Streamlining User Services Support to Do More with Less (262003621)

8/9/2019 Streamlining User Services Support to Do More with Less (262003621)

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About Us

• Blake Haggerty – Director, TechnologySupport Center

• Service Desk, Computer Maintenance

Facility, Instructional Technologists and ITConsultants

• Phil Stickna – Supervisor, Computer

Maintenance Facility

• Manages IT Consultants and 10 student

employees



About NJIT

• Founded in 1881

• Newark, New Jersey

• One of three NJ public research universities

• 406 full-time faculty members

• Undergraduate enrollment of 7,550

• Graduate enrollment of 3,096• Bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees



Story of More…

• Fortunate to have more:• Students

• Buildings

• Classroom technology (projectors, cameras)• Computer labs

• Devices (computers, tablets, phones)

• Digital learning• Mission critical applications

• Don’t have more staff so we need to evolve

and become more efficient



Tipping Point



Biggest Challenge

• Need a better understanding of ITSM bestpractices

• Communicate how we are contributing to the

overall goals of the university

• Deliver better value to our users by facilitating

outcomes that they want



Agenda

1. Refocus on service delivery

2. Expanding the role of our service desk3. Separate instructional design vs. technology

4. Consolidate classroom support

5. Learn from each other instead of competing

6. Follow ITSM best practices – ITIL v3 2011



Reporting Structure



User Services at NJIT - ITMS

• Instructional Technology and Media Services• Instructional Resource Center

• Instructional design

• Online learning support

• LMS

• Instructional Support Services

• Classroom support

• Learning space support/classroom advocacy• Special events

• Instructional Video Services

• Digital media

• Synchronous collaboration tools



User Services at NJIT - TSC

• Technology Support Center • Helpdesk

• Level 1 service desk

• Computer Maintenance Facility• Faculty PC distribution, employee software and

hardware support, student & employee walk-up

service counter

• Software and Application Support Services• Computer lab imaging, mobile device support,

software downloads/licensing, printing, division

website



User Services at NJIT

• Prior to 2014 ITMS reported to the Library

• Both now report to the Provost via the CIO

• Reinforces we are on the same team• Address us vs. them competition

• Especially where responsibilities were similar

• Users would play us off of each other



TSC Problems

• Too much technical administration, notenough service delivery

• Staff not encouraged to make judgment calls

• Most common first answer was “No”• This response didn’t make sense to our users

• Resulted in a negative impact on instruction

• Frequently put two departments at odds

• Especially when the eventual answer turned

out to be “Yes”



TSC’s New Focus

• “What is our impact on instruction?”• Service delivery as it relates to instruction

• Commitment begins at the management level

• Instructional impact not immediately apparent• Helped that some staff were adjuncts

• Staff encouraged to enroll/re-enroll in classes

• Added instructional technologists (more in a bit)

• Restructuring required to facilitate change



Flat Reporting Structure



Flat Reporting Structure

• Staff encouraged to provide input on any topic• Contributions lead to improving existing and

creating new services

• Supervisors authorized to make “game-changing” decisions

• Empowered to do what they know is right for

instruction

• Encourage collaboration between groups and

departments



Underutilized Service Desk

• Historically an afterthought• Not proactively informed of outages or changes

• Not included in discussions

• Not provided with necessary resources• Difficult to be effective

• Users bypassed service desk as 1st level

• Contacted IT staff in other departments directly

• Lead to level 2/3 staff providing 1st level support

• Strained resources

• Lack of metrics



Making a Change

• All Moodle calls reported through service desk• Relieved burden on instructional design team

• Big win – demonstrated capabilities

• Fairly smooth transition

• Some instructors initially upset

• Usage and adoption increased regularly

• Reliable metrics demonstrated volume and

justified additional staff (more in a bit)



Shaking an Underserved Stigma

Service desk given earlier and more activerole in technology project planning & rollouts

• Allow, encourage and invite service desk

supervisor to discussion table

• Awareness and understanding of new initiatives

• Better prepared for 0-day support

• With increased visibility, the service desk

assumed support role for VIPs (including

Board of Trustees)



Making Services More Accessible

• Bad: “Need to protect users from themselves.”• Good: “Redesign services to empower users.”

