TOPdesk Magazine 2013 Issue 3
Transcript of TOPdesk Magazine 2013 Issue 3
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August 2013, Issue 2, volume 15
More in this issue:
Detailresult: supermarkets recipe for success
Councils seek greener pastures
The variation in communication
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Building bridgesI once had to build a bridge as part of a team for my woodwork
class. I thought I had designed an amazing bridge: the road
surface consisted of triangles of cardboard tubes, suspended
from two curved lathes. I was convinced that this bridge would
be incredibly strong and would prove to be the best. You see,
we were going to test the bridges by hanging a bucket of gravel
from each one. The bridge that could carry the most weight
would be declared the winner. Unfortunately, the cardboard
was more like thick paper, and the rope was not as robust as
I expected. My brilliant design did not last long, to my great
disappointment.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to build a bridge
between theory and practice. A good design is not necessarily
the best solution, and a meticulously planned change process
can still prove a failure. This edition of the magazine lists a
number of essentials for a successful process, such as using
the right communication method for your message. Moreover,
we explain how to bridge the gap between operators and end
users with our Form Designer module.
Looking back, my bridge would never have been a success.
I did not have the right materials, my teammates were not
interested in the project, and our building method was not
exactly structured. However, this did help me realize that every
successful bridge builder has to unite all the components: tool,
process, and person.
Enjoy reading!
Nienke Deuss, editor-in-chief
06
20
EDITORIAL
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4 NEWS
6 THE FORM DESIGNER Straight to work with your requests
9 A GOOD FORM ISHALF THE JOB
11 HEALTH AND SAFETY & TOPDESKA safe combination
13 DETAILRESULTSupermarkets recipe for success
16 VARIATION IN COMMUNICATION
18 DISTINGUISHED SUPPORTINGDEPARTMENTS
20 COUNCILS SEEK GREENER PASTURES23 COLUMN So simple!
24 WORKING SMARTER Exporting data from TOPdesk
28 TIPS + TRICKS
ON THE COVER:
A new module is available from
TOPdesk 5.2: the Form Designer. Read
more about how we developed this
module on page 6.
IT LETS YOUASK THAT ONE
QUESTIONDirk Ammerlaanfunctional designer
Read more on page 6
13
CONTENTSAugust 1
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TOPdesk namedBest in Class in
ITSM ReviewThe ITSM Review,
an online
magazine, forum,
and networking
platform
for ITSM
professionals, recently included TOPdesk in
an assessment of IT service management
tools. The 2013 Incident and Problem Tools
Review compared ve leading service
management applications. Key points weregeneral strengths and weaknesses, as well
as functionality and innovation.
TOPdesk was rated Best in Class (All Tools).
The review named task reallocation options
and the Plan Board, which enables Kanban-
style resourcing, as factors that made
TOPdesk stand out from the competition.
In addition to the comparison with other
tools, the ITSM Review also provided an
in-depth analysis of TOPdesks service
management software. This product-
specic review touches upon more features,
such as logging and categorization, tracking
and escalations, and prioritization.
The full review is available via
www.theitsmreview.com
TOPdesk launches version 5.2 and newForm Designer module
On 25 June, the latest
version of TOPdesks service
management software wasreleased: TOPdesk 5.2. This
version introduces a numbe
of new features that help
make your service desks wo
even easier. Whats more,
TOPdesk 5.2 also introduces
a new module: the Form
Designer.
In TOPdesk 5.2, the change
status automatically
changes when the status
eld is updated, a call is
automatically assigned to t
correct supplier, and you can upload les using drag and drop. It is now also possible to ad
more buttons to the Quick Launch Bar.
Thanks to the Form Designer module, you can design forms for calls and requests for chan
You determine which information must be lled in, helping you provide even faster servic
for your customers. The caller can access all forms in one place in the Self Service Desk, an
knows exactly what they need to do. Want to know more about the new features or the
Form Designer? Please visit www.topdesk.com/topdesk52
4
Consultation hoursin London
Do you have any questions about TOPd
service management, or related process
Then you might want to sign up for one
our consultation hours. During these onon-one sessions, an experienced TOPdes
consultant will answer all your question
Consultation hours are free for custome
with a maintenance contract. The next
session will be held on 11 September at
our London ofce. Visit www.topdesk.
co.uk/support/consultation-hoursto
learn more and sign up.
TOPdesk customersatisfaction survey
At TOPdesk we do our utmost to offer you
the best possible service. To be able to
improve this service, we regularly ask our
customers for feedback. In October, all ourUK-based customers will be invited to take
part in our customer satisfaction survey.
They will receive an email with a link to a
short questionnaire. The results will help
us improve our services.
Want to stay up to date?
To stay on top of the latest TOPdesk news
and service management developments,
follow us on Twitter via @TOPdesk and
@TOPdesk_UK.
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TOPdesk opens Brazilian officeTOPdesk has opened a new ofce in So Paolo, Brazil. After several partnerships with IT servic
providers. TOPdesk decided it was time to open a new TOPdesk branch in Brazil.
TOPdesk has already been successful in the
Brazilian market through resellers for ve
years now. The new branch will support all
current customers in Brazil, and will also
focus on attracting new customers. Thanks to
the Portuguese version of TOPdesk, the sales
are already a success.
