The role of the help desk in the strategic management of ...

Introduction and background to theresearch

The help desk can be much more than a reac-tive crisis center coping with the problemsencountered by its customers: it can be used asa diagnostic and predictive tool, acting as anexus for information and communication.The help desk has reached a critical point in itsdevelopment, with the increasing complexity ofIT systems, the growing demands and expecta-tions of users, and its move into a more cus-tomer – rather than technology-oriented phase.This paper draws on a recently completedBritish Library Research and DevelopmentDepartment (BLR&DD)-funded project, theaim of which was to investigate the key factorsin help-desk success, by identifying those areascritical to help-desk development and function-ality. The project methodology and results arebriefly summarized; and the discussion thenfocusses specifically on those results which feedinto a discussion of the potential of the helpdesk in enabling an organization or its cus-tomers to gather data on systems use, plan andimplement IT development strategies andassess the impact of such strategies on attitudesto IT.

For the purpose of the research, a definitionof the help desk was developed by the authors:an accessible service point which will provideon-demand advice, information or action to aidthe user in carrying out an IT-related task.Beyond this basic definition, the role of thehelp desk is often extended to that of a technol-ogy facilitator, achieved by the gathering andanalysis of data at the help desk to manageend-user technology proactively. The definitionwas further developed to establish a definitionof what might be termed a dedicated or “real”help desk. The definition identified threeessential characteristics:(1) centralized or multiple help desks,(2) staff working exclusively, on rotation, on

secondment (i.e. staff who work at the helpdesk who are not just answering the tele-phone while doing another job), and

(3) manning by experts or staff with basicknowledge who can pass on problems(excluding those where staff approach therelevant expert directly).

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OCLC Systems & ServicesVolume 12 · Number 4 · 1996 · pp. 4–19© MCB University Press · ISSN 1065-075X

The role of the help deskin the strategic management ofinformation systems

Rita Marcella andIain Middleton

The authorsRita Marcella and Iain Middleton are both at the Schoolof Information and Media, The Robert Gordon University,Aberdeen, UK.

AbstractDraws on a recently completed British Library Research andDevelopment Department-funded project investigating keyfactors in help-desk success. Describes the methodology ofsurvey by questionnaire and case studies. Summarizes theresults briefly and focusses specifically on the results whichfeed into a discussion of the potential of the help desk inenabling an organization or its customers to gather data onsystems use, plan and implement IT development strategiesand assess their impact on attitudes to IT.

The help desk is a relatively new phenomenonand does not fit neatly into a single-subjectdiscipline: it is of concern to the computing,information science and service managementcommunities. As a result, there has been littleresearch to date: one project under way atStanford University includes analyses of helpdesk software; Morgan and Thorp (1995) haveinvestigated the use of desktop videoconferenc-ing products to support advisory activities.Various undergraduate and postgraduate acad-emic papers have been written and a number ofhigher degree studies are under way: Moorleyat Stanford and Popejoy at the University ofNorth Texas are working towards PhDs onhelp desks; Kahalewai at the University ofHawaii is a PhD candidate researching help-desk organizational strategies.

‘…There are a growing number ofprofessional journals either focussedspecifically on the help desk such asLifeRaft and Customers, or dealing withthe broader field of customer support…’

Literature on the subject of help desks consistslargely of isolated journal articles, citing exam-ples of help-desk use in industry or dealingwith help-desk software: typically they identifyproblems but lack solutions. There are a grow-ing number of professional journals eitherfocussed specifically on the help desk such asLifeRaft and Customers, or dealing with thebroader field of customer support, such asService Management, Call Centre and Service.Articles occasionally appear in computing andinformation science journals, such as NetworkComputing and InfoWorld. Much of the infor-mation available on help desks derives fromindustry experience and is available throughseminars and a growing number of consultan-cies. A few books have appeared, ranging fromthe practical Help Desk Handbook (1994) toexamples which deal with specific types of helpdesk, such as Implementing an IS Help Desk(Plunkett, 1993). Four titles (Gallagher (n.d.),Czegel (1995), Bruton (1995) and Staffing theCall Centre (TCS Management Group, 1995)were published in 1995, evidence of a growingawareness of a demand for information andguidance. Among those authors who have

reported on help desks, Hayward (1995) hasdescribed the role of the help desk as theapproachable, public face of IT within theorganization and a probing and highly criticaltool. Pancucci (1995) argues that the help deskmay take on the broader role of acting as thefront line for IT with a move toward a moreexpert service acting as advisors in decisionmaking and direct involvement in systemsdevelopment.

Four specialist user groups have been estab-lished: the Help Desk Institute (HDI) in theUSA has approximately 5,000 members; theAlbuquerque Help Desk Association is aregional user support group; in the UK theHelpdesk User Group (HUG) had 910 mem-bers in 1995; and the International Associationfor Management Automation (IAMA) wasinstituted in 1995 to “…further the image ofthe help desk and to be part of its evolution,along with its managers, to a true corporatemanagement centre” (Service Management1995). There are also a number of official andquasi-official groups which offer advice andguidance to help-desk providers, such as:UCTLIG/UCISA a group concerned with usersupport in universities; the Central Computerand Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) setup by the Government to promote businessefficiency and effectiveness through the use ofinformation systems; and the Call CentreInstitute for Quality (CCIQ) established in1995 to act as a center for the exchange of bestpractice. None of these groups has existed formore than eight years and their appearance is asign of the growing awareness of the impor-tance of the help desk, not just in insuring theeffective use of IT but in maximizing exploita-tion of the information-gathering role of thehelp desk, as an aid to organizational decisionmaking.

