copyright: hamilton college 2006 doing more with less: finding solutions that don’t cost a bundle...

Copyright: Hamilton College 2006

Doing more with less:Finding solutions that don’t cost a bundle

Presenters:

Debbora (Debby) Quayle – Help Desk & Training

Karen Schaffer – Desktop Integration (Installations)

Krista Siniscarco – Instructional Technology Support


Hamilton at a glance

• Private liberal arts college• 1750 undergraduate students• IT department

– 27 members• Web Services (2)• Network & Telephone Services (4)• Instructional Technology Support (7)• Desktop Integration Services (3)• Central Information Services (5)• Help Desk & Training (4)• VP & Office Assistant (2)


How to manage growing demand for support and

services at a time when…..


This is your team (or department)


And this is your work load


The first solution everyone thinks of is…


More Help!!More Help!!


And yet…

• Adding staff is not an option

• Budgets are flat or shrinking

• Other constraints prohibit it


The unthinkable

Cut back or change our services


The usual objections

• Runs counter to our mission

• Lose value in the eyes of our clients

• Don’t know where to start

• It won’t be enough


If we don’t cut back or change

• Demand will still increase

• Long work hours will continue

• Turn-around times won’t improve

• Quality will go down

• Less able to respond to emergencies


What we did

• The technique we used– Problem analysis – identify the time sinks– List all our options– Identify the stakeholders– Develop solutions & include the

stakeholders– Implement and evaluate

• Examples in three different support areas


Instructional Technology Support


Our Services at a Glance

• Technology Enhanced (TE) Classrooms– 70 TE classrooms– 48 dual platform, 22 Mac only– Courses, special events & presentations– 2 professional staff, 25 students– 2 departments - ITS & A/V


The Problems

• # of classrooms .

• Demand/usage from users .

• Requests for support .

• # of staff, stays the same.

• Training student staff.


Bottlenecks/Time Sinks

• Uneven division of labor• Inconsistency in hardware/software• “Emergency” support• Students’ responsibilities

– cross-platform, labs & classrooms

• 2 departments responsible for space


Stakeholders

• Faculty & Students

• Administration & Guests

• Student Staff (STCs)

• Professional Staff (ITS & A/V)


Options

• Staffing– Hire more– Reallocate existing

Level of Service

• Outreach to Campus


Solutions

• Reallocation of staff– Professional staff– Student staff

• Coordination with A/V

• Departmentally supported spaces

• Outreach to faculty & administration


Results

• Consistency & compatibility “Emergency” support calls

• STCs better trained & prepared– in referrals to professional staff



• Instructional design• Faculty & Course support

– Direct student support - multimedia projects

• Tailored workshops & assignments to meet learning goals– Checkpoints & support throughout semester

• Multimedia Presentation Center• Professional & Intern staff


Example Timeline


The Problems

demand for service– # and intensity

• Resources remain constant

• Large gap between professional staff & STCs



• Resource shortage at “crunch times”

• Several resources that need to be evenly balanced– Each course– Throughout semester

• Last minute requests for support


Stakeholders

• Students

• Faculty

• Interns/STCs

• Professional Staff


Options

• Staffing– Hire more– Reallocate existing

• More resources Level of Service

• Outreach to Campus


Solutions

• Reallocation of professional staff• Hire interns• Outreach to faculty

– Need to PLAN AHEAD

• Different models of support– Shifting deadlines– Alternative solutions


Results

• Better allocation of resources throughout semester

• Better able to meet demand for support

• Higher quality in student projects

• More professional staff time for planning & development


Desktop Integration Services



• Hardware Installations

• Software Installations

• Purchasing

• Advanced Troubleshooting

• 2 professional staff - full-time

• 2 interns part-time – academic calendar

• 6 interns full-time - summer


The Problems

• Due to Increases in:– Services offered and supported– Number of service requests– Computers and printers managed– Complexities of operating systems

• Unable to:– Meet service levels– Plan for technology changes– Build efficiencies/improve services– Backup within the team