Does your organization have a Brazilian
branch that requires a good service
management tool? Please contact TOPdesk
Brazil via [email protected].
SaaS update successful
Our SaaS customers recently upgraded to
TOPdesk 5.0.1. The updates were scheduled
in two weekend sessions, and were
completed more quickly than expected. Most
of our customers upgraded from TOPdesk
4.4.3 to version 5.0.1. However, a large
number of customers also upgraded from
version 5.0 to 5.0.1. Would you like to learn
more about TOPdesk 5.0 for SaaS? Please
visittopdesk.co.uk/saas-update.
Link between TOPdesk and UMRA saves time
TOPdesk and Tools4Ever have created a link
that uses information from TOPdesk, such
as company assets, to further automate the
application management process.
Automatically reading out data and updating
it in TOPdesk saves a lot of time and money.
Tools4Evers application UMRA can access
information about company assets, licences,
and current calls in TOPdesk. UMRA can
read out this data periodically, but it can also
be transferred to TOPdesk. A number
of options include:
Automatically create and close a call or
request for change
Request and read out company assets
Create and update person cards
Want to learn more about this link?
Visit www.tools4ever.com or contact
NEW
Higher Education Expo
Olympia, London
OCT
23
OCT
30
Service Desk Software Showcase
ThinkTank, Birmingham
TOPdesk on Tour
Drayton Manor Park
OCT
17
UK
IFMA Toolevent
Febeln Academy, Brussels
OCT
11
OCT
30
Demo dayTer Elst, Edegem
TOPdesk on TourNurnberg
TOPdesk on Tour
Dresden
TOPdesk on Tour
Stuttgart
SEPT
19
Germany
OKT
17
NOV
14
Calendar
Belgium
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6 TOPDESK 5.2 Photography:Aad Hoogendo
THE FORM
DESIGNERSTRAIGHT TO WORK WIT
YOUR REQUEST
ErikPols(l)andDirkAmmerla
anworkedtogetherontheFormDesigner
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TOPDESK 5.2Text: Nienke Deuss
TOPdesk 5.2 introduces a new module: the
Form Designer. Thanks to this module, your
requests and calls are always complete and
can be processed immediately. This is the
first step towards bridging the gap between
operator and user.
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TOPDESK 5.2
is a TOPdesk consultant. He has extensive experience designing and
developing forms.
POUYAN DADDEH
Well begun is half done
Before we start talking about the specics, it is good to discuss the
design. This is essential for building a successful form. Do you know
what you want to achieve with the form, and how you want to achieve
it? Your goal could be to receive complete requests so the service desk
can get straight to work with nding a solution.
The Form Designer can be used to create large forms and receive
detailed information; however, the requester might not want to take
the time to ll in such a complex form. It could be easier to pick up the
phone. An important factor is the user-friendliness. You do not want to
make it too difcult to use a form.
Getting started with TOPdesk
Once you have determined what you are going to make, you can get
started. When you open the Form Designers module page, you can
(depending on your licences) create two types of new forms: for calls
and for changes. After you choose a new form, you see a blank screen
(your canvas) with blocks on either side.
On the left side of the screen you can see the components for your
form, divided into two sections. The top section includes a numbe
elds that can be used as much as you like, and do not directly conn
to the TOPdesk database. These are the elds for offering a single cho
(radio buttons for short lists, and search lists for longer lists), elds
uploading les, and elds for selecting a date and time. You can also
a number of card-specic components that are directly connected
categorization, the object ID of the requester, for instance. You can d
all elds to the canvas and change the name, make questions man
tory, or add options.
On the right you can see a panel with elds from the call or chan
card. You can build your form step by step. You design the front end
your form using the canvas (visible to the caller) and the back end in
panel (the card that is registered in TOPdesk). You can also collapse
panel if you want.
Each form has its own ow
Now you have created a nice form that callers can use, it is also imp
tant that the entered details are correctly processed in TOPdesk.
expand the panel on the right. A number of elds display a form ic
A GOOD FORM IS
HALF THE JOBA new phone, a new employee, or a lost access pass.
You receive all types of request via the Self Service
Desk. The required information will vary for each
department. Thanks to the Form Designer, TOPdesk
offers you the possibility to remain one step ahead.
Photography: Menno van der Bijl
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10 TOPDESK 5.2
This means that these elds can be lled in from a question on the form.
Not all elds on the card can be lled in from the form. These elds
can be assigned a default value. To achieve this, enter the value that
needs to be lled in when submitting this form.
All your forms in the Self Service Desk
When you are satised with your form, you can make the form available.
In this case you can make the form available to the people logging in
to the Self Service Desk. At the top of your form, you can see a Pub
button. This button lets you add the form to the form list. Cal
can access this form via the Forms shortcut in the left menu in the S
Service Desk.
Do you have a much-used form that you would like to focus on? Y
can create a separate button for this form on the Self Service Desk st
page. To do this, use the Add to startpage button.
The Form Designer: the form elements menu (left), the design area (middle), and the panel featuring the
processing information (right)
The published forms list is ordered alphabetically. If you want
to create a group, by department for instance, then you should
name your form IT-, FM- or HR-.
Would you like to set up the Start page buttons, or make
specic forms available for a small group of people? TOPdesk
offers an add-on that lets you adjust the buttons image, text,
and availability. You can download this add-on for TOPdesk 5.2
via extranet.topdesk.com.
