10 Tips to Better Manage Your Service Team

ServiceManagement
Recurring Services
Solution Development & Mgmt Marketing & Sales Service Desk Project Services Field Services Managed Services

Service Desk Recurring Agreement Transition

Customer On-boarding

Field Services Managed Services

ROIfromEffectiveServiceManagement
Everyoneunderstandshowserviceticketsarehandled Workflowisefficient Serviceautomationisinsyncwithyourserviceticketprocess Clientsexpectthattheirserviceticketswillbehandledina timelymanner,basedonbusinessimpactandseverity,and expectconsistentbehaviorfromtheirserviceprovider IlldefinedServiceTicketprocessesmeanittakeslongerto resolveClientissuesandthatitcostsyoumoretoresolve them!!! ROIfromeffectiveworkflow:
GreaterClientsatisfaction Lowerservicedeliverycosts

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

Whatdoyouhavetooffer?
HelpDesk HardwareMaintenance BackupManagement PatchManagement ProactiveSystemAdministration VendorManagement IPTelephony ITConsulting

DefineYourServiceTicketProcess
1. DetermineyourServiceTypes 2. DefineyourServiceTeams 3. Designthevaluestreamfor eachServiceType 4. AssignServiceBoardsforeachteam 5. Definethestepstakentoresolvea ticketusingServiceTicketStatus

Service Types

Service Teams
Service Ticket Status Service Boards

ConsiderationsforServiceBoards
Generally,associatingaserviceboardwithoneteamallowsthe teamtofocusontheirworkinprogresswithoutthe distractionofotherteamstickets RoleslikeDispatchercoulduseaseparateserviceboardor shareaboardwiththeteamtheydirect OneteamcanbeassignedtobackupanotheronaService Boardintheeventofoverload AssigningateamtowatchmorethanoneServiceBoard potentiallyrisksmissingtickets outofsight,outofmind

ServiceStatuses
Must Schedule Complete New

Staging

Scheduled

Doesthestatusmeananything? Isitsendingtherightmessage? Statusesshouldreflectactions takenbytheengineerto resolveproblemorrequest theyinformeveryoneofthe progressontheticket Providesanaccuratevisibilityof theticketstatustoclientsand management
Approved Reviewed OnHold

Re Opened

InProgress

BenefitsofanEffectiveProcess
EstablishconsistencyinServiceTickethandling andmanagement QuicklyrouteServiceTicketstotheresourcecapableof resolvingtherequest MinimizedelayintheprocessingofaServiceTicket UnderstandtheServiceTickets currentstatusataglance Effectivelymanagetheteams responsibleforprovidingservice

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets

Alerts

Client Emails Customer Portal

Client Calls

Service Board

ClientEmails
ClientswanttohandoffoftheirproblemsandKNOWthey havebeenreceived Makeitconvenientandsimpleforyourclientstogeta problem,issueorrequestoutoftheirworldandintoyours Acknowledgethatyouhaveitwith2waycommunication

CustomerPortal
Allowclientstoenterissuesandproblemsthroughcustomer friendlywebinterface Provideeasyaccesstoexistingserviceticketsandstatus updates

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

Dispatch+UtilizationFlow

DispatchMethodologies
SelfDispatch
Conservative Lowutilization

CentralizedDispatch
Aggressive Highutilization

DispatchBestPractices
Utilizationhappensonedayatatime Scheduletomorrow,today
Filltomorroweveryday=Utilization Scheduletomorrows1ststopattheminimum Setclientvisitsforfirstthinginthemorning

Schedulebasedonskills/certifications AssignHelpDeskTicketsforTechsreturningtotheoffice UtilizetheUnassignedResource

Lastminuteissuestotry&addresstoday KeepvisibleatALLtimes

Reviewtomorrowsschedule
Havetechsacknowledgedtheirtickets

Makeresponseapriority
Callwithinthehour Honorclientsthathonoryou

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

KeepResourcesBillable
Morningcommute=firstclient Acceptnewtickets
Enterextraticketsfortheclientonsite Nomorethanthescheduleallows

Finishthepaperworkonsite
Paperworkischargeabletoclient Jobisnotdoneuntilthepaperworkisdone

Callbeforegoingbacktotheoffice

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

TheServiceBoard YourRadarScreen
WhoismonitoringyourRadarScreen? Accesstotheserviceboardmustbeeasy Getitofftheirlistandonyours Servicemustberesponsive ServiceTicketCapture
Clientportal Clientemails Clientcalls MSPtoolalerts Recurringservicetickets

FullServiceBoard=WIP

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

ServiceAutomatedWorkflows
Serviceticketstatusworkflows
Definenotifications(internalandexternal)tobeexecutedwhenaservice ticketischangedtoaspecificstatus

Serviceticketescalationworkflows
Definestepstobeexecutedbasedonconditions(triggers)foraservice ticket.

ServiceTicketStatusWorkflows
Multiplestepscanbeset foreachservicestatus Emailcanalsoincludea linkforcustomertotakea survey

ServiceTicketEscalationWorkflows
OneEvent cantriggermultipleActions Actionsinclude:
Changeboards Reassign Changestatus

AutomatedNotificationtoClients
Automatedclientnotifications:
Keepclientupdatedonstatus Avoidbothincomingandoutgoingstatusupdatecalls Notifyservicelevelattainment Improveconsistencyandqualityofserviceresponse

Whentouseautomatednotification:
Acknowledgereceiptofaserviceticketthroughnontelephonicmeans upon ticketcreationbasedonemailorportalsubmission AttainmentofaServiceLevelmilestone response,restoration Informtheclientthattheservicetickethasbeenescalated Informtheclientthattheticketisonhold,waitingfortheiraction Surveyclientsatisfactionwiththeincidentorrequest
Clientoptionsfornotification: Billingcontact Primarycontact Contactforthisitem EachServiceBoard Status combinationcanhavea specificemailnotification template

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

MakeTicketstheCenterofCommunication
ClientswanttoKNOW thatyouareworkingontheirproblem theywanttoSEE thatyouareworkingontheirproblem

Techs

Ticket

Clients

ClosedLoopService
Thepurposeofclosedloopserviceisto:
Provideamethodofcontinuouslyupdatingand Deliverfeedbacktoboththecustomerandinternalpersonnel

Ticket Techs Clients

DistinguishYourself
Managedservices,remotemonitoring,remotemanagement toolsareeverywhere Constantlyletyourclientsknowthatyouoffertheseremote managementsolutions Clientswant,deserveandneedyoutohaveasuperiorhelp deskfunction Getstickywithaclienthavefeetonthestreet,beinfrontof themand beabletoofferhelpdesksupport

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

RecurringTickets
Increaseefficiencybyautomatingrepetitivetasks Mirrorregularservicetickets
Tasks Documents Finance Configuration(s)

SchedulebasedindividualResource Createstandardservicetemplateforoneofftickets
Workstationinstalls Serverinstalls

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

ManagedServices

AutomaticallyDiscoverAssets

DirectAccesstoManageDevice

ExampleDashboard:ConnectWise

TenThingsToDo
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. DefineyourTicketProcess UtilizeDifferentWaystoCreateTickets EvaluateyourDispatchStrategy KeepResourcesBillable MonitorBoards ServiceAutomatedWorkflows LeverageClosedLoopCommunication ScheduleRecurringTickets DeployManagedServices GetEngineerstoUpdateTickets

GetEngineerstoUpdateTicketStatus
Engineerstendtodeferupdatingticketstatus
Manywaituntiltheyresolvedtheticketandarefinalizingtheirnotes

Someremedies makeiteasy
Limitedthenumberofstatusselectionsforaticketthatfollowsthe normalpath Haveaclear,concisedescriptionforwhentouseeachstatus

Explaintheimportanceofupdatingstatus
Managementvisibilityofticketsthataregettingstuck(withnostatus updatestheyallappearstuck) EffectivecommunicationstotheClientviaportalandnotifications meansfewercallsrequestingupdates

TimeEntryBestPractices
Haveatrainingprogram firsttimethroughasnewhires,then refreshers Provideaneasyreference(akaJobAid) forwhentheyneed guidance Providemethodformobilestatusupdate(ConnectWise Mobile) Useautomatedworkflowidentifyticketsthathaveaged unreasonablywithoutanupdate Baseperformancemanagementonmetricsderivedfrom statuses response,resolution,reopenedtickets