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December 6, 2004 (Computerworld) --
The Hidden Costs of Help Desk Avoidance
Employees spend an average of 30 minutes per week either trying to fix their own PC problems or working on a co-worker's PC problems, according to research by Compass America Inc., a Chicago-based IT benchmarking firm.
This self-sufficiency and helpfulness may seem like a good thing, but from the company's point of view, it's not very cost-effective, says Scott Feuless, a senior consultant in Compass' Houston office. For starters, it may be a sign that end users have little confidence that the IT help desk can really help or that users don't know that the help desk could solve their problem. Plus, that 30 minutes of lost work productivity is hurting the company and could be reduced to an average of 10 minutes with a top-notch help desk, Feuless says.
Companies take a 3% productivity hit from users futzing with their PCs, and that could be cut to 1% with a first-class help desk, Feuless says, citing Compass' database of more than 7,000 benchmark studies.
So how can companies get a 2% productivity boost? Feuless recommends the following steps:
- Make the help desk a one-stop shop for PC fixes, so calling it isn't viewed as a waste of time.
- Negotiate service-level agreements to monitor the performance of the help desk.
- Standardize PC hardware and software so the help desk can effectively come up with standard fixes.
Best Bits
THE BOOK: The New CIO Leader: Setting the Agenda and Delivering Results, by Marianne Broadbent and Ellen S. Kitzis (Harvard Business School Press, 2004).
Fortunately, sprinkled in various nooks and crannies of the book are some useful insights and techniques for becoming a trusted member of the executive elite. For example, the authors mention the role of credibility—not just delivering IT projects on time and on budget, but "delivering results that your enterprise leadership really cares about." Frankly, they say, it's the only success metric that matters. Plus, the authors provide advice on when and how to get involved in company politics.
If you're new to the CIO game or struggling to crack the inner circle, this book might be for you.
Things to Ponder
- In a survey of 300 global organizations, 57% of respondents said they use instant messaging at work for personal reasons, Meta Group Inc. reports. And 56% use IM at home for business purposes.
- At LexisNexis Group, an online research service in Miamisburg, Ohio, IT workers have a tradition of giving dead code a proper burial. When computer programs are replaced, upgraded or unplugged, IT staffers read eulogies to the code, place a printout in a wooden coffin and bury it in a shallow grave with a headstone, the Dayton Daily News reports.
- Companies that automate travel and expense reimbursement can slash the cost of processing expense reports by 80%, according to PayStream Advisors Inc., a research and consulting firm in Charlotte, N.C.
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