A growing number of specialist consultan-cies are appearing: the MUNS Group providesadvisory services and customized contractresearch; the Gartner Group provides a sub-scription service and has produced severalhundred research notes; the META Group hascarried out studies on issues such as costs ofsupport and help-desk software. Other signifi-cant companies include Nolan Norton, Ovumand the Bentley Company.

The role of the help desk in strategic management of information systems

Rita Marcella and Iain Middleton

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Volume 12 · Number 4 · 1996 · 4–19

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The Internet and e-mail communities havebeen invaluable in the course of gatheringinformation in support of the project. Particu-larly useful have been: the Support TechnologyForum[1]; a dedicated help-desk e-mail discus-sion list[2]; the HDI home page[3]; andVerghis’ frequently asked questions resource[4]which is a valuable guide to other sources ofinformation.

Methodology

A full literature search was carried out initiallyand was supported throughout the project bycontinued background research and communi-cation with centers of knowledge.

The survey by questionnaireInitially a survey by postal questionnaire (seeAppendix) was carried out to gather data on:• inception and development,• operation,• monitoring and evaluation,• usage,• staffing,• scale of the operation,• definition and formalization of the help

desk,• structure of the help desk within the

organization.

The brief and simple questionnaire consisted of25 questions, primarily multiple choice fromclosed questions. Much thought went into theframing of the questions, so that they should beintelligible to all respondents. Care had also tobe taken in interpreting the responses, owing tothe lack of a “common vocabulary” amongrespondents. The Help Desk User Group’ssurvey of its membership was also used as adevelopmental model.

The questionnaire was tested on ten individ-uals: academics; experts and practitioners viaInternet discussion lists; a local authority and asystems analysis/design consultancy. Someminor modification, in areas such as clarifica-tion of language, resulted from the pilotingprocess.

The response The questionnaire was disseminated to ITmanagers, accompanied by an explanatoryletter. Completed replies were received from

145 managers, a 36.25 percent response rate(cf. 1994 Help Desk Institute’s 22.4 percentmembers’ survey). The data resulting from thepresent questionnaire will be biased moretoward those organizations which do operatehelp desks.

The sample frame for the questionnaireconsisted of 400 UK organizations, evenlydivided between the public and the privatesector:(1) Private sector – ten sets of 20 by primary

SIC (sector of industry code 0-9), eachcode group further split by size of compa-ny, with only companies with more than 50employees included, providing a statistical-ly defensible and representative cross-section of all types of private company.

(2) Public sector – the selection of organizationsin the public sector was dictated by thenature of the sector, but sought to coverthe major subsectors:• central government (18),• local authorities (146),• higher education (21),• National Health Service (15).

A modified, smaller scale but more compre-hensive survey was carried out of online host orcustomer support help desks. This question-naire was tested by a help-desk software manu-facturer. The types of company targetedincluded all UK-based online hosts (plus oneEuropean and one US-based), and a represen-tative sample of companies that provide remotecustomer support via a help-desk facility.Ninety-seven questionnaires were disseminatedand responses were received from 40, aresponse rate of 41.23 percent.

Case studiesThe survey was followed by 14 case studies,including both IT help desks and help deskswhich have an explicit informational role orwhich service the information industry, provid-ing a greater depth of understanding of theissues of concern in providing help-desk facili-ties, as well as the realities and constraints ofthe operational environment.

A case-study prototype had been carried outprior to the research project, helping to refinethe proforma that was designed to carry outinterviews. Participants for the case studies

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were identified from the questionnaire. Eighty-three (57.2 percent) respondents from thesurvey expressed a willingness to participate infollow-up interviews, in itself a positiveresponse. A diary of visits was constructed.The case studies covered a wide range of orga-nizations in order to make comparisonsbetween the public and private sectors, in-house and outsourced help desks, and employ-ee- and customer-based help desks, includingproviders of online database services[5]. Eachcase was provided with details of the areas thatwould be addressed during interviews, allowingwithdrawal if there were any doubts aboutinvolvement. Two companies had concernsabout identification for reasons of commercialconfidentiality, but still participated.

The case studies required the participationof a number of key personnel, chosen on thebasis of their familiarity with help-desk opera-tion, their length of service in the organizationand their role in its management. Each casestudy consisted of two stages:(1) An interview based on a structured ques-

tionnaire which gathered data on a numberof areas: internal processes; historical andorganizational factors; personnel; manning;methods of evaluation; user groups; infor-mation flow; and costs and benefits. Inter-views were recorded and transcribed.

(2) An analysis of the facilities and documen-tation available to help desk and of datagathered from documentation used in theevaluation, operation or usage of the helpdesk.

No significant problems were encountered inexecution of the methodologies. Any dubiety ofinterpretation in the data resulting from thequestionnaire or the case studies was fullyacknowledged.

Summary of project results

This section contains a summary of projectfindings: full results are available in the form ofa BLR&DD report (Marcella and Middleton,1996).

Current help-desk provision in the UKUser support within UK organizations exists inmany forms with varying degrees of formality.

The definition of “help desk” is not universallyagreed on: while two-thirds of respondentsdescribed themselves as having help desks,further analysis of responses reveals the figureto be closer to half.

