one of the few companies operating in its market place to hold a ISO27001 certificate for data management and hosting services. The call centre software used by BSG to operate its helpdesk facilities is hosted in a highly secure environment, client data is isolated using best practice security measures and accessed by the staff in BSG's Network Operating Centre only after rigorous authorisation and authentication procedures have been completed.

If the Client Services option is adopted then all relevant security measures would be afforded to ensure that access was limited both in accordance with industry best practice in terms of external access and also with the client's internal specifications.

In order to provide the highest level of service to our clients, it is vital that BSG recognises the need for constant change and innovation to sustain the reality and perception of its servicedesk clients. Experience shows that if the level of client service is sustained and developed, users will demand continually improved service from BSG but their satisfaction will remain high. If static, even though there may be no change to the level of service provided, the user perceives only a good level of service, thus challenging the amount of value created and sustained.

Knowledge management is provided at various levels when a managed servicedesk is purchased by a client.

At a basic level, all the call flow data and general management information collected during the course of the contract is collated and analysed on a quarterly basis. This, along with the information derived from the user satisfaction surveys, will be combined quarterly to allow BSG to make tactical suggestions for improving the service as well as providing crucial input into longer term improvement plans.

At a higher level, BSG will collate frequently asked questions and use input relating to the resolution of calls in order to build self-help and knowledge database. These mean swift resolution of calls, self-help mechanisms and hopefully a reduction in calls relating to similar problems thus improving the efficiency of call resolution.