Outsourcing The Help Desk Function

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Outsourcing The Help Desk FunctionFritz H. GrupePublished online: 08 Feb 2007.

To cite this article: Fritz H. Grupe (1997) Outsourcing The Help Desk Function, Information Systems Management, 14:2, 15-22,DOI: 10.1080/10580539708907040

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OUTSOURCING SrI'RAT13G IES

OUTSOURCING THEHELPDESK FUNCTION

Fritz H. Grupe

Cost, performance, and service demands are just some of the issues driving organizations to outsource all or part of their help desk functions. Selecting an appropriate vendor and preparing a detailed contract are key to forming a cost- effective and productive relationship that gives both the organization and the vendor a competitive advantage. A six-step approach helps IS managers delineate the goals, requirements, and terms on which such a relationship is based.

FRITZ I1 GRUPE is a ~ I O ~ ~ S S D ~ of CIS a t the Unirersily of ~h'evada. Reno, who conduck research in arfificial iotcl ligence and computing resources management.

ESPITE T H E DEBATE OVER T H E productivity paradox, corporate rnan- agers appear conf ident tha t their IT investments yicld a significant return.

They continue to acquire and use computers and their attendant pcriphcrals and networks at an accelerating Ipace. Not surprisingly, investments in help desk-related goods and services arc cstimatcd tn he increasing from 25% to 50% natiol~widc.

A major component of the IT outsourcing industry centers in the help desk arcna. T h e following several considerations drive this dcvclapment:

CI Husi~iess size. 0 Performance. 0 Cost accounting. 0 Service dcmands. 0 Business nccds. 0 Staff dcvelopme~it

Each of thcse dr~vers 1s discussed in the sections that follo\r.

Business Size. Some businesses arc too sniall to providc adequate staff support. Although such businesses deploy as wide a variety of systems, software packages, and networks as their largcr counterparts and encounter an equal number

of related problems, they have fcwcr resources with which to rcsolvc proble~ns. Outsourcing offers thcse businesses a range of service options delivered in a professional manner. For examplc. an outsourcer specializing in help desk operntions can acquire and implement expcnsiw support tools that facilitate cnd-uscr support but are not cost-effective whcn i n ~ p k - mentcd hy small companies.

Performance. There is little doubt that outsourcing is sometimes viewed as an :~ltcrnativc to what arc perceived as incffectivc, unrcspon- sive IS departments. I-lelp desks arc challenged by a host of difficulties including high t u r n o w , poorly trained staff, improperly motivated staff, staff recruitment problems, and unsatisfactory problem tracking. Undcrstaffed help desks often service cud users reactively and fail to offer proactive solutions through training and end-user r locumcntatio~~.

Cost Accounting. In-house hclp dcsk opcra- t i o n s a re f r equen t ly b u d g e t e d as gcncra l expense overhead. This form of budgeting dncs no t encourage judicious usc of hc lp desk resources. An outsourcing arrangement dcvcl- oped around a chargehack system focuscs

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OUTSOURCING STRATEGIES

;attention on tlic cost of unncccssary scrviccs. Scr\,iccs must l>c priced rc:~listically so that the so-called underground network docs not shift t h e work load :lway from tlic hclp dcsk t o unskilled and incfficicnt coworkers whosc tilnc docs not ; ~ p l x : ~ r 011 mi expcnsc shcet.

Service I lcm:~nds. Some companies usc outsourcing vendors to providc spccific scrviccs for the ill-liousc 11clp desk, such as coveragc for 1pc:lk pcriods. non1,usiness hours, spccial con- stitucncics. ur specific proldem areas.

13usiness Needs. S o l ~ i c companies nccd t o drnvnsizc \vliilc fwusing mi tllcir core spcci:~ltics. Outsourcing thc hclp dcsk function offers a mcalis of transferring tlic funds con~mit tcd to pusitions that arc not highly valucd to the acqui- sition of :I higher quality scrvicc. The strategy of converting fixed costs into wriable costs h ~ ~ l d s ~pro~iiise of rcduccd overall cxpcnditures.

