Overview
Being an effective Service Desk Manager requires a broad range
of talents, from people-oriented abilities and an awareness of
logistics to financial acumen and presentation skills. This course
provides a thorough understanding of, and qualification in, Service
Desk management.
The course also looks at the management of support methodologies
and technologies and the tools utilised within the Service Desk. It
reviews issues such as Service Level Agreements, the benefits and
pitfalls and the importance of metrics; the implementation of
service management processes and effective problem solving
techniques that a Service Desk Manager can utilise.
The course is based upon the standards and objectives for SDI’s
Service Desk Manager qualification and ensures that students are
provided with the knowledge, information and tools to take the SDM
exam.
Target Group
The course is designed for both new and experienced Service Desk
Managers, team leaders and supervisors. Between 3 and 5 years
experience of the Service Desk environment is ideal.
Prerequisites
It is strongly recommended that candidates have more than 3
years experience within the Service Desk environment before
attending this event.
Course outline
Building the Right Conceptual Model
- Understand the role of support within the context of the
organisations overall mission and strategic business goals
- Determine the design and set-up of a successful support
organisation based on proven strategies and known best
practices
- Develop a clear understanding of the elements that must be
present for establishment of a successful Service Desk
Business Integration
- Understand the importance of business and IT integration
- Develop strategies aligned to organizational objectives that
are designed to take advantage of business opportunities
- Understand the importance and need for goals and
objectives
- Understand the importance of ensuring all staff are aware of
the role they play in the business and why they do it
- Determine the type and style of management reporting that best
meets the organisation’s needs
Service Culture
- Recognise and understand the importance of understanding our
customer’s expectations and perceptions
- Understand the benefit of using SLAs effectively as a service
quality improvement tool
- Understand the importance of a reward and recognition strategy
and identify some different methods of reward and recognition
Implementation Planning
- Determine how to develop a project plan to set-up or re-design
the Service Desk
- Identify the steps required in a project plan
- Understand the importance of effective Process Management
- Examine the ITSM processes with which the Service Desk has
involvement
- Determine the function of the Service Desk within the problem
management process
- Identify methods for setting priorities
- Understand ways to maximise the use of knowledge
management
- Determine the importance of a good change management
process
Operational Processes
- Understand the importance of clear and straightforward
processes within the workplace
- Determine the benefits of a problem management process, and its
interfaces with other key processes
- Understand the importance of root cause analysis
- Review the importance and benefit of metrics as part of the
customer service processes
People and Motivation
- Examine motivational theories and how they apply within the
workplace
- Identify the key skills and attributes required for Service
Desk staff
- Review work environment factors and their impact on staff
motivation and behaviour
People Skills and Knowledge
- Determine different categories of skills and knowledge required
by staff
- Identify the core business knowledge all staff should possess
as a minimum
- Determine the manner in which staff currently acquire their
skills and knowledge
Quality Assurance
- Understand the common QA practices used to assess, modify and
improve IT services in order to meet and exceed customer
expectations
- Understand the role of benchmarking in the Service Desk
environment in order to obtain a comparative evaluation of
performance
Tools and Technologies
- Identify the commonly used Service Desk tools and technologies,
their benefits and pitfalls
- Examine the various knowledge tools available to the Service
Desk
- Identify which tools we use, which we need and why we need
them
Business Mastery
- Understand the responsibilities of the Service Desk in
contributing to IT and business objectives
- Implement ways to recognize and promote the benefits a Service
Desk brings to the business
- Gain a basic understanding of financial principles and business
awareness
Organisational Leadership
- Identify the skills required for the Service Desk team from the
customer’s perspective and ours
- Determine methods to recruit and retain talented staff
- Identify the qualities that make for effective leadership and
how to develop them
Professional Development
- Determine how well we manage our time and develop ways for
improving our time management skills
- Understand the importance of continual personal development,
continual learning and of staying current within the industry
- Identify techniques for staff assessment and staff
development