TIPS
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is a facility management consultant for TOPdesk. She is
specialized in implementing Health and Safety solutions.
ELISETTE DAAMS
Research has shown that 55 per cent of all Dutch companies
do not have enough Emergency Response Officers (EROs)
present during the summer period. Additionally, the AED often
does not function properly or has insufficient battery power.
Using TOPdesk as your central Health and Safety system helpsyou prevent such problems.
HEALTH AND SAFETY &TOPDESK: A SAFE COMBINATION
Excellent H&S registration saves lives
The rst step towards a safe work environment is registering
your Health and Safety assets. You can do this in TOPdesks Asset
Management module. However, make sure to take the right
approach. For instance, there is no point in registering each
smoke detector individually because they are checked in batches.
Asset Management also lets you register Health and Safety
certicates. This lets you see at a glance who has which certication.
Again, we do not recommend registering each individual certicate:
there are usually several people with the same certication, after all.
A good example of an object that should be registered individually
is the AED. According to US statistics, the chances of survival for
someone in cardiac arrest nearly double if one of the bystanders
quickly uses an AED. This means that it is vitally important to know
the devices location.
Once you have registered your Health and Safety assets in
TOPdesk, creating calls about the assets is easy. The rst aid kit was
used and needs restocking is an example of such a call, but you co
also report loose cables or other potentially dangerous situations a
the ofce.
We also recommend including Health and Safety in the HR
commencement procedure. When setting up a new workstation,
you can check whether it obstructs emergency escape routes, for
instance. Moreover, you can add the new employee to the mandat
Health and Safety instruction list.
Proactive approach with operational taskmanagementOur consultants see that most organizations plan their evacuatio
drills well. However, equally important tasks such as checking
escape routes and changing AED batteries on time often fall by t
wayside. Over the past two years, inspections revealed that only
a limited number of the 80,000 AEDs in the Netherlands undergo
regular maintenance.
Photography: Menno van der Bijl PROCESS AND PRACTICE
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The Operations Management module makes it easy to keep track
of recurring maintenance tasks. The tasks to be performed are
automatically added to the responsible partys task list. If you have
operators that do not regularly log in to TOPdesk, you can use emails
to automatically update them about upcoming tasks.
A single information centre
TOPdesk is a great tool for communicating with your colleagues, and
can also be used to improve your operational safety. For instance,
you can use the Self Service Desk to publish a news item about the
results of your evacuation drill. The Knowledge Base is a good place
to register your evacuation procedures. You can also register who
your employees can turn to for information about allergies or to pass
on information about medical conditions. You can demonstrate how
you ensure that your colleagues have a safe work environment. Later
on you can expand the Knowledge Base with health information,
such as RSI prevention.
TOPdesk can also be a central information point for your EROs.
With the Knowledge Base, they always have information about
registered Health and Safety assets, maps, escape routes, and safety
procedures at hand. If your organization comprises several buildings,
it may be useful to register all information in a single easily
accessible TOPdesk environment.
Help! Where is my ERO?EROs usually work in different departments across the organization
You are probably familiar with the presence lists in the hall, indicati
which EROs are in the building. Such lists are good for checking whi
response ofcers are present today, but what about tomorrow? Or
next week?
In holiday periods it is not unusual for organizations to have too
few EROs available (55 per cent, as mentioned previously). TOPdesks
Plan Board can help you avoid such situations. The Plan Board lets yo
easily register which EROs are present, and when they have planned
their holidays and regular days off. Whats more, the special availabi
checker lets you see whether the desired number of EROs is present
every day. If it turns out that you have a structural ERO decit, you c
respond to the problem accordingly.
Colleagues have received instructions about what to do in case
of emergency. They are familiar with the building and have usually
taken part in an evacuation drill. However, the same cannot be said
for most visitors such as repairmen, who often work in rooms with
workstations.
The Visitor Registration module lets you register all expected visit
in one place. Registering each visitors arrival and departure ensures
you have an up-to-date overview of todays visitors. This helps you
prepare for emergencies at all times.
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANTTO KNOW WHERE YOURAEDS ARE
USE TOPDESK TO INFORMYOUR EMPLOYEES ABOUTOPERATIONAL SAFETY
12 PROCESS AND PRACTICE
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DETAILRESULTSupermarketsrecipe for success
Text: Timme HosPhotography:Aad Hoogendoorn
DetailresultsAldoBreedandAn
itaOorthuis
CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
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From shelf to TOPdesk
Marketing & Communication manager Aldo
Breed tells us about Detailresults history and
ambition. Our supermarkets were originally
family businesses. With continuity in mind,
we decided to bring together the supermar-
ket activities and develop them further in a
single company.
This also included the central service desk,
which has been live since March 2013, says
Breed. We want all our stores to receive good
support. This is why we created a clear point
of contact for them. At the service desk, we
use TOPdesk intensively. We are able to work
with utmost efciency thanks to our own
forms.
Detailresults service desk receives very diver-
se questions and calls. Will the delivery truck
arrive on time today? Which product ranges
can our branch offer? What is the order pro-
cess for certain materials, such as sandwich
bags? However, it is not just shops that regis-
ter questions at the service desk. Customer
questions are also sent via TOPdesk. Which
products are also available in organic versi-
ons? And what are your opening hours?