‘…There are often few resources at thehelp desk apart from staff expertise,and generally the bulk of staff comefrom an IT/computing background…’

The help desk is generally an in-house func-tion, usually part of the IT function, but nowoften under the auspices of customer support.It typically supports about 600 users (2,000users in the case of dedicated help desks), andis primarily responsible for answering softwareapplications queries, making repairs or adjust-ments to systems and installing software. Manyare also responsible for inventory management,sourcing of equipment and statistical reports,but less than half have involvement in training.PCs and networks are prime responsibilities.

Only one-third of help desks restrict theirservice to a defined set of products, and fewerthan half operate service level agreements. Overtwo-thirds have no charging/costing mechanismfor their service, but two-thirds report somedefined procedure to be followed in contactingthem.

The use of help-desk software is becomingcommonplace (almost two-thirds), althoughthe use of artificial intelligence/knowledgebases is still limited. There are often fewresources at the help desk apart from staffexpertise, and generally the bulk of staff comefrom an IT/computing background. Staff withprior experience of help desks are still rare, anddegree qualifications are uncommon. Fewerthan half of the respondents had dedicated,full-time help-desk staff, the majority providingthe service while performing their usual duties,and 20 percent operate a rotational system.Staff generally act as front-line problem solvers,although a significant proportion operate alogging-only service.

The incoming call volume to the help deskwill obviously vary in line with the size of itsuser base and the complexity of the IT environment (for examples see Lusher and

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McCormick, 1995), but typical figures are 30calls per day, or 50 to a dedicated help desk.Resolution statistics vary widely, with evendedicated help desks reporting 50 percent orfewer solved at first call.

Training is still scant at the help desk, butbetter for “real” help desks: only just over halfof the cases give training in the systems theysupport, while only two-fifths give training intelephone and communications skills.

Nearly all cases compile some sort of infor-mation, and the majority of cases gather callresolution statistics. User surveys are conduct-ed by less than half. “Real” help desks weremore inclined to gather information: 58.1percent conducting surveys and 86.5 percentgathering statistics.

Most help desks (over 80 percent) use theinformation they gather to help in identifyingregular faults. More than half use it in identify-ing the training requirements of the organiza-tion, but fewer (37 percent) actually producedreports for use at a higher management level,and less than a third reported that informationwas fed back into identification of users’ pro-cessing requirements. Some cases reported thattheir information was used for purposes suchas billing their users. The private sector mademore use of information than the public sector,while “real” help desks exceeded both in allaspects.

The majority of help desks have come intobeing by “evolutionary” means, developed inreaction to demand. Where an organizedapproach has been taken, it has generally beenby the use of internal workgroups (a third ofcases), with minimal use of outside consultants.

Case studiesMany of the help desks visited were at presentin, or about to enter into, a phase of restructur-ing/reorganization. The remainder had planswhich might result in some level of reorganiza-tion or restructuring. This finding illustratesthe dynamic nature of user support, and thefact that practices as well as IT environmentsand organizations themselves are constantlyencountering change. User support is having toadapt to changes in technology and its evermore widespread use, and to changes in thestructure of the organization which it serves.There is also evidence from the case studies of

a distinct general shift toward a culture ofcustomer service and a consequent require-ment to be more sensitive to users’ needs.

‘…Common uses of help-desk informationare to highlight training needs, identifycommon causes of problems, or providesupplementary customer information forsales teams…’

Practices within the help desk are becomingbetter defined, with procedures being devel-oped and documented not only for solvingproblems, but for managing the whole callcycle and for communication, including pro-ducing reports for management to monitorhelp-desk performance, and reports whichenable the organization to understand therequirements of its users better. Common usesof help-desk information are to highlight train-ing needs, identify common causes of prob-lems, or provide supplementary customerinformation for sales teams.

Staff training and career development andprogression specifically for the help desk areincreasingly becoming a major consideration.Some managers consider it important that staffare not having variety in operational tasks: theirduties often include report production, sitevisits or producing documentation. “Burnout”is a recognized problem in the stressful help-desk environment.

The documentation of the above factors iskey to ISO accreditation, and a number of thecases were ISO accredited or in the process ofbecoming so. This is a clear marker that theircommitment to operational and service stan-dards is high.

The use of help-desk call logging hasbecome prevalent, with very few exceptions.While the software in many cases is greatlyimproving resolution times and effectivelytracking problems through the entire call cycle,some features are used more than others. Moresophisticated capabilities such as knowledgebases and expert systems are often yet to beimplemented. Effective reporting facilities werecited in a number of cases as being essential injustifying resources for the help desk. Configu-ration management was also a primary concernof some organizations, and the capability of the

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help desk to act as the central customer func-tion within an organization has been noted bysome.

The motivators for help-desk developmentare usually those factors noted above: growthin use and variety of IT and a customer servicefocus. Generally speaking, those within theorganization who provide motivation for help-desk development are those directly involvedwith providing support or, in some cases,higher levels of management – often when achange in business practices forces a realizationthat maintenance of acceptable service levels iscritical to retaining business. The help desk iswell placed to gather and monitor data onperformance, and can provide valuable infor-mation about users, particularly in the contextof a customer help desk: in these situations,organizations have found that the help desk is apositive business, rather than simply a technicalasset.