In addition, IS managers in companies esperi- cncing a rapid growth curvc may not havc the time to propcrly staff, tmin, and equip ;I hclp desk. 111 spitc of the hclp desk's ilnportancc i l l

cti:~lding cud users to fully u t i l i~c mission-critical applications. tllc liclp desk is not a mission-criti- c:ll function. h'lmiy C O I I I ~ : I I ~ ~ C S that outsource the hclp desk fu~iction d o so sinlply to avoid the necessity of staffing and man:~ging such ;I unit while exp;l~iding their services. Considerable savings of nlanagcmcnt t imc arc rcalizcd when scliccluling, training, hiring, and coordination are o f f - l d c d to an outsourcing vcndor.

Staff De \doprncn t . I lclp desk positions are not considcrcd ;I highly desirable carccr goal. An outsourccr can provide cmployccs with Iliurc cxtcnsivc training oppor tu~ i i t i c s and cstaldisli carccr paths within its ilianagcmcnt structure. Outsourcers may also havc more opportunities to move promising staff in to pmitions u~irclatcd to help dcsk operations.

OUTSOURCING OPTIONS h.la~iagers rcvicwing their help dcsk necds and the hcst way to address thcm should consider four options in icspcct to outsourcing. Sclcction vf t h e most ;~ppropri;ltc model depends, of course, on inrli\dual comp:my circumstances.

U lnsourced help dcsk. f\n organization with adequate resources or a liigli i~ivcntory of in- I i<~usc dcvclq>cd systems i i i ; ~ y find it most cffcctivc to staff the hulp dcsk entirely with its own employccs.

U Oulsolrrced help desk. In this modcl, a firm specializing in hclp dcsk operations provides all hclp desk serviccs.

0 Hybrid kelp dcsk operations. In the hybrid n~oclcl, the organizatio~l provides sornc of the hclp dcsk employees and t h e outsourcing fir111 provides others. This m d c l offers several flcsiblc service options. Companies can outsourcc support for shrink-wrap applications only nod use t l ~ c internal hclp desk for 1cg;lcy and proprietary systems. Or, they can contract the first le\,el of support and retain support for morc substantial problems. T h e rcvcrse strategy is also possible.

0 Provision of supplementary support tools. In this nlodel, outsourcing vendors provide prc- built expert systems, case-bascd reasoning tools, and automated text-retrieval systems (c.g., hypertext and indexing systems) t o enl1:lncc the help desk staff's access to up-to- datc information.

Sol>stantial numbers of help dcsk outsourcing a r r a n g c m c n t s havc b e e n i m p l e m e n t e d . Following are somc of t h e more illustrative exalllplcs.

Taco Hell. The Store Operations Support Project (SOS Taco) is a partnership b c t w c n Taco Bell and Coopcrs 8; lybrand. SOS providcs assistance on invcnton, staff scheduling. point-of-sale data gathering, and other back-office operations for morc than 4,100 sites in the US and abroad. Coopcrs 8: Lybrand provides nearly 20 part-time and full-time supplc~ncntary staff for the hclp dcsk during high d e n i m d periods and night shifts. l l i i s group augments a much smaller Taco Bell support group, creating an in-house core of peoplc who can work with otlicr T a c o Bell employccs on devclopmcnt activities. Coopers 8: Lybrand provides each cmploycc with four weeks of training. The hclp desk handles in excess of 20.000 calls each rnontli.

Novell, Inc. This wcll-known vendor of nct- working and other software outsourced support services to Dallas-based CompuCom Systems, Inc. T h e agreenicnt merged three help desk operations in to o n e a n d serves some 6,000 cmployces at four 1n:lin sites.

Microsoft Corp. \\'hen r\licrosoft needed help in supporting new users of \\'indows 95, it con- tractcd with Boston-based Keanc, Inc., to set up a hclg dcsk with 350 support personnel. The Keane help dcsk group augmented Microsoft's existing tclcphonc hot-line staff.


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SELECTING A HELP DESK OUTSOURCER Given tlic options for operating a hclp desk organization, tlic process of selecting an outsourcing vcndor sccms daunting. \\'it11 forc- t h o u g l ~ t . Q W Q C ~ information gathcring, and carcful iplanning, however, t h e iproccss of identifying tlic r ight ou t source r bccomes straigl~tforw:ird. T h e exercise of g:ithering requiremcnts and current customer support information is both inforrnativc and tlic key t o ensuring that the outsourccr providcs the c o r r e c t t y p c ; ~ n d level of service . T h e s e r cqu i rcn~cn t s are specified in a request for 1~0posal ( l1I~I ' ) and become the hasis for cval- uating outsourcing vcndors and negotiating tlic scrvicc-levcl agreement.

