Lesson 1: Icebergs and Undergrounds

In the common view of desktop application support, calls typically account for less than 5 percent of help desk volume. Very often, the percentage is even less than 1 percent. The visible portion of the “iceberg” is quite small.

But, like an iceberg, what you see on the surface (that is, what most CIOs see when reviewing help desk metrics) is merely a fraction of what truly exists. The reality is that the demand is there; it’s just being absorbed by the organization in other forms:

• Peer support (Joe asks Mary for help)
• Abandoned support (Joe gets stuck and walks away from the task altogether)
• Rework (Joe can’t figure out how to make the software do what he needs so he re-tools his work to get around the problem)
• Self-help (Joe wastes time consulting the software help feature, scouring the Internet for help, reviewing manuals, etc.)

The productivity impact of these “underground” support channels averages three hours per solution at a cost of $48 to $196 per solution (depending on salary). And this doesn’t even account for the additional cost of the peer’s time (e.g., Mary in the example above). In comparison, the average solution with a best-of-breeds software application support provider is less than $25.
The true level of demand typically ranges from 5 percent to 15 percent of all help desk call volume, assuming all troubled end-users are reaching out to the help desk instead of consulting their underground channels. When a company is migrating to a new software suite or version, or rolling out additional mobile devices, the surge in demand for support can reach 40 percent or more of help desk volume.

Lesson 2: Contrasting Models

There is a significant contrast between supporting desktop applications under the standard help desk model versus employing a best-of-breeds approach for “how-to” support.
The standard help desk model employs a tiered support structure where only a relatively small percentage of issues (around 20 percent) are resolved on the first call, another roughly 35 percent require a few days to turn around, and the remaining 45 percent either take longer than a few days, or sometimes never find resolution.
This model staffs agents for things like break/fix, network connectivity issues, and hardware and software installs. They are, by design, generalists that have little knowledge on desktop applications and mobile devices (“jack of all trades, master of none,” to borrow a phrase). Additionally, the typical help desk is built on the premise of “lean staffing,” meaning nominal off-hours coverage, fewer bodies than required to meet peak calling periods, and frequent “leave a message” instances for troubled end-users.

In sharp contrast, a best-of-breeds sourcing partner does not employ a tiered support structure, leading to 90 percent or more of issues being resolved on the first call, and virtually no issue outstanding beyond 24 hours (excluding certain time-intensive development projects). Unlike the typical help desk model, a best-of-breeds sourcing partner employs certified software specialists on the front lines that focus exclusive attention, day in and day out, on desktop application and mobile device support. In this model, response time is critical, listening to music in queue is offensive, and leaving a voicemail is completely unacceptable.

Additional contrast stems from that exclusive focus. A best-of-breeds sourcing partner solves the real problem, not merely the symptoms described by the end-user, in addition to identifying related topics, delivering multiple solutions on the same call, and recommending future courses of action for training. The specialist, by virtue of experience and expertise, can solve today’s issue and reduce tomorrow’s need for similar support. That translates into dramatically enhanced ROI for an organization’s investment in software and mobile devices.

Lesson 3: Apples & Oranges, and How Much They Really Cost

The typical perception of specialized desktop application support is that it is expensive compared to average help desk metrics. The reasoning follows a general pattern: Our average call lasts X minutes and costs Y dollars. The average call to a niche, “how-to” support provider is expensive when compared to our internal cost per call for help desk assistance.
But that’s comparing apples to oranges.

For starters, comparing “costs per call” completely misses the key distinction between a “call” and a “solution.” While a typical help desk call may focus on an isolated, solitary issue and the associated solution such as “connecting to the web,” desktop application support generally requires the delivery of multiple solutions on a single call.

A customer calling in about Excel, for example, may need help fixing a formula, formatting cells, and modifying a pivot table before the support session can be successfully ended. The end result is a much lower cost-per-solution delivered – and one that no doubt required a much higher level of experience and expertise to address.

So, while typical calls to a help desk may cost an average $80 per solution, a specialized partner can deliver solutions for a fraction of this cost.

Aside from getting the terms right, it is also inaccurate to compare the average help desk call with the average “how-to” solution. A help desk handles a disproportionately high number of quick-fix issues (such as password resets, which can average 30 percent or more of all help desk service requests).

Such quick-fix calls skew the average length and cost of a help desk call. If that same help desk examined average minutes spent on just one subset of its data – namely, desktop application and mobile device issues – the numbers tell a very different story.