An extreme challenge
According to Anita Oorthuis, IT project mana-
ger, the road to a single registration tool was
an extreme challenge. She was responsi-
ble for the TOPdesk implementation. In just
one year, all supporting departments were
gradually brought together in TOPdesk: rst
Customer Service, Operations Support, Data
Management, and Logistics were merged. A
separate TOPdesk environment was then set
up for IT, Planning and Control, and HR.
We were two months into the project when
the TOPdesk Symposium took place, says
Oorthuis. While we were there, we became
very enthusiastic about TOPdesk 5. Detail-
result was one of the rst to switch to TOP-
desk 5, and took part in the beta programme
to test all the new features. The points for
improvement we encountered hardly caused
any delay, which is wonderful. As a result, the
entire project was implemented quickly
within a year, says Oorthuis.
The greatest challenge? According to Oort-
huis, this was providing the branches with
an overview in the Self Service Desk of all
current and recently closed incidents from
the various TOPdesk environments. First we
had this overview separately, so per TOPdesk
environment. Supermarket managers do not
have much time. They want to be out on the
oor, not in the ofce. Now they can access
the right TOPdesk straight away.
Thinking in solutions
Detailresults various departments now
the same Self Service Desk, but their calls
protected in the Operators Section throu
different TOPdesk environments. All corr
branch, department, and user data were r
in from a newly built Active Directory.
Our IT helpdesk uses TOPdesk a lot, s
Oorthuis. Its IT in the broadest sense of
term: it could concern a malfunctioning c
register, but also a network problem at
ofce. The helpdesk for the IT departme
which comprises roughly 15 people, recei
all calls and puts them through to the c
rect departments or colleagues. This meth
saves them a lot of work compared to how
did things before, when this was not done
a single tool, says Oorthuis. They now h
more time for challenging, technical tasks.
It took a while, but Oorthuis and her team
used to the new approach with TOPdesk.
had to get used to working with change
particular. Before we used a tool in which
managed everything based on the chang
start time. In TOPdesk the planning is ba
on when you can say that a change is do
though. Now we literally think in solutions
Supermarkets recipe for succe
The supermarket branches now also succ
sfully use TOPdesk. Some branches have up
two hundred employees, explains Oorth
As a result, the executives have TOPdesk a
horization: they work under a general acco
and can see one anothers calls. When
supermarket manager arrives at work in
The industrial estate in Velsen-Noord, the Netherlands
smells like freshly baked bread. No wonder, because much
of Detailresults activities, including baking, take placehere. The parent company supports 285 stores and 19,000
employees for several Dutch supermarket chains.
OUR SUPERMARKETSARE ORIGINALLYFAMILY COMPANIES
Aldo BreedMarketing & Communication manager
14 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
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morning, he can immediately see what happened
the previous day.
We have a total of a few thousand different end
users, adds Breed. This means that more people
can register calls than ever before. Even the person
selling the vegetables, or their assistant.
This is how Detailresult is gaining even more
insight into possible points for improvement when
it comes to supporting its branches, and continues to
bring the smell of freshly baked bread to supermar-
kets across the Netherlands.
IN THE MORNING, THE SUPERMARKETMANAGER CAN IMMEDIATELY SEE WHATHAPPENED THE PREVIOUS DAY
Anita OorthuisIT project manager
Members of the Detailresult IT, Servicedesk, and Operations Support project groups
Photography: Myriam Roesink CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
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Communicating is removing
uncertaintyIt is essential that your employees have
the right information and support the new
working methods in order for the project to
succeed. The project group is focused on the
project, so it is less aware of the others need
for information. If you do not involve the
other employees, they will not see the point
of the project, and feel uncertain about how
it will affect them. Good communication
helps you inform the employees, exerting
a positive inuence on their willingness to
change. In other words, communication plays
an important role in successfully managing
internal changes.
Complexity and media richness
You can use various channels to
communicate about the project, ranging
from a personal conversation to a news
item. The media richness theoryiposits that
you should select a medium suited to the
complexity of the message. The more difcult
the message and the more uncertainties it
may arouse among employees, the richer
the medium must be. But what determines
the richness?
A personal conversation is a typically rich
medium, while a news item is lean. Each
has different properties and benets. In a
conversation, you can adjust the message to
the person you are speaking to. It also offers
more chances to inuence behaviour, but
speaking to all employees is time-intensive.
A news litem lets you reach a large number
of people quickly and with only a little effort.
However, you cannot be sure that people will
read it, and they cannot respond directly.
A medium for every message
Suppose that you have to explain to your
employees that you are merging two
departments. This is an example of a comp
message, because it has a large impact on
the employees work, and there are many
different possible interpretations of how th
merge will be performed. Such a situation
requires a rich medium. If the message is
clearer, you can use leaner media. An email
news item lets you communicate quickly an
clearly about upcoming activities, for instan
Communication moments perproject phaseDuring each project phase, the employee h
a different need for information. To achieve
clear and effective communication, utilize
a mix of rich and lean media. The followin
examples illustrate how you can keep
employees involved and up to date.
Phase 1| the start of the proje
It is clear that the project will have a large
impact, leading to many questions arising
You are implementing an internal change that will impact how many of your colleague
work every day. How can you make sure they remain informed and support the project?