It is important to be honest with potential vendors xhout support requiremcnts and company-spccific idiosyncrasies. \\'orking as a team with tlic wndor results in a win-win outsourcing arrangement. T h e following sis steps provide gu idancc on how t o acli icvc th i s arraiigcmcnt.'

Step One: Developing Help Desk Requirements The critical first step of any hclp dcsk outsourcing vcnturc is gathcring the information needed to develop ;lccuratc requirements for tlic ncw or impro\wl hclp desk facility. Clear objectives and accuratc requirements greatly enhancc the ability of the outsourccr t o dc\,clop an offcr that matclics company expectations. Convcrscly, a lack of accuratc information results citlicr in an ovcrpriccd hid designcd to cnsurc that tlic vendor's risks arc covered or in an underpricccl hid that inhibits the vcndor from mccting service espcctations. Experienced help desk consul- tants, who cnn quickly assess the currcnt envi- ronment and facilitate goal de\&pmcnt, can provide valuable :~ssistance during this first stcp.

Thc IXOCCSS of developing help desk rcquire- mcnts involves dctermining outsourcing ohjcc- tivcs, projcct scope, and in the case of :In cxist- ing liclp dcsk, currcnt pcrfor~iiancc.

Determining Goals and Objecti\zes. An organization must dctermine the goals of its help desk and why outsourcing is under considcra- tion. Is the goal to implement a new help desk, increase the efficiency of an existing operation, or follow tlic company's strategic plan to outsource non-mission-critical functions? After gcncr:~l go:h are established, tlic following morc specific ohjcctives are set:

O Level of coverage or hours of operation. 0 Level of responsivcncss. 0 Customer-satisfaction criteria.

Determining Project Scope. If the goal is t o outsource an existing help dcsk operation, information on the scope and size of tlic outsourcing projcct is gatlicred by examining current resource use. The esisting operation, particularly the procedures and tools used, should b e thoroughly documented a n d stat ist ical information t o determine call vo lu~nes and peak periods should hc captured. If the goal is to implement a new help desk, outside nssis- tance is particularly liclpful during this pli:~sc. Specific scoping tasks includc:

O Describing currcnt processes, software tools, and equipment.

O Calculating service capacity. O Detcrmining call volumes. 0 Determining average length per call. 0 Identifying peak-period suppor t requirc-

ments. 0 Describing tlie range of applications and

products to hc supported. 0 Calculating currcnt costs. R Calculating support staff costs. O Calculating facilities and equipment costs. 0 Documenting skill requirements.

Determining Current Performance. An accu- rate picture of the current level of performance is important for dctermining the service-lcvcl agreement, espccially i f scrvicc-level impruvc- w e n t is a goal of tlic ou t sourc ing e f fo r t . Pcrformancc statistics sliould he captured :IS

part of s tandard help dcsk operations. Kcy questions to ask include:

O \\'hat is the average wait in queue? O I-lo\\ many calls arc resolved on first contact? O \\'hat arc the average response times by cate-

gory of calls? R \\'hat is the call abandon rate? O 1s there a backlog of open problems?

Step Two: Determining the Appropriate outsourcing Model Once the goals, scope, and performance objcc- tives are determined, tlic appropriate outsourcing model is selected. One fundamental ques- tion is whether to outsource the function or the solution. \\'hen an outsourcing vendor assumes the support function, tlie systems and processes current ly in QI;ICC a re repl ica ted . T h i s approach has tlic :~dvantagc of appearing scam-


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lcss to liclp dcsk customcrs. Outsourcing the complete solution allows tlie outsourecr t o rccngincer the operation as required to provide t l ~ c optimum lcvcl of scrvicc. Otlicr issues that must IIC decided include whether to outsourcc tlic cntirc liclp dcsk or only portions of tlie opcmtion, to usc onsitc or offsite support, or to purchase support as part of a shared help desk function.

