The advantage of service desk systems for business processes

To automate operational business processes, especially in small SMB-segment companies, it is not always profitable, accessible and convenient to use complex ERP/BPM systems. A simpler solution is service desk class systems. Including because such solutions often already exist in the IT department. It is with these departments that the automation process begins – through SD, conditions are created for convenient work with applications, compliance with quality standards and reduction of manual labor.

In this article, we will look at the specific advantages of a service desk and what processes can be automated using this system.

Advantages of a service desk for the SMB segment

Service desk systems enable a smooth and flexible digital transformation of a business by creating a single point of contact between service departments and end users. Here are the benefits a company can derive from this solution:

1. Transparency and predictability of business processes

In a company with several dozen people, it is difficult to manually control individual employees and entire teams. It is physically impossible to stand behind each person and monitor what task they are doing and whether they are working at all.

A single service desk platform solves this problem. An unlimited number of requests can be entered into the automation system without the risk of losing them. At the same time, the manager gets the opportunity to see in a single window what tasks and projects are currently being worked on, what their statuses and deadlines are.

At the same time, business processes become predictable. Service desk helps to plan operational activities, set deadlines for tasks, allocate resources, and account for labor costs.

At its core, a business process breaks down into a sequence of actions and instructions: who, what, when, where and how should be done. If there are no instructions, the task may be misunderstood or forgotten.

Service desk class systems are configured specifically to record parameters, such instructions, where: “who” is the performer, “what” is the request or task, “when” is the scheduled time, “where” is the object, client and “how” is the description of the request or task using the appropriate tools (checklists, regulations, knowledge base, etc.).

2. Increased productivity

Thanks to automation, the service desk allows you to quickly respond to requests from users – internal employees, external customers and clients – and resolve their problems. As a result, the productivity of both service specialists and contractors or partners increases.

For example, an employee in the office does not have to wait for someone in the IT department to respond to his request to fix a printer or set up mail. It is enough to place a request in the service desk and a technical specialist will receive a notification, after which the system will automatically update the status of the request until it is completed.

The employee will not have to be distracted to find out what is happening with his request, losing precious working time. He will always know the status of the request and the expected time for solving the problem. In particular, he will be able to reschedule his working day and do other tasks in order to minimize his downtime due to a non-standard situation.

3. Improving the quality of production processes

With the increase in the scale of production, the number of facilities where equipment is located and units of equipment may grow. In such conditions, it may be difficult to effectively carry out maintenance, preventive maintenance, and emergency service. Here, the service desk will help to establish timely notification of problems, quick departure of technicians, including with the help of a mobile application, so that on site, for example, a task can be assigned to related specialists.

End users can track the status of their tickets and receive updates on their issues. And when a technician is unavailable, they are provided with a self-service portal containing a library of fixes and solutions.

4. Detailed reporting and analytics

Service desk allows you to collect detailed data on business processes to make informed and strategic decisions. Company managers, from top managers to line managers, can analyze the number of requests, deadlines, response times, typical problems to improve internal and external services.

Report metrics not only provide insight into the needs and desires of the end user, but also allow you to plan resources, account for labor costs, and prioritize tasks.

5. High scalability

Service desk class systems help to close most of the supporting and main business processes of the company. If the solution is initially implemented in IT departments, then over time it can be flexibly scaled to other departments.

For example, with the help of service desk ITSM 365, one of the largest federal drugstore chains in Russia fully automated the recruiting process. The entire recruitment cycle was entered into the system – from the application for a vacancy to the employee's registration and even their medical examination. And the design institute Mosgiprotrans systematized the solution of specific tasks outside of IT and built interaction with outsourcing companies on the basis of a single service platform.

Some companies immediately begin to use the service desk to automate related important business processes, which gives the maximum effect from implementation.

Read more materials on this topic in Compass CIO

A single solution for multiple processes

Service desk systems have virtually no limitations in their ability to automate any process. And over time, as the system develops, more and more processes can be connected. For example, in ITSM 365, internal services themselves use the service desk to automate operational activities.

There are standard processes for the service desk – internal IT support, automation of internal services, etc. In addition, there are other operational business processes that are automated and linked to each other.

Let's give a few examples of what processes, in addition to standard internal support, can be introduced into the system.

Financial block in connection with sales processes

The finance department can track the entire customer journey in detail through the service desk – from sales history to financial data:

• dates of start of paid SD operation;
• list of licenses in the customer card;
• payments;
• statuses of payments for using the system;
• customer details;
• transaction reminders;
• invoicing;
• document flow.

Sales and pre-sales

In the sales department, the service desk essentially plays the role of CRM. Each transaction is entered into the system as a card with information about the lead with field markings:

• number of users;
• selection criteria;
• goals of working with the system;
• competitors.

Based on this data, managers classify leads to build an effective sales process. As the lead moves through the funnel, employees update statuses to track the category of each client.

In addition, the deal card contains tasks for all communications with clients: pre-sales, webinars, calls, access to the demo stand. When the user starts testing the system, he automatically receives useful guides on working with the service desk through a special script.

Customer support

The service desk includes all the necessary options for automating customer support:

• a customer directory with a list of their requests for each user;
• opportunities for omnichannel service;
• coordination of terms and conditions of support;
• notifications for customers and contractors;
• collecting feedback;
• analytics of the quality of services provided.

Conclusion

A service desk class system is a convenient, flexible and functional tool for automating operational activities. With one solution, you can close all the gaps and bottlenecks in business processes. A company that implements a service desk gets the opportunity to flexibly and adaptively scale it to all departments – both the front office, which works with external clients, and the back office, which provides services within the organization.