• New hardware installations – Researching available options– Purchasing– Logistics of receiving, inventorying,

configuring– Onsite installation– Ongoing support

• Training interns


Stakeholders

• All Employees– Faculty most affected

• Top Level Management



Options

• Hire additional staff

• Outsource hardware & software installations

• Schedule all installations during summer

• Hire additional interns


Solutions

• Hardware installations June – August

• Annual hardware purchase

• Buy in from top level management

• Policy & procedures for exceptions

• Promoted new business model

• Additional student staff for summer


Results

• Successfully implemented new business model & policies

• More time for planning & other initiatives

• Project compartmentalization– Focus on quality service– Standardization of hardware – Improve team morale



• Hardware Installations

• Software Installations

• Purchasing

• Advanced Troubleshooting

• 2 professional staff - full-time

• 2 interns part-time – academic calendar

• 6 interns full-time - summer


The Problems

• 2 teams providing same installation services

• 3 staff managing same installation services differently

• 2 staff managing purchasing• Inconsistent services• Inefficient use of resources• Who to contact – confusing to clients



• Planning

• Inconsistent use of tools & technical implementations

• Difficult to troubleshoot advanced problems


Stakeholders

• Faculty

• Professional staff


Options

• Create a new position

• Reallocate position

• Reallocate position and redefine responsibilities

• Do nothing


Solutions

• Redefined responsibilities & reallocated position

• New policies & procedures for services

• Planning & collaboration across teams


Results

• Single point of contact

• Consistency & standardization of services

• Backup support within the team

• Foster an environment to strengthen and expand technical knowledge

• Streamline and simplify service


Help Desk & Training Services


Our service at a glance

• Phone & in-office support (students & staff)• 3 full-time Help Desk professionals• Help@Night (1 per shift)• Support on Site (SOS) (1 per shift)• Daytime student workers (2 hr./week)


Problem & Time Sinks

• Drowning in spyware and viruses• Call volume at an all time high • Our call backlog was 3 times higher than

normal• No control over laptop drop-off• More laptops than we could support• Students frustrated by long delays• Too many repeat customers• Quality was suffering


Options

• Discontinue our laptop service

• Continue to take laptops, but require appointments

• Have students do the remediation in our office or their rooms

• Provide self-help documentation


Stakeholders

• Students

• Student workers



Solution

• Hire temporary workers for the peak load• Require appointments for assistance• Have students do the work• Limit service to the first two weeks of the

semester (called “the grace period”)


Solution part 2

• After the grace period, appointments only if compliant– Firewall on– Anti-virus installed and up-to-date– Anti-spyware installed and up-to-date– OS patches installed and up-to-date

• If not compliant, provide self-help packet or use fee-based repair service

• Problems NOT related to compliance – full drop off service


Including the StakeholdersStudents– Announced new policy– Encouraged self-helpStudent workers– Trained to assist – Rehearsed the policy– Escalate difficult problemsProfessional staff– Developed policy as a team– Reviewed and rehearsed


Results• Sharp decline at start of semester• Processed more than ever• Customer satisfaction soared• Less stressed• Better able to respond to emergencies• Time for professional development


Implement and Evaluate

Fall 2003

(Blaster)

Spring

2004

Fall 2004

Spring 2005

Compliant

Spring 2005

Non-

Compliant

Fall 2005

Compliant

Fall 2005

Non-

Compliant

Grace

Virus/

Spyware

100 35 48 25 42 9 28

Satisfaction 85% 98% 97% 97% 100%Post-Grace

Virus/ Spyware

98 120 77 67 63 43 89

Satisfaction -- -- 89% 90% 100%

Total Computers

306 277 314 279 458


How to do more with less

• Problem analysis – identify the time sinks

• List ALL your options

• Identify the stakeholders

• Develop solutions & include the stakeholders

• Implement and evaluate


Things that worked for us

• Realign teams or team member assignments (permanently or temporarily)

• Reallocate resources to meet peaks in demand

• Involve the stakeholders in the process• Consider other sources of help – students

and temporary workers• Redefine service expectations & support

models • Communicate changes -- often


How to contact us

Debby Quayle (Help Desk & Training)

[email protected]

Karen Schaffer (Desktop Integration)

[email protected] 315-859-4051

Krista Siniscarco (Instructional Technology Support)

[email protected] 315-859-4099

copyright: hamilton college 2006 doing more with less: finding solutions that don’t cost a bundle...

Documents

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