Lesson 4: A Breakfast Analogy

Training and support are not the same. Training complements support, like milk complements Cheerios, but training is not a viable substitute for support. Still, many IT managers will reason that, since all employees go through training when they are hired and perhaps even periodically thereafter, there is no need for desktop application support. This is flawed for two primary reasons.

First, while training is effective at addressing common and repeated needs, it is highly ineffective – and inefficient – at meeting specialized needs at unpredictable times, which is the very nature of a desktop application support issue. For example, if my company is switching from Lotus Notes to Outlook, it is smart to offer upfront training to teach employees how to attach files, use distribution lists, make calendar entries, etc. – tasks everyone needs to know how to do from the start. But if I cannot figure out why my net present value calculation in Excel is yielding a negative number for the interest rate, training is of no help to me, even if I was the star pupil at every class the company offered.

Beyond that, even a well-trained knowledge worker is highly likely to forget what he/she learned when the time comes to use a key feature or apply a technique within the application or device. Think about the student who studies, aces the exam, and, two months later, cannot remember a lick of what he learned.

Lesson 5: Full-Circle

The presence or absence of quality desktop application and mobile device support feeds a recurring cycle of events.

When support is poor, end-user satisfaction is low. This leads to a low number of calls to the help desk on “how-to” questions and an increase in the need for support, as evidenced by end-users seeking help from peers or other time-consuming sources. This gap in support costs companies an average of three hours of lost productivity per “how-to” issue (see Lesson 1: The Iceberg). But an organization will never see this gap by merely looking at its help desk stats. It is hidden from plain view.

On the contrary, when the gap is bridged with top-notch support, end-user satisfaction increases, as does the number of calls for desktop application and mobile device support. It seems paradoxical, but consider this: When the availability of quality, prompt support becomes known and is then reinforced by experience, the demand shifts from peer support to the newly enhanced help desk. Bridging this gap brings an immediate productivity gain (i.e., winning back the three hours per solution) and a future productivity gain.

An IT manager may ask: Why would I go looking for additional calls? After all, I’m trying to decrease help desk call volume. The real question should be: Why would I allow my company to continue wasting $48 to $196 per “how-to” solution when an alternative model could yield the same solutions for $25?

Have you asked yourself that question? (Jen Darr, Stephanie Maurer)

FIND MORE INFO IN: Download the Full White Paper | Related Case Study | PC Helps eTraining |Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

In an e-mail response, a reader pointed out an even greater obstacle, something he called the infuriation factor.

“The reason I don’t call our help desk is because it is outsourced to desks outside the U.S.,” he wrote. “The ‘Help’ can’t speak English adequately enough to understand or communicate effectively. A problem which should only take five or 10 minutes to resolve sometimes takes as long as an hour and a half.”

He has a point, and it’s a biggie, for sure.

“Desktop application support is often treated as an afterthought, or a small piece of a gargantuan, all-in-one outsourcing deal.”

Most of us have had a frustrating help desk experience or two, where we were placed on hold, forced to listen to tinny ’80s Lite rock, only to be “helped” – eventually – by someone whose English was so-so, and who was proficient only in gatekeeping.

I’m not by any means xenophobic, and I’m not offended if an ATM asks if I’d like to bank in Spanish, Hindi or English, but the point of desktop application support – or any support – is to clear up conundrums. That’s hard to accomplish if the people involved cannot communicate with each other. It’s even more difficult if the help desk employs a tiered structure and bounces callers around until they get a technician who can actually help.

The language issue is a symptom of a larger outsourcing problem. That is, that because the need for desktop application support isn’t easily quantifiable, and because it’s difficult to prove return on investment with such services, it’s is often treated as an afterthought, or a small piece of a gargantuan, all-in-one outsourcing deal. This not only sullies the help desk’s image, it also tarnishes the IT department’s reputation overall.

Recent industry publications have suggested that multimillion dollar outsourcing deals are the stuff of history, and that companies have begun opting for nimbler, best-of-breed help desk outsourcers. Still, the challenges remain: how to change the help desk’s reputation, how to prove its value, and how to keep an eye on the budget. (Jen Darr)

Is your IT department all-in-one or best-of-breed? Tell us in comments or send us an e-mail.

MORE INFO IN: 5 Lessons to Learn Before Outsourcing | Hidden Demand | Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

The study asked 1,400 CFOs which issues would take top priority in the coming year. Thirty percent said increasing productivity, while 20 percent saw boosting profitability as a priority.

After sacking their beloved cubiclemates, you may need to reassure the surviving employees that you believe in them.

It’s no surprise, considering the global economic condition, one that’s been punctuated by layoffs, hiring freezes and other cost-cutting measures. Companies must do the same amount of work with smaller headcounts. Among the employees who are left, morale is suffering.

