Client in focus: Planning in TOPdesk, with a difference

Scheduling tours and registering objects, logging calls about lost umbrellas and booking rooms for weddings are just a few of the unique ways in which the North Brabant Museum uses TOPdesk. TOPdesk as a Service offers the museum a system with which to manage internal calls, catering and reservations.
TEXT: CAROLINE KLEIJER

The museum is situated in a monumental 18th century building located in Den Bosch, in the south of the Netherlands. It houses stories of the history, art and culture of the North Brabant province and the southern part of the Netherlands. Visitors to the museum can admire the works of Jeroen Bosch, Pieter Brueghel, Vincent van Gogh and other wellknown artists from the region, while the museum also offers individuals and companies the opportunity to book historical rooms for special occasions.

A NEW CONFIGURATION IS MADE FOR EVERY EXHIBITION.

whether tours are scheduled, whether companies or visitor groups are expected and whether weddings are to be held. Consequently, much time and effort has been spent on the configuration of this module. Joost Seweuster, Facilities Manager at the museum and the person responsible for the implementation of TOPdesk, describes the benefits

that TOPdesk has introduced. Booking a group tour is different than reserving a room, because several tours can take place simultaneously in the same room. To simplify this we have created objects in TOPdesk called tour guides. We can then link a tour in the form of a service to a tour guide. In doing so we can ensure that employees at the museum have more of an insight into reservations. This also gives us the means to generate overviews of the number and type of reservations during a certain period at a later date if need be.

Central role
TOPdesks Reservations management module plays an important role in the museum. Every day, employees can refer to the modules planner to check

Lost and Found

The museum also uses Incident management, or rather Call management, to register objects that have been found. Any

18 CLIENT IN FOCUS

employee at the museum can check whether a call has been made concerning a missing object simply by clicking on a link in the Self Service Desk. The module is also used to register repairs and other odd jobs, which are then transferred to the relevant persons. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum houses a new exhibition four times a year. Currently on show is an exhibition depicting self-portraits in Dutch modern art in various forms, from paintings to video installations. For every exhibition, the museum

makes use of innovative methods. Much of the equipment used is the museums own and to register it they use TOPdesks Asset management module. A new configuration is made for every exhibition and labeled with the name of the exhibition concerned. As a result they are able to keep track of exactly which equipment is being used for which exhibition and where. They can also see when equipment needs to be repaired or replaced.

Looking ahead
The museum is due to be renovated in 2010 and is set to expand considerably as a result. We deliberately planned the implementation of TOPdesk as a Service prior to the renovation. Weve already given the employees the opportunity to begin registering calls in TOPdesk, because we want them to be used to the system during the renovations. This will be a particularly busy period, during which TOPdesk will help provide structure and insight into our work.

The North Brabant Museum