Many enterprises still use the same traditional IT service desk in their everyday tasks. Indeed, it’s challenging to manage IT operations. However, organizations can streamline and enhance their operations using the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) service desk.

An IT service desk is a centralized point of contact that supports the IT team. It serves as a primary interface between users and the IT team and ensures that the problems are resolved efficiently, minimizing disruption to business operations.

What is Service Desk?

A service desk is a bridge between a service provider and a user. The primary purpose of the service desk is to provide superior service to customers within a pre-defined time frame. In addition, the service desk handles incidents, user requests, and user communication.

The service desk can also be known as the “Face” of the IT operations for employees, customers, and business partners.

It is responsible for multiple ITSM activities, including service management, incident management, knowledge management, self-service, performance reporting, and SLA management.

Types of Service Desk

Local service desk: A local service is a desk located either in or outside the organization’s premises. No matter how many organizations’ offices are there. They will all have a local service desk.

Centralized service desk: The organization can have only one across the globe. If the organization has multiple locations, it will have only one centralized service desk. It works 24*7.

Virtual service desk: The most famous service desk utilized by most organizations. It only works on internet connectivity; no matter where your service desk is deployed or located, you can leverage it for your business efficiency from anywhere.

Best practices of service desk

Enterprises providing IT support help to save the time and money you spend on processes with the surety of timely responses to each request. Fortunately, executing all the following practices is relatively easy. Therefore, with the proper system and procedures, one can increase the service desk’s efficiency and make sure the request is quickly solved.

• Set up clear and concise communication channels: Effective communication is essential for the success of any IT service desk. The service desk should have multiple communication channels for employees to reach out for support. These channels include emails, phone, live chat, or an online ticketing system.
• Execute a ticketing system: A ticketing system refers to tracking, managing, and resolving IT issues as soon as possible. This system helps the IT team to prioritize and assign tasks, provide status updates to employees, and monitor progress.
• Build a clear SLA: SLA represents the documented contract between users and providers. It includes the attributes that both parties have agreed upon. SLA defines the issue response and resolution time for all the requests, so it clarifies the services to be expected by the end-user.
• Provide self-service options: Customers prefer to use self-service support. Moreover, it is easier for customers to get the results. They feel more empowered by this feature.

However, the enterprise realized that a single team could only efficiently handle some of the ticket volume, which slowed the ticket resolution process. With the help of the IT service desk, we can decrease the workload of a single team by dividing the ticket flow into various specialized teams.

Key Benefits of Service Desk

1. The link between IT and Business: Service Desk connects IT and other business departments. The service desk software assists in resolving and even evading preventable issues and breakdowns by helping create, assign, track, and resolve tickets. SLA management lets us prioritize urgent matters and enables you to set deadlines or escalation rules to resolve the issue. If the priority is less than it will be diverted to the self-service portal, they can find solutions by themselves via smart search filtering.
2. Streamline communication: The IT service desk can provide regular updates to users on the status of their issues and improves communication between IT and end users, as the user feels more informed and engaged throughout the support process, which helps improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Aids Data-Driven Decision: A service desk gathers and initiates the data from issues, products, and performance outcomes and offers a deep pool of insight when aggregated. Data sets can be analyzed to help identify common and unique issues, the cost-benefit of specific assets, and the overall ROI of your IT strategies.
4. Operational efficiency: having a single point of contact for all IT issue aspects of an IT service desk leads to increased efficiency. Instead of navigating multiple channels or connections, users can quickly report issues and receive assistance through the service desk.
5. Better visibility and reporting: The IT service desk offers an easy-to-use dashboard tracking all incidents from the beginning to the termination. With detailed reports and analysis, you can take a depth view of the performance of your IT support professionals. Heads can also track agents’ productivity by changing average ticket resolution time metrics.

Overall, an IT service desk can provide numerous benefits to organizations, including improved efficiency, customer satisfaction, issue tracking, communication, security, and access to IT expertise.

Conclusion

The service desk is a core point for IT-related issues that helps streamline communication and improve response time. In addition, it provides a consistent and structured approach to incidents, problem resolution, and change management. This reduces the possibility of errors and downtime. Moreover, an IT service desk helps you gain valuable insights into IT operations through metrics and reporting.

Overall, an IT service desk improves IT operations for better customer satisfaction. You can easily track all IT-related issues and requests in a central place with internal employees and external customers. As a result, adopting the service desk helps to boost your business.

– by Hailly Ved