HDI-DSM Standards

"2.1.1 Identify the phases in the evolution of the support center."

"Phases in the evolution of support center services include: 1. Past: • Entry level - low-skilled staff • Reactive • Paper-based systems • Phone-based systems: voice and fax Present:" 2. Present • Proactive • Automated incident logging and tracking systems • Internet and web-based systems • Electronic services: e-mail, instant messaging, and chat • Customer relationship management (CRM) Future:" 3. Future • Expanded scope of services • Customer and business centric • Universal queue and universal agent • Self-healing technologies" • Paper-based systems • Phone-based systems: voice and fax Present:

1.3.5 Describe the four stages of an emotional hijack.

1. A trigger, an event that correctly or symbolically is perceived as a threat 2. A strong emotion 3. An automatic reaction, one that you regret later, after the feelings pass. This reaction is usually inappropriate to the situation, and often has a negative effect on you, the other person, or performance 4. Feelings of regret about your reaction. The fourth stage is the default behavior of fight, flight, or freeze

"2.4.12 List the steps used to calculate cost/ benefit analysis."

1. Identify costs: − Planning (# hours) − People (internal, contract) − Capital expenditures − Implementation − Training − Maintenance − Operational costs 2. Identify Potential or Expected Savings and Benefits, such as: It is important to note these are possible, but not all may apply. Benefits can also be identify as tangible (hard) and intangible (soft). − Productivity for support − Productivity for users − People (support and users) − Expense reduction − Decrease in maintenance costs − Increased revenues − Improved quality − Increase in customer satisfaction − Employee morale 3. Calculate the costs, savings, and benefits. Some organizations will only need the overall benefits, while others may want to see benefits in term of the payback period—how many months it will take to recoup the investment (costs). Benefits - Cost = (Total or Net) Benefit

"2.3.2 Define a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis."

A SWOT analysis is a systematic approach used to clearly identify and understand an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. • Strengths—areas which can be leveraged • Weaknesses—areas which need to be improved or managed to minimize impact • Opportunities—new options that can enhance offerings or increase the success of the organization • Threats—outside factors which can adversely affect the organization and must be eliminated or managed to minimize impact

Six Sigma

A business process for improving quality, reducing costs, and increasing customer satisfaction

"2.2.3 Define a mission statement"

A formal short written statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide decision-making.

"3.7.1 Describe a cross- functional team."

A group of individuals from various groups that have been brought together to execute a specialized project or task.

Performance indicator

A measurement of performance.

"3.9.1 Define mentor."

A more experienced person or peer that assists another person in career growth and learning.

"4.12.1 Describe cloud services."

A set of services offered via a network and a distributed computing environment where the services are provided via a real infrastructure (I.e., hardware, software, storage); however, these services appear to be virtual. Cloud is a synonym for distributed computing over a network of virtual servers and services.

"5.2.1 Information Technology Service Management (ITSM)."

A set of specialized organizational capabilities for providing value to customers in the form of services.

Key Performance Indicator (KPIs)

A type of metric that measures progress toward achieving one's goals and objectives. Represent aspects of performance that are critical to the success of the organization. Are linked to goals of the organization and can be either leading or lagging, qualitative or quantitative measurements.

"2.2.1 Define a vision statement."

A view of the future state of the organization or department. It is an "ideal" picture of what the organization wants to become, as viewed by customers and employees.

"2.4.8 Describe the activities involved in accounting for desktop support."

Accounting is a set of processes that enables the organization to account fully for the way its money is spent (particularly the ability to identify costs by customer, by service, and by activity). The activities involved in accounting for desktop support are: • Understanding the cost of providing services • Comparing costs to budget • Determining unit costs—calculate unit cost for incidents, calls, and users • Understanding the value of return on investment (ROI) and how to calculate a cost benefit analysis

"2.4.3 List the activities involved in Financial Management."

Activities involved in Financial Management are: • Budgeting (planning) • Accounting • Charging (billing)

"5.1.4 the benefits of adopting a best practice framework."

Adoption demonstrates a commitment to quality and may result in improved employee morale.

1.8.1 Describe stress.

An individual's response to change. It is a natural occurrence and can have both positive and negative impact. Causes may be: • Change • Too much work • Not enough time • Job pressure • Lack of knowledge/training • Feeling out of control • Lack of confidence in management/co-workers • Tight scheduling • Inadequate rest • Personal life situations

"5.4.2 Define incident."

An unplanned interruption to the standard operation of a service, or a reduction in the quality of that service. An Incident can also be the failure of an IT component that has not yet impacted a service—something is broken or not working as expected.

"6.4.1 Types of metrics."

Any measurement of performance or efficiency. • Performance indicator is a measurement of performance. • Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) a type of metric that measures progress toward achieving one's goals and objectives. KPIs represent aspects of performance that are critical to the success of the organization. KPIs are linked to goals of the organization and can be either leading or lagging, qualitative or quantitative measurements. • Leading indicators are drivers or enablers of desired outcomes or results. They monitor progress towards a goal and should be trended and monitored. Leading indicators are typically measures of activities or events, easy to measure and usually operational, quantitative metrics. Examples include: average speed of answer, average handle time, average talk time • Lagging indicators are the results or outcomes desired (often the result of a change). Lagging indicators should align with business objectives, and often are difficult to measure as they typically are qualitative metrics, though they can also be quantitative. Examples include: revenue and profit, customer satisfaction and loyalty, employee retention and loyalty, cost per resolution

Capital costs

Assets associated with long term use.

1.10.3 Identify the benefits of using an organizational Change Management process.

Benefits are: • Improving organizational performance • Enabling personal and professional growth • Ensuring that only approved and authorized changes are implemented • Managing risk • Gaining stakeholders buy-in for new plans • Reducing the adverse impact of changes • Improving the productivity of users due to the reduced impact of changes • Providing for improved risk and impact assessments

"4.12.4 Describe the benefits of cloud services."

Benefits include: • Easily scalable and more flexible to meet the needs of the business • Facilitates faster deployment of new services • Reduced spending on infrastructure costs • Device and location independence • Improved resource utilization • Enhanced capacity management capabilities improving financial stewardship of IT resources

"3.6.4 benefits of effective teams."

Benefits of effective teams include: • Increased sense of participation • A willingness to collaborate with and assist other team members • Improved productivity • Higher morale and motivation • Friendly and supportive work environment • Increased customer satisfaction

"2.4.4 Describe the activities involved in budgeting for desktop support."

Budgeting involves predicting costs and controlling expenditures. The activities involved in budgeting for desktop support include: • Developing a financial plan that identifies the expected costs of providing an service • Documenting services (per SLA) • Determining costs of each service offering • Identifying environmental variables that may impact the cost of the service offerings • Reviewing costs with customers and management

"2.4.5 Explain the difference between capital and operating costs."

Capital costs are assets associated with long term use. Operating costs are day-to-day expenses that result from running IT services.

"3.6.2 the characteristics of an effective team player."

Characteristics of an effective team player are: • Participates in team activities • Displays courtesy and respect for others • Shares knowledge • Contributes ideas and opinions • Solicits ideas and opinions of others • Maintains a positive attitude • Is enthusiastic • Is flexible • Is dependable • Trusts others • Offers encouragement • Follows through on commitments • Actively listens

"2.4.9 Describe the activities involved in charging for desktop support."

Charging is the set of processes required to bill customers for the services supplied. The activities involved in the charging process include: • Partial recovery • Cost (full recovery) • Cost (recovery) plus

"2.4.10 Identify and explain the common Financial Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

Common Financial Management metrics that a desktop support manager should be able identify and explain include: • Value of desktop support ($, #) • Budget adherence and variances ($, %) • Total cost of desktop operations ($) • Total cost of service for desktop support ($) • Desktop unit cost - per event (E.g., per dispatch), per desktop, per call ($) • Cost recovered via chargebacks ($, %) • Achieved bonuses/penalties for service level achievements ($)

"4.17.4 the common components included in a Request for Proposal (RFP)."

Common components included: • Description of the business problem • Description of the current state or environment • Contact names and due date • Type of information requested • Executive summary • Corporate information including financial details (when appropriate) • Qualifications, including previous clients • A description of their development process/methodology • Proposed solution • Project stages • Milestones • Quality control • Testing • The proposed team and qualifications • Proposed schedule • Costs and payment details • Terms and conditions • Service Level Agreement (SLA) • Warranties

"3.3.5 Define outsourcing."

Contracting with a third party to provide support services on the provider's premises that an organization might otherwise provide using its own personnel.

Direct costs

Costs related to a specific service, business unit, process, etc. (E.g., equipment or people solely dedicated to a specific service or group).

Indirect costs

Costs that cannot be easily or fairly attributed to the cost of a specific service, business process, etc. (E.g., management salaries, equipment shared between multiple IT services or locations).

Variable costs

Costs that depend on usage of resources or services (e.g., software licenses, supplies, paper, etc.).

Fixed costs

Costs that do not vary with service usage (e.g., taxes, rent, etc.).

Operating costs

Day-to-day expenses that result from running IT services.

"3.4.1 Explain the purpose of a training plan."

Details the number of days and level of training for each team member and identifies resources needed for training.

"2.4.7 Explain the difference between direct and indirect costs."

Direct costs are costs related to a specific service, business unit, process, etc. (E.g., equipment or people solely dedicated to a specific service or group). Indirect costs are costs that cannot be easily or fairly attributed to the cost of a specific service, business process, etc. (E.g., management salaries, equipment shared between multiple IT services or locations).

"1.13.1 Explain diversity awareness."

Diversity and inclusion represent the ways that people interact with others from different educational backgrounds, ages, heritages, cultures, etc. The goal of diversity is to encourage the best contributions from all employees, and empower them as leaders.

Leading indicators

Drivers or enablers of desired outcomes or results. They monitor progress towards a goal and should be trended and monitored. Leading indicators are typically measures of activities or events, easy to measure and usually operational, quantitative metrics. Examples include: average speed of answer, average handle time, average talk time

D.I.C.E (Ways to reach optimized levels of performance)

Duration, Integrity, Commitment, Effort

1.7.2 Identify time management techniques to encourage your staff to use.

Encourage your staff to use techniques such as: • Focusing on high priority items first • Setting checkpoints against their goals and objectives • Scheduling time appropriately for the length of the task • Using a time management tool • Prioritizing tasks throughout the day • Applying the "4D" rule —delegate the item to a better resource, —defer the task for a later time, —delete the task if it has no negative impact, —do the task that is the priority

"4.13.3 systems that may be integrated with Service Management systems."

Examples of systems that may be integrated include: • Customer Relationship Management systems (CRMs) • Knowledge Management systems • Workforce Management systems • E-mail Management systems • Remote Access Management systems • Monitoring and Alert systems • Reporting systems

"4.12.3 different types of cloud services that might be supported."

Examples types that might be supported include: • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) • Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) • Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) • Storage-as-a-Service (SaaS) • Applications-as-a-Service (AaaS) • Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)

"2.4.6 Explain the difference between fixed and variable costs."

Fixed costs are costs that do not vary with service usage (e.g., taxes, rent, etc.). Variable costs are costs that depend on usage of resources or services (e.g., software licenses, supplies, paper, etc.).

1.6.3 Describe the four steps in the project management process.

Initiation and Planning Design Production or Execution Closing and Maintenance

Kaizen (Ways to reach optimized levels of performance)

Japanese term for continuous improvement

1.1.5 The differences between management and leadership.

Management is effectively executing the organization's direction and goals. Management activities include measuring customer satisfaction, monitoring team performance, enforcing the rules of the organization, and planning daily tasks and activities. Leadership is creating direction according to the mission and vision of the organization. Leadership activities include coaching, driving organizational change, and setting goals and objectives.

"2.1.2 List the phases in the evolution of desktop support services."

Past: • Paper-based systems • Desktop support accept calls from the help desk and users • Little technology at the user location (e.g. terminals) • Reactive environment Present: • Service management systems replaced the paper-based systems • SPOC taking ownership of incidents, escalating incidents to desktop support • Expanded breadth of technology supported • Higher percentage of incidents related to software issues • Improved hardware • Shift from reactive to proactive • More tasks are tied to release management, request management, and project management • Lack of industry standards for desktop support Future: • Fully integrated with support center • Continued growth in devices supported • Shift to be more customer and business-centric • Self-healing technologies will reduce software incidents • Industry standards improve efficiencies and effectiveness

1.3.2 Why Emotional Intelligence is important in the desktop manager role.

Prepare • Valued • Listened to • Motivated • Empowered • Creative • Safe

"2.6.1 Identify objectives of promoting desktop support."

