http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/list/59.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net I notice most of you who are either using or interested in SysAid are supporting users who're geographically challenging. In other words most of you are deploying SysAid in a WAN. This guarantee the user to use SysAid cause they got no other mean to ask for support.

I however deploy SysAid in a LAN with roughly 70 nodes in a three floors building.
Where you can still run into users in hallways, canteen... etc. Now I don't know if this is a cultural thing or just my oversensing, but my biggest challenge is to get user to fire an SR !

Some of them seems to fear they'll be recorded as the cause of the problem, some of them have the same attitude when they are asked to fill in survey form "It's your div performance, what's in it for me ? Telling you I got problem should be enough", some of them plain lazy... well filling SR form does take more time then simply telling... but don't they care if I follow up ? What if I simply forgot ?

I know there are options on how I can take in SR but I don't like the idea of the support staff creating SR for users cause sooner or later the statistic/information in SysAid will depend on how 'true' the support staff are.

It's quite ironic to realize that the whole point of my deploying SysAid is to be able to detect/prioritize problem, fix/improve it and reduce SR !

Am not looking for answers here... I shall handle them.
What I'd like to know is... is it wrong to deploy a helpdesk system in a LAN of my size ? Is it overkill ?

]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/953.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/953.page GMT so we got the asset management part covered

so if you already deployed the agent to your machines, your users can open a ticket and ask for support.

I agree that most people (specially in a small-medium organization) will just go and ask the IT guy, but that's something every administrator need to handle (the user can just call the IT) but i think that when opening a ticket becomes a policy, both user and administrator benefit.]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/972.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/972.page GMT
Our support model depends upon users submitting their own tickets for non-emergency items. It is a policy that we approved with management, and it seems to work especially well in smaller networks. This is, in part, because we have a small I.T. staff and need to be able to prioritize requests. If we keyed all of the requests, it would be disruptive and reduce our ability to resolve issues quickly.

]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/973.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/973.page GMT
When I first got sysaid the main way to contact was supposed to be email but it was phone, phone, phone, phone, phone, it goes on but you get the idea. Over time we have radically reduced phone calls and the majority of calls come in as Tickets logged via the SR. This is a major headache reduced for us. So how did we do it honestly we just keept telling people to F11 the calls. In time people got used to it and it became the only option.

I could not state more strongly that a helpdesk system is a positive and much needed tool for IT. While im at in Sysaid is extremely affordable and extremely flexible and I am proud to be a user and the person responsible for introducing it to my originisation]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/996.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/996.page GMT I think it makes a lot of sense to reduce as much as possible the calls and go into more "structural" way of working.

We will publish very soon a case study of one of our customers related to this issue.
In their company they managed to remove the call center [b]completely [/b], explaining all their users that the right way to get a service is by submitting a request.
I think it is an amazing success story which can give a good insight on how this can be done.]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1001.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1001.page GMT I have found if i say "just send a SR, just in case i forget" they start doing it on there own more often
BUT, then i get a call two seconds after they setup the SR, so it ends up being a NO win problem

I just keep reminding my self, i am there to help them - even if its a operator issue

FYI - always remember to ask -"did you look at the self help"]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1005.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1005.page GMT I give way to SysAid anywhere I can... desktop shortcut, intranet, e-mail... It's like asking them to be witness in a mass murderer case, ya know ? Hopeless...
After that favourite gadget thread you make I got this crazy idea maybe I shouild put a link on each of their gadget as well !

[quote="epinaz"]Our support model depends upon users submitting their own tickets for non-emergency items.[/quote]
*smile* You're lucky to have such an understanding and mature users.
If that's implemented in my realm, all call will be claimed as urgent, Ive seen it happened to other system like the queue in xerox machine, expense claim in finance... and when you confront it, it will be a debate about who's more important (hell the janitor is important too right ?) which is NOT even the point. *shaking head*

[quote="Jonathan"]Over time we have radically reduced phone calls and the majority of calls come in as Tickets logged via the SR[/quote]
How long does it take, bro ?
Maybe I'm just impatient *hopefull grin*... SysAid is officially used here a lil over a year. And I am now brainwashing all new recruits the company have by making SysAid sounds like taxes.... ya know... inevitable and guaranteed to screw them if they missed.

