October 2012, Issue 3, Volume 14

Professional but still personal

TOPdesk for HR at DSM

More in this issue:

TOPdesk on your diploma TOPdesk 5: The LUMCs experiences so far Advanced Search: get the best results

EDITORIAL

24
Busy times
After the hectic months leading up to the release of TOPdesk 5, you would think that we would have a well-earned rest afterwards. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Since the release of TOPdesk 5, our offices have been about as restful as a child with ADHD. Those of you who attended our customer events were able to see how enthusiastically TOPdesk employees presented the latest version of our software. The spectacular premiere and new possibilities provided both employees and customers with fresh inspiration and energy. The TOPdesk offices are buzzing with energy as we busily search for the next step forward. That is what such a spectacular product launch does to an office: the expectations for future versions have never been higher, so no one wants to sit still. Will all this productivity result in amazing new features? It is too early to tell. However, I cannot help but feel optimistic knowing that Newton, Picasso, Columbus and Ford all had ADHD. Enjoy your read! Nienke Deuss, Editor-in-Chief

25 10

CONTENTS October 12
THE NEW GRAPHICAL STYLE IS VERY INTUITIVE
Willem van Duyvenvoorde - LUMC

Continue reading on page 12

6 10 12

NEWS PROFESSIONAL BUT STILL PERSONAL

TOPdesk for HR at DSM

ADVANCED SEARCH: GET THE BEST RESULTS TOPDESK 5 AT THE LUMC

The health care providers experiences so far

14 19

14

TRENDS
Module specialists: connecting customer, knowledge & tool

16 19 23 24 28

NETHERLANDS CANCER INSTITUTE

Putting patients first with TOPdesk and ISM

TOPDESK ON YOUR DIPLOMA TOPDESK PARTNER SOLUTIONS WORK SMARTER

Information screen displaying news & reservations

TIPS + TRICKS

ON THE COVER:
Jacqueline Hendriks and Fons Manders from DSM explain how TOPdesk has improved the efciency of the Business Support

ISM at NKI-AVL

Centre HR (BSC HR) and also created room for personal contact.

Want to stay up to date?

To stay on top of the latest TOPdesk news and service management developments, follow us on Twitter via @TOPdesk and @TOPdesk_UK.

TOPdesk 4.4 service pack 3 available

Service pack 3 for TOPdesk 4.4 was released on 2 August. You can download this service pack from the TOPdesk Extranet. We discovered several bugs shortly after we released service pack 2, so we decided to release service pack 3 early. Service pack 2 enhances several existing features. For Service pack 3 solves bugs related primarily to the Change Management and Reservations Management modules. Solutions that were planned for service pack 3 will now be included in service pack 4, which will be released on service pack 3s original release date for service pack 3. No solutions have been delayed as a result of this; we have simply adjusted the version number. You can find the release notes for service packs 2 and 3 on the TOPdesk Extranet. If you have any further questions, please contact your local TOPdesk office/TOPdesk Support on +31(0)15 270 09 11 or at support@topdesk.nl.

@TOPdesk
A selection of our recent tweets:

instance, it is now possible to view and upload documents to Change Management authorization activities in the Self Service Desk (Enterprise). In all TOPdesk versions, you can now display the Department field in

@mvromman: @TOPdesk Is it possible to create detailed logs of changes on the Person Card? (who, what and when?) @jurgenkoster: @TOPdesk @mvromman Yes it is, at predefined times, using the Event Management module and log files. #Pro #Enterprise @TOPdesk_UK: Were literally on board for the IT Directors Forum 10-13 October on the Aurora! #itdf #itsm #TOPdesk @keesjanmulder: Its starting to become a tradition: a lovely cake from @TOPdesk to celebrate #sysadminday pic.twitter.com/5604sqXw

object overviews.

TOPdesk organizes ISM Experience

In Spant!, Bussum on 13 September, the Belgian BHVB organized the ISM Experience in cooperation with TOPdesk and several other partners. The event focused on the Integrated Service Management (ISM) method. This method condenses the complex ITIL theory into six primary processes. During the ISM Experience, visitors could attend a range of presentations and see ISM in practice at a live simulated service desk. TOPdesk organized two presentations introducing the TOPdesk ISM module.

WEVE NOTICED STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS AT OUR CUSTOMERS WHO MANAGE THEIR IT DEPARTMENT WITH ISM
Ramon van Leeuwen TOPdesk commercial director

itSMF Tooling in Belgium

After last years success, the second edition of the itSMF Tooling Event took place on 20 September in De Montil in Affligem. TOPdesk was present with a stand in the exhibition hall, and also provided a free workshop. The itSMF Tooling Event focuses on the latest developments in the field of IT service Management tools. More information To find out more about the itSMF Tooling Event, please visit www.itsmftoolingevent.be.

NEWS

Calendar
10 OCT
InfoBex Baja, Hungary

TOPdesk partner develops APM model

TOPdesk and software and service provider to (IT) services and determining the level of involvement of configuration items. The benefits of APM: Attuning applications and IT infrastructure to the specific needs of the organization (business). Aligning IT services with high-impact or critical organizational processes. APM helps organizations to develop quickly Prioritizing assets, attuned to the needs of the business. Implementing APM provides the IT manager an excellent tool when meeting with the directors. Both parties benefit from added insight into the organizations IT supply and demand. and easily. This flexibility lets them capitalize on changes, such as customer wishes or changes to the products and services catalogue. APM lets organizations determine the impact changing organizational processes will have on IT and vice versa. This is achieved by linking company-specific process diagrams Mavim have further extended their partnership. In addition to Integrated Service Management (ISM) and quality control in the healthcare sector, the partners have now developed the Application Portfolio

Hungary

20 21 NOV NOV
Service Desk Forum Rheingoldhalle, Mainz

Germany

Management model (APM). APM provides a link to your TOPdesk CMDB.