Promote the desktop support function in order to: • Educate customers on the value of the desktop support services • Communicate priorities, (i.e. mission and what IT services are available) • Make customers aware of the desktop team's contributions and value in meeting the business goals • Set customer expectations • Increase the visibility of the desktop support to stakeholders • Improve customer/user satisfaction • Increase customer loyalty • Improve morale as desktop support professionals feel more valued

"2.4.13 Describe the purpose of cost/ benefit calculations."

Purpose is: • Provide data for participation in enterprise-wide initiatives and cross-functional teams • Evaluate expense and benefit opportunities with every project or decision • Determine the payback and/or savings of each project • Accurately measure the impact of services and solutions on business value • Manage the costs of operations, quantify value, and increase first contact resolutions • Identify cost reduction opportunities

"2.3.5 Describe representative metrics that illustrate how well desktop support services contribute to achieving business goals and objectives. (Managing desktop support as a business to support the business.)"

Representative metrics that can illustrate how well desktop support supports the business goals include: • Customer satisfaction (#/#) − Customer Satisfaction (Event)—measures satisfaction with specific interaction such as incident or request. (E.g., Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI)— focuses on measuring the customer satisfaction of incidents/requests based on industry validated questions) − Customer Satisfaction (Relationship)—measures satisfaction with the service provider such as service value, availability of services, relationship with service provider, or responsiveness to business needs. (E.g., Net Promoter Score (NPS)—focuses on measuring customer referrals) − Customer Loyalty Score—focuses on measuring the loyalty of customers • Employee satisfaction (#/#) • Specific performance metrics based on strategic objectives (E.g., value of support center, cost of support, strategic initiatives achieved) • Balanced Scorecard • Support Center Scorecard

"3.1.2 Explain the difference between staffing and scheduling."

Staffing is determining the number of people needed by the organization to meet service level targets. Scheduling is determining the specific assignment (i.e. tasks and time frames) in which people are required to meet the service level targets.

"2.3.3 Describe the steps necessary to conduct a SWOT analysis."

Steps in a SWOT analysis include: • Documenting product/services offerings • Conducting round-table meetings with customers, suppliers and other service partners • Identifying costs of services provided • Reviewing organizational structure for any deficiencies • Identifying high value services that customers recognize • Identifying and recommending changes for IT service overlaps • Identifying areas for IT services improvement • Reviewing customer satisfaction measurements • Reviewing employee satisfaction measurements • Reviewing historical successes and failures of the support organization

"3.1.4 Identify the steps involved in workforce management."

Steps include: • Forecast volume of incidents and service requests using historical and current data • Determine staffing requirements based on projected volume and service levels • Develop a schedule • Evaluate and monitor performance in comparison to projections and adjust plans and expectations as necessary

"5.14.3 The common Capacity Management metric that a desktop support manager should understand."

The Capacity Management metric that a desktop support manager should understand is capacity of desktop support services (capabilities). (E.g., #/type of issues reported, forecast accuracy, # calls per hour within service level target (SLT), # users supported within SLT, scheduling efficiency and effectiveness)

1.7.1 Explain effective time management.

The act of prioritizing tasks to maximize the return on personal efficiency and productivity.

"2.5.1 Explain risk management."

The identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks, known as "the effect of uncertainty on objectives" whether positive or negative" (as identified in Risk Analysis) followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities.

1.9.1 Define Operations Management.

The management of the tactical activities that are necessary to ensure day-to-day efficiency and effectiveness in the support organization.

1.9.2 Explain the objective of Operations Management.

The objective is to ensure that all activities necessary to meet established goals are fulfilled.

"4.13.5 the objective of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems."

The objective of a (CRM) system is to provide a holistic view of a customer's relationship with the business and allow each business unit visibility to all activities and information anything affecting the customer relationship.

"3.1.1 Define the objective of workforce management."

The objective of workforce management is to determine resource requirements (staffing and scheduling) necessary to meet demands and to achieve goals.

"4.12.2 the objective of cloud services."

The primary objective of cloud services is to offer scalable, on-demand virtual services that can be moved and scaled up/down without affecting the users or business.

"3.8.1 Define coaching."

The process of enabling others to build on their strengths. It is based on a cooperative relationship between a supervisor or manager and a team member.

"4.13.6 the purpose of a CRM system."

The purpose is to: "• Manage, monitor, and measure the value of customer relationships • Integrate information systems that are used across the enterprise to plan, schedule, communicate, and control the pre- and post-sales activities in an organization" • Address all aspects of handling prospects and customers, including customer service, sales, finance, marketing, product management, and field service

"5.8.3 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in a Change Management process."

The responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Change Management process are to: • Monitor the impact of changes on the IT services and report the impact to the Change Manager • Represent desktop support on the Change Advisory Board (CAB)

Lagging indicators

The results or outcomes desired (often the result of a change). Lagging indicators should align with business objectives, and often are difficult to measure as they typically are qualitative metrics, though they can also be quantitative. Examples include: revenue and profit, customer satisfaction and loyalty, employee retention and loyalty, cost per resolution

"2.4.2 Explain the role of the desktop support manager in the IT Financial Management process."

The role of the desktop support manager in the IT Financial Management process is to ensure adherence to budget and identify any variances to budget.

"4.9.1 Describe the objective of self-service."

To enable customers to resolve their issues (incidents and service requests) without the direct involvement of a support professional (or anyone else). • Provides easy access to documentation (E.g., policies, procedures, SLAs, FAQs, etc.) to help customers resolve their incidents and service requests • Provides customers with the ability to search for solutions to commonly known errors and questions • Provides training and online technical tutorials • Allows customers to update contact information and reset passwords • Allows customers to submit incidents and requests • Allows customers to check on the status of their incident"

"2.6.2 Identify methods for promoting the value and initiatives of desktop support."

To identify methods: • Use metrics to demonstrate and promote value - Convert lagging metrics into financial and service impact statements • Translate service performance into relative cost benefit to business objectives • Communicate performance in terms of ROI for executive team(s)

4.2.1 Describe the purpose of telephone systems for support

To provide an interactive channel for phone communication, Internet calling, mobile communication, faxing, voicemail, and video conferencing. Telephony systems can be implemented via traditional wired systems, IP telephony systems, and VoIP systems.

"2.2.5 Explain the mission of desktop support."

To provide technical support and services to resolve escalated incidents and fulfill service requests to enable the productivity of end users.

1.5.1 How to communicate vision and strategy.

Understand the vision, strategy, and policies of the support organization, then relate those to objectives, operational level agreements (OLAs), service level agreements (SLAs), and operational performance goals. Use messaging that is appropriate for each audience (e.g., executives, customers, end-users, and staff).

"3.1.3 Explain the value of workforce management models."

Use workforce management models to quantify staffing and scheduling based on accepted operational management models and to meet service level targets.

"2.4.14 Explain the value of Financial Management."

Value in the form of: • Necessary information needed for improved decision making • Recognized value of each service and the impact of the loss of the service to the business

"5.6.2 Define event."

a change in state which has significance for a configuration item (CI) or IT service.

"4.2.7 Describe Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems."

a component of a telephony system that interacts with callers, collects data, and can provide solutions by routing contacts to the appropriate analyst. An (IVR) uses a combination of voice recognition, a feature called Automatic Voice Recognition (AVR) and touch-tone keypad selections as input.

"4.12.5 Explain Desktop as a Service (DaaS)."

a comprehensive desktop environment management system which allows for a highly flexible and secure desktop delivery model. supports a more complete desktop disaster recovery strategy as all components are saved in the data center and maintained through a traditional redundant back-up system.

"4.17.1 Request for Information (RFI)."

a document distributed to a group of potential suppliers documenting your needs and asking for information about the supplier's product and/or service that will meet your requirements.

"5.18.3 knowledge article."

a findable, reusable, and structured object that contains the customer's experience, the analyst findings, and the metadata about the article.

"3.4.6 a career development plan."

a guide for each team member that specifies the training and other accomplishments necessary to reach higher levels of authority and responsibility within the organization. It is designed to enable the analyst to reach his/her career goals.

"6.2.1 the purpose of a baseline"

a marker, or starting point, for later comparison. It is the set of performance measurements taken prior to an improvement project or to a planned change and used to measure the change from a point in time.

SWOT analysis

a planning tool used to analyze an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

"5.7.3 Define known error."

a problem where the root cause is known and a temporary workaround has been identified. Known errors are stored in the knowledge base or Known Error Database (KEDB), and can be used to resolve incidents and restore service quickly should future incidents occur.

"4.17.3 Request for Proposal (RFP)."

a process where suppliers are invited to submit a proposal for a specific product or service. An RFP is often the best method for an organization to leverage their purchasing power with suppliers.

"5.5.2 Define service request."

a request from a user for information, advice, a standard change, or access to an IT service.

"6.1.1 the purpose of benchmarking in support."

a set of performance measurements that represents the practices and results of an industry group or segment. To compare support processes to other organization's processes for the purpose of improving service quality and total cost of ownership.

1.10.1 Describe Organizational Change Management.

a set of processes designed to manage change effectively, minimizing risk and interruption to customers and services.

"4.3.1 Describe the purpose of unified communications."

a set of products/services which provides a consistent user interface and experience across multiple technologies and platforms. to integrate real-time communication tools such as voice (telephony), video conferencing, instant messaging, chat, and electronic boards (interactive whiteboards) with non real- time channels (E.g., e-mail, fax, SMS and voicemail).

"4.14.2 workforce optimization."

a suite of integrated, enterprise software tools and processes that tie workforce management to key business objectives, such as growth, profit, and customer experience. is concerned with enabling the business to take control of all aspects of staffing and educating the staff so that they understand how they affect the business's performance, with an emphasis on improving performance incrementally over time. tools include contact recording, quality management, workforce management, quality monitoring, coaching, performance management, surveying, and data analytics.

"6.5.5 a report distribution matrix."

a summary of the reports distributed by the support center. This list of reports should be reviewed periodically to ensure that the reports being distributed are satisfying the desired purposes and that they are actually being used.

"4.6.1 Describe desktop support."

a support professional going to a customer's physical location to respond to an incident or request. Desktop support should be used when the incident or request cannot be resolved remotely.

"4.2.3 Describe Automated Call Distributor (ACD) systems."

a system that distributes incoming contacts to support professionals. The main task is to route calls to the appropriate person based on established business rules. The system includes hardware, lines, switches, and software.

"5.1.1 the concept of best practice."

a technique, method, or process which is regarded as more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, or process; based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for various organizations.

1.5.3 Define stakeholder.

any person or group that has an interest in the desktop support organization, such as: • Executives/senior management • Customers • Peer management • Employees • Partners • Contractors • Suppliers • Team/staff

"6.4.3 critical success factors (CSFs)."

areas (i.e. elements of success) that must happen if an IT service, process, plan, project, or activity is to succeed.

What should you seek to achieve when negotiating a contract with a vendor? a. Accepting the vendor's contract measurement criteria. b. Agreeing to a contract that is acceptable to all parties. c. Controlling the negotiations so that your needs are met. d. Ensuring the vendor's profit meets business guidelines.

b. Agreeing to a contract that is acceptable to all parties.

You are responsible for reviewing the budget each month and preparing a summary report for your director. What is the most important information to include in your report? a. Amortization expenses b. Budget variances analysis c. Staff overtime expenses d. Warranty repairs forecast

b. Budget variances analysis

"5.11.8 the purpose of an underpinning contract (UC)."

defines the roles, responsibilities, and expectations between those third parties (suppliers) and the service provider to ensure alignment to the SLA.

"5.12.3 the value of a service catalog."

defines the scope of what is supported within the organization. • Supports the sale and delivery of services • Helps set expectations • Markets and promotes the value of the support organization to the business

"5.5.1 the purpose of the Request Fulfillment process."

designed to handle the type of work that isn't an incident, (e.g., standard changes from users, installations, moves, adds, changes, how-to- questions).

"5.20.8 the purpose of maturity assessments."

determine the level of capability for an organization to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

"3.5.6 the elements of an employee satisfaction survey."

ensure that the survey is conducted anonymously, and include questions that will assess satisfaction with: • Management • The employee's job • The employee's team • The organization • Resources • Processes and procedures • Compensation and benefits • Work environment

"5.10.3 the value of a Release and Deployment Management process."

ensures there is minimal unpredicted impact to the business from releases that are made into the live environment.

"3.5.4 extrinsic motivation."

external rewards that motivate people to perform that are external to the individual and unrelated to the task they are performing (e.g., money, good grades, etc.).

Forming

formalities are preserved; members are treated as strangers

"4.14.1 the objective of workforce management."

improving operational efficiency and managing the workforce effectively while keeping overall costs at a minimum. designed to effectively calculate and forecast workload; and determine the optimal staffing to meet the business goals and objectives while managing costs. These systems are designed to provide the analytics and information such as adherence, availability, attendance, shrinkage, and utilization that allow the organization to achieve their objectives.

