15 December 2008
Self-service to save costs while improving skills
...Past experience suggests that IT training budgets suffer proportionally bigger cuts in recessions than some parts of the business. So how can IT directors ensure IT is used effectively within the organisation? Mike Summers, general manager of ILX Group's Performance Support Solutions, suggests self-service portals are an effective, low-cost solution....
In a recession, many organisations will reduce headcount, but have already committed to rolling out new IT platforms, like Windows Vista and Microsoft SharePoint 2007. So while IT can be used to enhance the productivity of those left behind, the IT manager may face a bigger workload as the IT support team is reduced, just at a time when there is an increased need to deliver IT support.
The success of IT implementations generally reflects users' perceptions regarding ease of use. If users perceive that an implementation has 'failed' because they were not properly trained and supported, leading to a reduction in organisational productivity, the IT director is less likely to gain board support and budget for future implementations. Even one single point of failure - especially if the CEO is unable to access their files or email - can impact the IT director’s personal profile, credibility and influence within the organisation.
This is particularly problematic with large-scale implementations that tend to be phased, leading to a significant time-lag between training. Everyday use has shown that learning is lost if it is not used within 48 hours.
Going 'self-service'
Many IT directors juggling the demands of increasing service levels, reducing costs and improving the timeliness of IT support are turning to self-service support portals to bridge the gap. But they need to offer a fully-fledged portal that supports all users, regardless of the platform they use, their method of access, geography or the time of day.
Enabling access to such portals is proven (Forrester Research) to reduce first and second-line service desk calls, for several reasons.
First, our culture is consumer-led and self-service portals offer immediate gratification; users won’t call and wait for someone else to help them, if they can help themselves.
Second, self-service portals are non-patronising; the user does not need to worry about a colleague's perception of them just because they haven't understood or have forgotten something. And a well-designed portal won't accidentally slip into technical language that confuses the user even more. Users can just resolve their problem quickly and get back to business, rather than muddling through and potentially creating a bigger problem that requires greater service desk support.
Third, research (Retaining Valuable Knowledge: Best Buy Case Study, APQC) shows that individuals retain learning better if it is presented in the context of their job function and undertaken when they are receptive - what better time than when they actually need to know? It's also more effective to deliver learning in short, manageable bursts, which is exactly what self-service portals do. The improvements in knowledge retention reduce the need for immediate and future service desk calls.
Time and cost savings
IT directors may regard training and support as an unwanted cost, but a self-service portal actually saves the organisation time and money. Research by Gartner Group shows that in a 500-desktop organisation, this can increase productivity by 88 working days per year and add £44,100 to the organisation's bottom line.
Total savings increase proportionate to the complexity of the organisation and the volume of helpdesk calls normally received, with the greatest economies of scale enjoyed by larger organisations and multinationals or those with remote offices or workforces that need helpdesk support 24/7.
Who's doing it?
The financial services sector has been quick to adopt self-service support systems, to help deliver split-second advantage in competitive markets. Time literally is money, so employees must be able to access and use systems effectively, immediately.
The public sector is also ahead of the curve in its use of self-service portals. These organisations commission and implement large-scale systems for huge numbers of people, with training and support a massive undertaking.
Self-service portals help to manage that in a more timely and resource-effective way, delivering more efficient expenditure of public funds. Another motivation is the desire to comply with government policy on carbon reduction, which is a potential by-product of reducing classroom training and helpdesk resources.
Enjoying the benefits
Executives sometimes fail to appreciate how dependent the organisation is on how its IT systems are used. If an employee has not been trained or supported adequately, how productive are they? There is also a tendency to concentrate on the 'go-live' phase of new implementations, when ongoing support meets the more sophisticated requests that help users get the most out of IT once it's embedded.
Given the high cost of many ICT implementations, self-service portals that improve productivity can help justify those budgets - and the organisation's IT strategy. In turn, the IT director can then utilise that goodwill, and the time and money saved, to drive the future developments that will help the organisation remain competitive in difficult markets.