03 OCT
SDI event The ICC, Birmingham

UK

10 11 12 13 OCT OCT OCT OCT

IT Directors Forum Aurora Cruise Ship

16 OCT
London Graduate Fair Business Design Centre, London

TOPdesk boards Aurora for IT Directors Forum

On 10 October, TOPdesk will board the cruise ship Aurora for two and a half days to attend the IT Directors' Forum. This event offers senior IT professionals the opportunity to meet potential new product and service providers, listen to industry thought leaders in conferences and workshops and develop their personal network amongst industry peers. TOPdesk Account Manager Rob Goldsworth has also been invited to give a presentation and share his thoughts on the latest service management developments.

25 26 OCT OCT
Higher Education Demo Days TOPdesk office, London

05 NOV

06 NOV

ITSMF Annual Conference Novotel, London

11 OCT

Belgium

TOPdesk 5 Demo Day Congrescentrum Ter Elst, Edegem

27 NOV
FM Demo Day TOPdesk office, Antwerp

30 OCT

Denmark

CAFM Fair Borgergade, Copenhagen James Crossland

6 cUStoMER In FocUS

Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn

PROFESSIONAL BUT STILL pERSONAL

Text: Nienke Deuss

CUSTOMER IN FOCUS 7

Fons Manders (l) and Jacqueline Hendriks - DSM

TOPdesk for HR at DSM

In the past, it was not uncommon for employees to stay at life science and materials science company DSM until they retired. DSM would take care of them for their entire lives. Even now, with hundreds of branches worldwide, DSM values a personal approach to HRM. But how do they combine that with standardization and new tools?
DSM has grown rapidly over the past few years, says Fons Manders, head of DSMs Business Support Centre HR (BSC HR). Takeovers have resulted in an even broader base of expertise in our company. At the moment, DSM has over 22,000 employees worldwide. The BSC HR supports 6,000 employees across 16 locations in the Netherlands, from factory operators to site directors. The location we are at right now houses a number of central services. about certain terms of employment, you need to know which of the seven agreements applies. This is why we divided the front office into two teams, each specializing in a number of collective labour agreements. Thanks to their knowledge and experience, the front office can answer eighty per cent of all incoming questions. The rest of the queries are sent to the back office.

YOU OFTEN DEAL WITH RESISTANCE WHEN TRYING TO AUTOMATE HR PROCESSES

Fons Manders - DSM

Seven collective labour agreements

When we ask Manders what role the BSC HR plays in within DSM, he draws us a diagram. The BSC HR department functions as the HR service desk, which means we primarily work with two groups. First of all theres HR Netherlands, an advisory body that defines our HR policy and ensures we apply this policy in our operations. We also have a lot of contact with the HR officials from the Dutch plants. These business partners are intermediaries for colleagues at their location. When an employee leaves or joins the company, or if there are any questions or changes for us to process, they send us the required information. The BSC HR employees are part of a socalled skilled service desk. Manders explains why this is necessary. Most branches have a unique collective labour agreement. This means that when you answer a question

Shared service centres

DSM has been working on improving its efficiency for a while now, as Manders explains. Shared service centres have been on the rise over the past few years. With the current economic climate, we thought that this would be the best way to improve our efficiency and cut costs. I frequently attend HR congresses, and noticed that a lot of organizations have only just started looking into shared service centres. HR is often behind the times, possibly due to the nature of the field. Personal contact is very important: people like being able to quickly visit the HR employee down the hall. However, this means often having to deal with resistance when trying to automate HR processes. We set up a shared service centre five years ago, and often received comments that things were done differently before. We had to apply a lot of change management before everyone was used to the tool and standardization.

Tools for HR
DSM has a separate department dedicated to automating HR processes: Global HR Information Solutions. This team is concerned with optimizing processes, supporting HR systems and safeguarding the quality of data for DSM worldwide. Global HR IS activities ensure that HR managers and employees can focus on their personal development. We support six systems, including recruitment and career management, says Jacqueline Hendriks, Global HR IS expert and TOPdesk functional manager. We look for tools to support HR processes and determine whether these systems should be implemented locally or globally. Hendriks had previous experience implementing TOPdesk as a case management tool for a Finance Shared Service Centre. When the BSC HR started looking for a new tool,

8 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS

Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn

Fons and I looked into TOPdesk to see if it could provide a solution, says Hendriks. Manders adds, We already used SAP Solution Manager, but it was not efficient enough. We had to manually copy incoming emails into SAP. That was a full-time job for one of our colleagues.

with a tool, but there was still some resistance. Everyone had to get used to the new system. This is why I trained a number of key users after the system went live, who in turn trained their colleagues. These key users are also ambassadors: they are their departments contact person for questions about TOPdesk. Such things always take getting used to, says Manders, but in a matter of weeks we were hearing that staff never wanted to go back to the old system. When you get such positive feedback so quickly, you know youve made the right choice. We really notice the difference in user-friendliness. For instance, its easy for us to create reports about our customer services because we have defined SLAs for categories and subcategories. We

also keep an eye on trends: which topic and which category are most common among incoming questions? We reserve room in our newsletter to provide extra information about these difficult subjects.

