Rolling out a new app or system can wreak havoc if support is handled as an afterthought. These tips will help you plan and manage help desk involvement in the rollout so that the staff is prepared to meet user support needs.
Successfully rolling out a new application or system does not end when the "switch" is flipped on for all users. More often than not, the help desk must still cope with the users' need for support as the project rollout finishes. These tips will help your staff ramp up to deliver the necessary level of support with the least amount of chaos.
#1: Get involved (way) early
The help desk (and its support
needs) always seem to be the last item on the checklist for most projects. This
means the expertise of the help desk staff isn't being used as the project
unfolds. Most project managers, support analysts, and vendors concentrate on
the high-level issues. Then, typically, near the end of the project, they tend
to provide limited support information to the help desk, almost as an
afterthought.
To counter this tendency, the help desk must have sufficient involvement early enough in the project to get ready to address the questions and needs the users will have as the project gets rolled out to them. One of the best ways to ensure this involvement is to use a form to gather pertinent information that can be shared among support staff. This "Program rollout preparation checklist" is an excellent tool for nailing down the details that the help desk will need on a project, such as program, login, and printing requirements; affected users; security information; support options; and documentation.
#2: Train the users... then train the help desk
As projects are rolled out, user
manuals are created and instructor-led or CBT classes are used to train end
users, but what about the help desk support team? Consider sending some or all
team members to the end users' training. If full training isn't feasible or
necessary, you can create a condensed version. Even some familiarity with the
processes will help your staff understand and resolve the problems users
encounter.
#3: Get screen shots of install and setup
Nothing is worse than having to walk
users through a procedure or task without the benefit of seeing the menus or
options. Have a small set of team members install the application and make
notes of potential issues and document them. Remember: The support team will be
asked setup questions, so they need to be familiar with this process. If the
help desk is supporting multiple versions of an application, get a step-by-step
screen shot of each version.
#4: Prepare to support remote users as well as internal users
Document unique or special support
needs that differ between internal use and external remote use of an
application/device. Not only will the support be different, but more often than
not, the support team can't simply remote in and "take care of the issue."
#5: Create an installation package
Use a software installation package
tool to create a consolidated package. This will save time, reduce
inconsistencies, and take the guesswork out of the application installation
process.
#6: Assemble support documentation
(with pictures)
Callers to the help desk are likely
to need assistance with every aspect of the application. Put together
documentation that includes instructions and images of login screens, install
menus, special application screens, and setup screens.
#7: Implement hotlines for immediate issues
Depending on the size of
the rollout and its impact on the organisation, you may want to create a temporary
hotline for users. This makes it easy for them to contact support staff who are
trained to deal with immediate issues. You might also create a backdoor number
that the support staff can use to quickly contact a senior support analyst for
information or clarification during the first few days of a rollout.
#8: Identify subject matter experts/senior end users
Train one or more senior support staff
members to serve as specialists for the application. You may also want to tap
some of your more experienced end users to help other team members as needed. In
fact, you might have a senior end user available at the help desk during the
first few days of a major rollout. The advantage is that urgent how-to's are
answered right away and the senior end user gets a feel for what is going right
and what is going wrong.
#9: Create triage
It's very important to the initial
rollout and the ongoing support process that sound triage be developed by
meeting with the vendor, support analyst, and members of the help desk. Make
sure you've addressed these questions:
- What kind of issues can be expected?
- What common or known error messages will the help desk get calls about?
#10: Prepare to address how-to concerns
When a new application or
device is rolled out, the help desk team is faced with fielding the everyday
"how to" questions they get from end users. Although the team cannot be a
subject matter expert in all aspects of the support model, they can assist with
the most common five or 10 issues.
One good way to deal with ongoing support needs is to create a "top issues" cheat sheet for help desk staffers. This will allow even the less experienced help desk staff to identify and resolve a high percentage of problems.
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