Despite many achieving greater recognition,most of the cases examined expressed theirneed for better resourcing. It is often the casethat management is giving its “consent” to thehelp desk to develop, without giving the “back-ing” necessary to resource this. The question ofresourcing has been less of a problem for cus-tomer help desks: in their role as point-of-contact for the paying customer, their impor-tance is much better recognized because it ismuch easier to quantify. Compuserve, forexample, is working in a highly competitiveindustry where quality of support may be asimportant to the customer as the product itself.This is also seen as an important factor by FTInformation, who see quality of support as the“distinguishing factor” of their service. In thecase of Abtex, the customer services division isfronted by the help desk, and there has beenconsiderable investment in developing first-linesupport and integrating all customer and staffinformation on to their service managementsystem. The more obvious the connectionbetween quality of support and revenue, thebetter resourced the help desk is likely to be.

Reorganizations within the public sectorhave resulted in a more fragmented IT environ-ment as central resources are replaced by indi-vidual departments contracting out IT toprivate companies. Definition of the

help-desk’s role and appropriate resourcing isless easy than in a commercial context.

Problems and issuesThe problems which support organizations arenow facing include:• the explosion in use of IT and the greater

variety of software and hardware;• organizational restructuring, with resultant

fragmentation of IT;• eliciting support from operationally discrete

technical and support groups;• lack of information from development

groups about new product roll outs;• resourcing;• service definition and monitoring;• advice on developing the service.

The majority of help desks today are in anongoing process of change resulting fromchanges in the IT environment and changeswithin the organization structurally and com-mercially. The problems they face are com-pounded by inadequate resourcing to tackle theproblems thus precipitated. The pressure ofincreased call volumes is, for many, heightenedby a lack of information to the help desk con-cerning new product releases, or changes/inter-ruptions to service and a lack of response/com-munication in dealing with problems assignedby the help desk to the support team.

‘…The image of the help desk among bothusers and management is decisive in theallocation of resources, and all too oftenit is poorly understood, even vilified, byboth…’

Clearly then, the help desk faces problemswhich may be beyond its own control: issuessuch as communication with other depart-ments cannot be solved unilaterally, andrequire the coordinated efforts of various levelsof management. The image of the help deskamong both users and management is decisivein the allocation of resources, and all too oftenit is poorly understood, even vilified, by both.The help-desk’s traditional image is that of anisolated function, and it has often been the casethat it is something of a “dead end” both in

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terms of function and of staff career progres-sion.

The generally “reactive” approach to help-desk provision has meant that the potential ofthe help desk has not been fully realized. Evenwhere performance measurement does takeplace, it is often only in highly simplistic andmechanistic terms, e.g. number of incomingcalls, number of problems closed. The “youth”of the help desk means that expertise in thefield is underdeveloped. Management in partic-ular have been in need of “direction” and areoften unaware of or cannot afford the sourcesof expertise available.

Current developmentsConsolidation of the help functionThe need for a single help desk has been pre-cipitated by the need to remove confusion over“who to call,” and to reduce the demand onsupport staff from direct approaches. Theconsolidated help desk encourages better com-munication between IT specialists in previouslydistinct groups: it also brings about economiesof scale in terms of equipment and data shar-ing.

ToolsSoftware began to be developed for call loggingin the late 1980s, and has very rapidly extend-ed its functionality into numerous otheraspects, such as knowledge bases, expert sys-tems, problem management and change man-agement. Its use has become prevalent amongdedicated help desks, and there is now a largenumber of packages on the market, possibly inexcess of 200. In addition, databases of prob-lems with solutions are now available onCD-ROM, which can be integrated into help-desk software. Prospective purchasers of toolsare faced with an array of choices, and areoften poorly prepared to select a suitable prod-uct. This situation itself has created a marketfor expert guidance, with numerous publica-tions resulting (Brown and Burrows, 1995;Computing, 1995; Muns, 1995).

StandardsDefining standards has been found to be essen-tial by many organizations, both: internally interms of procedures and training of help deskstaff via ISO 9000; and externally via the estab-lishment of service-level agreements.

Performance measurementPerformance can be measured in a number ofways, and requires the consideration and analy-sis of both quantitative and qualitative data:• Call statistics. Call volume, call capture, call

length, waiting times, second-level responsetimes, resolution times, number of callsclosed.

• Feedback. User surveys or random call follow-up.

• “Mystery caller”. Sample questions posedanonymously and evaluated by caller.

• Benchmarking. Generally by consultancycompany: “league table” of help desksagainst which the tested service is compared.

ProfessionalismAs the need for trained support staff hasbecome recognized, recognition of the profes-sion and its practitioners has correspondinglyrisen. Certification is now possible, and NVQshave been developed specifically for supportstaff. Commentators have noted that theemployees of IT departments are becomingmore like “employees of the company” thanjust “technical people” (Leung, 1995). Thedevelopment of organizations representing theprofession has been a facilitator to professionalrecognition as well as developing practices.

OutsourcingThe experience of some cases shows that, whilethere may be benefits to outsourcing, such anapproach must be used selectively and withcare (Hayward, 1995). Cost containment is apositive factor but, strategically, it is possiblefor the client organization to lose touch withtrends. Outsourcing is considered by many tobe best suited to stable/standard problemdomains, e.g. standard applications (Blaisdell,1992). Efficient outsourcers will provide rele-vant statistics to prevent “out of sight, out ofmind” syndrome. The success of outsourcingof any function is an area where research oncosts and benefits is urgently needed.