Fewer obstacles
Manders explains that TOPdesk was a logical choice. The most important factors were how quickly the tool could be implemented, the price and the user-friendliness. The implementation was completed in ten days, says Hendriks. An essential part of the implementation was training the HR staff, says Hendriks. Our employees were already used to working

TOPDESK GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAINTAIN OUR PERSONAL APPROACH

Fons Manders - DSM

The DSM ofce in Sittard

Text: Nienke Deuss

CUSTOMER IN FOCUS 9

One tool for the Netherlands and the US

The implementation went smoothly, even though there were many things that DSM had to take into consideration, as Hendriks explains. We didnt set up TOPdesk just for the Dutch HR employees: we also kept our American colleagues in mind. This meant that we had to carefully consider how we could have these groups work together in a single TOPdesk environment, without them having to deal with the other teams questions. To do this, we set up a branch filter on a national level. Now users only see information relevant to them. Using a single tool for branches in different countries has both advantages and drawbacks, says Manders. If you need to restart the system, you have to find a moment that works for both time zones. However, sharing a tool lets you share an investment and limit costs, and you can learn from one anothers processes, approach and experience.

registered in TOPdesk. But its hard to quantify whether TOPdesk has made us more efficient, says Manders. After all, the number of cases you have processed doesnt really say anything, as each case is different. However, TOPdesks automatic mail registration and notifications have saved between 1 and 1.5 FTE. The colleague who had to manually copy emails can now focus on something we have wanted to do for a long time: visiting customers. We already did this, but wanted to make it a structural part of our tasks. Using TOPdesk meant we had the opportunity to maintain our personal approach. We currently visit the HR directors and business partners several times a year to discuss and improve services.

domly selected customers are sent an email with three questions about how they were served. This provides us with continuous feedback and lets us actively apply changes where needed. DSM created the quick survey in cooperation with TOPdesk. At DSM, we are always looking for new ways to improve our efficiency and customer-oriented approach, says Hendriks. We try to get the most out of our current systems, which is why we collaborate with TOPdesk so frequently. I know that this tool has a lot to offer, and were only reaping some of the benefits. We might use TOPdesk for other processes in the future, such as planning HR workflows, issuing company cars or keeping track of digital staff files.

Improved customer satisfaction

Manders explains that the BSC HR teams customers have also noticed a difference. We conduct a yearly survey to gauge how customers experience our services. We only just scored a pass mark in 2010 (5.6/10), but that grade has already gone up to a 6.8. I believe the main reason is that we created more room for customer contact. Customers also indicate that we are better at keeping them up to date: they can use the intranet to check their questions and requests in TOPdesk. This keeps them informed and saves us a lot of phone calls. We are confident that our score will be even better this year. Our goal is a 7.3.

Working towards a single CLA

DSM is about to undergo extensive changes. A recent benchmark revealed that DSM has a large amount of HR employees, says Manders. This isnt surprising when you consider how tasks are scattered across departments. To address this, DSM wants to switch to a single collective labour agreement on 1 January 2014. A single CLA will help DSM save money and increase efficiency, and it will make our work much easier. Even more importantly, the terms of employment will be modernized. Each employee will be able to make personal choices regarding their terms of employment. DSMs future is exciting, but the employees remain enthusiastic, as Hendriks explains. Its a challenge to design efficient processes for such a complex organization. We have the right tool, but theres a long way to go before all our processes are in line.

Room for personal contact

The BSC HR team receives questions via telephone, email and the online Employee Self Service (ESS). The ESS forms are automatically

QUICK SURVEYS PROVIDE US WITH CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK AND LET US ACTIVELY APPLY CHANGES
Jacqueline Hendriks - DSM

Continuous feedback
DSM is taking the next step in customer contact, says Hendriks. Customer satisfaction survey results are snapshots. Maybe someone had a negative experience with the department just before we sent out the survey, causing them to give us a lower score. This is why we recently introduced so-called quick surveys. Once a case is processed, ran-

10 IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ADVANCED SEARCH: GET THE BEST RESULTS

If you use TOPdesk intensively, you may lose track of tasks, persons or contracts. However, TOPdesk features many handy search functions to ensure you always have access to the information you need. This article provides a number of useful tips to help you nd what you are looking for.

Text: Timme Hos

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 11

Searching starts with autocomplete

When you start typing in the search field, TOPdesk displays a list of suggestions from the selected card type (database). This list includes all terms from the database that start with the letters you have entered.

You can also use a wildcard to replace a single character. Including a question mark in a search term lets the fuzzy search include variations for that character. For instance, the search term te?t will generate results such as test, text and tent. This wildcard is also useful when searching for serial numbers or different (or incorrect) spelling variations such as organization/organisation.

Simplify your search with fuzzy

Users should be aware that TOPdesk uses fuzzy search. This prevents typing mistakes or spelling variations from affecting search results. For instance, if you were to search for pinter, TOPdesk will also display results for printer.