The media richness theory provides a framework to ensure your project is a success.
VARIATION IN
COMMUNICATION
... is a TOPdesk consultant specialized in change
management and TOPdesk eHRM.
ANNE VAN DER VEEN
Photography: Menno van der16 PROCESS AND PRACTICE
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among your colleagues. The communication
goal is informing and convincing people
of the use and necessity of the project. A
rich medium is suited to this task. During
a communal kick-off, everyone receives the
same information, and has the opportunity
to ask questions.
Phase 2| implementing the plan
The project framework is clear. Nevertheless,
things take surprising turns, or take longer
than expected. Employees appreciate
receiving periodic updates on the projects
progress. This can easily be achieved through a
lean medium such as a news item or mailing.
TOPdesk customer:We received an update
every two weeks. I did not read it that often,
but the email was a sign of how open they
were to us.
Phase 3| kicking off
Now the project group has completed the
preparations, the project can be implemented
within your organization. Employees are
expected to actively take part, because they
have to include the new way of working in
their daily tasks. A combination of rich and
lean media ensures that all employees receive
and retain the information. The project
group can provide personal instructions and
answer questions during a workshop. You
can also celebrate the project launch with
your employees to enhance their sense of
involvement.
TOPdesk customer: Luckily we received
printouts of the procedures, so we could
consult them at a later date.
Phase 4| the rst results
Things may run smoothly once you have
implemented the new working method,
but you could also run into some bumps
that need smoothing out. In such cases, it
is advisable to celebrate the projects rst
success stories. A lean medium such as
a newsletter is ideal for communicating
reports and experiences.
TOPdesk customer: I was proud of our
department when I read that we already
had our frst good results in the frst mon
Communication is apreconditionYour colleagues need different information
in each project phase. This is why
communication plays such an important
role in successfully managing internal
changes. The media richness theory helps y
determine whether a rich or a lean medium
best suited to your message. Using a mixtu
of both is best, so remember: make sure to
use variation in your communication.
iDaft, R.L. & Lengel, R.H. Organizational information
requirements, media richness and structural design.
Management Science 32(5), 554-571.
Levelofmediarichness
Level of complexity
Rich
Poor
Low High
PROCESS AND PRACTICE
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Photography: Menno van der
IT, HR, and Facilities departments work behind the scenes
to ensure that colleagues can get their work done. People
generally do not notice the work supporting departments do
until something goes wrong. As a result, it is easy for these
departments to gain a negative image within organizations.
Read on to discover how you can give your supporting
departments a positive boost.
As a supporting department, you are often invisible to the rest of the
organization. An example: your colleagues arrive at the ofce in the
morning. They can enter the building, turn on their computer, grab a
cup of coffee, and start their day.
What many of them do not realize is that this is made possible by
many underlying processes. They do not think of the supporting
departments involved until the internet connection goes down or
desks are not cleaned.
Identity and image
A departments identity is a determining factor in image developme
You can directly inuence your departments image by managing its
identity. The following tips can help you on your way.
Deliver quality
Your departments tasks are the core of its identity, so the quality
of these tasks is crucial to your image. Carrying out a customer
DISTINGUISHED SUPPORTING
DEPARTMENTS
... is a customer satisfaction coordinator. Within TOPdesk, she works on
various projects and processes to improve services.
RON VAN HAASTEREN is a service management consultant at TOPdesk. He is actively involved in
the image of supporting departments.
LYDJE SNIEDERS
18 PROCESS AND PRACTICE
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satisfaction survey is a good way to gain more insight into these
matters. Use the results to make targeted improvements in your
departments performance.
Be visible and recognizable
If your department does its job perfectly, it will be invisible to the
rest of the organization. Raise your prole to increase your visibility.
A visible department looks professional. Communicate about your
departments activities, even when they are going well. This will
create a positive image, and help customers know where to turn
with their call.
Uniformity within departments is also important. This helps you
show what your department stands for, and increases recognizability
within the organization. Think for instance of a corporate identity
and logo used in email templates. Wearing recognizable work clothes
or an accessory such as a key cord or nameplate will also work.
Be transparent
Increasing the transparency of your departments methods will
increase your colleagues trust in your department and improve your
image. Grant customers insight into matters that will immediately
impact their activities, such as an unexpected malfunction or
planned move. When possible, inform those involved before, during,
and especially after the activities: explain why the work was
necessary and what it means for the customer. It is also important to
provide status updates for individual calls.
Introducing a self service desk is a great way to create transparency.
It will grant customers insight into the progress of their calls, and
you can use the news page to communicate about activities relate
to planned maintenance or sudden malfunctions.
Another way to promote transparency is sending out a periodic
newsletter. This is a good medium for sharing fun facts or providin
information about certain procedures that generate many questio
among your customers. You can also use the newsletter to inform
customers about completed, current, and future projects planned
schedules and projected results.
Be clearCustomers often do not understand the work required when they
request an access card or new telephone; all they know is what
they have to do and how long they have to wait. There are usually
good reasons to set up processes the way you have make sure
the customers know this. This will help them understand why
things are done the way they are. The information should be
clear, and customers should know what they can expect from the
department. Confusion regarding procedures often leads to a lack
of understanding.