"3.3.8 Define right sourcing."

involves identifying the proper balance of sourcing options to ensure financial and operational effectiveness. This includes: • Contract labor • Temporary workers • Full-time employees

Storming

members start to communicate their feelings but probably still view themselves as part of a department instead of a team"

"5.12.4 the common Service Catalog Management metric that a desktop support manager should use."

metric that a desktop support manager should use is the Service Catalog accuracy for desktop support services (%).

"5.2.5 the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) service lifecycle concept."

one framework to achieve ITSM. It is based on a life- cycle approach and consists of five phases: • Service strategy - provides policy and guidance • Service design -designs new and changed services to meet business needs • Service transition - builds, tests, and prepares services for transition to live operation • Service operation - delivers and supports services in operation • Continual service improvement - measures effectiveness and efficiency, and suggests opportunities to improve

Norming

people feel part of the team and realize they can achieve work if they accept other viewpoints

"5.5.3 the Request Fulfillment process."

process will vary across organizations because each organization needs to determine the scope of request fulfillment based upon their specific needs and constraints. For example: • Service requests could be handled as a type of incident • Service requests could be handled as a type of change request • Service requests could include only IT related requests • Service requests could include IT and non-IT requests (e.g., a facilities-related request such as changing a light bulb)

"5.10.1 the purpose of the Release and Deployment Management process."

protecting the integrity of IT services and the IT infrastructure by ensuring the "right components" are released into the right environment at the right time. • Ensure technical and non-technical aspects of a release are considered • Ensure there is minimal impact to the business from releases

"4.8.1 Describe the purpose of remote support tools."

provides a support professional the ability to remotely access, repair, and fix devices, workstations, and servers without the need of having a person physically present onsite; thus, reducing costs, deceasing downtime, and decreasing the support resources required to restore the service. Remote support tools provide the support professional with the ability to troubleshoot and collaborate remotely with customers, facilitating service restoration.

"4.11.1 Describe the purpose of social media."

provides highly-interactive platforms to facilitate the interactions (e.g., create, share, exchange of information) of people via virtual (e.g., online collaboration, social networking, forums, micro blogging) communities to share information and help each other.

"3.2.1 Identify the steps in determining position requirements."

requirements: • Identify competencies necessary for the position • Ensure job descriptions are up to date and properly reflect the activities the desktop support staff will be required to perform • Perform a skills gap analysis

"5.11.1 the purpose of the Service Level Management (SLM) process."

responsible for defining, documenting, agreeing, monitoring, measuring, reporting and reviewing the level of IT services provided. • Work collaboratively with the business, in defining performance targets and managing customer expectations • Ensure that specific and measurable targets are developed for all IT services • Monitor and improve customer satisfaction • Improve the relationship and level of communication with the business and customers • Identify and initiate improvement initiatives

"5.6.1 the purpose of the Event Management process."

responsible for detecting events and determining appropriate actions. It is dependent on knowing the status of the infrastructure and detecting any deviation from normal or expected operation. This is provided by good monitoring and control systems.

"5.7.1 the purpose of the Problem Management process."

responsible for managing the lifecycle of all problems. • Prevent problems and resulting service disruptions from occurring" • Improve service availability by eliminating recurring incidents • Minimize the impact of incidents that cannot be prevented • Ensure that the information about problems and workarounds is maintained • Ensure that the problem resolution is implemented through the appropriate Change and Release processes

"3.2.2 Describe the purpose of a job description."

should be established for each position, listing roles and responsibilities. Job descriptions should include: • The title, classification (exempt/non-exempt), job grade, department, and other organization criteria • A summary description of the job position or role • Essential and non-essential duties and responsibilities (with a percentage weight assigned to each, adding up to 100%) • Position requirements (i.e., education and experience) • Skills needed - technical and non-technical • Knowledge requirements • Scope of responsibility (budget and/or people) • Reporting relationships • Skill set needed for the position

"4.2.10 Describe Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)."

technology that allows for the interactions between telephony systems and computer systems. For example, a customer can input a unique identifier such as an account number, employee id, or other personal identification number in to the IVR/AVR menu feature of a telephone system. This data is then sent to the service management system. The data is then validated and used by the system to route the call to the analyst via a simultaneous phone call (or chat) and "screen pop". A screen than shows the appropriate customer information for analyst to validate before handling the issue.

"5.15.4 the common IT Service Continuity Management metric that a desktop support manager should use."

the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Audit results for desktop support (%).

"5.8.2 Define change."

the addition, modification or removal of an authorized, planned or supporting service component and its related documentation.

1.9.4 Define a gap analysis.

the comparison of actual performance against past or potential performance, typically to identify actions needed to achieve the desired state.

"3.5.3 intrinsic motivation."

the internal desire to perform a particular task because it provides pleasure, develops a particular skill, or is morally the right thing to do.

"5.20.3 the value of monitoring programs."

the only way to understand the entire customer interaction. • Identifies areas of improvement within desktop support processes • Identifies areas of improvement for individuals • Helps to evaluate the quality of services delivered

"5.16.1 the Access Management process."

the process of granting authorized users the right to use an IT service, data or other assets while preventing access to non-authorized users.

"5.12.1 the purpose of a service catalog."

the repository that contains information about the IT deliverables, prices, contact points, ordering and request processes. It is database or structured document with information about all live IT services. Customers use it to understand what IT services are available, the costs of service, and how to procure the services. Supports the "sale and delivery" of IT services.

Performing

the team works in an open and trusting atmosphere where flexibility is key and hierarchy is of little importance

"5.7.2 Define problem."

the underlying cause of one or more incidents whose root cause is usually not known.

"5.1.2 the purpose of best practices in a service management environment."

to achieve better business results by utilizing proven industry practices.

"5.20.10 the purpose of a Service Improvement Program (SIP)."

to address IT service performance that is not meeting the service level agreement (SLA) and produce solution options and recommendations.

"4.2.4 Explain the purpose of an ACD System."

to distribute incoming calls/ contacts (typically large volumes) to a specific group of individuals/agents based on a set of predefined routing strategy. ACD's are used where incoming calls/contacts need to speak/interact with someone, but not any specific individual.

"5.15.1 the purpose of the IT Service Continuity Management (ITSCM) process."

to ensure continuity of critical IT services in the event of a prolonged period of service interruption. ITSCM: • Evaluates the risk of failures, and the impact to the business of services being unavailable • Formulates continuity plans based on these risks • Is integrated with business continuity management

"5.5.4 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Request Fulfillment process."

to ensure procedures are documented and followed, as well as participate in the Continual Service Improvement (CSI) review process.

"5.13.1 the purpose of the Availability Management process."

to ensure that availability achievements meet/exceed agreed targets.

"5.14.1 the purpose of the Capacity Management process."

to ensure that capacity achievements meet/exceed agreed targets

"5.16.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Access Management process."

to ensure that the desktop support team complies with Access Management policies and procedures.

"5.19.1 the purpose of the Continual Service Improvement (CSI) process."

to ensure that the services, processes, and lifecycle phases of the service provider continue to meet the needs of the business.

"5.18.1 the purpose of knowledge management in a support environment."

to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of other service management processes through the capture, structure, reuse, and improvement of knowledge articles.

"4.7.1 Describe the purpose of electronic support in a support environment."

to leverage electronic technology/tools to provide an alternative and cost-effective method of support (service restoration) that meets business needs.

"6.4.4 the purpose a balanced scorecard."

to measure how well the organization is functioning and to predict future performance. • Translate complex business information into information that's understandable to stakeholders - they answer the question "Is the organization achieving its strategic goals?" • Foster alignment of IT and business goals • Should cascade from the top levels of a company down to departments and eventually to each person via a personal scorecard - linking personal objectives based on measurements directly linked to the corporate strategy

"4.2.8 Explain the purpose of an IVR System."

to provide a channel that allows users with a touch- tone phone to obtain information (via interaction with a database) or enter data. An IVR is a component of a telephony system that interacts with callers, collects data, provides more intelligence to routing, and can provide solutions directly to the caller.

"5.4.3 the purpose of an Incident Management process."

to provide a consistent way to handle all incidents, which is anything that disrupts, or could disrupt, a service. This includes: • Incidents reported by users through the support center • Incidents reported by internal technical staff • Failures of configuration items that have not yet impacted a service

"4.5.1 Explain the purpose of telephone support."

to provide the initial contact (Level/Tier 1) support to enable the quickest, most familiar communication channel for service restoration of repetitive issues. Telephone support is used to resolve issues that do not require someone to visit the user to resolve the issue.

"5.8.1 the purpose of the Change Management process."

to respond to business requests (changes) in a timely and cost- effective manner. Change Management needs to ensure that all changes are recorded, assessed, prioritized, planned, tested, implemented and documented in a controlled manner.

"5.4.1 the Incident Management process."

to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible and thus minimize the impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. 'Normal service operation' is defined here as service operation within service level agreement (SLA) limits.

"5.7.4 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Problem Management process."

to trend analysis (management) and participate in root cause analysis (investigation and meetings).

"5.6.3 responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Event Management process."

to understand what is monitored and to provide input to the Event Management process for improvement.

"3.10.1 Explain the objective of a performance review."

used by organizations to ensure that management and team members have regular formal discussion relating to: • Individual performance • Work related issues • Future direction • Mutual expectations

"3.4.5 how a skills gap analysis is used to determine training needs."

used to determine what training the analyst needs by comparing where the analyst's current skills are in relationship to the needs of the team.

"3.3.2 Define in-sourcing."

using in-house personnel or an internal department to meet a need or perform a service for the organization.

1.3.4 Describe emotional hijack.

• A change in facial expression and or body language • Vocal tones that become very loud, too soft, or diction can become staccato in form • A person having trouble focusing on the conversation • A hijack can be seen in four stages. The fourth stage being default behavior of fight, flight, or freeze • A full blown hijack can last up to 18 minutes

"6.1.3 the role of benchmarking in a support environment."

• A comparative evaluation of support's performance against performance of other similar groups • Completed through the use of consensus methodologies and robust metrics that enable consistent data collection and true peer group comparisons • Used to provide meaningful recommendations that can be implemented to make improvements

"2.5.2 Describe when it is appropriate to take risks."

• A high degree of effectiveness is likely to be the direct result of taking a risk • The risk is not expressly connected to your delivery of service • The customer understands that a risk is being taken • You understand the consequences of the risk

"2.4.11 Describe return on investment (ROI)."

• A method to justify investments • A measure of the value of the investment • An assessment of cost and benefits Calculate ROI using the following formula: (Value-Cost) x 100 = ROI Cost

"5.18.2 Knowledge- Centered Support (KCS)."

• A principles-based methodology • A methodology that seeks to capture, structure, reuse, and improve knowledge in the support delivery process • A means of collaboration • NOT something we do in addition to solving problems— rather, KCS becomes the way we solve problems • Knowledge management best practices based on process and not technology

"6.2.2 Explain the value of a baseline."

• A standard against which project success can be evaluated • A set of measures that can be compared to a benchmark as part of a gap analysis

"5.4.6 the role of the desktop support team in the Incident Management process."

• Accept and respond to escalated incidents as required in operational level agreement (OLA in alignment with requirements of service level agreement (SLA) • Restore service within the guidelines of the service level agreement • Update incident records timely • Escalate incidents that require a higher level of technical knowledge to the appropriate support partner

"5.5.6 the role of the desktop support team in the Request Fulfillment process."

• Accept and respond to escalated service requests as required in operational level agreement (OLA in alignment with requirements of service level agreement (SLA) • Fulfill service request within the guidelines of the service level agreement • Update service request records timely • Escalate service requests that require a higher level of technical knowledge to the appropriate support partner

"3.2.3 Identify qualities and skills to look for in your staff."

• Accepts change and adapts easily • Learns quickly" • Multi-tasks • Good temperament (patient, empathetic) • Problem-solver • Exhibits customer service ethos • Self-motivated • Continuous learner • Team player • Follows policies, procedures and guidelines • Practices continual improvement

"5.16.4 the common Access Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Access requests (#, %) • Security incidents due to incorrect access rights granted by the support center, (#, %) • User satisfaction with the Access Management process

"5.4.4 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Incident Management process."

• Act as an escalation point for team leads when the criticality of the incident warrants it • Report to senior management any major incidents that could have a significant impact on the business • Develop procedures for the desktop support team in alignment with the Incident Management process

"1.12.1 Identify ways to stay informed about industry trends and best practice."