Excluding terms and characters

Use the command NOT to exclude terms and characters from your search. For instance, the command error NOT printer will exclude printer from the results. When copying a search term (such as an error message or a URL), you will have to remove or neutralize wildcards such as ? or *. You can deactivate wildcards by inserting a backslash before the wildcard. In other words, you change ? into \?.

Exact search
Using quotation marks ensures that you only see search results for your exact search term printer. In other words, quotation marks disable fuzzy search. This also works for multi-word search terms. Please note: highlighted search terms in the text are based on individual search terms. This may make it seem as if only part of the search term was taken into account.

DataDict
The DataDict is the ideal solution for users who wish to perform very advanced searches within TOPdesk. This lets you specify textual search fields in the quick finder. The DataDict is especially useful when a general search term generates too many results, or if you wish to search specific fields or categories, such as the name of the caller in Incident Management. Select the desired field name from the Category list. Your search would be [Field name]: search term, for example object: dean. You can access the DataDict in TOPdesk via the TOPdesk menu > Help > DataDict. Another useful alternative is a (saved) selection with an ask during use value.

Searching for several terms

If you are looking for a card that includes two specific search terms, use the command [term A] AND [term B]. For instance, if you want to find all calls featuring the terms printer and malfunction, you would enter printer AND malfunction. To search for at least one of both terms, use the command [term A] OR [term B]. It is also possible to combine these commands: ([term A] OR

[term B]) AND ([term C] OR [term D]). Use parentheses to define combined terms. For the example above, the results must contain at least one of the terms between the first set of parentheses and at least one term from the second set. An example of this command is (printing OR printer) AND (error OR malfunction).

Using wildcards
Using an asterisk in a search term generates results matching characters before, after or before and after the asterisk. For instance, if you search for cof*, *copy and de*n, possible results would be coffee, photocopy and Dean. You can also use wildcards if you are not sure which spelling convention was used within TOPdesk. The search term help* will generate results for both help desk and helpdesk.

Visit the Help & Support site

Our Help & Support site features tips on how to get the most out of your TOPdesk, including Getting Started instructions, manuals and more. You can access the Help & Support site by clicking on the question mark in TOPdesk.

12 cUStoMER In FocUS

Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn

TOPdesK 5
The LUMCs rst experiences

Remco Jansen (l) and Willem van Duyvenvoorde - LUMC

Text: Stefanie Klaassen

CUSTOMER IN FOCUS 13

When we asked Remco Jansen, IT Change Manager, the purposes for which Leiden University Medical Centre uses TOPdesk, he answered us with another question: What dont we use it for? The LUMC was full of condence when it took part in the beta programme in April, and justiably so: they soon made the nal switch to TOPdesk 5. We asked them about their initial experiences.

Every day, 6,000 users within the LUMC can use the Self Service Desk to ask their IT-related questions. The operating IT department has been using TOPdesk for some time. Jansen explains that the department gradually started using more modules and supported more and more processes with TOPdesk. The organization really depends on TOPdesk: we register 6,000 incidents a month. The IT department has a strong focus on innovation and is very happy with the latest version.

The transition to TOPdesk 5

The LUMC got off to an enthusiastic start with the beta programme. It all went very quickly from that point on, says Van Duyvenvoorde. We are very happy. All the new features were easy to implement. Our experience with previous TOPdesk beta programmes was also positive. We went live before the official release we started working with TOPdesk 5 at the beginning of May. It was a great experience, says Jansen. We hardly needed any troubleshooting. The excellent support from consultants ensured that everything went smoothly.

Board is the best new feature. There were complaints about the Task Board not being included in the old version. All tasks were grouped in separate to-do lists for each module. Our colleagues think the current arrangement is much more insightful. Everything is included in a single overview, which the group really likes. We use each of the new features: the Plan Board, Task Board and Dashboard. They worked very well for all of us. We already use them a lot, but we are only getting started, says Van Duyvenvoorde.

Time to adjust
The LUMC has been using TOPdesk 5 since the beginning of May. The first experiences were positive, says Jansen. We definitely like the new version, and its very easy to get used to. We got off to an optimistic start with TOPdesk 5 and really knuckled down. Help desk coordinator Willem van Duyvenvoorde tells us that he welcomed the new possibilities with open arms and immediately started using the Plan Board. The team needed time to adjust at first, but soon familiarized themselves with the new interface and features. The new graphical style makes you wonder, where is everything located? But the clear overviews are easy to get used to. There were no complaints, says Van Duyvenvoorde. Its very intuitive. I think that the newness is what scares most people. It looks different, and that always takes getting used to. We had hardly any trouble at all, though, says Jansen.

New features
The biggest improvements in Van Duyvenvoordes eyes are the Dashboard and Plan Board. Its so easy. I used to create schedules in Excel, but now I use the Plan Board. My team creates their own schedule. I just need to monitor things. Both Jansen and the technical IT staff in the Operations group think that the Task

Definitely recommended
The launch of a new version does not mean TOPdesk is sitting still. Jansen and Van Duyvenvoorde think it is important to know that TOPdesk is continually developing its software. They are very glad that they have always had such a good relationship with the organization, as it makes it easy for them to join discussions or share their wishes. TOPdesk has always been willing to listen to ideas from customers, says Jansen. TOPdesk takes note of our input. That means a lot to us. For instance, we noticed a minor issue in the beta version, which was removed from the release version at our request. If the software hadnt been in development, this wouldnt have been possible. The developments are taking the software in the right direction, and Van Duyvenvoorde and Jansen definitely recommend TOPdesk 5 to everyone.