Here are your options if you want to meet your goals of profitability and productivity gains:

1. Overload the current crew, and white-knuckle it till the economy rebounds.
2. Hire temp workers to save on overhead.
3. Hire an outsourcer to pick up the slack.

In the case of Number 1, it’s obvious. Morale is already low. Doling out more work will be akin to shooting yourself in both feet.

For the second choice, it may appear to be an attractive option, but consider this: Temps working the help desk are generalists, who probably will not be able to help out callers with macro questions. What’s more, temp-staffed help desks clock an average hold time of 15 minutes and an abandonment rate of more than 10 percent. What effect will that have on morale?

Number 3, outsourcing software support to a best-of-breed, is sometimes deemed “excessive” or “unnecessary.” But it’s the most profitable choice over time.

For example, instructing your employees to get more done with less help is unreasonable. Pay-as-you-need assistance is realistic. And, after sacking their beloved cubiclemates, you may need to reassure the surviving employees that you still believe in them.

Adding headcount isn’t a possibility at the moment, but freeing up the time of existing IT staff is the next best thing.

MORE INFO IN: PC Helps eTraining | Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

What, or whom, to cut is never easy, especially when the software for the upcoming migration has already been purchased. It’s easier to drop services than it is to lay off employees; services don’t have a face or a family. Realistically, however, opting to bring in outsourcers in cash-strapped times or during a software migration provides greater ROI. The difference is substantial. Here’s a comparison:

It’s easier to drop services than it is to lay off employees; services don’t have a face or a family.

Certification level:

• Chances are that if you opt to add full-time employees to your help desk to handle the migration, they will be generalists. For after-hours or 24-7 coverage, they will be no more than junior level employees or administrative staff.
• Adding PC Helps gives you access to certified computer consultants, 24-7.

Advanced support and number of applications supported:

• For advanced support, like working with macros and application development issues, you will have none if you hire full-timers for a migration, and your staff will only be able to support 12 applications on average.
• PC Helps has plenty of developers to go around, and we support more than 166 applications.

Cost model:

• With full-time employees, you will be paying them a fixed rate, plus benefits and overhead. That amounts to about $65,000 annually on average.
• With PC Helps, you pay only for time spent on solutions or actual use.

Response time, abandonment rate and peak hold time:

• With full-timers, the average response time varies, the abandonment rate is 5 percent, and the peak hold time during a migration is nine minutes. Doesn’t sound that bad until you consider the alternative…
• … which is a two-ring response, an abandonment rate of less than .01 percent, and no hold time, even during a migration.

Resolution time and cost:

• With full-time employees, calls take an average of 30 minutes to resolve, and cost roughly $89 per solution.
• With PC Helps or similar best-of-breed support, the average call takes six minutes to resolve and costs less than $25 per solution.

Next post: A side-by-side comparison of temp workers versus best-of-breeds.

MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 Migration Checklist + Tools | Migration Case Study | PC Helps eTraining | Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Part Four, a Case Study:

Client Profile
Toys-R-Us, a public, U.S.-based, consumer goods company with 6,000 global PC end-users.

Business Challenge
Toys-R-Us made the decision to migrate all global end-users from Microsoft Office 2003 to Microsoft Office 2007. The company realized that it didn’t have the internal support resources to handle the learning curve end-users and IT staff would face, nor did it have the training aids available to deliver quick adoption and continued workflow.

With the company’s Office 2007 upgrade investment, it was vital that IT leadership not only prove ROI on their decision to upgrade, but accomplish this while remaining within budget and not compromising productivity levels.

Solution
Today, the company’s internal help desk handles all hardware, networking and proprietary application support and outsources their “how-to” desktop application issues including Microsoft applications to PC Helps Support.

Fourth in a five-part Office 2007 migration readiness series.

In October 2007, the company decided to migrate all knowledge workers to Office 2007. They chose PC Helps Support as their Office 2007 migration assurance partner for several reasons, including:

• End-users’ existing confidence and comfort with PC Helps’ “how-to” support
• The program offers on-demand support and training — 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Pricing is scalable and usage-based, which allows the company to remain within budget
• The program provides ongoing, solution-based call reporting and quality assurance reports, which provides IT leaders with proof of ROI

Toys-R-Us rolled out Office 2007 to 30 end-users per day through the projected completion date. Windows XP operating systems remained with no immediate plans to upgrade to Vista. PC Helps’ client services team worked with the company’s corporate communications department to create and coordinate a global education awareness campaign about the timing and schedule of deployment and the array of support outlets that were available for Office 2007 questions and issues. The company changed the help desk voice menu to include Office 2007 “how-to” questions, which continue to be exclusively handled by PC Helps.