Distinguish your departmentMake your department visible, show customers what you do, and
explain why. Consciously working on your departments identity
often results in a change of image. However, this is not a one-way
street, so be open to signals from your organization and be ready
to respond. Think along with the customer and be creative. Most
importantly, do not let the examples in this article limit you: nd o
what works in your unique department and organization.
THE MORE TRANSPARENT YOURDEPARTMENT,THE GREATER THE TRUST
CUSTOMERS SHOULD KNOWWHAT THEY CAN EXPECT FROMTHE DEPARTMENT
PROCESS AND PRACTICE
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20 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS Photography: Istockph
The peaceful North Wales countryside
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CUSTOMER IN FOCUSText: Nicola van de Velde
Councils working together
In 2011, the Welsh Government and WLGA (Welsh
Local Government Association) signed an agreement
that would help local authorities to improve their
service delivery and cut costs. How? By encouraging the
councils to work together across a range of services,
from transportation and housing to IT. To aid this
collaboration, the councils were divided into six regional
areas, one of which is the North Wales region.
The six North Wales heads of IT meet on a monthly
basis, says Alun Rees, IT Performance Engineer at
Gwynedd Council. They discuss common problems
and share ideas. When we heard about the agreement,
we soon realized there was a project that could benet
us all: nding a shared service management tool. It
turned out that Flintshire County Council had outgrown
their in-house system, and Wrexhams system required
major reconguration. Together with Gwynedd Council,
the three councils began looking for a tool they could
standardize and all use.
SSD in your own language
Alun, now elected as Project Leader, and Sara Edwards,
Regional Senior Project Manager, worked with
representatives from each council. The rst step was
to create a long list of mandatory and desired features,
says Alun. We needed the tool to be ITIL-based,
customizable, and economical for purchase. Moreover,
the councils required a customizable Self Service Desk.
Welsh is the ofcial rst language in this district. It
would really improve our services if our customers
could log a call in their own language, Alun explains.
Once we completed our requirements, our councils
procurement team got the ball rolling.
One of the shortlisted companies was TOPdesk.
Already a TOPdesk customer, Alun could demonstrate
the tool to the project team. Our IT department uses
TOPdesk for the internal support of around 2,500 callers,
and just as many PCs. I am familiar with the way we
process incidents and changes at Gwynedd, so I could
easily explain the tools benets to the other councils.
They were very impressed with TOPdesks options and
standardized modules, and decided it would be a good
solution for collaboration.
COUNCILS SEEKGREENER PASTURESThe IT department at Cyngor Gwynedd Council has been using TOPdesk
since 2005. This year they joined forces with two other North Wales
councils and together purchased TOPdesk 5.1. They not only share a
licence, but also best practices.
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Its always good to share
After an intricate procurement process and presentations by the
shortlisted companies, TOPdesk came out on top. It really was a joint
effort, says Alun, and Im very pleased with the outcome. TOPdesk
offers the functionality we need, for the best price. It ticked all the
boxes, and we even got our Welsh Self Service Desk.
The councils now share a single TOPdesk licence. This brings many
advantages, as Alun elaborates: The licence structure is very cost-
effective: it lets us share both maintenance and licence costs. We
also discussed the wishes of each council, which led to us purchasing
the same modules to help standardize our processes. Although we
wont be using all the modules ourselves, we now have Problem
Management, Survey module, Mobile module, Reservations and Stock
& Order Management.
Gwynedd was already a TOPdesk customer, meaning they only had
to pay for the upgrade to version 5.1. Another great advantage, says
Alun. We created a manual for our operators, so they know how to
work with the new tool, and we also offer in-house training. Alun is
also positive about the additional features that TOPdesk 5 offers. This
version is really adjustable, and I love the overview screen with the
Quick Launch Bar and Bookmark feature. The Plan Board is both snazzy
and customizable denitely worth the upgrade.
Collaboration for success
The councils are planning to go live very soon, and are excited about
the prospects. Our anticipated benets from the implementation
include improved customer communication and timely, relevant
management reporting, says Andy Berry, implementation manager at
Wrexham Council. We also have very high expectations, says Shau
Richardson from Flintshire County Council, and I believe TOPdesk w
exceed them. Our customers are going to see a massive improveme
in terms of self-service and weve already started the campaign to
promote the changes that are coming soon.
The collaboration has not only helped reduce costs, but also
enabled the councils to share best practices. Once we go live, were
planning on visiting each others sites on a regular basis, explains
Alun. Because we all use the same system, we can learn from each
other and compare the way we work. For instance, we already notic
that Wrexham has an excellent CMDB. We are also comparing our
categorization of calls, which will let us unify our categories and
subcategories in TOPdesk. Andy agrees. The TOPdesk implementat
has forced us to re-examine how we deal with changes, and helped
formalize our change management process.
We are very pleased with the outcome of this regional project,
says Alun. I also believe that this procurement process has helped
us create a framework, which will eventually make it easier for
other public sectors in Wales and England to purchase commodities
All in all, the North Wales Region is small enough to benet from
collaboration, but large enough to make a difference.
22 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
The project has been
supported by the European
Social Fund through the
Welsh Government.
The WLGA Improvement
Fund supports the
involvement of Flintshire
County Council and
Wrexham County
Borough Council in this
project.