MY TEAM USES THE PLAN BOARD TO CREATE THEIR OWN SCHEDULE

Willem van Duyvenvoorde - LUMC

14 TRENDS

Photography: Robin Kuijs

MODULE SPECIALISTS: CONNECTING CUSTOMER, KNOWLEDGE AND TOOL

ANNEKE WESTERMAN
is a team leader, consultant and TOPdesk module specialist

TOPdesk employees share their knowledge, skills and experience with our customers every day. Account managers, consultants and support specialists are TOPdesk experts, but they also have to be able to send our customers requests for improvement to the right people. TOPdesk introduced so-called module specialists to process module-specic questions and feature requests.
TOPdesk has grown rapidly over the past 15 years, both as a tool and as an organization. We currently offer 15 modules and have over 420 employees across six different branches. This can make it challenging to find the right expert to answer your question. A few years ago, it became apparent that each department needed a contact person for each module: a module specialist. The specialist is familiar with the modules strengths and areas for improvement, knows about its exotic applications and is a point of contact for other departments. A module specialist is a developer, account manager, support specialist or consultant whose experience or education provides them with unique knowledge of a specific module. Anna Ravensbergen, a Support department module specialist, tells us more. We have an in-depth module knowledge that lets us engage in discussions with customers and really help them with specific questions and problems. Module specialists share knowledge with customers and colleagues, but are also help improve the software, as Anna explains. You can influence your modules development. Its great to discuss customer experiences and wishes with the developers. I was able to make a considerable contribution to the development of the Change Management module.

YOU CAN REALLY INFLUENCE YOUR MODULES DEVELOPMENT

Anna Ravensbergen

Role and task allocation

Customer contact provides plenty of input regarding wishes, comments and complaints.

Text: Anneke Westerman

TRENDS 15

For instance, a customer has a question for TOPdesk Support regarding a feature that does not work, or asks their account manager whether TOPdesk can be used for resource planning, while a consultant faces the question of how to make a clear overview of maintenance task expenses in TOPdesk. How can the various module specialists process such questions? The Support module specialist gathers bug-related incidents to discuss with Development, answers module-specific questions that colleagues cannot solve themselves and gives feedback to customers regarding features requests. The specialist is also responsible for sharing their knowledge in TOPdesk using the Knowledge Base and standard solutions. The Account Management module specialist answers colleagues questions about TOPdesk applications, confers with other account managers about specific customer wishes, turns those wishes into feature requests and provides updates about module developments. The Consultancy module specialist answers questions about setups and informs colleagues about the modules latest developments. They also group feature requests from other consultants and provide internal documentation that can be used to implement the module.

are translated to so-called user stories that describe what a certain TOPdesk user wants to do and why. We work together to determine which user stories have the highest priority and how they can be taken into account for a release.

also used in customer contact. You may have met one of them during a themed session or at a customer event. During implementations, TOPdesk advises customers to pay special attention to sharing and recording knowledge to improve the quality of services. The module specialists help TOPdesk achieve this goal: they help translate customer practice into the final product, as well as record and publish their valuable knowledge. This benefits our colleagues and our customers. The module specialists have already helped us take our software and services to the next level, says Ravensbergen. But theres always room for improvement. For instance, the Support department is coming up with better ways to inform customers of the status of their feature requests.

Straightforward communication
Using module specialists makes day-today communications even easier, says Ravensbergen. The specialists are important contact persons within the organization. A developer demonstrates a new feature to the module specialists and they can immediately tell him whether or not the feature addresses customer problems. If a consultant runs into a problem, they simply ask the specialist whether it is a known error or if a workaround is available. Specialists are

USER STORY: TASK BOARD

Mark, the second line support employee, wants to have his list sorted per day so he can easily distinguish information from one day to another. The solution in TOPdesk 5 When Mark opens the Task Board, he sees the tasks displayed per day.

USER STORY: PLAN BOARD

Anouk, the dispatcher, wants to quickly assign incidents to operators so she can divide the workload evenly. The solution in TOPdesk 5 Anouk can drag and drop incidents from the Dispatch panel to operators or operator groups. After dropping the incident in the overview, the appointment date is displayed in blue or red mini to-do lists, grouped per day. Anouk can now see the number of assigned incidents per operator.

User stories and priorities

The module specialists come together in periodic meetings lead by TOPdesks product managers. Several topics are discussed: long-term goals, feature requests and the status of the module. Since Support started working with module specialists, issues have been clearer and easier to prioritize, says Ravensbergen. The feature requests

User stories help us improve TOPdesk. Here you can read two examples of user stories that lead to new features in TOPdesk 5.

16 CUStoMER In FocUS

Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn

Text: Timme Hos

CUStoMER In FocUS 17

THe NetHeRlands CanceR Institute

Putting patients rst with TOPdesk and ISM
The Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (NKI-AVL) in Amsterdam comprises a scientic research institute and a specialized clinic. The NKI-AVL supports internal services with TOPdesk, using the ISM framework. Hugo M. Nijhof, Application Management team leader and change manager, and Meta Tope, Service Centre team leader and incident manager, reveal how the IT department is getting to grips with their processes.

