The obvious benefit: how and why to use the service approach beyond IT

I have been involved in IT service for more than 15 years. Of these, the last 5 - by applying the principles of service approach beyond IT. And more and more I am convinced that it is interesting and in demand.

To begin with - about the general principles and intricacies of applying the service approach both within companies and in the external market.

"Elementary Watson"

Often at events where I had to give a report on this topic, the reaction of the listeners was similar: “But this is all in principle close by and known. Why don't we use it? ”

The answer is partly simple: because the issues of mutual understanding between IT services and business units are not given enough attention. Meanwhile, a properly organized interaction algorithm is the key to successful implementation not only for projects related to the use of the service approach outside of IT. Any system is just a toolkit, the effectiveness of which depends on people, and here are often the reasons for the failure of implementation projects.

Everything is good?

We all often encounter working situations:
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1. I contact the IT service because of the slow work of the computer and wait ...
2. A lamp above the head blinks, I call the AHO and wait ...
3. I ordered the help in frames and I'm waiting ...
4. I need an act of reconciliation from the accounting department - again I am waiting ...

The waiting process itself can be treated calmly, but at the same time, ignorance of how long it will last (because there is neither feedback, nor information about the current status of the application submitted) is perplexing.

Familiar? This is NOT an order.

It is time to clean up if:

• cost reduction and staff optimization are no longer just a paper goal;
• repair and service units work as they have to, and from the complaints from employees and customers you can publish a separate book;
• AXO works as a local housing office, which you will not wait for;
• accounting and personnel services for a long time prepare certificates, extracts and other documents;
• the company has accumulated appeals, service and speed on which leaves much to be desired.

The future is at hand

Is it possible to imagine today's world without mobile applications? Probably the answer will be negative. But in the recent past, the situation was completely different. Recently, the issue of using a service approach beyond IT was discussed with a well-known person in the IT world, a professor, and in the past the head of a large IT company. He recalled how at the end of the 90s - the beginning of the 2000s, everyone was skeptical about mobile applications. There was no money for development. They believed that all this is not needed. In his opinion, a similar situation is happening now with the service approach. Not matured yet.

But this is the future. I am convinced that only a service-oriented team will be in demand tomorrow. Both within companies and in the foreign market.

And we need it? And who should we?

There is a joke: "There are no healthy people, there are under-examined." Exactly. Another thing is that we do not go to the survey. So this is what we are doing worse.

Also in any business - problems exist. And no matter what business it is: a small store or a huge holding. If you conduct a survey, there will be problems.

The service approach often offers solutions to these problems.

So the first answer to the question “who needs it?” Is obvious. As practice shows, there are not so many internal customers to solve these problems. Therefore, the first to whom it is necessary is a business. Important: IT solutions vendors do not implement a service approach, they help a business to earn money by optimizing certain processes.

Does IT need it?

In the book on IT topics "Project" Phoenix ". A novel about how DevOps is changing business for the better "I remember the quote:" In the past 10 years, like a clock, CIO changed every 2 years. CIO - we were deciphering as “career is over,” that is, “career ended” ... ”.

What is it for? Yes, everything is simple. It is not enough to be a good and even an excellent CIO or IT manager. Now it is necessary to constantly offer businesses the means and tools to improve efficiency, reduce costs, reduce operating costs.

Using information systems of the service desk class only for the needs of IT is at least irrational. It’s like being the owner of a bus depot and transporting “air”, you won’t earn much.

In the bus, all seats must be occupied. So you need to take passengers and use the tool to the maximum.

In order not to be unsubstantiated in the fact that this is possible, I will cite the accumulated statistics on my recent projects implemented on the Naumenovsky service desk.

And this is only enlarged customers. Inside each "passenger" - different units.

From this arise 2 key questions:

1. Where to get the resources?
2. What exactly to do?

On the first question, the answer is banal. Almost everywhere there are already systems or tools of the service desk class. So, there are already those responsible for them.

