The Brainy Book For Smarter ITSM - ManageEngine

6Steps to Build an EffectiveHelp Desk Knowledge Base1. Keep your knowledge base updated2. Structure your knowledge base3. Define an approval process4. Enhance the search capability of yourknowledge base5. Determine who sees what6. Manage your content effectivelypressures of managing a help desk teamJohn, the IT help desk manager, has beenkeeps him from implementing one. He justfacing several productivity issues,doesn’t have the time. And, after fightingincluding longer resolution times, andfires all day, he doesn’t have the mentaltickets have been piling up as a result. Johnenergy to step back and think strategicallythinks implementing an effectiveabout a knowledge base.knowledge base might improve his team’sproductivity.To help John and other IT help deskmanagers facing the same challenge, weAfter all, a knowledge base will storeshare six simple ideas below for building anresolutions, workarounds, and besteffective knowledge base.practices that help reduce ticket inflows,improve resolution times, increase first callresolution rates, reduce the percentage of1. Keep Your Knowledge BaseUpdatedrepeat incidents, and increase theUpdate the knowledge base regularly withself-service portal usage.new solutions so that it evolves with your ITenvironment. Here are some best practicesWhile John recognizes the value of anthat will keep your knowledge baseeffective knowledge base, the day-to-dayupdated:6 Steps to Build an Effective Help Desk Knowledge Base8

Nominate a knowledge base managerwriter to improve the structure andfrom your team. The manager must ownpresentation. Finally, the knowledge basethe entire life cycle of the knowledgemanager can approve the content andprocess, from identifying solutions andinclude it in the knowledge base.assigning tickets to regularly updatingthe knowledge base. Include contributions to the knowledgebase as a key performance indicator foryour technicians.1. Structure Your Knowledge Base3. Enhance the Search Capability ofYour Knowledge BaseAn enhanced search capability makes iteasy for end users and technicians to usethe knowledge base better. They will getto relevant solutions quickly and this willWhen the knowledge base content issignificantly reduce resolution times. Youorganized well, it improves usability andcan enhance the search capability of yourend-user adoption. Structure theknowledge base by:knowledge base to provide ease of useand navigation to end users by : keywords.Defining categories and sub-categoriesthat reflect the problem categories in Establishing templates to provide uniform content across the knowledgebase.Providing clear and problem-specifictopics to the articles.the help desk. Tagging articles with appropriate4. Determine Who Sees WhatReduce the information overload on yourend users by:2. Define an Approval ProcessYou can ensure the reliability and quality of knowledge base articles, so onlythe knowledge base content if you couldrelevant solutions are available to endimplement the following approval process:Technician Domain or Solutions Expert users. Maintaining a knowledge baseofKnowledge Base Manageradvanced technical solutions andarticles exclusively for, and limited totechnicians.A technician documents the resolutionprocess, along with the solution or work-Providing role-based access to5. Manage Your Content Effectivelyaround, which the domain or solutionexpert reviews for technical accuracy. TheManaging the knowledge base content istechnician can then involve a technicalas important as keeping it updated by:6 Steps to Build an Effective Help Desk Knowledge Base9

Allowing technicians to update existingThese six tips will definitely help Johnarticles and revert to earlier versions, ifcreate an effective knowledge basenecessary.manually. And, if he would rather automateBacking up your knowledge basethe task, he could simply use a help deskcontent at regular intervals.software, which does most of these tasksGenerating timely reports aboutby default.knowledge base performance andusage.6 Steps to Build an Effective Help Desk Knowledge Base10

