HelpDesk

The place in IT infrastructure

The large organizations locate difficult and rather branched IT infrastructure which continued operation of all elements at the necessary level is the compulsory provision of accomplishment by the organization of the tasks. Support of this infrastructure in working order is one of basic functions of IT service of the enterprise. The HelpDesk systems will allow IT services to provide high-quality accomplishment of this function.

The scheme of the HelpDesk system on the example of DOCSVISION SERVICEDESK

The HelpDesk systems provide:

• uniform point of the appeal to a support service
• mechanism, convenient and clear for users
• an opportunity to send inquiries to a support service, passing less effective methods of the problem resolution, such as attempts to resolve an issue independently or by means of colleagues, the address to the first employee of service IT even if that is not obliged to be engaged in support.
• standard method of registration and issue of tasks to specialists;
• control of the sequence of execution of works, the spent time and resources
• purpose of priority requests depending on type, the specific user or other circumstances
• escalation of requests and incidents, notification of the corresponding administrators
• storage of the knowledge base on last requests that allows specialists to resolve the same problems quickly

The reporting under rendering services can be used for formalization of the relation between users of enterprise information systems and service IT. The expected support level (a response time on requests and executions of requests, type of the provided services) can be compared and brought into accord with financing and number of IT department.

By means of tools of the reporting of the HelpDesk system it is possible to reveal patterns in a flow of the arriving requests, defining weak points in infrastructure of the enterprise.

The requests solved in HelpDesk

Among the requests serviced by the HelpDesk systems it is worth selecting the following especially:

• service requests (standard requests on system operation support)
• request for processing of incidents (inadmissible deviations, for example serious malfunctions in a system or unprocessed in time and creating serious obstacles for functioning of the organization)
• change requests of a system status, for example, installation of the new equipment and software.

Architecture

A system usually is based on the general principle, but some solutions include advanced functionality. As a result each customer can select strictly individual solution. The standard Service desk system consists of the following logical components:

• the module of registration of requests about incidents
• database of requests
• system of tracking of the status of request and notification
• knowledge base
• administration panel
• reporting module

Service Desk. "Type outside"

The HelpDesk systems can be combined with means of accounting of a computer hardware also. Thus, it is possible to control quantity and types of the equipment. Thereof there is always information on whether there is in the organization an equipment meeting certain requirements (for example, for replacement failed).

Service Desk. "Type from within"

Requirements to the HelpDesk systems

Service Desk of the Solution based on should be integrated easily in the developed IT infrastructure of the organization, are flexibly configured under requirements of the customer of implementation stages, to adapt under the changing business conditions at an operation stage simple means. The flexibility of solutions can be reached due to existence in a system of simple electronic models of processes, user interfaces, reports and other elements in use of the graphic construction tools considerably reducing labor costs on setup and upgrade of solutions. Existence of the preconfigured electronic models of the processes conforming to requirements of ITIL which can be upgraded afterwards is desirable. It allows to reduce considerably time from the beginning of works on system implementation to the moment when it begins to give real return. Existence of means of easy integration with external systems, allows to build based on the Service Desk systems of the solution, the implementing cyclic management processes of IT: from registration of requests in service Service Desk (the operator, the user or an external system of monitoring) before carrying out change of IT of infrastructure from the single console of the operator of service HelpDesk. Certainly, the defining, main requirement is the ability of a system to solve the specific problems arising during organization activity.

Processes in the HelpDesk systems

In each HelpDesk-system a set of processes take place. Message handling, tracking of emergency situations, their elimination, routine maintenance of IT infrastructure of the enterprise  , etc. belong to them. The most significant processes are as follows:

• configuration management
• incident management
• problem management
• change management and releases
• management of services

Configuration management

For a class of configuration units different user interfaces for manual entry and adjustment of information are created, processes of filling and support of relevance by a CMDB handshaking with external systems are automated. At the level of separate attribute visualization tools of structure of CMDB, the version of configuration units and means of graphical analysis of effects the impacts of change of any configuration unit on services which had by IT service are supported. All means of the graphic direction are integrated into user interfaces of operators of technical support service. Communication of configuration units with incidents, problems, changes and releases should be provided. Means of statistical reporting are necessary for operational obtaining information on a status of IT of infrastructure.

Incident management

The scheme of process "incident management" allows to organize work of technical support service in a short time. This scheme should conform to the following requirements:

• uniform point of registration of requests of users, possibility of registration of requests by the employee of technical support service from a user name
• support of means of poll of users about quality of work of IT of service
• manual and automatic appointments of contractors
• support of the enclosed processes on the tree/branch mechanism
• escalation of the request between lines of technical support
• support of different schemes of processing of requests depending on their classification signs
• support of communications with configuration units and other processes
• support of control facilities of terms of accomplishment of requests on the basis of service contracts with consumers of IT services, internal contracts of service IT and contracts with external suppliers of IT services
• support of the knowledge base and mechanisms of shadow
• support of integration with external systems of management
• existence of implementers of statistical reporting and means of calculation and visualization of key performance indicators of process

Schemes of business processes should have a possibility of direct implementation in the general architecture of IT service of the organization or adaptation under specific requirements of the customer. Main objective of process is the fastest recovery of normal functioning of IT services and minimization of an adverse effect on business functioning, providing the best of the possible quality level and availability of services. The incident management process brings certain advantages of the organization in general and the Service Desk system in particular. Advantages to business in general:

• vulnerability of business for incidents decreases
• availability of information necessary for business increases
• there is a possibility of determination of useful corrections and improvements of a system

Advantages to IT department in particular:

• the improved monitoring of performance of support department
• the best use of personnel
• avoidance of the lost or incorrect incidents
• more exact information in CMDB
• increase in customer satisfaction

The incident management process allows to make such transactions as:

• acceptance and registration of an incident
• initial classification and support
• research and diagnostics
• solution and recovery
• closing of an incident

Problem management

These management systems for problems can be exposed to upgrade or be created from scratch according to requirements of the customer. For effective management of problems there are following functional features and opportunities:

Scheme of component interaction of the automation system of service Service Desk

• possibility of sorting, filtering and search of requests for elimination of incidents in different signs
• support of means of graphical analysis of CMDB and connection with other processes
• support of multiple-pass transactions and the enclosed processes
• integration tools with external systems of monitoring and management in a combination to means of statistical reporting and the analysis

All this allows to bring technical support service from the level of reactive response to problems to the level of their preventive analysis and the elimination before violation of the service layer rendered to users.

Change management and releases

The HelpDesk systems contain electronic models of processes "change management" and "management of releases. These processes give to a system a number of opportunities:

• effective forecasting of impact of the planned changes in activity for the services rendered to IT by service to users
• an opportunity to implement flexible mechanisms of planning and change control and releases with support of different types of execution plans of works
• implementation of flexible mechanisms of approval of changes
• automatization of process of purpose of tasks to contractors according to the approved work plans

All this allows to minimize risks of emergence of negative effects of changes IT nfrastruktury for work of the organization.

Management of services

Usually the HelpDesk systems contain tool kit for implementation of necessary services which the company renders to consumers. Such instruments of services to customers, executives in charge, objects of IT of infrastructure, and also to the requests processed within processes Incident management, Problem management, Change management and Management of releases. Agreements on the service layer (SLA, OLA, UC) with a binding to any process implemented in a system and means of automatic control of observance of these agreements are supported. Means of statistical reporting allow to make process of providing IT services to users of information systems qualitative and controlled.