BCS/PGD/CSM/Help Desk and Asset Registry

Help Desk and Asset Registry

A Help Desk is a resource designed for IT users to contact when they are having problems with their IT services.  Help Desks institute a multi-tiered trouble shooting approach by having personnel with extensive technical knowledge available.

ITIL best practices Help Desk must include:

• ·         Single point of contact (SPOC) for IT interruptions
• ·         Computer or Software consultations
• ·         Tracking capabilities of all incoming problems
• ·         Problem escalation procedures
• ·         Problem resolution

Description of help desk

• ·         Staff allocated to log all help calls, direct them to the appropriate resource and update store managers with progress
• ·         Help desk staff able to understand the urgency of the call and monitor progress with Computer Services
• ·         Help desk staff may be able to provide some help themselves with very simple and common calls (logging on, renewing passwords, planned downtime, etc)
• ·         Help desk statistics can provide an absolute record of all service communications
• ·         Statistics can also indicate trouble spots in relation to hardware and software
• ·         Can be used to suggest/direct user and IT staff training
• ·         Gives early warning when common errors are reported from more than one area

Asset Register

 

Item	Reason
Full description of item registered	Identification
Specification	To assess suitability
Cost	For financial reasons - asset depreciation
Date purchased	For financial reasons - asset depreciation
Ownership details	Leased or owned
Supplier	For post sale contact or repeat orders
Maintenance agreements	For use in event of failure
Location of asset	For replacement or substitution
Location of related documents	Manual, agreements etc. For reference
History of changes	To assist with fault diagnosis
History of faults	To justify replacement
Scheduled maintenance	To ensure maintenance is not missed

2007/OCT/Question 3

As the new Computer Services Manager responsible for all computer and network operations for a retail organisation with over two hundred stores, you have been advised that the store managers are very dissatisfied with the IT support services. Your initial investigations show that no central register of hardware and software exists and that the types and versions used differ between each store. The IT staffs appear overworked and errors are corrected as and when they occur. No record is kept of corrections made and the store managers are frustrated that the same type of problem often recurs. The organisation has only a limited financial budget to help resolve these problems and you have been given six months to achieve significant improvements.

a) Prepare a questionnaire for the store managers to grade their satisfaction with individual elements of the      service.  (5 marks)

b) Describe how a help desk could be used to improve user satisfaction. (5 marks)

c) You decide to create an asset register of all hardware and software used by the organisation. List the  main items of information you would include in the asset register. For each item of information, give reasons  why it should be stored. (5 marks)

d) Explain why information gained from the satisfaction survey, the help desk and the asset register will help to improve service. (10 marks)