Alun Rees and Sara Edwards look back on a successful project
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However, what bothered me from day
one was that when I wanted to adjust a
le, I had to click on Enable Editing rst.
Stands to reason, I kept thinking. When I
open a document using a word processing
tool, it seems fairly obvious to me that I
actually want to process the text. I edit a
lot of documents, so the extra action soon
became part of my routine, and I even
accepted the annoyance. The developers
behind this version probably had a good
reason for this feature, I told myself, trying
to limit my irritation.
This week, after the umpteenth annoyed
start as I opened a document, I decided to
nd out I could skip clicking that particular
button. Mere seconds later, I had the
answer: all I had to do was deactivate a
number of options. It was so simple! So
simple, that all my colleagues must have
been familiar with this solution (Didnt
you know?).
I eventually decided to share the solution
on our internal social network. Even if it
was for just one ignorant, annoyed soul. The
likes started pouring in as soon as I posted.
My message was named Tip of the Day.
Apparently I was not the only one who had
been bothered by this for months but had
not looked for a solution for this relatively
minor but nonetheless unpleasant obstacle!
I occasionally encounter comparable
annoyances among TOPdesk customers.
For instance, I sometimes happen to hear
a complaint about the laborious process
of copying and pasting emails to call cards
in TOPdesk. So simple? is the customers
response when I tell them about the
standard mail import feature. There is also
some grumbling about the number of clicks
it takes to nd a call for a specic caller.
However, once I show them the caller card,
an icon they may have simply overlooked
for years, the grumbling suddenly changes
to happy smiles.
It often does not seem worth the trouble
to talk about or resolve small irritations.
But once someone actually gets going and
nds a way to get rid of the annoyance,
the resulting happiness and gratitude
is only greater. Even if it seems so small
and insignicant, or the workaround has
become routine, it is never too late to take
a critical look at your actions. The solution
is often simpler than you think!
SO SIMPLE!
was a service management consultant for six
years. She recently became facility coordinator for
TOPdesks Dutch offices.
JASMIJN MOERMAN
Photography: Menno van der
About six months ago, TOPdesk switched to a newer version
of Microsoft Office. After the usual this will take some getting
used to period and sorting out some teething troubles, the
version has been completely accepted by the users.
Including myself.
COLUMN
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You want to analyse interesting data saved in TOPdesk, such as
the equipment managed in Conguration Management, customer
information from Supporting Files, and processing data from process
cards. Within TOPdesk, you can analyse this data using the reporting
feature on the Dashboard pages.
However, if you prefer to use Excel or a reporting tool, you can easily
export data from TOPdesk to the Microsoft Excel le format. You can
consult exported data ofine, or use it as a source and import it into
another information system.
Exporting from TOPdesk to Excel
Exporting data from TOPdesk to Excel is simple. You can export every
overview. Overviews (lists) can be found on the overview pages, or on
card tabs, such as the Links tab.Image 1displays an overview of calls.
Before you export, select the overview that features the desired data;
consider which card (such as the Call Card, Hardware Card, or Person
Card) contains the data you wish to export. For example, the make i
listed on the Hardware Card, not the Call Card.
Overviews contain all cards that have been created in TOPdesk. With
Call Management you can see overviews of all calls, rst line calls,
second line calls, and partial calls. With the lter icon (yellow funne
icon in image 2) at the top of the list you can limit the number of
Photography: Robin K
EXPORTING DATA FROMTOPDESK
is an information distribution coordinator. He is specialized in
technical issues and optimizing processes.
PATRICK MACKAAIJ
Your TOPdesk database has a lot of interesting data. You
can analyse this data within TOPdesk using the softwares
reporting feature. This article explains how you can easily
process data in another system by exporting it from TOPdesk
to Excel.
Image 1: TOPdesk call overview
24 WORKING SMARTER
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rows and only display calls that are not closed, or only calls that were
registered in the past x months, for instance.
If the possibilities offered by the lter at the top of an overview are too
limited, consider whether the desired overview can be found on the
tab of a related card. For example, the Links tab on a Supplier Card lists
all calls for that specic supplier.
You can create a selection if you cannot compile the desired list from
the standard overviews. Using selections, you can lter the list by
extra data and even use data from linked cards. This enables you to
create a selection of calls concerning objects purchased from a specic
supplier. You can create a new selection on the overview page or
the Dashboard.
Once the overview displays the desired rows, determine which
columns are and are not visible using the Set up overview button
(right icon in image 2). Clicking on the button opens the Set up
overview pop-up (image 3).
Double-clicking a eld moves it from Visible to Not visible and vice
versa. TOPdesk only exports the visible columns.
TOPdesk also includes the sorting order for rows and columns in the
export. You can adjust the order of the visible columns using the up
and down arrows on the left side. It is also possible to drag the colu
headings in the list itself. Finally, you can sort the list based on the
Text: Patrick Mackaaij
Image 2: TOPdesk toolbar
Image 3: Set up overview
WORKING SMARTER
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desired column by clicking on the column heading. Clicking on the column heading again
reverses the sorting order. Using the Export button (the green table icon in image 2) you can
export an overview of the desired rows and tables to Excel in a single click.