Key factors in help-desk developmentThe help desk has resulted out of necessity,usually reactively, and is generally still in a stateof development, albeit that development ishighly accelerated. The help desk is developingat two levels: at the “micro” level, develop-ments are taking place within the help desk

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itself, defining how it carries out its remit ofuser support; and at the “macro” level the roleof the help desk is being better defined withinorganizations in terms of its integration withthe business of the organization, and communi-cation with other units and management levels.Figure 1 illustrates the significant factors inhelp-desk development which may have influ-enced its sphere of influence.

Definition of the service, including consulta-tion of standards, is vital to successful imple-mentation and service delivery. Managementand users must be apprised as to what servicesthey can expect, and be assured of certainlevels of service via ongoing performance mea-surement. The planned services must matchthe spectrum of users’ requirements, whichmay be diverse and not solely technically relat-ed: increasingly, help desks are dealing with

clients on a global basis with varying levels oftechnical familiarity (Call Centre Europe, 1995).

The potential of the help desk in thestrategic management of informationsystems

The potential of the help desk to act as a man-agement asset is beginning to be recognized.The development of customer service orienta-tion has shifted the emphasis away from thehelp desk as IT’s technical problem fixer to thehelp desk as the front-end to a service provider.The help desk as an automated managementcenter, acting as the nexus for the full integra-tion of IT and customer service into the orga-nization, is evidence both of an increasedrecognition of the role which the help desk canplay strategically and a signal of the expansion

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A motivator is required in the first instance, to identify theneed for a help desk, or a change to it. Motivators tend to bethose involved with current service provision: managers, team

leaders at the point of contact

Motivation

The backing of management is then required. This can begained by highlighting current problems and their cost to thevarious departments in terms of time and money. The marketingof the concept to management is crucial, since considerablefinancial and organizational backing may be required to get

any development

Backing

The service should be defined rigorously with the participationof all necessary groups. This includes internal and externalprocedures and the application of appropriated standards

Definition

The new service must be marketed to the users

Marketing

Once operational, the service must be rigorously monitored inorder to ensure that it is achieving its goals and meeting

standards

Monitoring

Figure 1 Path of help-desk development

of the help desk in a manner that might nothave been predicted from its original “mop up”role.

If the traditional help desk can be regardedas “a bucket underneath a leak,” the modernhelp desk could be said to be fixing the leak,and looking out for more bad weather: prob-lems are not solved by the bucket, they aresolved by preventing the need for one. This isencapsulated by the slogan for the ServiceManagement Europe 1996 Conference: “Stopfixing, start solving”. Blaisdell (1995) statesthat the purpose of a help desk is in fact “toprevent support calls.”

The presence of the help desk is not an“admission of failure”: users will always requiresupport in the face of the inevitability ofchange and the growing complexity in ITenvironments; the level of ability among usersis highly variable and, despite education andtraining, they will continue to operate on a“need-to-know” basis. Whatever other meansof support are available, it has been established(Waern et al., 1991) that users prefer helpprovided by the human voice. This projectwould suggest that, far from being doomed toextinction, the broader role of the help desk asa communicator, facilitator and coordinatorwill ensure an important continuing role for thehelp desk. While reducing “problem” calls, thehelp desk may take on the broader role ofacting as the front line for IT with a movetoward a more expert service acting as advisorsin decision making and direct involvement indevelopment (Pancucci, 1995). Table I illus-trates the direction which the most responsiveand “modern” help desks are taking.

The move from traditional to modern helpdesk is a move toward the help desk as anembodiment of IT within the organization,aware, informed and informative. At its mosthighly developed, the help desk can be theapproachable public face of IT within theorganization and a probing and highly criticaltool (Hayward, 1995). The new approach tothe help desk represents a paradigm shift in theunderstanding of the role it plays within anorganization. While efforts have tended tofocus on how the help desk can organize itselfbetter internally, it is now recognized thatactually to provide service to a user, the help

desk must be an integral part of the IT andcustomer service process.

The help desk is at the nexus of a web ofdependency and the Figure 2 illustrates thelinks that may potentially be made throughoutand outwith an organization.

The significance of the help desk to theprovision and development of effective infor-mation systems has yet to be fully established:however, there are a number of ways, outlinedbriefly below, in which the help desk can beused, and is already being used by some organizations, to improve information systemsprovision and support.

Gathering data on present patterns ofsystems useIt has been found that 86.5 percent of dedicat-ed help desks gather what can frequently bequite simple statistics on usage. Statistics havea number of very valuable potential uses: as asource of information on the nature of prob-lems encountered at present; to monitor usageof systems and the spread of users for each; toidentify training needs; to identify gaps inprovision and duplication of data input; and toassist in the mapping of the present pattern ofinformation collection, dissemination and usewithin the client base. From the results of thesurvey, more than half of all help desks are atpresent using such information to identify

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Table I Traditional versus modern help desk

Traditional help desk Modern help desk

Reactive ProactiveFixes the results of the problems, not Fixes problems at sourcethe causes Gathers and disseminatesA dead end: information

for information Provides a worthwhilefor careers career path

Technically-oriented staff Customer service-orientedIsolated staffNo influence on matters external to Integral

help desk A key motivator and aid toStruggling for resources management decisionsPassive – awaiting customer Justifies resourcingapproaches Aggressive – marketing itsDemand driven services

Strategy drivenThe public face of theorganization

training requirements. More than 80 percent ofall help desks use the information they gatherto identify regular faults, while less than a thirdreported that the information was fed back intothe identification of users’ processing require-ments. So there is evidence that valuable infor-mation is being gathered but it is clear that atpresent only a minority of help desks are usingthe information to assist in the future develop-ment of systems.