In small companies, this is either an IT manager or IT director. In larger companies, their own. And in large holdings, these are either entire departments or departments. These are the resources. The main thing is to motivate and use them correctly.

Do not forget about the administrative resource: line managers, directors, shareholders. At the same time, the administrative resource is not always a “whip”. It may well be the "carrot". It just has to be the desire and ability to properly access these resources and engage them in the process.

So, more often in the company there is already some kind of system or tool for solving the problem of managing calls: general file, mail, service desk system or something else. Therefore, do not frighten business with new costs. You can start on the basis of the existing tool or choose something new, but inexpensive and quickly customizable, for example, cloud solutions.

Later, the customer himself "ripen" to the expansion of the necessary resources. And the budget will not be IT, but a specific unit. And this is also very important.

But no resource will help if there is no desire to help the business, if you just “boil” in your “IT plate”. The vendor should strive to become the functional diagnostics that notices sores in business processes that can be cured using information systems. And at the same time offer treatment options.

What we do

Based on practical experience, IT recipes have been developed on what specifically to do. Here are a few stages, which we conditionally call the “rainbow of call management”.

I will dwell on the stages of advertising, training and reporting.

Did not hear? Will tell

We all know what role advertising plays at the start of sales. Absolutely the same rules apply when making changes to various business processes.

Why advertise?

Advertise ITSM, talk about all its "sweets" should be business leaders. Or rather, decision makers (decision makers). But also we must not forget about the performers, and about ordinary users, because they become the future advertising "agents" of the IT product.

An example from practice . Objective: to change the management of requests for the repair of engineering infrastructure. Instead of mail, phone and verbal requests, try using the existing service desk. Properly conducted advertising campaign gave the expected results. Engineers, mechanics and, of course, their managers quickly realized the usefulness of the planned changes. And it was they who helped explain to applicants why they should apply in the service desk program, and not in the old ways. Soon, users "tried out" the new product and carried the advertisement to the masses on their own.

Who advertises?

Internal project leader. The main thing is his confidence that the innovations being implemented work. Plus his experience based on specific cases.

An example from practice . Project in large retail. We had to visit retail outlets, warehouses, communicate with direct authors of future references, find out convenient ways of submitting these requests. I was preparing to advertise, being sure that the new process would be more convenient. And it really helped.

How to advertise?

The recipe is simple: as the internal rules, creativity and possibilities allow. Presentation, mailing, internal newspaper, portal, personal meetings, general meetings.

Just follow one rule: inside the organization, we do not impose anything on anyone. We present truthful arguments, we promise a concrete result and try to meet customer expectations. Where there was a competent advertising campaign, the project took off. Waited for him. Where there was no advertising, there was an initial negative and uncertain start.

"We did not pass this, we were not asked this"

It is necessary to train both performers and users. Alas, it is not always easy. Especially in a large organization where employees are located in remote locations, with different levels of training and in different schedules.

We will engage the whole arsenal: we combine theory with practice, conduct training on a real system, combine training forms (seminars, webinars, trainings directly at workplaces).

A coach must know the specifics of the company and the specific process. As in the example above about advertising. Then the training will be much more effective, and the answers to uncomfortable questions are always at hand.

Report Wizard

• Initial data.

An important stage, which is often left "for later." And this is a big mistake.

To the question “what can be obtained in the report?”, I always answer the customer: “What you will lead into the system”. Therefore, at the start it is important to determine what data we need.

• Purpose.

The report is not just “for information”. According to its results must be action.

• Initiator.

The report is not impersonal. He must have a specific customer.

• Rules.

We prescribe the rules for generating a report, as well as how and in what mode it is formed and displayed.

• View.

Charts and graphical reports are clearer than figures. But you should always be ready to show the source. The customer has the right to receive a tool to verify the correctness of the report.

• Alerts.

Often the customer forgets to see the report. Correctly configured alert in this case removes the problem.

Instead of conclusion

So, the accumulated experience of introducing service desk projects is increasingly convincing in the thought that a service approach beyond IT is needed and demanded by customers. This means that the range of practical IT recipes will only expand.