ISM: a well-defined process template

The NKI-AVL has been using TOPdesk for six years. Three years ago, they decided to tailor TOPdesk to ISM, a practical ITIL methodology. ISM is basically a template comprising clear process descriptions. Its very easy to use, says Nijhof. He and his colleagues currently use four principal ISM processes: Incident Management, Change Management, Configuration Management and Operations Management. We do our best to ensure processes are ISM-compliant, and to have our TOPdesk set-up reflect this. Change Management was particularly challenging at first, but its getting easier. TOPdesk is becoming more and more suited to ISM. We are going to use requests for change, for example. This will improve our change acceptance management, as described in ISM.

practical, compact and scalable. Much of it has been condensed, allowing you to get to work very quickly. Its a well-formulated methodology, and above all very scalable, making it suitable for organizations of all sizes. And thats whats so appealing.

Working towards a single Service Centre

The NKI-AVL is on the right track with TOPdesk and ISM. But what does the IT department actually deal with? We process around 3,000 calls per quarter of which 1,700 are incidents covering a wide range of topics, says Tope. Calls are usually about application or workspace management, but we also deal with servers, networks, telephony and printers. The Service Centre launched Visitor Registration on the day of our visit. Visitors who report to the Service Centre are issued a pass that grants them access to the organization. We are also introducing CAFM. This will enable us to collaborate with all Facilities departments, for which the Service Centre will soon play a central role.

ITIL made compact and scalable

Nijhof had experience with implementing ITIL in all its complexity from a previous job. You are forced to make all the detailed decisions surrounding the implementation yourself, despite not always being able to predict the results. ISM, on the other hand, makes ITIL easy to implement. Many decisions are made for you, he explains. ISM is easier because it is

Test results in TOPdesk

When NKI-AVL tests its updated hospital information systems, the results are processed in TOPdesk. We update this system several times a year, and each update requires extensive testing, explains Nijhof.

Hugo M. Nijhof (l) and Meta Tope - IT department

18 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS

ISM IS PRACTICAL AND SCALABLE, MAKING ITIL EASY TO IMPLEMENT

Hugo M. Nijhof - NKI-AVL

Around 40 analysts repeatedly register their findings. Previously, each analyst submitted their results by email. Now they use the Self Service Desk to process everything directly in TOPdesk. This offers numerous benefits, explains Nijhof. We can process the results with greater efficiency. Its also much easier to forward test results to the correct back offices. Working in TOPdesk saves us a lot of time.

Customized service portal interface

NKI-AVL launched their Self Service Desk in March. Were very proud, says Tope. We want to offer our internal customers several ways to contact us. Previously, if we wanted more information from the caller, we had to track them down first. The Self Service Desk lets us ask for all the relevant information in one go. Email traffic has reduced and the Self Service Desk is becoming more popular. We are going to introduce an English version after the summer: eighty-five per cent of the research we do at NKI-AVL is in English. The SSD has been adjusted to match our corporate identity, Nijhof elaborates. This is partly thanks to the adjustable forms that we created using the XML form generator. Users see the NKI colours and logo, so they dont notice theyre using a tool. When registering a call or change, the customer is almost enticed into providing the right information. Were very proud of this. The NKI-AVL is successfully using TOPdesk and ISM.

Putting patients first

Prioritizing calls and changes at a hospital can be a matter of life and death, albeit indirectly. The introduction of the electronic patient file means that soon everyone will be using an IT solution. Should a malfunction occur, we need to determine where to allocate resources as quickly as possible. The IT department currently uses a priority matrix for incidents and an impact matrix for changes. These decisions affect the patient and its important to keep that in mind, says Tope. This is why IT is introducing a patient matrix. How can you tell that a call will directly affect a patient? How do you adjust the priority accordingly? These are important questions, and we are currently processing them in TOPdesk. For more information, please contact your TOPdesk account manager.

Interested in working with ISM?

The TOPdesk ISM module is a solution provided by BHVB, Mavim and TOPdesk. The ISM process model is available in Rules, Mavims process management software. These process descriptions are directly linked to the corresponding TOPdesk modules. This enables you to click through from TOPdesk modules to the relevant process descriptions, and vice versa. This makes it easy to attune your departments working methods to ISM processes.

Text: Nienke Deuss

Photography: Mark Kuipers

CUSTOMER IN FOCUS 19

TOPDESK ON YOUR DIPLOMA

The ROC college in Tilburg, the Netherlands comprises 18 schools, all of which are supported by a TOPdesk-based Shared Service Centre. The school for IT and Media Technology is taking the use of TOPdesk even further: students are taking TOPdesk exams and they have made plans to set up their own TOPdesk environment.

Wout Quispel (l) and Fons van Oosterhout - ROC Tilburg

20 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS

Photography: Mark Kuipers

The school for IT & Media technology is unique: they are the only school with their own network environment. We provide IT education, so you want to give your students the opportunity to practice IT management. This means the network should be accessible and flexible, explains Wout Quispel, teacher at the school. We use our own network environment. If you let students practice in a central environment, the security measures cause you more problems than benefits. Fons van Oosterhout, IT consultant, explains further. Ive worked at a school where they didnt think network separation was important. They hadnt considered that students could change their own grades! Providing students with their own network environment gives them a skill set which they can immediately put into practice. This is in line with our competency-based approach: students learn skills that they will be using in the field, says Quispel. The exams are also combined, so students can link knowledge acquired from different courses.