• Actively attending and/or participating in industry- related events, seminars, training, and conferences • Joining and participating in industry associations • Subscribing to executive briefings and publications

1.2.1 How to build relationships with senior management and other department heads.

• Actively seek out senior management to talk about support services • Proactively volunteer to participate on steering committees, project teams, and strategic planning sessions to provide the customer and support organization perspective

1.6.1 Describe characteristics of a successful project plan.

• Activities and resources are coordinated • Communication plan is defined —good channels of communication between the project team and the rest of the organization • Stakeholders are identified • Roles and responsibilities are defined • Milestones and deliverables are identified • Resources are identified for each task area • Costs are estimated and tracked • Time is available for resources to complete tasks appropriately • Regularly scheduled project meetings/reviews are held • Quality is defined and reported on • Deliverables are clearly defined (i.e., what, when, where, why, to whom, and how)

"1.11.3 Explain how to demonstrate equitable treatment of all people and situations

• Adhering to enterprise policies and procedures and organizational requirements for the ethical and equitable treatment of employees • Listening to all aspects of a situation and considering all policies, procedures, and guidelines before deciding on a course of action

"4.2.6 Identify common ACD reporting metrics."

• Agent availability • Available time • Average Handle Time (AHT) - Talk time + hold time - After Call Work (ACW) • Unavailable time • Number of calls offered/answered to the support center • Average speed to answer (ASA) • Number of abandons • Queue time • Hold time • Frequency of calls

"5.7.6 the role of the desktop support team in the Problem Management process."

• Alert desktop support manager about repetitive issues • Provide workarounds/solutions to the support center • Manage activities required to restore desktop configuration items (CIs) to normal operation once the root cause of a problem is found and a resolution is established • Provide proactive Problem Management by being involved with desktop configuration items (CIs) which have "known errors" before incidents occur

"5.2.2 the objectives of ITSM."

• Aligning IT services with business goals • Providing a process-driven approach to delivering services • Developing a framework of coordinated processes and functions that deliver quality IT services • Delivering value to customers and the business in the form of services

"5.2.3 the value of ITSM best practices."

• Allowing the desktop support manager to understand how other organizations achieve better results • Facilitating the desktop support manager in improving performance, meeting business needs easier • Making it easier to benchmark performance • Identifying improvements easier

"4.8.3 Identify the benefits of remote support tools."

• Allows a support professional to deliver support services more effectively and efficiently • Allows the support professional to see what the customer sees and facilitates communication • Enables the support professional to educate and train customers on how to be more self-sufficient • Restores services faster than dispatching on-site support • Increases First Contact Resolution • Decreases Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS) • Improves customer satisfaction • Reduces unit costs (I.e., cost per request/incident) • Increases value of support to the business

"4.2.11 Describe the functionality of computer telephony integration (CTI) as used in the support center."

• Allows an analyst to control call functions such as call answer, hold, mute transfer • Gathers customer information through IVR/AVR functionality • Enables a screen pop - when the phone rings data is displayed simultaneously (E.g., contact info, ticket number, and asset information gathered) via databases. This data format is customizable based on the needs of the support center. • Allows for reporting of customer management statistics and reporting data across multiple platforms to enable better customer profiling • Applies business rules for delivering personalized service to customers • Enables synchronous transfer of customer data and call information to multiple sites

"4.3.2 Describe the benefits of unified communications."

• Allows appropriate prioritization of contacts (real- time vs. non real-time) to improve satisfaction with response times • Allows better utilization of staff to handle peaks in each communication channel • Consistent reporting on all channels on the customer experience • Consistent routing, recording, handling, reporting, and management of all communications in a support center

"5.1.3 Cont."Provide examples of commonly used IT standards and frameworks."

• Application Development − Agile − Application Services Library (ASL) − Business Information Services Library (BiSL) − Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) • Security Management − International Organization for Standards / International Electrotechnical Commission 27000 (ISO/IEC27000) • Project Management − Project Management Institute (PMI) − Prince2 • Continual Improvement − Deming Cycle − HDI Support Center Standard − Kaizen − LEAN − Six Sigma − Total Quality Management (TQM)

"2.2.2 List the characteristics of a vision statement."

• Are values-based • Should inspire pride, commitment, and a sense of belonging • Should stretch capabilities and the self-image of the organization

"3.8.3 preparations for coaching an employee."

• Assess the employee's abilities, competencies and commitment level • Define your concern(s) and goal(s) • Define your coaching plan

1.9.3 Describe how to integrate people, process, and technology to build an effective organization.

• Assessing processes against people skills, cost, and/or value/affordability and adjusting accordingly • Conducting staff skills gap assessments and hiring or training to fill the gaps • Emphasizing that technology alone will not solve problems or improve processes • Ensuring that processes are well documented • Developing and implementing ongoing training and coaching programs • Implementing Quality Assurance programs

"4.4.1 Identify methods used for delivering support."

• Assisted service: - Telephone support - Desktop support (on-site) - Walk-up support - Electronic support » Remote control » E-mail » Instant messaging (IM) » Chat / Video Chat » Social media • Self-service: - Help applications - Knowledge bases - Online documentation, tutorials interactive videos - Social media - Automated remediation (self-healing)

"4.13.1 the objectives of Service Management systems."

• Automate (where appropriate) the service management processes to improve the value (E.g., quality and cost) of IT services • Ensure repeatable and consistent procedures that meet governance, regulatory, and other reporting requirements • Provide performance reports (metrics) on people, process, and services from a single, holistic view across the organization to allow a better understanding of the value and improvements needed • Integrate with system monitoring tools, alert systems, etc. to increase the value of the support services provided

"4.14.5 examples of workforce management system functionality."

• Automate forecasting based on determined intervals • Provide data analytics • Calculate staffing needs based on workload • Create schedules based on workload and staff requirements • Track analyst performance in areas of attendance, adherence, utilization • Calculate overall shrinkage levels

"5.13.3 the common Availability Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Availability of desktop support (#, FTE) • Resource utilization of desktop support (%)

1.2.2 Techniques to manage your work life.

• Be on time or early with every assignment or meeting • Always approach your manager with solutions, not problems • Trust your manager—accepting you may not understand why a specific decision is made • Increase your problem solving and critical thinking skills by taking good physical care of yourself (e.g., sleep, exercise, eating healthy, etc.) • Acknowledge those around you for their dedication • Identify ways to assist your manager with new projects to build your manager's trust in you

"3.9.3 Identify benefits of peer mentoring."

• Builds a sense of community • Reduces time for new members to reach competency • Increases trust and respect among team members • Supports colleagues in their professional development and growth • Offers coaching to a colleague • Facilitates mutual learning • Provides functional cross-training • Maintains a work balance

"5.17.4 the common Security Management metrics that a desktop support should use."

• Business impact of security incidents • Number of security incidents • Security compliance (audit results)

"4.2.5 Describe common ACD features."

• Call Routing/Distribution - Skills-based routing—enables a support center to route a contact to a specific group or analyst with the best skill set to handle the issue. Examples of skill sets include: technical skill based on application or product knowledge, and language skills. This allows agents to be assigned to multiple queues. - Priority based routing—enables a support center to route contacts to the proper group and/or specific analyst based on a threshold (timeframe) or level. Examples of priority based routing include: specific customers (I.e., VIPs) or critical business units (I.e., VIPs), specific business critical applications. - Uniform call routing/distribution—calls are routed to the agent available the longest time or to the agent available who has handled the least number of calls • Universal queuing—enables the prioritization and routing of contacts from different channels to a group of analysts. Examples of the different channels of communication merged into one queue includes: − Inbound Calls − Outbound Calls − Chats − Emails − Faxes

"4.3.4 Describe the challenges of unified communications."

• Can be a complex integration project • Can be a costly initial investment • Universal queuing requires the support staff to be competent in using all communication channels (I.e., telephony, e-mail, chat, SMS, etc.) • Universal queuing requires the support professional to switch mode of communications quickly (E.g., move from telephony to e-mail, fax, IM and back) • Training and education of staff and users on the various protocols for using the unified toolset can be timely and costly

"5.8.4 the value of a Change Management process."

• Changes take place to comply with business and governmental regulations • Timely implementation of changes related to business deadlines • Fewer failed changes, thereby reducing the number and duration of service interruptions • Standard way of assessing priority and impact of all changes • Provides a change schedule to help with impact and scheduling of changes • Ensures standard way of approving all changes • Improves stability and availability of services and systems by reducing the number of failed changes • Protection of the production environment

"3.7.2 how to develop a cross- functional team."

• Choose a representative from each department affected by the change to participate in the project • Ask managers of relevant departments for support • Engage employees in the team as formal members of the task force or designated advisers • Seek informal support by developing relationships with individuals and departments outside the formal project team • Engage outside subject matter experts at appropriate points in the project (e.g., other departments, external vendors, etc.)

2.1.3 Describe the characteristics of a successful desktop support organization.

• Clear direction, decisive management, inspiring leadership • Vision and mission statements aligned with organization's strategic direction • Documented policies, regularly reviewed, and monitored • Roles and responsibilities defined for each position • Processes in place for determining resources necessary to provide services • Integrated service management processes in place and regularly reviewed • Collaborates with support center to improve support services • Meets goals consistently • Regular employee satisfaction measures in place • Customer satisfaction measures include desktop support performance • Performance results identified • Quality assurance program in place • Continual improvement program in place • Benchmarking and certification to industry standards/ programs

"4.16.4 the challenges of mobile device management."

• Clear mobile device policy, strategy, and standards must be established • Increased security risks with mobile devices • Implementing an effective bring-your-own-device (BYOD) strategy • Multitude and diversity of mobile platforms increases support demand • Increase in costs if not managed properly

What are Closing and Maintenance components? (4th of 4 steps of project management) 1.6.3

• Closing the project • Reviewing project success • Identifying process improvements

"2.3.4 Describe actions necessary for establishing effective relationships with other parts of the IT service organization."

• Communicating how the goals, projects, and objectives of desktop support integrate with organizational goals • Creating a business case for all significant projects • Understanding the roles and responsibilities of each group in meeting IT services and business objectives − Educating yourself and your team on the roles and responsibilities of the other groups − Educating other teams on the roles and responsibilities of your group • Establishing regularly scheduled meetings between desktop support staff and members of other groups • Reaching agreement on how to achieve objectives • Identifying steps necessary to deliver on commitments • Identifying activities necessary to meet requirements • Treating others in your organization as if they were your customer • Recognizing individuals, groups, and teams for their achievements and meeting objectives

"5.3.3 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the support organization."

• Communicating mission and goals • Managing functional desktop support activities and people • Working with the support center manager to define an effective feedback mechanism for the customers • Defining and documenting desktop support policies and procedures • Ensuring accurate job descriptions exist for desktop support technicians • Forecasting staffing needs and developing scheduling models to support the business at the agreed service level • Providing input to the budget process and monitoring budget variances • Formulating plans to support strategic goals • Serving as a management escalation point

"6.3.3 ongoing surveys."

• Completed as soon as possible after an incident is closed • Typically short (i.e., five to eight questions) and can be completed quickly • Used to measure the quality of service for a single incident or service request • Used to trend customer satisfaction with quality of support between annual surveys

"5.17.3 the value of having security policies."

• Compliance with legal requirements • Security addressed with 3rd parties (suppliers) • Employees aware of their responsibilities regarding security • Security designed into services, processes and procedures

1.1.8 The principles of delegation.

• Create trust with the team • Articulate delivery time frames and expectations for assignments • Ensure the person assigned the task has the authority, skills, and ability to complete the task • Provide support and training as necessary • Get an agreement on expectations • Allow one to accomplish the task without specifying detailed process requirements

1.1.6 Three ways to provide direction and focus under ambiguous or chaotic circumstances.

• Creating a communication hub so that people can get accurate information • Empathizing with team members and leveraging your presence to help provide clarity • Creating an environment in which team members can experience a sense of continuity and ownership in their work

"3.8.4 the coaching process."

• Creating an environment of trust • Defining and communicate the reason for the coaching session • Beginning a dialogue with ways to improve or excel • Listening with empathy • Encouraging participation by asking open-ended questions • Using the individual's or team's suggestions whenever possible • Agreeing on an action plan • Scheduling a follow-up meeting within five to ten days • Providing detailed and ongoing feedback

"6.2.4 tools used for determining a baseline."

• Current state assessment • SWOT analysis • Customer Satisfaction Index

"6.4.5 the components of a balanced scorecard."

• Customer • Learning & Growth • Operational Efficiency • Financial

"6.4.2 common measurements used in the support center."