Step Three: Formulating a Request for Proposal Oncc tlie groundwork has bcen completed, tlic nes t task is to create ;I request for proposal. . . I his document is tlie prime communication \~chiclc used t o solicit lbids from outsourcing velidors. Although c a d i situation is unique, cspcricnce has shown t11at an RFP sliould con- tain scvcral basic sections:

U Overview. Tlic ovcrvicw scction describcs tlic ul~jcctivcs for tlic outsourcing projcct and lists the reasons for creating the RFP.

U Rackground. This scction describes the com- pmiy)"~ business, mission, locations, and organizational structure.

U Ge~lerol requirements. Tlic general requiremcnts scction, often the largest section of thc RIV, descrilm guidclincs for proposals, a t ime scliedulc for tlic cvaluation, contract terms, and tlic logistic;ll requirements for the projcct.

m U lleqirired service levels a n d volume forecas&. This scction is uscd to describe the cxpcctcd quali ty results : ~ n d projected volumes. It

ill Ilrc! dc1inc;ltcs currcnt service levels and mini- mum acceptable scrvice levels. r~c!r~rlor rr!rtIizc! U Selection method . This section describcs the

f r r l . f l l i r r ! critcria and method for choosing the out - llrrtrrfirrrtrrcirtl sourcing vendor. /\ partial list of possihlc

grrirr ]rcm 111~ selection critcria includes company stability, nianagement organization, flexibility, facili-

prtr~rrc~r.drip.~ t ics, service capal~i l i t ics . t raining, price, - . implcmcnta t iu~i plan, and references. T h e sclcction criteria should be ranked by priority.

Step Four: Evaluating Vendors Tl ic evaluat ion process begins as vendors rcspnnd to the RI'I' with their own propos:lls. I f numerous vendors rcspond to the RFP, a curso- ry cvaluation of the rcsponscs may be sufficient to climinatc marginal vendors. A more tlior- ougli evaluation of tlic remaining proposals is nccdcd to determine thc vendor's cornprehen- sion of company requirements and the quality

of t h e proposed solut ion. Th i s evaluat ion include several steps.

Reviewing Proposals. I'roposals should IJC cval- uated with an cvaluation matrix containing tlie evaluation attributes. tlieir weighting, and a col- umn for each vendor. Each vendor's solution is ranked for each attribute on a scale of from I to 10. These scores are then adjusted by tlie appro- ~priate weighting factor and added to produce an overall company score. Exhihit I depicts a sam- plc evaluat~on matrix with recommended cvaluation attributes. Kcy questions to ask include:

0 Does the proposed solution meet the objectives described in tlie RFP?

U Does t h e vcndor liave the experience and resources to implement the solution?

U Does the vendor have a formal ~nethodology for lielp desk support?

U M'hat is the vcndor's reputation for niecting service commitmcnts?

U Iloes t h e vcndor liave a reasonable implementation or transition plan for phasing in the outsourcing service?

U 1s the vendor's pricing in line with the level of services provided?

Visiting tlie Vendor and Checking References. It is prudent to e \dua te the veracity of vendor claims by checking references and visiting one of tlie vendor's liclp desk facilities. Although references are helpful, a visit to an operational lielp desk is tlie most effective way of gaining insight into tlie vcndor's practices. IS managers should be sure to cxamine the support procedures in achon and talk to lielp dcsk clicnts about tlieir support satisfaction. Examining customer survey results is another good source of this information.

Step Five: Selecting a Vendor Carefully following tlic selection process just described simplifies final vendor selection, Ixcausc it is likcly that one vendor more clcarly mcets requircmcnts than others. IS managers s11ould take care, liowcver, not to let price alone d e t e r m i n e t l ie o u t c o m e of t h e se l ec t ion process. Although price is an important consideration, lower price alone may not provide the highest value. Managers must carefully weigh price with other considerations, such as service levels, to idcntifp the vendor tliat provides tlie Iiigliest value per support dollar.