Improving intra- and interdepartmentalcommunicationsAt the help desk, information is gathered whichmay have value to other functional departmentswithin the organization in developing, forexample, a better understanding of customerneeds. Such information might be used, forinstance, by a marketing department to developnew promotional campaigns or be fed back intothe product development cycle.

The help desk’s role as a communicator caninsure that the different arms of the IT

operation are kept informed of each others’actions and intentions.

Facilitating the management of changeAs a nexus for information, the help desk mayease the processes of change by maintainingcontinual contact between the groups con-cerned, insuring that plans are not executedwithout prior knowledge of those affected.There are numerous mutual dependenciesthroughout any organization, and the help deskis either at the center, or has a contribution tomake there (see Figure 2). Where processes arein place which involve the help desk in commu-nication and decision making, situations can beavoided where departments or divisions workcounter-productively. As the part of IT whichis most visible and familiar to users, the helpdesk is ideally situated to act as a disseminatorof change-related information. Coordination isa vital component of change management:Morgan (1996) states that “the help desk canalso ensure that each department continues

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Support groups – secondlevel problem solving

Development teams –new product/changeinformation

Users – feedback, informalsurveys, etc.Clients to justify help desk

Management –resourcing, buy-in

Account managers –representing help desk tousers/management

Account managers –representing users‘ andother management needs

Training department –users‘ training needs

Users‘ – point ofcontact for problems,queries, comments

Sales/marketing –user profiles, histories

Development teams –product feedback

Quality management –user satisfaction,efficiency

Help desk

Help deskdependent on

Dependent onhelp desk

Figure 2 Help-desk dependencies

achieving their assigned roles under the enter-prise goals.”

Developing a responsive and interactiverelationship via the help desk’s interfacewith customersThe results of the project illustrate the poten-tial of the help desk to act as a link between ITand the customer, so that the help desk may actas a point of information interchange, feedinginformation from the customer into develop-ment teams and feeding information back outfrom the development teams to the customer.Overall, user surveys are conducted by lessthan half of the respondents but 58.1 percentof dedicated help desks conduct surveys of usersatisfaction. The help desk has a central posi-tion within many organizations, interactingwith both staff and customers. It is in a uniqueposition to develop a relationship that not onlyprovides support to both groups, but also gainsinput from them in terms of their needs andoperational requirements. Often the help deskis the IT point of contact within the organiza-tion, whoever is served, and has a role for thehelp desk to play in promoting the organiza-tion. In particular with the development ofonline help desks, the promotional role of thehelp desk may be further emphasized. Usersmay come to a help desk’s World Wide Webpages for advice and guidance, but they will goaway with an image of the company and infor-mation about its products and services.

A shift toward a customer service ratherthan a technology orientation is taking place,and evidence of that trend is drawn from thecase studies.

In a climate where IT is a prime candidatefor outsourcing – as evidenced by the NationalHealth Service case study and the proliferationof literature on the subject – IT operationsmust show themselves to be in touch with theclient base’s requirements, or IT solutions maybe found elsewhere.

Collecting data on IT needs, both presentand futureThe help desk can gather data continuously:therefore, it has an inherent advantage overother means of needs-assessment and perfor-mance monitoring. While the periodic reviewhas in the past been a standard way of assessing

needs, this may be troublesome, expensive andresult in sudden changes. It gives only a snap-shot of a situation. If the information which thehelp desk can gather is used effectively, require-ments and performance may be monitored on acontinual basis, making use of knowledgegained over time concerning users and systems.

Investigating the impact of IT developments and strategies on customersand functionsThrough the help desk’s two-way communica-tion with its customers it is able to collateinformation on the effectiveness of currentstrategies, either by soliciting customers’ viewsor by the interpretation of incoming call data.Productivity losses may be correlated againstchanges in the IT environment and areas tar-geted for improvement. The knowledge thusgained can be used in future implementations,to preempt problems which have occurred inthe past.

Facilitating software/product implementation and developmentThe requirements definition process is vital inthe development of any product, and the helpdesk is an ideal instrument for gathering infor-mation on user needs and preferences. If acontinual profile of the user base is maintained,products may be developed which are targetedtoward their requirements, or updated inresponse to suggestions or difficulties. Theprocess of product testing need not end at acertain point: it can be continuous and on-going, using help-desk data dynamically tomaintain customer satisfaction.

Producing management reports consolidating information gathered in away that may be of use to management indeveloping IT/IS strategies and futureplansAs we have seen, only 37 percent of all helpdesks produce reports for use by management.Although there is ample evidence that a greatdeal of data are being gathered, there is equallyevidence that at present only a minority of helpdesks are using the data in a constructive wayin order to assist higher management decisionmaking. It is often the case that help-desk datais seen as being the help desk’s business: higher

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levels of management are insufficiently con-cerned with the details of IT, and do not yetcomprehend the value of information from thissource. The challenge for the help desk is toanalyze the data gathered presently in terms oftheir utility for higher management and tomake the case for their value in future IT andinformation systems strategy development.

Ultimately, it is possible to identify threecore functional roles for the help desk in termsof information:(1) monitoring information systems use and

satisfaction;(2) disseminating information about systems

and future plans;(3) promoting the organization to staff and

clients.