• Customer Satisfaction (E.g., Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), Customer Loyalty Score) • Employee Satisfaction • Shrinkage—the percentage of planned and unplanned time analysts are unavailable to handle contacts. This includes vacation, sick, and holiday time. Attendance and adherence issues are also factored into shrinkage. • Attrition—the reduction in positions within an organization • Employee Turnover—the loss of workforce due to employee resignations • Total Cost of Support • Unit costs - (E.g., cost per call, cost per contact, cost per device, cost per user) • Lost business/user hours due to interruptions • Impact of changes (+/-) due to changes • Reduction in lost business/user hours due to support center improvements

"4.7.3 Describe the challenges of using electronic support tools in a support environment."

• Customer discomfort with providing access • Support over-dependency on the use of electronic support tools • Potential security breaches due to lack of standard operating procedures or the selection of incorrect technologies • Tool latency - the handle time per issue can increase due to technology/architecture issues • Multiple tools may be needed due to platform/ architecture limitations • Lack of tool integration with ITSM systems

"4.11.2 Describe how social media technology is used in the support center."

• Customers and employees can create, search, and update posts facilitating knowledge sharing between each other • Community members share knowledge with each other via various platforms • Personalized communication via customer preferred channels • Easily customized push/pull channels for communication • Customers share experiences with each other and the service provider • Data mining for product/service improvement

"4.7.2 Describe the benefits of using electronic support tools in a support environment."

• Decreases the Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS) by being able to isolate/diagnose incidents quicker • Reduces downtime for users/customers, increasing their productivity/utilization" • Reduces the number of escalated incidents by resolving more incidents at first level and/or reducing the number of onsite visits • Improves customer satisfaction by reducing the number of contacts per issue and decreasing the Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS) "• Reduces unit costs (I.e., cost per request/incident, cost per device) by reducing downtime, support time per incident, and escalations"

"6.2.3 baseline considerations."

• Define the measurements for critical success factors • Define the measurements for determining the return on investment • Ensure that the definition of measurements aligns with industry standards and benchmark measurements that are used in a future gap analysis • Determine how to collect the necessary measurements, which may require changes to the infrastructure • Ensure that it is agreed upon by all stakeholders of the project • Address risks associated with the defined baseline

"2.2.4 Identify the purpose of a mission statement."

• Defines the organization's purpose and reason for being (i.e., what you are doing and why you are doing it) • Identifies the main purpose and role of the organization • Typically includes: − Purpose statement - what the organization is trying to achieve − Business statement - business practices to achieve stated purpose − Value statement - principles or beliefs, commitment to quality, integrity, innovation • Inspires commitment

1.5.7 Identify the steps for preparing a presentation.

• Defining the objective of your presentation • Targeting the message to your audience • Determining the best method for delivery • Identifying visual aids • Providing supporting documentation • Clearly summarizing key points • Reviewing and practicing the presentation in advance

"1.11.4 Explain how to promote strong service ethics."

• Demonstrating willingness to help support staff • Understanding customer perspective and weighing actions and decisions against corporate ethical standards

"5.12.2 the basic components of a service catalog."

• Description of catalog and scope • Vision and mission statements • Description of services • Value of services • Description of what business process the service supports/enables • How to order and receive the service • Contact information • Prices of service

What are Design components? (2nd of 4 steps of project management) 1.6.3

• Designing the item to be released • Conducting prototype testing to ensure success • Ensuring production quality, time, and budget considerations are satisfied

"5.11.4 and explain the common Service Level Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Desktop Service Level Targets (SLT) achievements (#, %) − Targets achieved − Targets achieved − Employee satisfaction with services − Review meetings held (as scheduled) (#, %) − Service Improvement Plans implemented (#, %) − Cost as compared to Service Level Targets ($) • Customer satisfaction with desktop support (#) • Desktop support service availability (%, hrs) • Impact on desktop support due to service levels breached • Business impact of service targets breached

"5.8.6 the common Change Management metrics the desktop support manager should use."

• Desktop change-related incidents (#, %) • Resources required diagnosing and resolving desktop change-related incidents • Unauthorized changes identified by desktop support (#, %) • Business impact of failed changes on desktop support and the business ($, hrs) • Standard desktop changes - IMAC (#, %)

"3.10.2 Explain the purpose of using a performance review."

• Determine on-going job fit • Identify areas for skill development for the individual • Determine career direction and promotions • Agree on conformance to, or exceeding of, expectations • Forum for discussion about performance • Determine pay increases

"6.3.1 the purpose of customer satisfaction surveys."

• Determine the customers' perception of support's products and services • Determine whether support's products and services are meeting customers' expectations • Identify what the customers feel is important • Identify areas for improvement • Benchmark and trend customer satisfaction • Assist in developing new products and services based on customers' needs

1.4.1 The principles of negotiation.

• Determine the underlying need - separating the person from the problem • Practice active listening - seeking to understand the situation from everyone's perspective • Solicit participation from all parties • Suggest a solution/compromise that is acceptable to all parties (win-win solutions) • Set objective criteria to measure results

1.10.2 Identify steps in leading an organizational Change Management initiative.

• Developing a communications plan • Understanding the business purpose of the change • Understanding the benefits of the change for each stakeholder • Setting expectations • Providing training and support • Acknowledging the required investment • Developing performance measurements • Aligning the existing performance assessment system • Encouraging participation • Recognizing success • Dealing with inappropriate behavior • Addressing questions and objections

1.6.2 Identify components of project management.

• Developing acceptance criteria that include frequently asked questions (FAQs), training needs, tool requirements • Requesting that new projects be weighed against the service level agreement (SLA) to determine requirements and to understand the involvement, cost, and support needed for successful implementation • Determining resource requirements for the desktop support team • Determining additional support resources required to implement projects and gain buy-in early • Ensuring that other organizations or teams understand the importance of the project

1.4.2 Identify characteristics of a good negotiator.

• Developing well-planned and realistic commitments • Solving problems and identifying multiple solutions • Explaining concerns about each participant's ideas • Asking for examples and clarification when necessary • Striving to understand differences from all points of view • Following through on commitments and communicating issues • Demonstrating active listening skills • Being emotionally aware of oneself and others during a negotiation

"5.10.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in a Release and Deployment Management process."

• Development of a release policy • Release planning • Build and configure the release • Roll out planning • Training and communication • Distribution and installation

"5.11.7 the purpose of an operational level agreement (OLA)."

• Document the agreements between the IT service provider and other parts of the organization which supports the delivery of services to the business • Define roles , responsibilities, and expectations between internal groups to ensure alignment to the SLA

"4.14.4 the benefits of workforce management for a support organization."

• Effective utilization of support center staff • Accurate staffing and scheduling plans, ensuring a better understanding of costs • Improved understanding and management of shrinkage (costs) • Resource scheduling based on historical and anticipated contact volumes • Adjust staffing levels to respond to peak demands

"5.21.1 the benefits to customers when desktop support follows standard operating procedures."

• Enables faster, more efficient service • Makes support activities traceable and allows for the creation of an audit trail • Optimizes support resources • Minimizes customer interruptions • Enables more consistent service delivery

"4.11.3 Identify the benefits of using social media technologies in a support organization."

• Engages customers through their preferred communication channels • Community members assist each other with real-life experiences" • Facilitates collaboration to create and share information and knowledge • Allows individuals and communities to support each other • Increases efficiency of the business due to collaboration, allowing simple issues to be resolved quicker "Challenges of using social media technology in a support organization include: • Creating and implementing a social media technology strategy—social media platforms can be siloed, information is not easily shared between social media platforms • Obtaining leadership support and participation for social media • Having the proper tool functionality to enable the use of social media • Unfamiliarity of support personnel with social media tools • Culture change for customers and support which can result in lower utilization and lower learning curves • Difficult to determine social media return on investment (ROI)"

"5.15.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the ITSCM process."

• Ensure continuity plans for the service and support exist based on the business continuity management (BCM)/ ITSCM policy • Maintain assets required to support the ITSCM plan • Work with BCM/ITSCM in defining and executing regular testing of the continuity plans

"5.14.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in Capacity Management."

• Ensure proper capacity exists in desktop support to deal with the demand from the business • Ensure that procedures for engaging Capacity Management staff in Incident Management are in place and followed

"1.11.2 Explain the purpose of a code of conduct."

• Ensure that all employees understand what the organization expects of them • Document the organization's standards of moral and ethical behavior • Document the behavior expected of employees • Serve as a resource for employees for vague or questionable areas of behavior

"5.13.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Availability Management process."

• Ensure that procedures for engaging Availability Management staff in Incident Management are in place and followed • Ensure that availability-related incidents are correctly classified • Report on the availability of services • Ensure that desktop support adheres to availability reporting for incidents, requests, and changes

"5.11.5 the purpose of a service level agreement (SLA)."

• Ensure that the level of service provided meets business needs • Set and manage customer expectations for the level of services provided • Ensure that all the internal organizations and third parties (suppliers) that provide the services understand the level of service required by the business via operational level agreements (OLA) and underpinning contracts (UC).

"5.20.1 the purpose of Quality Assurance (QA) programs."

• Ensure that the quality of service delivered meets the business requirement as identified in the SLA • Improve the level and quality of services delivered to improve the business impact • Recognize and reward teams and individuals • Develop coaching plans for all individuals and teams

"5.19.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in a CSI process."

• Ensure that there is a continual service improvement process for the desktop team • Ensure that the CSI process is followed/executed resulting in improved business results for the organization • Ensure that the support organization understands the purpose and value of the CSI process

"5.21.2 the importance of documenting processes and procedures."

• Ensures consistent service • Creates a resourceful atmosphere • Builds confidence for professional customer interactions • Encourages adherence to policies and procedures • Facilitates change

"5.20.7 the benefits of desktop support monitoring."

• Ensures that procedures for desktop support visits are being followed • Provides feedback to desktop support staff on job performance • Identifies strengths and weaknesses of individuals and the organization • Provides coaching opportunities • Verifies consistency in following procedures • Identifies areas where procedures are not meeting expectations or are not being followed • Identifies opportunities for improvement • Improves the quality of service • Identifies training opportunities

"4.16.1 the objective of Mobile Device Management (MDM)."

• Ensures the security of both company owned and employee owned devices while managing cost and reducing service downtime • Enables the functionality of deploying, assigning profiles, updating, and configuring mobile devices

"1.11.1 Explain how to demonstrate your understanding of the support organization's core values."

• Ensuring operational and employee performance metrics/measures support values • Routinely making decisions based on adherence to corporate and organizational values

"5.15.3 the value of IT Service Continuity Management (ITSCM)."

• Ensuring the business can still function in the event of a disaster • Improving Risk Assessment and Risk Management • Ensuring that recovery plans are in alignment with business needs and requirements

1.5.5 How to manage stakeholder expectations.

• Establishing collaborative relationships with other parts of the IT service organization • Evaluating current levels of performance and soliciting feedback to understand if needs are being met • Ensuring that the desktop support service offerings are clearly defined in the service catalog • Communicating service levels based on resources and capability • Using multiple channels to provide information about desktop support services • Describing how desktop support objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) support business objectives and KPIs

"5.2.7 List other ITSM processes the desktop support team may have some responsibilities."

• Event Management • Problem Management • Change Management • Service Asset and Configuration Management • Release and Deployment Management • Service Level Management • Service Catalog Management • Availability Management • Capacity Management • IT Service Continuity Management

"3.3.6 Identify the benefits of outsourcing."

• Focuses management resources on core competencies and the quality of the services provided • Eliminates day-to-day supervision of the outsourced group • Reduces capital expenditures and headcount; moves costs to operating expenses • Facilitates improved staffing flexibility • Defines and documents service levels, processes, procedures, etc. • Improves customer service and quality • May allow organization to reallocate current staff to focus on higher value initiatives

"3.6.3 the four stages of team development."

• Forming - formalities are preserved; members are treated as strangers • Storming - members start to communicate their feelings but probably still view themselves as part of a department instead of a team" • Norming - people feel part of the team and realize they can achieve work if they accept other viewpoints • Performing - the team works in an open and trusting atmosphere where flexibility is key and hierarchy is of little importance

"6.5.4 considerations for distributing performance results."

• Frequency—stakeholders may require daily, weekly, or monthly reporting • Format and style—know your audience, use terms the audience can understand, show how you calculated the results, and make the results visually stimulating • Availability—know your audience and the best way to display the report. Share with: − Team members—the report can be used as a basis for reviews in team meetings − Customers—sharing your findings with customers is beneficial and could be done with the same media used to announce and continually promote support

1.3.6 Ways to reduce an Emotional Hijack.

• Give yourself or the other person time to normalize (about 15 minutes) • Consciously count to ten identifying ten items, such as ten songs, ten friends, ten colors. This engages the thinking part of the brain, which disengages the emotional part. • Breathe deeply to restore oxygen to the thinking part of the brain • Ask questions to clarify what happened and understand the other person's intentions and actions

"3.10.4 Describe methods for providing feedback."