Al though precise criteria for evaluating outsourcing vendors depends on the nature of individual contract, some general areas of

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EXHIBIT 1 Sample Vendor Evaluation Matrix

Company Reputation Financial Stability Quality Programs Flexibility Location Staffing Ability RFP Compliance Employee Practices Total Company

Services Comprehension Solution Methodology Management Technology Implementation Plan Total Services

Price Price Score RiskIReward Total Price

Tolal Score

Weight

4

5 8

12 4 8 4 5

50

6 4 9 3 1 2

25

20 5

25

Raw Score 10 10 6

10 3

10 6

10

65

7 8

10 7 7 8

47

5 7

12

Vendor 1 Weighted

Score

Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Weighted Weighted

Raw Score 5 6

10 8 5 6 7 5

52

8 7 8 6 7 5

41

10 0

10

Score Raw Score Score

evaluat ion c o m m o n t o all he lp desk o u t - sourcing vcndors arc not covered by the contract. \Veiglitings for each of these criteria should also 11e developed according to individual organimtion;~l needs. A list of such critcri;l follows:

O I-low much experience has the vendor had with help desk operations? I-low many other contracts has the vendor implemented? Does the vendor have positive references? I-low well has tlie vendor adhered to the letter and the spirit of previous vcnturcs? Does tlie vendor use effective project management skills? \\'lien contractual prohlems liave arisen, liavc thcy been handled smoothly and t o each party's mutual benefit?

0 1s the vendor's staff capable of providing the required support? Can the vendor's staff lian- dle all of tlie application programs, program- ming environments, and networking systems present and implement sophisticated knowledge bases of previous problems solved, intcr- active voice response systems, call center operations, automated support tools, voice

and E-mail, and statistical programs? \Vill the vendor be able to recruit, train, retrain, and retain qualified staff who have tlie depth of specialization to meet difficult, company- specific prohlems?

O Do you know who the outsourcer's project manager will be? Do you have r6sumi.s of key players and d o you know what the degree of their involvement is?

O 1s the vendor stable financially and manageri- ally? Does it have the funding and the man- agerial competence to survive? Does the vendor have some knowledge of your business a n d can i ts people adap t t o t h e types of employees in your company? Does the vendor have the resources to remain competitive in the outsourcing arena?

0 \\'ill your relationship with t h e vendor be synergistic? In other words, will the vendor realizk anything other than financial gain from the partnership? \\'ill the vendor make the commitment to form a productive relationship that gives both you and the vendor a competitive advantage?

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COIlt(!S 10 CON-

lr~tcls,, //I(! sitt.9

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(Ire ctl /e~t.sl rts

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sirts f l~corlr - r~tission.

0 Can you trust the outsourcer's personnel to cscrcisc confidentiality regarding sensitivc issues sucli as business objectives, technology lplans, and business data? Is the vendor opcn to changing modes of operation to fit your corporate culture? Can the vendor's staff be seamlessly transitioned into your operations?

Step Six: Defining the Contract and Negotiating Terms T h e final s t ep in tlie outsourcing selection process is tlie dcfinition and negotiation of tlic tcrms 1 1 ~ wliich both parties in the outsuurcing ;Igrccmcnt function. It is crucial to ensurc t h t ;all tcrms uscd to describe the 11elp dcsl; opcr:l- lion arc clearly dcfincd. hecausc a s s u ~ ~ ~ p t i o n s ;ahout tlic mcnnings of terms sucli as calls, prul>lcms. ;and incidents can l e d to contr;~ctual ~iightninrcs.

A clcarly dcfincd contract helps control thc costs of outsourcing by providing all accuratc description of which cost i t e m arc included in thc :~rrangenicnt as well as the i t e m that need to be asscssed for demand measures. / \ d i s t i~~c t - ly ouhincd contract also provides vendors with :I sli:~rpcr dcfinition of what scrvices they Iiavc t o p rwidc and less opportunity for hedging cost estimates.

I h p i t c tlic nccd for a clcar contract, it is i ~ ~ ~ p o r t : ~ n t t l ~ a t both parties be ready to modify thcir I ~ ~ C ; I I I S 2nd cnds as the outsourc i~~g rcla- tiunship cmergcs and de\,elops. Not all aspects of tlic co~itract arc forcsecable. Following arc somc of the issues the contract sl~ould dcfinc.

Coverage Areas. T h e contract should spccify wliicl~ Ilardw;~re and software is to be supportcd :~nd whether support pcrtains to industrywidc products and scrviccs or to company-spccific legacy systems that require greater support.

