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Priorities - Everyone is Important to InfoTech as a Customer - However, not Every Problem Gets the Same Response Time.
When you call the HelpDesk, we open a ticket in HelpDesk Online. Based on the information that you provide we assign a priority. The priority level determines the timeline for contacting a technician and resolving the problem. Priority levels range from 1 through 5, with 1 being the highest priority.
The priorities used reflect HelpDesk industry standards. The priorities are initially assigned by Help Desk staff and reviewed for accuracy by the Manager of User Services.
The following is a list of the priorities, their definitions and the percentage of July's requests that fell into each category.
Priority 1 -URGENT. Any problem where a group of people is completely out of commission: a computer lab has failed; Internet connectivity or telephone service for a campus has failed, etc. We dispatch technicians immediately and continue working until the problem is resolved, using all the resources available locally and, if necessary, from our corporate resource pool. 1% of requests.
Priority 2 -HIGH. Any problem where (1) a group of people are still working, but have a glitch that is seriously affecting their service and there are no "workarounds" or (2) any problem where an individual's computer is completely down. In this case, we also dispatch a technician immediately (if s/he is not working on a Priority 1 issue). We try to resolve these problems within a few hours. 15% of requests.
Priority 3 -MEDIUM. Any problem where an individual's system is working, but something is wrong that is affecting productivity. We get to these problems as soon as possible. Depending on workload, this may be 1-5 days. These are handled after all Priority 1 and 2 issues, and on a "first come first served" basis. We try to suggest temporary solutions in these cases to minimize customer inconvenience. 64% of requests.
Priority 4 - LOW. Situations that do not interfere with the current functioning of a system or user - such as requests for software upgrades- fall in to this category. 14% of requests.
Priority 5 - PROJECTS. Requests that are complex and time consuming, or require planning and/or acquisition of new equipment or software fall into this category. Timeline on this category may be weeks or months. 3% of requests.
(Note: 3% of the requests were not assigned a priority.)
The major challenge for us in responding appropriately to calls is our geographic dispersion. Each Chicago site has only one technician. If several HIGH priority calls come in from one site at the same time, the single technician must take them one at a time. Out of state sites are not large enough to support the cost of even a single technician and they must rely on telephone support as the first line of solution to any problem.
HelpDesk- Enter Your Requests via the Web (if you want to).
You can report technology problems to the HelpDesk by phone, email or in person. We will soon offer you another mechanism - via the Internet, using our HelpDesk Online system. Problems reported via this system go directly into our HelpDesk Online database, where a staff member reviews the request, assigns it to the most appropriate service responder, and assigns a priority.
Advantages of this system:
- It is available 24 hours a day from any system connected to the Internet.
- It allows you to easily cut and paste error messages to provide us with more detailed diagnostic information than we typically get via a phone call.
- It reduces the time needed to report and record a problem.
We have been testing this system with the help of a dozen or so volunteers for the last month and the operation has gone smoothly. We expect that we will begin opening up the system to all fulltime faculty and staff within a month. Watch your email for a formal announcement and for instructions on how to connect and use the system.
Important note: use of the direct web entry for technology requests is entirely voluntary. You may use whatever method works best for you - phone, email, personal contact or the new web system. |