Conclusions

If the help desk is to insure management back-ing rather than simply consent it must make itscase in terms which management understand.The successful help desk uses the informationwhich it gathers to make the business case forreceiving resourcing, or to give its voice influ-ence. The help desk is increasingly seen as abusiness rather than a technical function, andmust align itself accordingly. Its operation mustcontribute toward the greater organizationalgoals (Bultema, 1996; LaBounty, 1996), show-ing itself not simply to be an overhead, or costcenter, but an asset, or profit center (Bultema, 1995). This is borne out by the casestudies which found that resourcing for thehelp desk is much less of a problem where itsperformance is directly connected with rev-enue, as in the cases of help desks servingpaying customers.

The key to the success of the help desk is its“front-line” position which allows it to gatherdata from users over time, thus not only solvingtheir problems as they call but eliminatingthese problems at source and improving ser-vices in line with business needs. Whereas thetraditional methods of quality assessment andrequirements analysis involve periodic review,the help desk can dynamically provide data as apart of a process of continual change andimprovement.

It is important that we acknowledge not justthe changing and developing role of the

help-desk, but also the new means by whichhelp-desk support can be provided, that is byInternet both via e-mail and World Wide Web.Verghis’ FAQ facility has links built into a hostof different help desks available via thismedium. There are implications for users andproviders in this new form of provision whichhave yet to be researched. While there areburdens for providers in having to supporttechnologically the development, the potentialis there to encourage self-sufficiency in usersand to minimize expense in staffing and dealingwith individual calls. Harris (forthcoming)argues that one immediately apparent effect isthe growth in the number of trivial calls, butthat the number of complex calls has alsogrown (see also Mumford, 1996). There arealso security issues. However, the growth indemand is not as a result of the help deskbeing available on the Internet, but rather fromthe growth of Internet users, often non-technological users. This is evidence that theneed for help-desk support will continue togrow: that there will be a greater need for help-desk support within the complex organizationalIT environment and that the demands that aremade of the help desk will grow in number andcomplexity. From the evidence of the past,help-desk managers must not simply react tothese changes but use them as a way of signal-ing the real benefits that can accrue to anorganization from an effective help-desk opera-tion. This project has demonstrated that themodern help desk is not just a reactive form ofuser support, but has a role to play in the sup-port of management, in the development of ITstrategy and in sales and promotions.

Notes

1 Access via Compuserve: “GO CSTECH”.

2 Send e-mail containing “subscribe HDESK-L” [email protected].

3 http://www.helpdeskinst.com

4 http://www.duke.edu/~pverghis/hdeskfaq.htm

5 Two privatized former public utilities; one highereducation institution; one systems supplier; onehealth service; one airline; one library system supplier;one information service provider/online host; oneonline host; one local authority (outsourced); one carspares manufacturer and supplier; one software

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house; one central government department, onecomputer systems manufacturer.

References

Blaisdell, M. (1992), “Marketing the benefits of an internalhelp desk,” InfoWorld, August 31, p. 49.

Blaisdell, M. (1995), Performance Measurement Conference,e-mail ([email protected]), December 20.

Brown, D. and Burrows, C. (1995), Ovum Evaluates DeskTools, Ovum, R. [[email protected]].

Bruton, N. (1995), Effective User Support: How to Managethe IT Help Desk, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.

Bultema, P. (1995), “From cost centre to profit centre,”LifeRaft, Vol. 7 No. 2, March/April, pp. 3-4.

Bultema, P. (1996), “What does the future hold for thebusiness of support?,” LifeRaft, Vol. 8 No. 1,January/February, pp. 12-5.

Call Centre Europe (1995), “PC help in five languages,”Vol. 7, pp. 19-20.

Computing (1995), “The focus: help desk software,”(editorial), April 27, p. 35.

Czegel, B. (1995), Running an Effective Help Desk, JohnWiley & Sons, New York, NY.

Gallagher, R.S. (n.d.), Effective Software for CustomerSupport, International Thomson Computer Press, NewYork, NY.

Harris, A. (forthcoming), “Surfing users create supportburden,” Service News, (http://www.servicenews.com)

Hayward, D. (1995), “System Samaritans,” Computing, April 27, pp. 35-6.

LaBounty, C. (1996), “The best place to start is the begin-ning,” Service News, Vol. 16 No. 7, June,(http://www.servicenews.com).

Leung, L. (1995), “The metropolitan line,” Computing, May 18, p. 44.

Lusher, C. and McCormick, C. (1995), Introducing the HelpDesk Prediction Cell Model, Gartner Group (key issuesK-350-053).

Marcella, R. and Middleton, I. (1996), Key Factors in HelpDesk Success: An Analysis of Areas Critical to Help DeskDevelopment and Functionality, BLR&DD ReportNo. 6247, The British Library, London.

Morgan, J. (1996), “Help desk fundamentals,” unpublishedinternal paper.

Morgan, S. and Thorp, M. (1995), Videoconferencing onUnix Workstations to Support Helpdesk/AdvisoryActivities, University of Liverpool, Advisory Group onComputer Graphics, 1995.

Mumford, A.M. (1996), “Networking multimedia – asupporters nightmare,” Information Services & Use, Vol. 16, pp. 43-50.

Muns, R. (1995), Selecting Customer Support Technology: 23Important Considerations, The Muns Group, ColoradoSprings, CO.

Pancucci, D. (1995), “Internal help desk fuels Texaco’sbusiness,” Customer (Service Management), Septemberpp. 38-9.

Plunkett, J.R. (1993), Implementing an IS Help Desk, Com-puter Applications, New York, NY, 1993.

Service Management (1995),“BSI standard for help deskmanagement,” Service Management,October.