PC Helps extended its migration assurance program beyond on-demand phone support by offering an array of training formats before, during and after deployment. Toys-R-Us utilized PC Helps’ on-site training twice a week, two times per day, from October through December, and all knowledge workers were required to attend. IT staff members responsible for supporting executives were required to take advanced-level courses as well. PC Helps offered 30-minute, live, instructor-led, web-based e-training classes throughout all stages of the migration, and continues to provide training to employees today. This multi-prong training approach allows for maximum adoption in the shortest amount of time.

Results
By utilizing the PC Helps migration assurance program, Toys-R-Us successfully migrated 6,000 end-users from Office 2003 to Office 2007 in a four-month period with minimal impact on productivity levels.

IT leadership was able to prove a return on investment by providing quality assurance reports and solution-based call reports, which illustrate high customer-service levels, continued learning, and time savings.

Quality of Service
Toys-R-Us’ employees rated PC Helps’ service a 9.5 out of 10, based on the following key performance measures: Speed of connection, phone manners, product knowledge, speed of solution and overall.

Response Statistics
Abandon rate: 0.32%
Time to reach a certified computer consultant (including ring time):
• Under 5 seconds: 90.8% • Under 15 seconds: 90.7% • Under 30 seconds: 92.7%

Downtime Analysis
Based on survey responses, employees estimated the time to resolve their support issues without PC Helps would be 2.94 hours. Based on industry averages for labor costs, overhead, and benefits, the client’s hard-dollar savings by having PC Helps resolve these Office 2007 support issues in just a few minutes amounts to approximately $73.57 per call.

Next up, a white paper, “How Much Will An Office 2007 and Vista Migration Hurt?” (Jen Darr)

READ THE SERIES: Part One, The Big Picture | Part Two, Readiness Checklist | Part Three, Staffing Matrix

FIND MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 Migration Checklist + Tools | Migration Case Study | PC Helps eTraining | Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Part Three, the Matrix:

At no other time is staffing more important than during a software migration, when employees will be struggling with or even resistant to the challenges of change. There are education awareness campaigns to launch before, questions and install issues to field during, and inevitable glitches that show up after. And that’s just a slice of what to expect.

Third in a five-part Office 2007 migration readiness series.

You have four basic choices in staffing for a migration: hiring additional full-time employee(s); bringing in temp workers; contracting with an all-in-one outsourcer; or hiring a best-of-breed company. (Of course there’s a fifth choice – migrating without a staffing plan – but we’ll skip that option. You should too.)

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each:

In principle, hiring additional full-time employees keeps the control in your hands, but doesn’t make sense financially or logistically. You will need to train new employees on the entire Office 2007 suite, pay benefits, and dole out extra expenses for an after-hours support skeleton crew.

Such a significant time and money investment (at about $85 per call) does not make sense when you consider that you have no guarantee the new FTEs and your existing IT staff will be able to cover a full-swing migration while maintaining their regular duties. What’s more, your new employees will be generalists, supporting only a dozen or so applications. The average peak hold time for this solution is nine minutes, and the call abandonment rate is 10 percent.

At an average of $96 a call, temps are pricier than their full-time counterparts, and don’t even deliver better service (15 percent abandonment rate). A temp solution offers generalist support and an average 15-minute hold time during peak hours. It does not provide training, advanced Office 2007 support, or awareness campaigns.

Choosing a larger outsourcer seems like a smart option if you already contract with one for other services. At $59 on average per call, this option is cheaper than hiring temps and full-timers. Also, some all-in-ones offer training in conjunction with a migration. The downside: The staff is mostly generalists whose first language is not English. Some big outsourcers employ tiered-model desks as well. When you factor in the 10-minute peak hold time and 15 percent call abandonment rate, this option loses its luster.

The fourth option, a best-of-breed, is often written off as boutique-y and expensive, and even more so during an economic downturn. The offerings are definitely high-end: domestic Microsoft-certified consultants; support for more than 160 applications, including advanced-level Office 2007; training courses and awareness campaigns; after-hours support; no hold time; a call abandonment rate of .01 percent; and a 91 percent first-call resolution rate. The price is anything but expensive, however, at an average of $25 per call.(Jen Darr)

READ THE SERIES: Part One, The Big Picture | Part Two, Readiness Checklist

FIND MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 Migration Checklist + Tools | Migration Case Study | PC Helps eTraining | Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps