{"id":4514,"date":"2024-03-11T14:31:58","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T14:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamdynamix.com\/uncategorized\/reduce-strain-on-it-technicians-with-knowledge-centered-service-and-itsm-self-service-portals\/"},"modified":"2024-07-03T16:25:58","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T16:25:58","slug":"reduce-strain-on-it-technicians-with-knowledge-centered-service-and-itsm-self-service-portals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamdynamix.com\/blog\/reduce-strain-on-it-technicians-with-knowledge-centered-service-and-itsm-self-service-portals\/","title":{"rendered":"Reduce Strain on IT Technicians with Knowledge-Centered Service and ITSM Self-Service Portals"},"content":{"rendered":"

As departments are tightening budgets, resource capacity<\/a> is more important than ever. That\u2019s why many businesses and organizations are turning to the method of Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS)\u00a9<\/a>, to optimize resource capacity and provide stellar IT Service Management (ITSM)<\/a> delivery. KCS is a service method that focuses on the categorization and implementation of knowledge collected from employees across a business or organization. This method can, and should, be part of your IT service management process as a complementary strategy to self-service.<\/p>\n

Understanding Knowledge-Centered Service and IT Service Management<\/h2>\n

Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) is the perfect complementary strategy to\u00a0self-service<\/a>, as it can become the mechanism for creating and curating knowledge content that is already being collected as part of your help desk\u2019s current troubleshooting and problem-solving efforts.<\/p>\n

By taking this knowledge and creating new articles in your knowledge base, you are providing more ways for anyone experiencing an issue to find the appropriate article and solve their problem without needing to put in a ticket.<\/p>\n

This not only saves you valuable time, but it allows your IT help desk resources the ability to focus on larger problems or issues instead of the most common requests like password reset help, or how to access a calendar to reserve a conference room.<\/p>\n

At\u00a0North East Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)<\/a>, they\u2019ve seen great success with self-service adoption following KCS principles.<\/p>\n

Prior to using TeamDynamix for their ITSM needs, NEOMED students and employees had to call or email the university\u2019s help desk to log service requests. Using TeamDynamix, the university built a comprehensive service portal with knowledge base articles explaining how users can resolve their own IT issues. If users can\u2019t find what they\u2019re looking for within the knowledge base, they can submit a ticket request through the service portal \u2014 and requests are routed automatically to an appropriate technician for a response, saving valuable time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith our client portal, we have been able to wean people off (of calling the help desk),\u201d project manager Geri Hein said. In turn, this allows the talented IT division to focus on more resource-intensive projects.<\/p>\n

To see examples of stellar IT service portals, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Self-service portals are an excellent investment for any business or organization as they can help simplify the intake process for any support requests coming in.<\/p>\n

Steve Shala, Vice President and CIO at Shaner Hotel Group<\/a>, said using a self-service portal has made a big impact at the hotel management firm. They use TeamDynamix for their ITSM and portal.<\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s web-based, employees can initiate service requests from their phone or another mobile device. That\u2019s an important benefit for an organization where many employees aren\u2019t sitting at a desk all day. \u201cWith limited help desk employees, we\u2019re trying to cut down on the number of phone calls we get requesting support,\u201d Shala says. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to push everybody online instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

When service requests come in through the online portal, they\u2019re routed automatically to the appropriate team member for a response. Because help desk staff are answering fewer phone calls, they can respond to service requests faster and more effectively as they come in through the portal.<\/p>\n

It’s a similar story at Ellsworth Adhesives<\/a>, \u00a0a global corporation that supplies a wide range of adhesives, sealants, lubricants, coatings, encapsulants, tapes, soldering products, surface preparations, specialty chemicals and dispensing equipment.<\/p>\n

After switching to TeamDynamix for Enterprise Service Management (ESM)<\/a>, the team at Ellsworth Adhesives launched a self-service portal and it’s been a game-changer.<\/p>\n

Within the IT department, the help desk used to receive about 80 percent of service requests through email, 15 percent through phone calls and walkups and only 5 percent through the service portal.<\/p>\n

Now, 95 percent of requests come through the portal, 5 percent come through walkups, and the help desk team no longer accepts email requests.<\/p>\n

To make it as easy as possible for people to use the service portal, the IT department created an app that opens the portal automatically on employees\u2019 desktops.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were getting 80 to 90 service requests per day, and the help desk team couldn\u2019t filter and rout them all quickly enough,\u201d Adam Crichlow, IT service desk manager, said. With the portal, however, this all happens automatically. This shift alone has cut the time it takes from creating to resolving a service ticket nearly in half.<\/p>\n

Using TeamDynamix \u201chas freed up staff time right away,\u201d Crichlow said\u2014a benefit the company realized \u201calmost on day one\u201d of using the system.<\/p>\n

As other departments have seen the efficiencies that TeamDynamix has created, they\u2019ve also adopted the ESM system. The latest department to create its own service portal using the platform is the Environmental Health and Safety team, which never used the old ticketing system for service management before.<\/p>\n

A recent market study found 51 percent of respondents will be implementing KCS to quickly build up their knowledge base.<\/h3>\n

6 Steps to Getting Started with KCS<\/h2>\n

Implementing Knowledge-Centered Service can involve a lot of moving parts. The following are six steps to help you get started:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Identify a core team<\/strong>: Having a small core team to help you through the implementation process, as well as the upkeep once KCS takes off in your organization, is essential. When creating the team, look for volunteers, people from customer service areas, and those with attention to detail and a passion for change.<\/li>\n
  2. Training:<\/strong>\u00a0The Consortium for Service Innovation offers a KCS Academy, a KCS Practices Guide, and a KCS Adoption Guide. Additionally, TeamDynamix offers process consulting that you can take advantage of as well.<\/li>\n
  3. Pilot with your core team<\/strong>: Once your team has been identified, you should establish a KCS style guide, solidify processes, roles and permissions, practice maintenance and coach each other. All of this will allow you to avoid confusion and inefficiencies in the future.<\/li>\n
  4. Train your customer service<\/strong>: If you are able, getting trained externally is ideal. Your KCS team has the opportunity to make a real impact on your organization, so it is important that they have proper training. Also, this training will give your team adequate time to grow before branching out to the rest of the organization.<\/li>\n
  5. Branch out<\/strong>: At this point, you can find more volunteers who are ready to implement KCS. If there are no volunteers, start with smaller areas of your business and get those teams on board. Share all the benefits that your pilot team gained from KCS with these new people. Be sure to make it worth their time and make KCS part of their core workflow.<\/li>\n
  6. Spread success<\/strong>: Be sure to document internal knowledge, incorporate KCS when working with outside areas, share articles internally and externally, and broadcast your metrics. Share information like article usage and increased first contact resolution- any metric that will encourage growth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Effective implementation of KCS can deliver several benefits, including increased productivity, improved customer experience and reduced costs. Here are some best practices for using KCS once you get started:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Create a culture of knowledge sharing<\/strong>: The success of KCS requires a culture where employees are encouraged to share their expertise and insights. This culture needs to be fostered by using incentives, recognition systems and targeted training to ensure employees embrace the KCS approach.<\/li>\n
    2. Utilize KCS as a tool for continuous improvement<\/strong>: KCS should be used as a tool to track metrics and benchmark performance. By regularly analyzing these metrics, organizations can identify areas where improvements can be made in their knowledge management processes and improve productivity.<\/li>\n
    3. Employ a collaborative approach<\/strong>: Implementation of KCS should involve close collaboration between the IT team, product owners, service support teams and the end-users. Collaboration facilitates the development of a mutual understanding of issues and the sharing of ideas for continuous improvement.<\/li>\n
    4. Ensure documentation is up to date<\/strong>: Timely and accurate documentation is essential for an effective KCS. Ensure that the documentation is up to date, clearly written and easily accessible by users who need it.<\/li>\n
    5. Measure results and success<\/strong>: To ensure that the investment in KCS is successful, it is essential to measure performance metrics such as the reduction in service desk inquiries, the number of resolved tickets and improved customer satisfaction. Organizations should continuously monitor these metrics and use them to enhance their KCS approach.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The Benefits of KCS for ITSM<\/h2>\n

      Crowdsourcing knowledge can be a fast and accurate way to build a knowledge base. In fact, a recent market study found that 51 percent of respondents will be implementing KCS to quickly bolster their knowledge base. There\u2019s no question that KCS should be a valuable part of your organization\u2019s ITSM processes. The principles of KCS stipulate that the creation and maintenance of knowledge must be fully integrated into the most important support operations.<\/p>\n

      Here are a few reasons why Knowledge-Centered Service can be so powerful:<\/p>\n