Desktop Support: Expectations from the Academy

Disclaimer & Opening Questions• What are the responsibilities of the central IT

dept. for desktop support in a largely decentralized environment?

• Is desktop support really just about hardware/ software or the entire end-user experience w/technology?

• What are the funding and personnel models that scale?

• Is it about the technology or the relationships?

Historical Support Model…A Story(something to which you can relate… )

Three areas: Academic—cheaper, windows of response

time longer, satisfaction less Administrative—more expensive, time-is-of-

an essence approach Students (aka bugbusters) assist on an first-

come basis or by appt. – reactive service.

Outcomes

+ Patching, app installation, monitoring, asset inventories, and security audits automated

- Focused on the business aspects and not the customer. Very democratic…very unpopular.

- Led to many depts developing desktop support locally = massive inefficiencies, depts. grew a business/reason for being

- $84 per month… 70 clients per technician

Serendipitous Events that Forced Change

• Campus-wide IT plan, Levine on board, retirements & reshuffling of organizational deck = significant cultural change

• Program Review (aka: Shel) = outside voice of reason

• Dell Contract = glimmer of hope

• Mountains of feedback = support must change• “Concept of Transition Team” 30 days

Emerging Processes, Priorities & Tools

• Enabling frontline to solve desktop support questions

• Time is of the essence. Developed a mobile app to check wait times at the two walk-in centers

• Roadmap new technologies, never being slow to adopt

• No longer underestimating selling the concept of value

• Develop relationship management.

• Create automated communication conduits, feedback immediate

Ideal State

• Standardized hardware for staff, options for faculty…quick fulfillment w/options for software…provisioning a snap…good storage…security etc.

• Geographically positioned, multiple technicians that know area and build relationships

• Communicate and govern to set reasonable expectations

Revisiting the Questions

• What are the responsibilities of the central IT dept. that can be clearly articulated for desktop support in a largely decentralized environment?

• Is desktop support really just about hardware/ software or the entire end-user experience w/technology? What are the funding and personnel models that scale?

• Is it about the technology or the relationships?