5Steps to SuccessfullyImplement an IT SLA1. Define your SLA scope2. Set response and resolution times3. Create ownership and escalation points4. Monitor performance and measurecompliance5. Establish change control in IT SLAwith internal departments and with vendorsEvery IT manager aspires to improveperformance, accelerate incident responsetimes, reduce system downtime, andsimultaneously cut service costs in his oror partners, respectively. The OLAs andUCs act as constituents of the final SLA thatthe IT support team draws up with the endusers.her IT support operations. Now, if you areIT service level agreements play a crucialin the pursuit of similar goals, then look norole in everyday tasks of IT support. And,further than an IT SLA.they help you allocate the optimum numberof resources to manage the service offer-An IT SLA – or IT service level agreementings. It’s no surprise, then, that the absence– is a contract between IT support and anof IT SLAs may lead to:end user within the same organization.Typically, IT SLAs establish a clear about their rolesunderstanding of service parameters bydefining the services extended, the qualityLack of clarity between departments Increase in the time taken to communicate, log, and resolve issuesstandards that must be adhered to, and thetimelines within which the services must be Lack of service efficiencydelivered. Operational level agreements Increased system downtime(OLAs) and underpinning contracts (UCs) Dissatisfied end users and customersare agreements that the IT support makes5 Steps to Successfully Implement an IT SLA11

At InterGlobe Aviation (Indigo), smart SLAmanagement ensures a 30% annualimprovement in IT performance and cutscosts by 30%, despite a 60% increase inload. If you’d like to reap similar ITadvantages, follow these five steps to drawup a great SLA.Step 1: Define Your SLA ScopeStep 4: Monitor Performance andMeasure ComplianceUse appropriate tools to monitorperformance and measure SLA complianceby using key performance indicators. Also,generate SLA non-compliance reportsperiodically to identify gaps. Then, you’llbe able to plug these gaps either throughtraining programs or by redefining the SLA.This defines the exact manner in whichservices are delivered within the agreedupon time frame. It also outlines thework- flow and assigns roles andresponsibilities to IT support and all theother departments/vendors involved.Step 2: Set Response and ResolutionTimesBased on a ticket’s priority, you’ll need todefine the response and resolution times.Priority levels can be categorized intocritical, high, medium, and low based on aStep 5: Establish Change Control inIT SLAKeep your SLAs open to changes andmodifications to progress with evolvingbusiness and customer needs. Both your ITand end user should agree upon astandardized process to authorize changesto be made and document them in the SLA.IT service level agreements create a unifiedvision for your business by getting yourIT to work in cohesion with other depart-ticket’s level of business impact.ments/vendors and ensure the best serviceStep 3: Create Ownership andEscalation Pointstrack and be on your way to achieving ITdelivery to end users. So, set your SLAs onefficiency.The agent/technician who makes the initialcontact with the end user assumesownership of the ticket until its resolution.A ticket that remains unresolved past itsresolution time needs to be escalated.Therefore, you must clearly map eachescalation level with a predefinedresolution time and assign responsibility tothe right person.5 Steps to Successfully Implement an IT SLA12

7Ways to Convince Users toAdopt Your Self-Service Portal1. Make self-service a “must” rather than anoption2. Keep your knowledge base updated3. Educate your users on the benefits4. Explain how calls end up in queues5. Provide incentives or rewards6. Provide a better user experience7. Make your self-service portal gadgetfriendlywidespread adoption by your end users.Today’s IT environment is changing rapidlyand so are your customers. They areincreasingly demanding and are looking forinstant resolution of their tickets as well asinstant access to information on yourservices.Here are nine different ways to convinceyour users to use the self-service portal.1. Make Self Service a “Must” RatherThan an OptionMost users tend to call tech agents for helpwhen any service goes down rather thanSometimes your service desk might getusing the self-service portal. As a result, thebombarded with calls when a user facesnumber of calls to your service deskissues or requires a service to be delivered.increases. This in turn, increases the loadThis may lead to service desk missed callson your help desk agents. For your helpor being stuck in the waiting queue.desk to perform efficiently, it is better torecommend the self-service portal to usersIf you’ve already invested in a self-serviceand make it clear to them that this is theportal — or plan to make such anmost preferred method.investment — now might be a good time toconsider the best ways to encourage its7 Ways to Convince Users to Adopt Your Self-Service Portal13