Directly exporting from your SQL server or Oracle databaseTOPdesk saves data on a Microsoft SQL server or Oracle database server. Your database
administrator can export the data directly from these database servers. To do this, the
database administrator requires information about the structure of the TOPdesk database
in order to gain insight into the database tables in which TOPdesk saves the (card) data, and
their mutual relationships. The TOPdesk DataDict (Help > DataDict) grants insight into the
relationship between what you see on the screen and the underlying tables.
If you use TOPdesk SaaS, you can download the weekly database backup at night and open it
via a local server. Please contact your TOPdesk account manager if you want direct access to
the database.
CSV Export Wizard add-on
In the next edition, I will provide more information about the CSV Export Wizard add-on.
This add-on is especially useful if you regularly perform the same export, wish to export
data of linked cards, or data from tables that does not have a card.
TOPdesk makes add-ons available to TOPdesk Enterprise users to address issues
faced by several customers. These add-ons are usually installed under supervision of
a TOPdesk consultant who can provide more information about the bespoke work,
as well as taking care of the initial set-up. You can request the CSV Export Wizard
add-on via the TOPdesk Extranet.
TIP:You can use two different sorting orders at once. In the call overview,
clicking on Closed and then Category will cause TOPdesk to sort the overview
rst by Category, then by Closed.Due to Microsoft Excels limit on the number
of characters, a pop-up will appear in which TOPdesk asks how you wish to
export memo elds such as Request and Action.
TIP:In the Set up overview pop-up, you can select several column names at
once by holding down the Shift button when clicking. This is particularly useful
when you wish to move a column a considerable distance.
26 WORKING SMARTER
Editorial
Want to comment? Go to
www.topdeskmagazine.com
The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects
that are topical in the world of
professional service desks in IT, facilities
and other service providing organizations.
TOPdesk Magazine is intended for
managers, service desk employees,
facilities organizations and electronic
city councils anyone who is involved
with supporting clients on a daily basis.
This concerns both the processes and the
technology behind these services.
TOPdesk Magazineis a TOPdesk
publication
Tel: +44 (0) 207 803 4200
Email: [email protected]
Chief Editor: Nienke Deuss
Editors: Nienke Deuss, Timme Hos,
Stefanie Klaassen, Milou Snaterse
Translators:Leah Clarke, Nicola van
de Velde
Contributors: Paul Balvers, Pouyan
Daddeh, Irene Kruijff, Jasmijn Moerman,
Patrick Mackaaij, Bram Verheij
Layout: Louise van der Laak
Photography: Menno van der Bijl, Aad
Hoogendoorn, Robin Kuijs, Jonas Mertens,
Myriam Roesink
Copy editor: Nicola van de Velde
A print run of 6,000
Quarterly magazine
Languages: Dutch, English
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+31 (0)15 270 09 60
www.designagencyddc.com
WORK TOWARDS A
SUCCESSFUL SELF
SERVICE DESK!
Please feel free to contact us to
discuss the possibilities of your
Self Service Desk promotion.
The more your end users use the SSD, the more
time and money you will save.
After a successful promotion, your end users will
be motivated to log their calls in the SSD.
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28 KLANT IN BEELD
tips+ tricks
TOPdesk UK limitedt +44 (0)20 7803 [email protected] www.topdesk.co.uk
TOPdesk Nederland BVt+31 (0)15 270 09 [email protected] www.topdesk.nl
TOPdesk Deutschland GmbHt+49 (0)631 624 00 [email protected] www.topdesk.de
TOPdesk Belgium bvbat+32 (0)3 292 32 [email protected] www.topdesk.be
TOPdesk Magyarorszg Kft. (Hungary)t+36 1 301 [email protected] www.topdesk.hu
TOPdesk Danmark A/St +45 7015 [email protected] www.topdesk.dk
TOPdesk Consulatoria e TecnologiaDe Software - Eirilit+55 11 3040 [email protected]
Using the priority matrix in ChangeManagementFrom TOPdesk 5.1 onwards, you can use the priority matrix
to automatically ll in the priority based on the selected
impact and benets. For Simple Changes, this priority can
automatically ll in the planned authorization date and/
or target date. The advantage of this matrix is that you can
easily record that all changes with the same impact and
benets are also assigned the same priority.
1. In Settings Management, make sure that the searchlists
for Impact, Benet, and Priority for changes are lled in.2. If you wish to automatically ll in the date for Simple
Changes, you must also register durations in Searchlist
Management for Change Management. After doing
this, you can use the Priority searchlist to indicate which
durations belong to which priorities.
3. Open the priority matrix in the Change Management
module settings.
4. Fill in the priority matrix.
Creating multi-module DashboardsAs of TOPdesk 5, the Dashboard is the page where you
can nd all the information important to you. You can add
widgets depicting the current situation, selections, reports,
and KPIs, for instance. Each TOPdesk module has its own
Dashboard. Additionally, there is one overview Dashboard
where you can add widgets from all processes.
A lesser known fact is that from TOPdesk 5.1 on, it is
possible to create multi-module Dashboards yourself.
This option enables you to display the Current Situation
widget for each module on a single Dashboard, while usinganother Dashboard for KPIs or reports for several modules.
1. Open the Dashboard and click on Edit organizational
defaults.
2. Click on the Newicon in the top left corner to create a
multi-module Dashboard.
> You can give the Dashboard a custom name.
3. You can then add widgets by clicking on the Add
widget icon.
> You can select widgets from all modules.