• Prohibited self-service out of fear users would• Leave out key details

• Improperly report issues

• Report issues multiple times

• Users could only report during business hours

• Created an unnecessary barrier

• Inconvenient – not available during all class times



Making Services More Accessible

• Updated ancient incident managementsystem

• Designed in 1998 - reflected needs of the day

• Rigid structure, increasingly difficult to maintain• Too technical categories meaningless to users

• Complete overhaul of database & interface

• Launched end-user self-service interface

• End-user-friendly major/minor issue categories

• Service desk staffed during class times



Results

• New database allowed us to adjust,advertise and adhere to SLAs

• Implemented daily/weekly production reports

• Identified KPIs to determine quality,performance, value and process compliance

of our critical success factors

• Provided a better end-user experience

• Service desk more effective and respected



Instructional Design vs. Technology

• Two instructional designers within ITMS• All levels of Moodle support

• Digital learning support

• Design/development for new online courses• Emerging technology

• Faculty professional development

• Committee participation

• Moodle support monopolized time to the

detriment of instructional design responsibilities




• Service desk positioned as point of firstcontact for Moodle

• Issues tracked within ticketing system

• Used metrics to demonstrate service valueand need for additional positions

• Still burnt though two instructional

designers




• “Instructional Design” didn’t adequatelydescribe the position

• Too much Moodle support

• Hard to focus on long term projects whileputting out fires

• As written, position was misrepresented

• Split Technology from Design• Created two instructional technologist

positions to complement one instructional

designer




• Instructional Design (ITMS)• Online/hybrid design and delivery support

• Institute for Teaching Effectiveness

• Works with technologists and TSC

• Instructional Technology (TSC)

• Close proximity to the service desk

• Manages LMS, WebEx, repository, clickers

• General faculty support

• Work closely with designers and ITMS staff




• Separation worked well• Compliment each other

• Cross training provides redundancy

• Focus on urgent/important as well as non-urgent/important tasks

• Still room for improvement

• Instructional staff in two separate locations



Classroom Support

• Classrooms and computer labs are teachingspaces

• Classroom support (projectors, speakers,

control systems, smart carts) fell under ITMS

• Computer lab support fell under TSC

• Special event support monopolized ITMS

time to the detriment of classroom support



Classroom Support

• Computer Lab Manager reassigned to ITMS• Enabled dedicated classroom support

• Reinforces that all spaces are instructional

• Combined two of the largest student work

forces (lab assistants and ITMS students)

• One cross-trained student work force

• Savings reinvested in other departments



Increased Communication

• Better communication between userservices groups

• All in same boat rowing in same direction

• Helps that all report to CIO

• Cross training means better collaboration

• Both teams able to contribute to projects

• Understanding each other’s perspectives

• Uncovering underutilized skillsets

Service delivery is the common goal



ITSM Best Practice

• Need to improve current environment• No published service portfolio or service catalog

• No centralized project management

• Lack of understanding of KPIs in some areas

• Evaluating IT Service Management suites

• Long-term goal: better demonstrate ITcontributions to the overall mission of the

university





Conclusion

• Do More With Less• Analyze and reassign resources to eliminate

redundancies and encourage collaboration

• Entrust/empower supervisors to make decisions

• Reinforce service desk successes

• Separate instructional technology from design

• Ask: “What is the impact on instruction?”

• ITSM is our best chance to demonstrate the

value of IT user services to the university



Questions?

•Blake Haggerty - [email protected]

•Phil Stickna - [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




Documents

Streamlining User Services Support to Do More with Less (262003621)