2. Keep Your Knowledge BaseUpdated5. Provide Incentives or RewardsKeep the knowledge base updated with thewho use the self-service portal willlatest how-to’s, workarounds and solutionsencourage users to frequently use it ratherto helps users to login to self-service por-than call help desk technicians for help.tal and search for solutions before raisingRewards may not necessarily be monetarya ticket. Make announcements wheneverbenefits but can be a points-based rewardsa new solution is added to the knowledgesystem to encourage users and tobase and invite your users to login intomaximize the usage of the self-serviceself-service portal and read through theportal.Providing incentives or rewards to thosesolutions.6. Provide a Better User Experience3. Educate Your Users on theBenefitsMake it easy for the users to raise incidentsUsers may not be aware of what aportal with custom templates. Have timelyself-service portal can do for them. Educateconversations to help the users get regularyour users on the benefits of a self-serviceupdates on the ticket and to create a greatportal such as self-tracking the status of anyuser experience.or service requests through the self-servicerequests or tickets themselves, see pending approvals, announcements etc.With better knowledge on the benefitscomes greater value to your end users.4. Explain How Calls End Up inQueues7. Make Your Self-Service PortalGadget FriendlyHaving a mobile and tablet optimizedself-service portal helps users to submitticket on the go. Instead of calling techs,users can submit via the mobile/tablet app.Sometimes, due to high call volumes, aUsers can track all their requests via thetech agent happens to miss a call and themobile apps anytime, anywhere.issue remains unresolved. Tech agents willnot be able to track those incidents ticketsand document the solutions for future use.They can communicate this problem totheir users and explain why ticket creationvia portal can be a savior.7 Ways to Convince Users to Adopt Your Self-Service Portal14

5Principles of Best-in-ClassIT Problem Management1. Create a focus group to own the problemmanagement process2. Analyze incident trends3. Establish well-defined problemmanagement processes4. Perform a root cause analysis5. Strive towards problem managementmaturityHouston, we’ve got a problem.” This“legendary statement by Commander JimLovell of Apollo 13 has transcendedexploding oxygen tanks in outer space toeveryday life, including IT. How often haveyou started off dealing with an incident onlyto realize to your dismay that you have onlybeen dealing with the tip of the iceberg?Problem management is all aboutuncovering the unknown, the hidden rootcause that is an endless source of ticketsto your IT help desk. When you implementan effective problem management process,your IT team can go beyond fire fightingmode to focus on strategic IT objectives.Here are five principles that might help youachieve a best-in-class problem1. Create a Focus Group to Own theProblem Management ProcessIn many organizations, a change advisoryboard reviews the change requests andadvises the change managers or owners,reducing the business impact. Similarly,having a problem committee (PC) thatidentifies, prioritizes, and assigns problemscan effectively reduce business impact. APC can be a small, email-connected teamwith members from each area of the ITdepartment, led by a manager who isresponsible for all the tasks of thecommittee.2. Analyze Incident TrendsAnalyzing incident trends and reviewingmanagement:5 Principles of Best-in-Class IT Problem Management15

high-impact incidents can help the PCidentify problems. Let’s consider anexample. In an IT environment, multipleusers report an application crash, whichthe IT team resolves by reinstalling the appwithin the prescribed SLA. However, thisissue can reoccur and the only way to solveit will be reinstallation . On the other hand,if the PC could identify the root cause, theIT team won’t need to tackle multiple incidents caused by a single problem.3. Establish Well-Defined ProblemManagement ProcessesProblem management is closely4. Perform a Root Cause AnalysisWhen you institute an effective problemmanagement model in your organization,you will reduce the inflow of multipletickets for the same incident as well asrecurring incidents. To meet this objective,an effective root cause analysis must bedone. A root cause is the core of theproblem, and removing the root causeensures that the problem never reoccurs.You could use the simple five-whytechnique, the fish-bone diagram, or thePareto method to do this analysis. But youshould also continuously strive to improvethe root cause analysis.connected to other ITIL processes likeincident management, changemanagement, asset management, andCMDB. But still, problem managementitself needs a well-documented repeatableprocess so that it is easier and effective. Tomake problem management effective,implement a process that is easy andfollows a logical sequence of steps.Firstly, you could record a problem afterchecking the database for any historicaldata on the problem. Then, you could see ifa solution already exists. If not, the problemowner can classify the problem based onits impact and priority. Finally, you canprovide a solution or initiate a change ifnecessary. Based on an organization’sspecific needs, the IT team can eventailor -make the problem managementprocess.5 Principles of Best-in-Class IT Problem Management5. Strive Towards ProblemManagement MaturityA truly mature management model is onethat is proactive. Proactive problemmanagement involves identifying andresolving problems before incidents occur.Therefore, it must involve activities likeinvestigation of fragile and vulnerablecomponents of the IT environment, ananalysis of a new patch, or an upgrade toprevent incidents due to the patch orupgrade.These five principles of best-in-classproblem management will transform yourhelp desk from a fire-fighting mode to aproactive powerhouse, ensuring that thestatement “Houston, we’ve got a problem,”is never associated with your IT.16