TCS Management Group Inc., (1995), Staffing the CallCentre: The Art and Science of Workforce Management,TCS Management Group Inc., Nashville, TN.

Thomas, A.H., The Help Desk Handbook (1994), Van Nos-trand Reinhold, New York, NY.

Waern, Y., Malmsten, N., Oestreicher, L.J., Hjalmarsson, A.and Gidlof-Gunnarsson, A. (1991), “Office automationand users’ need for support,” Behaviour and Informa-tion Technology, Vol. 10 No. 6, pp. 501-14.

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Appendix. IT help desks and user support – questionnaire

A British Library funded research projectWe would be grateful if you would take a few minutes to answer the following questions andreturn this form in the envelope provided, even if your organization does not have a “help desk”as such: we are interested in how support is provided, if at all.

In the case of a help desk contracted out to external company (outsourced), questions shouldbe answered with reference to the client company. Where more than one help service exists,please answer the questions with reference to a single one dealing with IT queries. All responsesare given in strictest confidence, and names of individuals and organizations will not be divulged.

If appropriate, tick more than one response, adding annotations where necessary• To help users of IT and computer technology, does your organization have:

n A single, central help desk specifically for the purposen More than one such helpdesk, If so:

How many? …………

Are they split: n Geographically n By area of expertise/responsibilityn A department which does not exist exclusively to provide a help desk, but which deals with

IT-related queriesn Designated “support groups”, i.e. not paid support staff, but networks of employees with

sufficient expertise to help othersn The organization relies on commercial vendors’ after-sales support servicen Other (please describe)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Is the help service outsourced, i.e. is an external company contracted to provide it?n Yes n No

• Which department(s) is responsible for the help service, or managing its outsourcing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• How would you rate the help service’s level of autonomy (i.e. its level of decision-making inde-pendence) from its parent department?

very low 1 n 2 n 3 n 4 n 5 n very high• Approximately, how large is the user group, i.e. the number of people who may potentially

require help from this source? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Over how many sites (approximately) are these users distributed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• For which of the following tasks is your help service responsible?n Providing computing systems n Repairing or adjusting users’n Ordering equipment and spares hardware or softwaren User training n Software applications queriesn Statistical/management reports n Installing softwaren IT inventory management n Other (please describe below)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Does the help service deal with queries:n For a wide, unspecified range of IT products – any query at alln For a certain number of specified supported productsn For very specific, organization-wide systems only

• Does this include: n Networks n PCs n Mainframes n Other(Please describe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Is the help service provided on a service level agreement/contract basis?n Yes n No

• Does the help service charge for its service? n Yes n No• Are users required to follow a specific procedure in approaching the help service?

n Yes n No• What means are used at the help service in order to solve problems?

n Product instruction manuals n Reference sources: printed/onlinen Call logging/tracking software n Remove computer access to the problematic n Expert system/knowledge base systemn Staff expertise n Other (please describe)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• At one time, how many staff: Only answer phones, passing on problem details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Only resolve problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Answer phones and resolve problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Do staff work at the help service: n exclusively n on a rotational basisn while performing other duties n on secondment n other

• Approximately, how many calls are received daily? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Approximately, what percentage of calls are: solved at the first call? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .%

require further analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .%

• How are incoming calls handled?n Help desk is manned by experts taking the callsn Contact is made directly to relevant expert or team for specific problemsn Calls are handled by staff with basic knowledge and passed to expert or team if not

capable of immediate solutionn Receptionist handles all calls and adds to “job list” – no direct communication with

expertsn Other (please describe)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• If known, how many staff had the following attributes prior to joining the help desk? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . help desk experience . . . . . . . .IT/computer experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . relevant degree . . . . . . . .general administration skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . experience of this organization . . . . . . . .other

• What training do staff receive for working in the help service?n Training in the systems supported n Learning piecemeal on the jobn Telephone/communication skills n other

(please describe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• In analyzing the help service’s performance, which of the following are compiled?

n Users’ perception surveys n Call response/resolution statisticsn Other (please describe)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• How is the information which is generated through help-desk operation made use of?n Identification of user training needsn Identification of regular hardware/software faultsn Identification of trends in users’ processing requirementsn Information is used at higher levels of management, e.g. strategic planningn Other (please describe)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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• For how long has the help function existed in its present form? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• How did the help function as it currently exists come into being?n “Grew” informally as need arose n Independent consultants brought inn Internal work group assigned n Other similar organizations consulted

(Brief description) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• Briefly, what do you perceive as the major problem(s) facing the help service, or ways in whichservice could be improved? (Continue on a separate sheet if necessary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We would like to be able to use these questionnaires in order to identify suitable organizations forfurther study this year. Would you be willing to participate in a follow up study? n Yes n NoIf “Yes”, please ensure that we have the correct details for contacting you:

Name: Department:Location: Telephone:

If you have any queries regarding this questionnaire, please do not hesitate to contact:Iain A. MiddletonSLIS Tel: direct line: (01224) 262954The Robert Gordon University Secretary 262951352 King Street Fax: 262969Aberdeen AB9 2TQ E-mail: [email protected]

Further comments, answers you would like to enlarge on, or areas of significance you feel we haveneglected may be continued on another sheet, or addressed to the above.

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Volume 12 · Number 4 · 1996 · 4–19

The role of the help desk in the strategic management of ...

Technology

Transcript of The role of the help desk in the strategic management of ...