Were always developing ourselves, but schools can never quite catch up with the industry. Fons van Oosterhout was also hired as an external expert by ROC Tilburg. Last year he coached students in using ITIL and processedbased approaches. It is difficult to make ITIL speak to the students imagination, says Van Oosterhout. The process description is extremely abstract. I want to make these processes concrete by demonstrating how they work in practice. Ive been working with TOPdesk since the start of my career, and suggested using it as a practical example. The TOPdesk lessons give the students an accurate representation of a service desk. Its a good sandbox, says Van Oosterhout. Our goal is to provide each college level with a different challenge. Level two students will be taught the basics: processing incidents in TOPdesk. Level three students will also work with registering incidents and system management in the Project Management, Change Management and Problem Management modules. Once the students have completed their assignments, they have to link them to the incident and close the incident. It really gives them great hands-on experience with the software!

TOPDESK IS MARKET LEADER, AND IT COLLEGES SHOULD FOLLOW TRENDS

Fons van Oosterhout - ROC Tilburg

External demand
There was a strong demand to further develop the lessons at the ROC. The basic skills for IT management should include the ability to receive and process incidents, but these skills were barely discussed in class, explains Quispel. We received this feedback from companies providing the student internships. Seven out of these ten organizations use TOPdesk, but the students hadnt learned how to work with the software. Van Oosterhout adds, TOPdesk is market leader, and IT colleges should follow market trends. Thats why we decided to discuss TOPdesk in class.

The importance of trends

It is very important that IT studies are closely related to practice. You need to keep up with current market developments, explains Quispel. When our students graduate, they should be able to use the latest programs and most recent Windows version. Teachers also need continuous training to keep up with the latest market trends. We follow courses, but also hire experts to give classes. Teachers also join these classes to learn how they can give the course next time: the train the trainer concept.

Trial period
The first TOPdesk lessons were a tryout to see how the course could be structured. It was the first time wed given these lessons, so we had to take some time to find the right pace and approach. For instance, one of our students had completed his assignments three weeks early. We then gave him a demo account to experiment on his own a great learning experience for us!

IT management training
Van Oosterhout already had a good relationship with TOPdesk, so when the ROC wanted to use TOPdesk for their IT management lessons, he simply called the account manager. I made one phone call to Raoul and everything was arranged. We set up the application ourselves, which enabled the students to use it for their assignments.

Text: Nienke Deuss

CUStoMER In FocUS 21

After six weeks, the students took a mock exam to find out whether they had grasped the material. We handed out lists of incidents for the students to resolve, explains Van Oosterhout. Everyone seriously set to work. You could have heard a pin drop. In the end, the incident registration left much to be desired: most students only managed to register one or two out of seven incidents, of which only twenty-three per cent could be used. It made us realize that a lot of students didnt understand the point of registering incidents.

ment and the Knowledge Base. Slowly but surely we want to move on to other modules, because the TOPdesk lessons really show the students how ITIL can be used in practice. The ROC Tilburg also wants its other teachers to be able to give TOPdesk classes. This period was a great learning experience, says Van Oosterhout. Now we know how much

time we should spend discussing each topic and how we can make the lessons more engaging. Next year we would like to set up a service desk at the school, manned by interns, for which TOPdesk specialist Tim Lansbergen will help us set up a TOPdesk 5 environment. It will give the students a taste of what its like to work at a service desk.

Suddenly the phone rings

Quispel explains that the real exam was given at the end of the term. This time we truly tried to simulate a service desk in practice. The students were assigned three or four incidents on paper. We then shouted phone call at random intervals and new incidents started coming in by email, including a number of incidents with standard solutions. This immediately showed the students the added value of working with TOPdesk. Van Oosterhout also considers this test a success. It was a high-pressure exercise, because they didnt know what to expect. You could tell straight away that some students really understood what they were doing. They used the Knowledge Base or the Caller Card.

Development
The TOPdesk lessons are being further developed after this term. We started with the basics, says Quispel. First we covered Incident Management, Configuration ManageFons van Oosterhout (l) and Wout Quispel have set up TOPdesk lessons

22

TOPdesk for Higher Education

Enhance the efficiency of your service desk

Higher Education service desks have their work cut out for them. Whether you have to create a student account or set up the projector in the lecture hall, you are always busy. TOPdesks call and workflow system can improve your efficiency, giving you more time for your other tasks.

Attend one of our Higher Education demo days in London on 25 and 26 October to see what TOPdesk can do for your organization. For more information, call us on +44 (0)20 7803 4200

Service Management Simplified

Text: TOPdesk & partners

PARTNER In FocUS 23

TOPdesK paRtneR solutions

TOPdesks solution partners help us create specic solutions, enabling us to meet all our customers needs and requirements. On this page, we highlight a number of our partners and the solutions we offer.

Mirror 42 Performance Dashboard

Mirror42 is a software development company that develops software for CIOs and IT managers, helping them gain insight into their organizations performance through KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and trends. KPIs are based on management processes and automatically generate daily reports. Mirror42 also founded the fast-growing community www.kpilibrarby.com, where more than 370,000 registered users share their KPI knowledge and expertise. With over 6,000 KPIs, KPI Library helps its members to discover the right performance indicators based on their processes and industry.