5Steps That Made Ben aBetter Change Manager1. Validate and authorize change2. Plan, test, and address the challenges3. Communicate with the change advisoryboard4. Coordinate implementation5. Review the change and improveBen is the new IT administrator of a largeproduction company. Soon after joining,Ben learned that the company usedoutdated software to manage its payrolland used different applications to trackemployee absences and travel claims. Thisresulted in miscalculation of the amountpayable by the company to the employeeand vice versa. Often, the company paidthe employees either more or less than thecorrect amount, which led to a lot of chaos.Ben decided to tackle these issues by firstimplementing new payroll software thatcame with two integrated modules, antypes, ensuring accuracy in calculating theamount payable to employees.Regardless of how small or big, changeinvolves managing people, processes, andtechnology. To ensure a smooth transition,Ben followed the best practices of changemanagement like: Validate and authorize change Plan, test, and address the challenges Communicate with the change advisoryboard Coordinate implementation Review the change and improveexpense module and an HR module. Theexpense module will track the travelexpenses of the employees, and the HRmodule will track the absences and leave5 Steps That Made Ben a Better Change Manager17

Step 1: Validate and AuthorizeChangeAs a change manager, Ben must have athorough understanding of the change. Heasked (and answered too) some of thebasic but business-critical questions like: What is the value that this changebrings? What is the impact of this change on thebusiness configuration? What is the business priority of thechange? What could be the budget for thechange implementation? Will the benefits of this changeoutweigh the cost? assigned a technician (a change owner) tocome up with a rollout plan, keeping a tabon minimal business disruption.Once the plan was ready, Ben createda replica of his payroll environment andtested the rollout plan. During the testingphase, new challenges cropped up thateventually led Ben to fine-tune the rolloutplan while he noted down the lessons. Henever proceeded to implement the changewithout a proper backout plan. He ensuredthat a backout plan was in place to face anemergency and to ensure high availability.Step 3: Communicate with theChange Advisory BoardIf yes, when will the change beBen sought the recommendations andimplemented and who is responsible?assistance of the stakeholders, whoconstitute the change advisory board orConsidering the implementation of the newCAB. The CAB included the payrollpayroll software, Ben understood clearlymanager, CFO, IT head, and a fewthat ruling out financial inaccuracy is theexecutives in the payroll and ITprimary value this change would bringdepartments. Then the CAB analyzed thein. He sold the values and benefits to thechange from a business and a technicalstakeholders to get executive buy-in. Benperspective and collectively shared theanalyzed the impact of this change andanalysis with Ben. Based on the feedbackclassified the change accordingly andand analysis from the CAB, Ben approvedaligned people, processes, and purpose.the change and passed it on toimplementation.Step 2: Plan, Test, and Address theChallengesStep 4: Coordinate ImplementationOnce the change is authorized, arrivingThe successful implementation of theat an accurate rollout plan for the changechange falls not just on the shoulders of animplementation is a challenge. Benmplementer, but on those of the change5 Steps That Made Ben a Better Change Manager18

imanager as well. Therefore, Ben coordinated the execution of the changeDid the new payroll software achieve itsobjective?plan in implementing a new payroll Is everyone satisfied with the results?software solution, while ensuring that Were there any side effects?processes like building, testing, and Did the implementation exceed plannedimplementation are carried out in the

ITSM is a people’s project supported by tools and processes, not a tool or process project supported by people! 7 Reasons Why ITSM Implementations Fail. 5 Deadly Sins of IT Incident Management 7 7 Deadly Sins of