Scnice-1,evel Agreements. The cvaluation criteria spccificd in the service-level agreement include the types of response times and suc- cessful completion rates to be uscd to rate service as being above, at , or below avcragc. I-lours of opera t ion should also be del ineated , as should the espected volume of calls and any actions to be takcn i f thc number excceds or fails to meet expectations.

Otlicr issues tha t need t o be dctcrmincd includc which types of calls are considered top priority and which can be delaycd, acccptablc rcspo~isc times, and whether thc calls/rcqucsts for assistance can bc catcgorizecl by length of timc nccdcd for a response and by complcxity.

I h d l y , the prcdictahility of the call distribution throughout the day must be considered.

Reporting. It is essential that explicit quality control rncasurcs be in place, such as periodic, planned review sessions. The group or individual overseeing the contract must address scver- a1 questions, such as:

U \\'hat statistical and other types of reports arc nccdcd and what types of data will be gathcred for use in these reports?

0 \Vhat logs and tracking systems must be in placc? Must they track abandoned calls and tlic lcngth of time spent waiting for pickup and rcspo~isc?

U \\'ill c:~lls bc monitored on a selective basis? U \\'lie is able to conduct call monitoring?

1)e terminat ion of Service Adequacy. It is important to delineate which measures will hc usccl to dctcmiine whether the help desk is suc- ceeding. Available methods include end-user satisfaction surwys and help desk statistics.

Staffing and Scheduling. The contract should address the issues of how man!. and what types of support personnel are expected to be available and the hours during which they will be available. Proccdures for escalating problems to morc experienced personnel when initial con- tacts arc unable to provide resolution should also bc spccificd.

Tlic contract must obviously deal with issues rclating to hybrid work situations, such as how ~ p c r s o ~ i ~ i c l problems will b e managed a n d whctlicr tlic ncccssity for coworkers to function undcr two diffcrcnt salary schcdulcs and per- s o n ~ ~ c l policies will prove problematic. Finally, the contract should stipulate whether and for how long the outsourc~ng vendor is expected to cmploy organizational staff.

I n ~ p l c n ~ e n t a t i o n . Service implemen ta t ion should specify how tlie service will be initiated and liowa transition to full operation should be accomplished. One vendor conducted a prelim- inary test of the outsourced help desk system by preparing several hundred calls that tested whcthcr adcquatc escalation procedures. automated systcms, consult ing skills, a n d other processes were in placc. Access to the help desk by corporate users was initiated onlv after ade- quatc tcst rcsults were achieved.

1,ocation. T h c contract must specify wliether calls can he received and assistance pravidcd

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from a distancc or onsitc. I f onsitc support is Iprovided, the number of sitcs nccding such support must bc spccificcl. Finally, the avail- ability and usc of alternative means of cornmu- ~ i i c a t i o n sucli as fax or electronic bullet in I~oards should IJC included.

Ikluipment. T h e arca of cquipmcnt iwolvcs numcrous and broad issues relatitig t o both liardwarc and software. For examplc, tllc c o w tract mnbt specify u k t l i c r softnmc for logging and tracking prohleni rcsolution is needed, on whosc macliinc tlic software will rcsidc, and who l~olds thc license and owns the data. The avai1:lbility of othcr software, such as E-mail, corporate groupware, proprietary software, and change ~ n a n a g c n i c n t sof twarc , shou ld b e addrcssed.

Other issues include stipulation of needed tclcphonc systems, usc of artificial intelligence packages and whether their contents (e.g., rules, cases, and problcms) will bc provided immcdiatcly or built up ovcr time according to t h e company's own experience. and use of interactive voice rcsponsc systems. T l ~ c c o w tract should also addrcss wliet l~er help desk staff will operate end-uscr e q u i p n ~ c ~ ~ t such as printers, training lal,oratories, or gcnernl-purpose workstation facilities.

Temiination and Renegotiation. In addition to stating all expiration date, thc contract should cover mediation or arbitration procedures. It is shoul~l also delincatc thc exit procedure following tcr~ni~iation. Other items for consideration include where automated softwarc used for accun~ulating knowlcdgc will resiclc after tlic contract period.

Payment and Costs. Thc contract must delin- cate total costs as wcll as the payment mcthod. I f a cliargebnck systcm will he used, its costing structure should spccify whctlier the cliarge- I~ack is by call, size of t11c uscr hasc, problem category. or a hlanket fcc. Honuses or penalties for tlic vendor's success or failure t o mcct objectives such as incrcascd first-call problem resolution or dcgrec of customer satisfaction must also bc specified.

