Technical support is a multi-dimensional resource, designed
to help reduce downtime and make IT services available as long as possible. It
focuses specifically on end-user functionality and is therefore responsible for
the rapid resolution of immediate needs, incidents, and technical issues for
end-users.
Any essential functional technical support must be able to
provide technical assistance to get the end-user back to work. As part of best
practices, technical support often uses special software to record, track, and
manage problems raised. Besides, the tips included in the ITIL (Information
Technology Infrastructure Library) methodology are used to achieve optimal
performance.
Some of the features
of a practical help desk are:
Ability to track all incoming incidents
Functions as a single point of contact (SPOC) for IT support
Provides essential problem management, contains problem
escalation procedures, and supports specialized external groups for higher-level
incidents
It focuses on the events and problems of end-users.
Collaborative and easy to use.
Maintains the database of all reported incidents and actions
are taken
Ability to create monthly, semi-annual and annual reports on
the number of problems, the response time, the time required to resolve the issue
and the integration of these parameters in an SLA (Service Level Agreement)
Difference between
the help desk and the service desk
The difference between a "help desk" and a
"service desk" is more profound than that based on semantics and
terminology. While the two terms were traditionally used interchangeably, in
2007, with the introduction of the International Library for Information
Technology (ITIL) v3, the difference became more visible, and the use was
stratified. While technical support looks at managing the overall process, it
is part of the final process and focuses on the needs of end-users.
Following ITIL v3 best practices, technical support is one
of the components of general service management and provides information to
technical support through defined processes and software.
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