• Giving specific, timely feedback • Choosing a time when the listener is attentive • Asking for a response • Giving feedback in small amounts • Verbalizing good characteristics and behavior • Emphasizing the need to maintain good performance • Delivering negative feedback in a positive way • Setting an objective for the next feedback session • Identifying actions to be taken to achieve objectives on your next feedback session • Providing constant encouragement to excel

1.3.1 Emotional Intelligence.

• Having the ability to recognize and know what emotions you are feeling • Managing your emotions so that they do not overwhelm situations and your thinking capabilities • Being able to recognize the emotions that others are feeling • Helping to manage other's emotions so that they do not overwhelm situations and their thinking capabilities • Having the ability to create sincere and authentic relationships that produce value and productivity

"4.2.2 Identify common telephony features."

• Hold • Mute • Transfer • Call Park • Conference Calling • Call Waiting • Call Back • ANS/Caller ID • Automated Attendant • Unattended Service • Night Service • Live Monitoring - Side-by-side - Silent (unannounced) • Recorded Monitoring - Reviewed at later time - Voice and screen recording • Hold Music/Messaging

"3.9.2 List characteristics of an effective mentor."

• Holds roundtable discussions on leadership characteristics • Demonstrates good leadership traits • Takes the time to learn about your employees'

"5.1.3 examples of commonly used IT standards and frameworks."

• IT Governance/Regulatory − Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) − Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) − International Organization for Standards / International Electrotechnical Commission 38500 (ISO/IEC38500) − Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards − SOX—Sarbanes-Oxley − SAS70/SSAE 16

"5.1.3 Cont."Provide examples of commonly used IT standards and frameworks."

• IT Service Management − Capability Maturity Model Integration for Services (CMMI-SVC) − Hewlett Packard IT Service Management (HP ITSM) − International Organization for Standards / International Electrotechnical − Commission 20000 (ISO/IEC20000) − Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) − Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) − Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF)

"2.6.3 Describe channels for promoting desktop support."

• IT services scorecard/dashboard that include desktop support's performance/contribution − Customer satisfaction − Financial metrics − Service level management (SLM) measurements • Desktop support newsletter (e.g., Tips and Techniques) − How to use desktop support to help you − Changes that will impact you • 'Lunch-and-Learn' or 'brown-bag' sessions • Meet with customers (one-on-one) and ask them what they need • Set up a booth at organization/customer meetings in areas like the cafeteria (i.e. in-person marketing) • Create marketing booths and distribute brochures • Hold an open house - let your customers meet the people who solve their requests • Visit your customers (i.e. "Road Show" presentations) • Have desktop support schedule time to be available to customers (i.e. walk the floor in customer areas at scheduled times)

"5.20.11 the components of a Service Improvement Program (SIP)."

• Identification of improvements (proactive) • Identification of IT services not meeting SLA • Identification of cost of not meeting SLA • Business case for SIP, including cost management/board level report and presentation to sell the program • Project plan • Project updates

"4.15.1 the objectives of reporting systems for a support organization."

• Identify any changes in performance and understand trends • Report performance/achievements of the support organization • Report performance/achievements of teams and individuals • Identify areas for change, improvements, and any areas not meeting goals • Validate that changes implemented have achieved expected outcomes • Provide a basis for managing the business—can only manage what is measured

"4.17.2 when to use a Request for Information (RFI)."

• Identify features and functionality available in the marketplace that would enable your organization to perform better • Gather additional information about potential suppliers that are either new or have not been recently used • Evaluate various options available to satisfy your business requirements • Learn more about a specific product, service, or supplier

"5.17.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in the Security Management process."

• Identify security risks • Develop desktop support procedures based on the security policy • Report security breaches • Ensure that desktop support staff receive security management awareness training • Ensure compliance of desktop support procedures with legal requirements and security polices and standards • Develop actions based on security audits

"6.5.3 how to communicate performance results."

• Identify your audience (E.g., stakeholders) for communicating performance results • Identify areas (E.g., KPIs) to report • Identify considerations when developing performance reports, such as: - Metrics to include - Purpose of metrics - Format of the report - Name, numbering scheme, performance period, and date produced • Identify considerations for distributing performance results • Document a report distribution matrix • List common types of reports

"6.1.2 the value of benchmarking."

• Identifying an organization's potential strengths and weaknesses using gap analysis • Providing support for forecasted improvements • Providing realistic targets for performance improvement

"3.10.5 Identify methods for dealing with performance problems."

• Identifying and discussing areas of concern • Discussing specific causes before attempting resolution • Identifying the root cause of the problem • Agreeing on a time frame for follow-up and holding a formal meeting

1.9.5 Explain the benefits of a gap analysis.

• Identifying areas for improvement • Recognizing the difference between cause and effect • Establishing better plans of action • Making more informed recommendations

"5.6.4 the common Event Management metrics the desktop support manager needs to use."

• Impact on desk-side resources needed to diagnose desktop support issues (#, %, hrs/days) attributable to Event Management

"5.8.5 the role of the desktop support team within Change Management."

• Implement standard, pre-approved changes as authorized by Change Management • Participate in the Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings • Participate in the building and testing of planned changes • Participate in deployment of approved changes to desktop configuration items (CIs)

What are Production or Execution components? (3rd of 4 steps of project management) 1.6.3

• Implementing the plan or design • Identifying, controlling, and managing the project stages/ milestones • Managing delivery of project deliverables

"5.11.3 the value of the Service Level Management process."

• Improved communication via a collaborative • Customer-centric focus • Managed customer expectations and that the expectations that are set are realistic and achievable • Support priorities that are matched to business needs • Identified areas for improvement

"5.3.2 the value of the support center to the organization."

• Improved customer service satisfaction • Increased accessibility through a single operational point of contact • Improved teamwork and communication • Proactive approach to service provisioning • Reduced negative impact on the business through Incident Management, Request Fulfillment, and Access Management processes • Improved usage of IT support resources and increased productivity of business personnel

1.7.3 Describe the benefits of effective time management.

• Improved productivity • Improved customer relations • Reduced stress • Increased energy

"3.8.2 The benefits of coaching."

• Improved professionalism and morale • Ensures quality customer service • Helps team members to grow and excel

"3.3.1 List sourcing models."

• In-sourcing • Outsourcing • Right sourcing

"5.2.6 the ITSM processes that the desktop support team plays a key role in."

• Incident Management • Request Fulfillment • Access Management • Knowledge Management

"4.13.4 the ITSM processes that are enabled by Service Management systems."

• Incident Management • Request Fulfillment • Event Management • Problem Management • Change Management • Asset Management • Knowledge Management • Release and Deployment Management • Service Level Management • IT Financial Management • Service Portfolio Management

"5.4.7 Cont. the common Incident Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Incidents (#, %) - Resolved by deskside support (#, %) - Handled remotely vs. deskside visits (#, %) - Escalated (Functional) (#, %) - Escalated (Hierarchical) (#, %) - Recorded by desktop support technicians while on- site (additional incidents identified) (#, %) - Trend (+/-) in desktop incidents (#, %) • Time to close incident record vs. Time to resolve desktop related incidents (hrs/days) • Response time to escalated desktop issues • Incident Management unit costs for desktop support - Cost per incident resolved utilizing remote tools ($, FTE, users hrs) - Cost per incident resolved (deskside visit) ($, FTE, hrs) - Trend (+/-) in costs ($, FTE, hrs) • Incident backlog - Number of open (backlog) incidents (#, %) - Age of backlog (hrs/days) - Trend (+/-) in backlog (#, hrs/days)

"5.7.7 the common Problem Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Incidents linked to problems recorded at desktop support (#, %) • Desktop incidents not linked to problem records (#, %) • New desktop problems recorded (#) • Major problems recorded(#) • Resolutions at desktop support attributed to Known Error Database (#, %) • Desktop known errors added to the knowledge base (#, %) • Accuracy of the Known Error Database regarding desktop support (%) • Backlog of outstanding problems (#, days) • Workarounds/fixes published in the Known Error Database (#, %) • Business impact of problems and known errors relating to desktop support ($, hrs) • Desktop problems closed (#, %)

"1.12.3 Explain how to encourage employees to acquire new industry knowledge and skills."

• Incorporating learning into professional development planning • Encouraging team development activities (e.g., lunch and learn sessions, round table discussions, etc.) • Encouraging, supporting, and enabling staff

"5.18.4 the common reasons that support centers should implement KCS."

• Increase the value of support services • Lower support costs per unit (contact, incident, customer) • Enable or improve self-service • Improve First Contact Resolution (FCR) • Leverage what is learned from customers' experiences • Provide just-in-time training • Reduced time to proficiency • Improve morale of support analysts by providing them resources to be successful • Provide consistent answers to the same repeat questions • Provide answers to reoccurring complex issues • Respond to and resolve issues faster

"5.4.5 the value of the Incident Management process."

• Increased availability of IT services that enable business processes • Real-time alignment of IT support activities to business priorities • Identification of improvements to services enabling business success • Identification of training requirements for end users, and support center and desktop support staff

"4.10.3 Describe the benefits of automated remediation tools."

• Increased availability of services for users • Reduction in downtime for business • Reduction in calls/escalations to technical management • Improved categorization for incident, problem, and change management (corrective actions) • Increased customer satisfaction due to reduced incidents and disruption to the business

"5.7.5 the value of a Problem Management process."

• Increased business/customer productivity and improves resolution times by providing information about workarounds and Known Errors to Incident Management • Reduced the causes of repetitive incidents and increases the availability of IT services to customers • Reduced the lost/down time of customers • Optimize quality of IT services • Increased availability of IT services • Improved reputation of IT • Improved users and IT productivity • Reduced time to resolve incidents • Reduced number of incidents escalated to desktop support

"5.16.3 the value of the Access Management process."

• Increased confidentiality, integrity and availability of information through policies defined by Security Management • An effective mechanism for audit purposes

"5.5.5 the value of the Request Fulfillment process."

• Increased productivity of the service desk fulfilling service requests • Reduced time to complete service requests • Reduced cost

"4.13.2 the benefits of Service Management systems."

• Increased value (E.g., quality, cost and consistency) of IT support services • Improved quality of information for management analysis • Improved decision-making based on timely and accurate management information • Common repository for IT Service Management data • Improved reporting of performance and thresholds— facilitating timely analysis and recommendations • Report on the effect of changes and releases on the environment, customers, and IT support

"5.2.4 ITSM best practices, standards and methodologies that a desktop support manager should be aware of."

• Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) • ISO/IEC 20000 - Service Management • ISO/IEC 27000 - International Security • ISO/IEC 385000 - International Governance • COBIT • Six Sigma • Deming Cycle • Prince2 and PMP -Project Management • SEI Capability Center Standards • HDI Support Center Standard • Knowledge Centered Service (KCS)

"5.9.3 the value of a Service Asset and Configuration Management process."

• Information and knowledge to make better, more informed decisions faster • Improved risk management for Change, Release and Deployment, Availability, Capacity, and IT Service Continuity Management processes • Facilitating diagnosis, isolation and troubleshooting; resulting in improved restoration time for incidents, requests and problems reducing the business impact

"5.20.9 the levels of maturity typically used in a maturity assessment."

• Initial - ad hoc, lacks structure, control • Repeatable - previous successes can be repeated • Defined - processes are implemented based on standards and strategy • Managed - Change Mgmt authorizes projects, results are predictable • Optimizing - organization is focused on continual service improvements

What are Initiation and Planning components? (1st of 4 steps of project management) 1.6.3

• Initiating and planning the project • Defining project objectives • Documenting success criteria • Assessing risk • Documenting roles and responsibilities

"4.10.4 Describe the challenges of automated remediation tools."

• Integration with systems/infrastructure can be challenging and costly • Tracking incidents and problems corrected by self- healing can be inconsistent

"4.10.1 Describe the objectives of automated remediation (self-healing technology)."

• Is intended to provide instantaneous (24/7/365) response to issues minimizing the impact of any service failures • Identifies when an issue has occurred and initiates remedial or corrective action to restore a user/ system to a functioning state (without human intervention) • Should link/correlate to incident, request, problem, and change management

"6.4.7 the four reasons for measuring and monitoring performance metrics."

• Justify that a course of action is required • Intervene at a point in time to take corrective action • Validate previous decisions • Direct activities to meet targets

"6.5.2 areas of performance to report."

• Key performance indicators (KPIs) • Critical success factors" • Variances to baselines • Progress towards targets • Annotate abnormalities and milestones • Service improvement projects

1.5.8 Identify techniques for getting audience participation.

• Knowing your audience and what techniques are appropriate for your audience • Asking questions designed to elicit a verbal response • Giving the audience a mental picture for them to create • Saying a word or phrase and have the audience repeat the word or phrase back to you • Using both open- and close-ended questions

"4.5.3 Describe the challenges of telephone support."

