Helpdesk and ITAM tools - measuring effectiveness

We talk a lot about using surveys to gauge customer satisfaction with the service provided by the IT support help desk. What we don’t talk about so much is how we involve the analysts in assessing the effectiveness of the tools that we provide them with. A post on this blog a few days ago asked questions about the reasons for the separation of ITSM and ITAM, and pointed to some obvious - seemingly obvious - ways in which they could support each other. Access to PC configuration information - current and recent changes - by connecting the helpdesk to an ITAM database, is now a box to be ticked on most RFIs. But how to quantify the value of that particular feature?
Sandi Conrad has been asking on the LinkedIn Global IT Asset Management Group for hard information on the benefits of ITSM/ITAM integration. As far as I can see, that is going to have to come from isolating each incident in which the integration has helped, and getting the helpdesk analyst or ITAM executive to make an assessment of the time saved for him/herself and the end user.

ITAM/ITSM user communities - essential sources of intelligence and insight

For the vendor community, such insights are of great value, but users don’t generally see it as their role to take time out to document the high points and low points of the solution they are using. It’s here that the user community provides its greatest value for the vendor, creating an environment in which users feel motivated to comment on the tools they are using, rather than suffering in silence or jealously guarding their cost reduction successes from any competitors using the same products. Our recent Vector HelpDesk training course in Las Vegas - chosen for its easy access of course - pointed the way for us; we look forward to the next opportunity to get customers to feel they have the time to really talk about how the tools perform.

About the Author

Colin Bartram's background in IT Asset and Service Management runs uninterrupted from the 1980s, and includes specifying, writing, selling and supporting software solutions. Today he contributes to product strategy and marketing for the Vector Networks group of companies. His spare time is focussed on his horse and the related demands of maintaining 5 acres of ancient pasture in Derbyshire in the UK.