[quote="Saar"]As I see it, this is depending a lot on the company policy and not size or locations. [/quote]
Which got a lot to do with the culture/mindset.. I know. *sigh*

[quote="Dobermans"]I have found if i say "just send a SR, just in case i forget" they start doing it on there own more often BUT, then i get a call two seconds after they setup the SR, so it ends up being a NO win problem [/quote]
*widened delighted eyes* YESSSSSSSSSsssssssssss.. precisely !!! Why do they do that... I never understand... I mean I don't mind... but aren't they tired of it ? Why complicate things ???? Intriguing phenomenon this is, no ?
*grateful sigh* Most uplifting to know you're not alone...
*grateful bow and smile* Thank you.
]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1015.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1015.page GMT
Also, sufficient training and "preaching of the Gospel" to the masses is just as important. Not only do they need to know the proper procedure but how and why it is to their benefit to get on board and think inside the box in this case. In my scenario, having 200+ retail outlets with application/hardware support issues, it is vital that they understand how working within "my" system is much more advantageous than bypassing SRs for voicemail. They have been informed that unless network issues prevent email or web access that voicemails are dead last as far as priority goes.

Lastly, we in IT have to be zealots in adhering to the process as well and try to refrain from shortcuts around the system for expedience. It is confusing when trying to research historical data that is not all in the system.



]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1101.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1101.page GMT Maybe I'm just impatient *hopefull grin*... SysAid is officially used here a lil over a year. And I am now brainwashing all new recruits the company have by making SysAid sounds like taxes.... ya know... inevitable and guaranteed to screw them if they missed. [/quote]

Well there is a degree of I really don't have to say a lot as walkerr has really said it all but I like the sound of my ow typing so here we go!!

I have been with my current company 7 years and they had no system at all so step one was email helpdesk@mycompany.com Now this was new to me as I was used to having a system but little steps.

I then built a help desk with Access but we had to cut a past things and of course people did not get a log till we cut and paste. At the time management wanted me to be efficient but refused to buy software. Fast forward to 4 years ago and i found a few free help desk but Sysadi was the only one that really let you function, some of the others limited you to ten calls like that's one hours worth of work!!

So we got free sysadi and it worked a treat at first we continued to let people to email for about 6 months but then we deployed the agent and from that day forward people called helpdesk F11. Of course i then bought sysaid but as we had used it for months successfully no one questioned me buying it as we had fully proved its worth.

It took over a year for the calls to die down and people to get the message but this was only doen by as follows

1. Repeatedly told to log their calls
2. Got to a stage were we would not take calls unless they were 100% urgent
3. We send all new starts an email with details of how to contact helpdesk and the rules for contacting IT, plus other bits a bods.

We have to be absolutely religious about F11 no F11 no help. Even to the stage that if people rang we ask them to quote their number!

it is hard work getting people to log their calls but once you get their it is amazing how much people will stick to it. We have seen calls drop 90% as everyone creates a ticket. This in turn actually means people get dealt with calls quicker then when they were ringing all the time.

All i can say is keep fighting the good cause, don't take phone calls unless urgent, don't let people stop you in corridors and get everyone to log their calls. It will work and your company will gain as service will actually improve ]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1103.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/1103.page GMT
it's been a long haul and continues to be , but it is going in the right direction. ]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2304.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2304.page GMT Users always tend to use phone or personal meeting, as they think, this will result in fater resolution of their problem.

We use Sysaid for about a year. At first, IT staff need to enter SR. But after some persuasion (and of course, support from management), users started to fill requests for themselves. But it still took long, too long.