• Lack of visual (social) clues • More expensive than most other channels • Keeping customer focused on the single issue • Cannot see what customer sees, relied on customer description of what they see and did • Little education or training due to telling vs. showing

1.3.9 Ways to apply Emotional Connection Competencies.

• Learn that communication is a tool between two or more people • Understand that people are not human doings, but human beings • Spend time with your people and get to know what motivates and drives them

1.4.3 How to overcome objections.

• Listen actively and suggesting win-win scenarios without aggression or becoming defensive • Develop possible alternative solutions in advance of potentially unpleasant conversations or conflicts

"5.20.6 mechanisms for desktop support monitoring."

• Live service observations (reviewer visits the user site with the desktop support technician) • Follow-up calls or conduct customer satisfaction surveys

"3.3.3 Identify the benefits of in-sourcing."

• Maintain control over internal processes • Make choices that might otherwise be restricted to contractual agreements • Staff is familiar with organization policies, procedures, and organization-specific information • If chargeback model is used, money remains in the organization

1.1.1 Demonstrate characteristics of an effective leader.

• Maintaining a positive perspective • Encouraging participation and maximizing contributions • Providing incentives that are challenging, yet attainable • Delegating effectively • Encouraging others to be creative and take initiative • Practicing and encouraging fairness • Making decisions even when they may be unpopular • Executing strategic plans • Enforcing and supporting organizational policies • Leading by example • Continuing to learn • Inspiring and motivating team members • Creating organizational alignment • Exhibiting excellent listening and communication skills

"3.3.9 Identify the benefits of right sourcing."

• Maintains operational control while enabling the utilization of effective external options • Provides an optimum mix of resources (outsource, contract) that balances customer service quality with corporate return on investment (ROI)

1.1.3 Provide tactical direction to the desktop support team.

• Making tactical decisions based on the strategic goals and objectives of the organization • Being innovative and creative in planning and problem- solving • Scheduling weekly meetings with the team to review issues and changes • Keeping the team appraised of the top ten incidents and service requests and their solutions • Meeting individually with team members to clarify their goals and hold them accountable

"6.4.2 Cont. "Identify common measurements used in the support center."

• Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS) • Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) for critical business services • First Level/Contact Resolution • Service Level Target Achievements (support center performance to its goals) • Other operational metrics - Average Speed of Answer - Abandonment Rate - Hold Time - Average Handle Time

"3.7.4 the challenges of working with cross- functional teams."

• Meetings can be time consuming • Department managers can lose control of staff • Participating departments lose resources they would otherwise have

"4.16.3 the benefits of mobile device management."

• Minimizes the costs of deployment and maintenance of devices • Reduces support costs for mobile devices • Increases availability of mobile devices • Increases employee productivity

"5.11.2 the responsibilities of a desktop support manager in the Service Level Management process."

• Monitor trends in customer satisfaction • Ensure that desktop support services are meeting the defined parameters of the service level agreements • Ensure there is effective communication and understanding within desktop support regarding defined and agreed upon service levels • Identify where services can be improved or may not meet business needs

"4.6.3 Describe the challenges of desktop support."

• More expensive method of support than if resolved remotely or by the support center • Other issues may arise that are not related to the primary purpose of the visit • May be difficult for the desktop support technician to log all the activity and work not accounted for.

"6.5.6 common types of reports."

• Morning report—an operational report for all support managers and directors who want to run their support organization like a business. It gives management a daily view of the support activity in order to evaluate trends, address critical problems and issues that are impacting the business, or spot violations of service level commitments. • Executive dashboard—a one-page summary document that highlights performance indicators and any abnormalities and milestones. It supports management by serving three purposes: − Answering fundamental questions about the business or business units − Alerting management to issues or problems − Helping executives to make decisions that impact the business

"6.3.5 one-time or event surveys."

• Not completed during regularly scheduled intervals • Scheduled for a specific reason (i.e. a software rollout) • Appropriate for evaluating satisfaction levels with current products and service offerings or for identifying changes that customers feel are important

"6.1.4 the challenges of benchmarking"

• Not knowing how questions are interpreted or answered by other participants of the survey • Differing goals and objectives of organizations • Differing skill sets based on business needs • Different technology/tools utilized by the organizations • Benchmarking may be seen as "the solution" by some management, rather than as one tool for understanding what needs to be improved

"4.9.5 Identify common performance indicators for self-service."

• Number of incidents and service requests resolved using self-service • Number of self-service solutions rated "not helpful" by end users • Number of self-service users • Utilization of the self-service offering • Number of web escalations compared to number of web sessions • Number of obsolete or incorrect solutions provided

"3.4.3 Identify common methods for professional staff development."

• On-the-job training (OJT) • Computer-based training (CBT) • Instructor-led training (ILT) • Online learning • Blended learning • Providing staff with access to training resources • Coaching • Mentoring

"4.6.2 Describe the benefits of desktop support."

• One-on-one, face-to-face communication with the customer, which establishes better rapport • Desktop support technicians can view the environment from the customer's perspective • Facilitates better understanding of user situation and environment

"6.3.2 the common types of surveys used by support."

• Ongoing • Annual or periodic • One-time / even-based

"5.19.3 the value of a Continual Service Improvement (CSI) process."

• Ongoing assessment of how well the services and processes meet the business needs • Identify adjustments to ensure that the services and process continue to meet the business needs

1.3.7 Ways to apply Self- awareness.

• Participate in a 360-degree assessment of your strengths and weaknesses • Have an accountability partner or coach who can help you identify patterns of behavior that may need to change • Keep track of specific patterns that you fall into when reacting to difficult situation

"5.10.4 the role of the desktop support team in a Release and Deployment Management process."

• Participate in testing of new configuration items (CIs) • Maintain a laboratory of standard configurations used in the infrastructure • Deploy approved releases • Submit articles to the knowledge base

"4.2.9 Identify support functions an IVR system typically supports."

• Password reset • Incident or request status checks • Customer surveys • User profile updates • Faxback services • FAQs • Payment processing • Access contact information (I.e., support center hours, contact methods, etc.)

"6.3.4 annual or periodic surveys."

• Planned and scheduled on periodic basis (normally annually) • Used to evaluate overall satisfaction levels with support products, service offerings, and personnel • Used to identify changes to products, services, and processes that customers feel would improve their relationship with support and better meet their needs • Based on the customer's perception of the organization over the last year or period

"4.16.2 mobile device management functions."

• Policy management • Software distribution • Inventory management • Security management • Service management

"4.4.2 Identify the factors used to determine which support delivery methods are most appropriate to use for support."

• Product or application being supported • Impact of the incident or service request • Complexity of the skill set needed to resolve the incident or service request compared to the expertise of your support staff • Stipulations in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) • Location of the customer • Time zones of the customer and the support analyst • The support center hours of operation • Availability and capability of remote tools • Effectiveness of knowledge management

"6.4.6 the four different characteristics of process metrics."

• Progress—in process maturity • Efficiency—use of resources; e.g., throughput, speed, productivity • Effectiveness—consistency and accuracy of results (right the first time) • Compliance—to process and regulatory/legislative requirements

"5.17.1 the purpose of the Security Management process."

• Protect the information assets against threats • Assess and mitigate security risks • Ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information assets

"3.7.3 the benefits of cross-functional teams."

• Provide a broader view of the impact of a project on the organization as a whole • Ensure organization-wide accountability and participation • Ability to educate many departments about the project • Enhance interdepartmental rapport • Minimize the challenge of getting stakeholder buy-in • Provide for synergistic decision-making

"5.9.1 the purpose of the Service Asset and Configuration Management process."

• Provide a logical model of the IT infrastructure • Control and maintain accurate information • Provide valuable information for decision making to other ITSM process areas

"6.6.1 the purpose of the HDI Support Center Standard."

• Provide a standard for support centers to benchmark and determine their maturity • Assist support centers in understanding areas for improvement • Serve as the reference model for recognizing support centers whose service meets the HDI Support Center Certification requirements

"3.4.7 the benefits of a career development plan."

• Provides a vehicle for developing employee capabilities • Increases employee motivation, retention and job satisfaction • Aligns and coordinates training and certification goals with planned higher-level positions • Considers the technician's career goals, while at the same time aligning them with the strategic goals of desktop support

"3.5.1 ways to create a positive work environment."

• Provides a vehicle for developing employee capabilities • Increases employee motivation, retention and job satisfaction • Aligns and coordinates training and certification goals with planned higher-level positions • Considers the technician's career goals, while at the same time aligning them with the strategic goals of desktop support

"2.4.1 Explain the purpose of Financial Management."

• Provides the resources to identify costs and determine the value of services and service assets • Develops pricing models for Services • Developing cost/benefit and return on investment (ROI) models

1.8.3 List ways in which a healthy amount of stress can have positive effects on teams.

• Providing motivation and energy • Encouraging increased productivity • Optimizing performance • Increasing momentum at work

1.5.6 List the elements of an executive summary report.

• Purpose and scope • Methods • Results • Conclusion • Recommendations • Additional information

"5.20.2 common quality assurance practices used in desktop support."

• Quality Monitoring - Incident/Request monitoring - Desktop support monitoring - Knowledge monitoring - E-mail/chat monitoring • Customer Satisfaction • Employee Satisfaction • Maturity Assessments • Service Improvement Plans (SIP)

"5.4.7 Cont. the common Incident Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Quality Monitoring - Ticket quality by desktop technician - Reopened incidents (#, %) - Incident records that require additional documentation before closing (#, %) • Customer satisfaction with desktop support - Customer satisfaction with deskside visits - Customer satisfaction with desktop support diagnosis/resolution using remote tools

"3.5.7 how to use recognition and rewards."

• Recognize individual and team contributions in a manner meaningful to the recipient • Provide recognition and rewards timely to reinforce desired behaviors • Give recognition and rewards consistently, fairly, and equitably

1.1.2 Identify ways to reach optimized levels of performance.

• Recognized organizational models and techniques identify ways to improve performance − D.I.C.E. (Duration, Integrity, Commitment, Effort) − Knowing-Doing Gap − Six Sigma − Kaizen • Conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to identify areas to leverage, improve, enhance, and manage • Implement continual improvement programs • Develop programs that reward initiative • Set goals that are realistic and achievable • Benchmark key performance indicators (KPIs) against similar organizations

1.8.2 Identify ways to assist your team in managing stress.

• Recognizing the positive aspects of stress • Recognizing the signs of stress • Using exercise as a stress reliever • Engaging in diverse activities outside of work • Creating a personal network of advisors with whom they can share • Using breathing techniques • Taking regular breaks at work • Taking a short break after a difficult interaction • Maintaining a healthy work/life balance • Attending group activities such as team-building exercises

"5.18.6 the common Knowledge Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Reduced business impact from incidents due to Knowledge Management (KE) and Known Error (KE) databases (#, %) • Reduced desktop costs due to KM (#, %) • Desktop First Contact Resolution due to KM (#, %) • Solutions created/updated by desktop support (#, %) • Solutions utilized (citations) by desktop support (#, %) • Incident/request records with solutions linkage (#, %) • Accuracy of KM/KE database (#, %) • Quality monitoring of solutions (#) • Knowledge participation rate (%)

"5.10.5 the common Release and Deployment metrics that the desktop support manager should use."

• Release related desktop incidents (#, %) • Release related desktop requests ($, #, %, hrs/min) • Problems (desktop related) introduced into the live environment from releases ($, #, hrs/min) • Desktop support resources required to support the release process ($, FTE) • Release success rate (#, %) • Customer satisfaction with the IT Release process

"4.8.2 Identify types of remote support tools."

• Remote control • Remote collaboration • Remote administration

1.1.4 The importance of displaying confidence.

• Removes doubts about competency • Establishes credibility • Encourages communication • Fosters rapport

"5.9.2 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in a Service Asset and Configuration Management process."

• Reporting variances or discrepancies found when viewing configuration item (CI) information to the Configuration Management team • Utilizing the Service Asset and Configuration Management data to improve the resolution time for incident management" • Managing the Definitive Media Library • Managing the Definitive Spare Store

"3.3.10 Identify the challenges of right sourcing."

• Requires managing the logistics of running a mixed environment • Requires you to match your culture with that of the vendor's employees • May require you to maintain different human resources policies (e.g., vacation, sick time, etc.)

"4.5.2 Describe the benefits of using telephone support in a desktop support environment."