Change Service Orrlcrs. Workloads arc rarely fixed or entirely predictablc. Thc contract must tliercforc s t a t c how addi t ional cos ts for a changing workload or tlie addition of ncw functions will bc levicd.

OUTSOURCING PROBLEMS AND PITFALLS Scveral potential prohlenls can derail a help dcsk outsourcing effort. The following sections discuss some of them.

Losing r a c k o f Long-Tern] G o a l s . Outsourcing should IJC a long-term relationship. Short-term goals sucli as immediate cost savings or correcting a staff turnover probleni may have a high initial profile but arc mislead- ing in the long run.

Selecting an Unqualified Outsourcer. As is thc casc with many technology-oricntcd firms, spc- cialization cxists in the help desk arena. Not all compmies are cqually equippcd to cffectivcly liandlc outsourcing. Some firnis have cxtcnsivc experience in selecting support tools, specialists who can address complex issucs, and regularly trained staff. They also have a track record of bu i ld i~~g n~utually beneficial partnerships wit11 their clients based on financial stability, technical skills inventory, and nlanagcment competence.

F a i l i n g t o C o n s i d e r a l l C o n t r a c t u a l Consequences. An organiz:ttion outsourcing its help dcsk cannot simply accept a proposed stan- dard contract. Managers must fully understand the implications of the outsourcing decision and why specific services arc being outsourced, as well as the effects of altered conditions sucli as corporate growth or stagnation, additiou of functions. and other organizational cliangcs on tlic help dcsk.

Assunling that a Contrac t Will Administer Itself. Signing an outsourcing contract docs not elid nlanagc~nent responsibilities. A qualified contract nlanager or group is essential for ovcr- seeing the implementation of the contract and ensuring that tlie vcndor handles personnel issues appropriatcly, corrccts prol~lcm arcas, and provides appropriatc reports.

Omitt ing Items from the Contract . \\'lien it comes to contracts, the sins of omission arc at least as serious as tlic sins of commission. \\'hat is left out of a contract can be expensive to add on later.

Losing Staff Control. Thc offset of having thc outsourcer d o the hiring and firing is that tlic contractce has to work througli the outsourcer to correct problems. Because.the outsourccr may choose or bc forced to reassign pcol~le in

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its organization, the contractee may suffer from :I liigl~cr turno\,er of traincd staff.

13nco11nteriog Resistance from IS Departments. Not only does the outsourcer replace IT staff, new staff mcmbers lxcome part of thc IT operation. As cxtcrnal ohservers l x c o m c awarc of intemal problems, response rates, uscr attitudes, and l,:~cklogs, a great potential for conflict is cre- ated. \\'hen a hybrid arrangement is in effect, differcnccs in pay scnlcs, lcave pulicics, and othcr personnel policies may become points of contention.

Setting Unrealistic Goals. Contract goals, 11ow- c w r measured, should he realistic. Overly :~ml)itious expectations of improvcment may prove illusory and ncgatc chanccs for improve- ment. For csamplc, one vendor reported that :In crnph:~sis un first-call resolution hampered uppcr-lercl esecut i \~es and their aides from rccciving t11c 11elp they needed. These pcoplc did not want to wait on the telephone while an answer to :I help desk query was being devel-

oped. \\'hen t h e answer was ready, or whcn assistance could be provided onsite, the execu- tives nrantcd to bc contacted again.

CONCLUSION As tlic nun11xr of end users has increased, so has t h e d c m a n d for h e l p desk services. Al though keeping e n d users productive is esse~~t ia l , organizations are finding it difficult t o provide t h e breadth of suppor t needed. Outsourcing all or part of the l ~ e l p desk function offers one alternative for providing services e c o ~ ~ o m i c a l l y and effectively. Selecting an appropriate vendor and preparing a detailed contract arc critical to the eventual success of such a partnership. Following the steps pre- sentcd in this article will hclp IS managers accomplish both of these processes. I

Note I. The l lelp Desk Opparlur~ify: Opportunities to

Optimize Productivity, white paper (Boston: Keane Corp., 1995).

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Documents

Outsourcing The Help Desk Function