]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2317.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2317.page GMT
it's been a long haul and continues to be , but it is going in the right direction. [/quote]

And it will always be a haul as you will always have new employees who don't understand the process even if they signed something that says they understand it during their hiring process. Your users continually change, so you always have to be on edge enough that you don't let anything "slip through the cracks" or "just this one time for the new guy" or "he's an exec who is used to special treatment, no reason to track his requests."

If someone asks me in person for help, I respond with "the faster you submit it in SysAid, the faster I'll be able to fix it." True emergencies should be defined ahead of time so you have something on paper to show them if they think its an emergency and you know better. "Sorry, that's not an emergency. You have to follow the helpdesk process." It only works if you've defined what an emergency is, otherwise abuse will be rampant. Leverage management to define emergencies and get them to sign off on the agreed-upon definition so you have full confidence that they will back you when you tell an employee they are wrong.

As Stewart said, I explain that submitting a ticket means their request won't fall through the cracks, and alternates are set up so if I'm out on vacation or sick, their request will still be handled by someone else. In addition, since I'm using LDAP authentication and have mail for exchange on my phone, I also use the "I may not be at my desk, or in the network room, or in a meeting, or on site. If you submit a request, I will be notified immediately on my phone and can go directly from where I am to where you are without you having to track me down."

For certain execs who think they are so special they don't have to follow the rules, I tell them I can help them out right now and we can go look at the issue together, then as they turn to head to their office I turn to my computer and start to fill out a ticket for them. They're smart, and they quickly get the picture that it would be just as fast if THEY submitted the request.

My biggest weak spot is when someone asks for help from their desk as I'm walking the halls. I always have to tell myself, "don't fix it unless they submit a ticket" 5 times in a row. The nice way of handling this is to ask what they need, and if its something you can fix right away, ask them to submit a ticket right there on their computer before you perform the fix. Once its submitted, fix the problem and everyone is happy.

But there is no end to educating people about processes. You will always have to do that as a primary helpdesk contact. The only way you'll be able to stop educating people about how to contact the helpdesk properly is to leave the helpdesk.]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2321.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2321.page GMT
Thank you all for sharing these common issues that are true in almost all organization.

I know, for example, that many of you use methods to improve and encourage the users to submit SR.
For example, use notification to end users on every change to increase the visibility of the helpdesk, so that the endusers will feel that things are really done behind the scenes to analyze and solve their problems.

I'd appreciate your comments and stories on this !]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2363.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2363.page GMT
I think it is a matter of organisation, education and deployment. I released the new system at the same time as a new IT Policy generally, and it was possibly the most successful and stress free change-overs of the lot.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but i do think that it's not impossible to get everyone working off the same hymn sheet as it were.

M]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2637.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/2637.page GMT http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3626.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3626.page GMT

http://www.ilient.com/flash.htm]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3629.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3629.page GMT
Yes it is difficulot in LAN to get people to use the software. But I think we are all forgetting the use of our own fingers in this process. It is not such a hardship to have to take a phonecall and put in the SR on behalf of the user. Of course that is not what it is designed to do but if it helps go for it!

It also means that the details written down are clear to you as the Admin following up the SR.

I draw the line at people grabbing me in the corridor though M]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3645.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3645.page GMT
I had it the other way around.
It's easier to draw the line through the phone than face to face. Cause with face you can't escape the sincerity...

And isn't it the recognition of our "weak" fingers that brought us all to a helpdesk system in the first place ? Us admiting how easy we forget, how natural it is to follow up by fyfo (read like 5 0, meaning first yell first out, and yesss yet another invention of yours truly...) and how hard it is to organized stuff ?
Unless there's a good reason for it (users with no pc, pc illiterate or simply lack of both arms...) taking sr on user's behalf is an unnecessary step back.

Not to mention accountability. We can always refine the SR later but user must give use a legitimate reason to even spend time on it...
SR sets the complain apart from the venting and or bitching.]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3650.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3650.page GMT
I mean, there is even a Phone Call tab under Helpdesk! It has a whole tab designed for the purpose of opening SR's from phonecalls for the fingerless and IT illiterate!