• Resolves customer issues quickly, minimizing the need for further escalation • Ensures that customer issues are understood and expectations set • Provides desktop support staff with quick access to end users • Can be used to in conjunction with remote support tools to optimize the customers' experience

"4.9.2 Describe activities that a customer can perform via self-service."

• Resolving their incidents and service requests via a search for solutions to commonly known errors and questions without the assistance of a support professional • Accessing documentation (E.g., policies, procedures, SLAs, FAQs, etc.) to help resolve their incidents and service requests • Training and online tutorials • Viewing technical instructions (E.g., software usage and installations) • Logging incidents, service requests, requests for change (RFC) • Checking the status of current requests • Updating information on current requests • Updating contact information • Resetting passwords

"4.9.3 Describe the benefits of self service technology."

• Restoration of service without assistance enables users to be independent and self-sufficient • Provides an additional support channel, available 24x7 • Provides consistent responses to repetitive requests enabling more self-sufficiency • Provides a preferred support method for some customer segments • Lowers the cost of support • Reduces downtime for users

"5.20.4 mechanisms for incident monitoring."

• Review incident documentation for completeness and accuracy • Conduct a review with the desktop support technician after the incident is closed • Conduct follow-up calls or customer satisfaction surveys

"3.10.3 List the steps in the performance review process."

• Reviewing organizational goals • Specifying desired results • Ensuring that contributions support the organization's objectives • Weighting or prioritizing desired results • Identifying standards for measuring achievement • Conducting and documenting observations and tracking performance • Exchanging feedback about performance • Conducting a formal performance review or appraisal − Rewarding the performance that meets or exceeds desired results − Developing remedial actions for correcting performance gaps if performance does not meet desired results

"3.3.4 Identify the challenges of in-sourcing."

• Scale limitations due to staffing, facilities, skills, and competencies • Time and costs involved in marketing services may be higher

"4.10.2 Identify examples of automated remediation functionality."

• Scan and monitor for viruses • Restore services (systems/infrastructure) after a virus has been detected • Automatically check/install updates/patches • Diagnose and resolve common incidents (I.e., network connectivity, printer access) • Perform file clean-up • Repair application issues

"4.15.3 types of reporting systems."

• Scorecards - Simple scorecard - Balanced scorecard • Dashboards • Operations Report • Service Level Management—performance to Service Level Targets (SLT)

1.1.7 How to identify up and coming leaders.

• Seek those with an outstanding work ethic • Seek those who have proven to be trustworthy in the past • Look for effective verbal and written communicators • Find people who are sincerely concerned about the business and how the team functions, not those who are seeking only promotion • Seek those with developed critical thinking skills, those who come to you with problems and possible solutions

1.3.3 The major components of Emotional Intelligence.

• Self-awareness • Emotional Managements of Self and others • Emotional Connection

"6.5.1 your audience for communicating performance results."

• Senior management—executive dashboard summarizing performance indicators • Management—operational reports that monitor service level commitments, process efficiencies, team performance, and personnel performance" • Support analysts—team performance as well as individual performance • Customers (internal and external)— compliance to service level commitments • Marketing—success stories, new services, and service improvements

"5.4.7 the common Incident Management metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Service Level Agreement (SLA) performance or OLA performance - Incidents resolved within service level targets (#, %) - Customer Satisfaction with desktop support and Incident Management process - Response Time (acknowledge) tickets • Mean Time to Restore Service (MTRS) (min/hrs) - by Categories & Functional areas (#, %) - by priority within goals (#, %) - Remote vs. deskside (#, %) - Incidents escalated from desktop support (#, %)

"5.5.7 the common Request Fulfillment metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Service Level Agreement (SLA) performance or OLA performance - Desktop related service requests resolved within service level targets (#, %) - Third party performance regarding desktop related service requests (#, %) - Customer satisfaction with the desktop support request fulfillment process - Response/acknowledgement time for desktop service requests • Desktop related service requests (#, %) - Desktop service requests (#, %) - Desktop requests that were standard changes (#, %) - Service request received/handled per desktop support channel (#, %) - Desktop service requests escalated (#, %) - Backlog of desktop support related service requests (age, type) - Trend (+/-) in number of desktop service requests (by type)

"4.9.4 List examples of common self service technology."

• Service Management Systems that allow users to: - Log incidents and service requests - Check status of incidents and service requests - Check status and availability of systems • Online help and self-service knowledge base • Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems • Learning Management Systems (LMS's) that include online video and computer training

"3.1.5 List factors to consider when creating workforce schedules."

• Service offerings • Volume of incidents and service requests • Products supported • Hours of operation • Target response times • Other (e.g., sick time, special projects, and training) • Commitments made in the service level agreement • Desktop support technician skills • Peak intervals

"1.12.2 Describe how to demonstrate learning through practical application in daily support processes and practices."

• Sharing knowledge and information with others • Reviewing current processes and procedures against new information and modify as needed

"3.4.2 Identify methods for assessing organizational and individual development needs."

• Skills gap analysis • Position profiling • Individual assessment • 360-degree peer assessment

"5.11.6 the basic components of a service level agreement (SLA)."

• Stakeholder information • Contact information • Hours of service/applicability • Service description and scope • Availability and capacity targets • Priority matrix • Response and restore targets • Identification of change windows • Metrics and review information • Escalation paths and procedures • Penalties and/or charge-back information • Costs of services • Signatures and review dates

"4.1.1 Identify common tools and technologies used in support organization"

• Telephony Tools - Automated Call Distribution (ACD) - Automatic Voice Recognition (AVR) - Interactive Voice Response (IVR) - Voice -over Internet Protocol (VoIP) - Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) • Collaboration Tools - Knowledge Sharing Tools - Instant Messaging (IM) - Wikis - Screen Sharing - Digital Whiteboards - Social Media messaging (E.g., Facebook, Twitter) • Remote Support Tools - Remote Control - Remote Collaboration - Remote Administration • Monitoring and Alert Tools - Monitor boards (system/service status) - Real time messaging systems • Self-service technologies • Automated Remediation technologies • Social Media technologies • Cloud Services technologies—public, private, hybrid models - Application-as-a-Service - Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) - Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Software as a Service (SaaS) - Storage as a Service (STaaS) (E.g., Dropbox, Google Docs) • Service Management Systems - Incident and Service Request Management - Problem Management - Change Management - Configuration Management - Asset Management - Event Management • Knowledge Management Systems • Workforce Management Systems • Reporting Systems • Mobile Device Management

"5.19.4 the purpose of common Continual Service Improvement (CSI) metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• The number of changes initiated by desktop support based on their continual service improvement (CSI) process • Business impact of changes made via the continual service improvement (CSI) process

"3.3.7 Identify the challenges of outsourcing."

• The number of resources required to manage outsourcing agreements, contractual compliance, Change Management, etc. • Requires well defined, well documented procedures that are included in the contract • Ownership of intellectual property (IP) needs to be identified • Less direct control for day-to-day operations • Infrastructure efficiency may be impacted if costs are fixed • Outsourced staff may be not viewed as part of the organization • Loss of informal contacts/information • Contractual procedures may inhibit flexibility previously available • May require multiple service management and knowledge base systems

"3.4.4 how to prioritize training needs."

• Timeline of when required skills need to be in place • Options if training is not satisfied" • Business impact if training is not satisfied • Availability of training • Costs—both time and money

"5.5.7 Cont."the common Request Fulfillment metrics that a desktop support manager should use."

• Total cost of managing desktop service requests • Request Fulfillment unit costs for desktop support - Cost per service request ($, hrs/days) - Cost per service request regarding deskside visits ($, FTE, hrs/days) - Cost per request utilizing knowledge management (solution available) - Trend (+/-) in request fulfillment costs ($, FTE, hrs/days) • Quality Monitoring - Desktop service request ticket quality (for all levels) - Desktop service request ticket quality by technician (#) - Reopened desktop service requests (#, %) - Desktop service request records correct as completed (#, %) - Desktop service request records that require additional documentation before closing (#, %) • Customer satisfaction with the desktop Request Fulfillment process

"4.14.3 the role of the desktop support manager in workforce management."

• Track and forecast contact volume to properly forecast the human resource requirements • Schedule staff accurately to meet required service level targets • Calculate adherence levels to measure on and report performance levels of staff • Measure and manage overall shrinkage of desktop support (based on adherence calculations) to better improve performance • Measure attendance, adherence, and availability to ensure the organization meets the business goals and manages cost

"4.15 2 the benefits of reporting systems for support organizations."

• Transform data into information in order to make better informed decisions regarding support center performance - Understand effectiveness of processes - Understand efficiency of processes • Track historical performance to report support center trends to management, customers, and support center staff - Understand relative performance of individuals and teams • Improves the communication about value to management, customers, and support center staff • Proper reporting and tracking of Performance Indicators (PIs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Key Results Indicators (KRIs) to ensure goals and objectives are being met and allow corrective actions to be taken to ensure goals are meet • Understand and measure on what the organization identifies as being important

"3.5.2 ways to foster long term relationships with valued members of your staff."

• Treat staff with respect • Seek feedback about your plans and ideas • Ask staff for their ideas • Make sure you are familiar with what skills your staff have outside of their core job responsibilities and provide opportunities for them to use them • Help team members develop an ongoing developmental program that will allow them to grow within the organization • Support career development opportunities within/ outside desktop support

1.13.2 Strategies for maintaining a current and accurate awareness of cultural differences.

• Understand differences in stakeholder cultures • Actively pursue new cultural information and encourage/ promote cultural diversity • Recognize cultural differences to avoid conflict and/or negatively impact customer satisfaction due to a lack of sensitivity, real or perceived

1.5.4 How to communicate effectively with stakeholders.

• Understand the audience and creating appropriate messages, considering culture where applicable • Use the appropriate tools and media for each stakeholder group

"5.2.8 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager with respect to ITSM best practices."

• Understand what ITSM best practices exist within the industry and how to leverage them in desktop support • Understand which best practices are being or have been adopted by their organization • Develop the tactics to execute the best practice strategy defined for the organization

"5.3.1 the role of the support center in the organization."

• Understand what ITSM best practices exist within the industry and how to leverage them in desktop support • Understand which best practices are being or have been adopted by their organization • Develop the tactics to execute the best practice strategy defined for the organization

"2.3.1 Describe how a desktop support manager can be involved in strategic plans."

• Understanding the role of desktop support in the enabling of strategic plans • Identifying desktop support activities required to support the strategic plans • Demonstrating and communicating desktop support linkage to strategic plans

"4.3.3 Identify various functions of unified communications typically used in the support organization."

• Universal queuing of contacts: telephony, e-mail, chat, SMS, fax, IM • Video conferencing • Electronic (interactive) whiteboards • Data sharing • Calendaring • Workflow

"3.2.4 Describe components of an interview process."

• Use structured and defined interviewing questions • Involve model team members in the interview and selection process • Follow your organization's hiring processes and procedures • Perform initial telephone interview • Perform solid reference checks

1.3.8 Ways to apply Emotional Management of self and others.

• Use your accountability partner to keep you on track • Ask more questions when a difficult situation presents itself • Avoid having meetings when you are either hungry or tired To apply emotional management to others: • Learn to see what others are truly feeling • Aid others by listening attentively to their needs and emotions • Ask them how they would resolve situations, rather than telling them what they should do

"5.20.5 the benefits of incident monitoring."

• Validating the information provided to the customer • Providing feedback about an desktop support technician's job performance • Ensuring that the incident documentation process was followed • Verifying consistency in Incident Management • Providing an opportunity to identify improvements earlier • Enabling desktop support to improve the quality of IT services • Identifying areas where desktop support technicians need training • Identifying areas where processes are not meeting expectations or are not being followed • Enabling desktop support to be proactive rather than reactive

"5.9.4 the common Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) metrics the desktop support manager should use."

• Variations found by desktop support when utilizing the SACM system (#, %) • Impact on desktop support due to utilization of SACM system ($, FTE, hrs/days)

"5.18.5 the responsibilities of the desktop support manager in knowledge management."

• Verify alignment of the knowledge management strategy to business objectives • Communicate the vision, purpose, and objectives of the knowledge management strategy • Motivate support staff to follow the processes and to improve their skills • Encourage participation by and feedback from the analysts • Recognize positive behavior and address negative behavior

1.5.2 List documents used to communicate vision and strategy.

• Vision statement • Mission statement • Strategic plan • Service level agreement • Operational level agreement • Service catalog

"3.5.5 why it is important to conduct employee satisfaction surveys."

• What is important to employees • How employees perceive the workplace • What employees would like to see changed in the workplace • What, if any, improvements need to be implemented

"3.6.1 characteristics of teamwork."

• Working together to accomplish common goals • Working together to share ideas • Actively listening to each other • Doing one's share • Not taking advantage of others on the team