Inescapable proof that Ilient agree with me.

*smug, satisfied, but slightly cautious smile due to the pending reaction he knows will come from Obelix*

M]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3652.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3652.page GMT
What if the call came when you're on your way to a meeting ?

What if you're actually in the middle of something ?

Unless you wickedly reduced the phone to one in your dept... what make you think they'll come in sequence ?

There are myriad scenario where the IT staff will back date the sr... and as it pile up... it will be up to the it staff to keep everything in tab...

Sounds familiar ?
Step back !

*take-your-best-shot-but-ya-better-not-missed kinda corleone smile*]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3655.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3655.page GMT
I will admit the system is not perfect, however it works for us.

But coming back to the original point, just because it is not perfect, and the occasional call comes through, does not mean that the helpdesk system is ineffective. We now have a record of every problem that occurs with a machine. We have every asset over two sites recorded and monitored within SysAid. Surely that cover alone makes up for having to wear out the fingers on a couple of calls a week. The helpdesk being effective doesn't rest on all the SRs being reported through SysAid.

M

*Sigh of relief, followed by a slightly impressed by his own very mature beyond his years answer. Then drops as he realises Obelix will still come back with ANOTHER argument against him!*]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3656.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3656.page GMT *Slight bow smile*

Tea ?
*offering the beverage*]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3660.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3660.page GMT *Still feeling inferior and trying not to be rude*

Walks off with the SysAid mug to make the tea
*trying not to drop the mug with the excitement of receiving a slight bow. Then feels pathetic at his excitement*]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3661.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3661.page GMT *set aside his own tea to have the new one*

Nice mug...
]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3665.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3665.page GMT
*Jiggles knee impatiently waiting for small package in the post*

M]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3669.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3669.page GMT Cause mine arrived as pairs while I specifically asked for three !
*lean over saar without looking*
I said... THREEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee !]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3673.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3673.page GMT *big sigh at the thought of what he is missing*]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3675.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3675.page GMT Works for me.
*american idol kinda shrug*]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3677.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/3677.page GMT
]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/8214.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/8214.page GMT
Ive tried educating users by getitng the manager to send an email explaining how it works and having links in my signature but nothing seems to have worked

Time for me to start mass producing the poster (http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/list/2588.page) I made and posting it out.....]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/14726.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/14726.page GMT
Next make sure everything works. Especially the agent and the process of filing an sr.

Next warned the managers (yes, black and white as in e-mail) that you will not commit to any request outside sysaid and will not be held responsible to any production hazard cause by a user who has IT problem but doesn't bother to get help properly.

THEN you flood them with the posters.

In actual operational of course have a priority so you can make an exception for a really really urgent matters. Actually ignore cases big enough to cause a "riot" but not really a "show stopper" to make them believe you meant what you said.

I've been and still fighting the same war. What I find relatively effective is... whenever I'm involved in a discussion about failed coordination, miscommunication, monitoring, follow-ups..and sorts I always brings out sysaid as the solution. And annoys them with phrases like "You should've implemented sysaid..." or "Now you know why we need sysaid..." or "none of this would happen if you got something like sysaid..."

Oh.. and unless you're prepared to switch to a "call center" (read:have legions of helpdesk staff) scheme... whatever happens never... NEVER EVER.. fill out SR for the users. ]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/14728.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/14728.page GMT http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/22220.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/22220.page GMT Slick...
We just have a building expansion... I'll see if the force is with me on this one.

Most grateful for the cool tips
*slight nod wider smile*]]> http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/22252.page http://www.ilient.com/Sysforums/posts/preList/323/22252.page GMT






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Want to get-on Google's first page and loads of traffic to your website? Hire a SEO Specialist from Ocean Groups [url= http://oceangroups.org/]seo pecialist [/url]
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