CTI module
AskRoger! provides Unified Communications solutions for optimizing IT availability, helping employees to work more efficiently and boost productivity. Innovative solutions by suppliers such as Cisco should be flexible and scalable to be able to grow with the organization. Whats more, the costs should be as expected and limited if possible. AskRoger! has all the tools to offer IT and telephone disciplines (landline and mobile phones, CTI, video communication and a (wireless) network) as a total solution.

TOPdesk Incident Monitor

Victa has developed QlikView, a dynamic and interactive management dashboard for TOPdesks service management software. This powerful application grants complete insight into all calls logged within your organization. The TOPdesk Incident Monitor was developed using QlikViews powerful Business Intelligence platform. QlikViews patented memory-based associative technology lets users perform quick and dynamic data analysis, ensuring that you always have access to the most up-to-date information.

ISM module
The TOPdesk ISM module is a solution provided by BHVB, Mavim and TOPdesk. ISM focuses on the phase after the implementation, helping IT managers to put their processes into practice and organize the services they provide. The ISM process model is developed using elements from ITIL and ASL. This compact and simple model comprises six detailed processes common to IT organizations. It is important to know who is responsible for certain activities. That is why ISM offers the tools to adjust process descriptions to suit an organizations procedures. ISM helps IT managers determine what needs to be done, when, by whom, and using which tools.

TOPdesk and MS SCOM integration

TOPdesk and 3Fifty have developed a TOPdesk and Microsoft System Center Center Operations Manager (SCOM) integration. SCOM is an application that monitors servers, services and networks. It safeguards services and signals (potential) problems. The integration of TOPdesk and SCOM grants unprecedented insight into calls and solutions in your network environment.

24 WORK SMARTER

Text: Patrick Mackaaij

Photography: Robin Kuiijs

PATRICK MACKAAIJ
is a consultant and team leader at TOPdesk. He specializes in technical issues and optimizing processes

INFORMATION SCREEN DISPLAYING NEWS AND RESERVATIONS

The Reservations information screen add-on lets you create an informative dashboard, displaying reservations and news on a single page. This can be particularly useful at your reception desk: your customers can see at a glance exactly where each meeting will be held.

You can use information registered in TOPdesk to easily set up dashboards, such as the Reservations information screen. This add-on uses information from the Reservations Management module to display todays meetings in a clear overview. The graphics are suitable for a TV screen or large monitor. Whats more, publishing news items or a welcome message will make your visitors wait more pleasant.

The URL for the Reservations information screen is http://TOPdesk-server:port/[realm]/resinfoscherm/ If you remove [realm] from this URL, you will open the information screen web page without logging in. If your TOPdesk server can be accessed via the internet, you might consider deleting the bespokework-web\open folder on the TOPdesk server. You can then open the information screen by replacing [realm] with tas/public or tas/secure.

How does the Reservations information screen work?

The information screen is a web page that you access from a PC or thin client connected to a large screen. The screen displays both current reservations and reservations that are due to start today. If there are too many reservations to fit on one screen, the add-on will display these on additional pages, which are displayed sequentially. You can also include a news overview page in the sequence.

TIP: Ask your system administrator to disable sleep mode and the screensaver on the machine that runs the information screen. They should also set up the web page to open in full-screen mode upon start-up (iexplore k). These steps will save your reception a lot of time.

Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn

WORK SMARTER 25

Displaying branch-specific information

If your organization comprises several branches, you can limit the information displayed to a particular branch. You can do this by adding the branch, location or a selection of locations to the URL: 1. Branch: ?branchUnid=[branch unid] 2. Location: ?locationUnid=[location unid]

3. Selection of locations: ?locationSelectionUnid=[selection unid] The UNID of a location, branch or selection is displayed in the overview. Click on the desired branch or location in this list. The UNID is part of the URL, which you can copy by right-clicking on the pi symbol at the bottom right corner of the screen. The symbol can be found on the same row as 0 of X selected, as illustrated below.

Basic settings
The Reservations information screen automatically uses the images displayed on your login screen and reports, therefore matching your corporate identity. You can upload your logo to TOPdesk 5 under Settings > Functional settings > Look and Feel. The remaining basic settings for the Reservations information screen are located in the Operators Section of TOPdesk. The settings URL is: http://TOPdesk-server:port/tas/secure/resinfoscherm/settings/

Reservations informations screen at one of TOPdesks customers

You can edit the following settings: Set up the number of reservations displayed on each page and the display duration (in seconds). Limit the reservations displayed to reservations due to start within X hours. Set up a message to be displayed when there are no upcoming reservations.

Individual reservation settings

TIP: Copy the URL of the Reservations information screen settings to the Quick Launch bar of the operators who keep the news overview up to date. The information screen displays each reservations location(s), brief description, start and end times, branch, number of attendees and requester. If you have issued a reservation to someone other than the requester, this name will appear as well. You can, however, adjust the settings to hide the branch, number of attendees and the requester.

26 WoRK SMaRtER

Editorial
TIP You can adjust the layout of the news overview with HTML, enabling you to display images alongside your news items.
Want to comment? Go to www.topdeskmagazine.com The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects

TIP The Reservations information screen settings are saved in the bespokeresources\current_reservation_overview.settings file on the TOPdesk server. Create a copy of this file to quickly find these settings after an upgrade.

that are topical in the world of professional service desks in IT, facilities and other service providing organizations. TOPdesk Magazine is intended for managers, service desk employees, facilities organizations and electronic city councils anyone who is involved with supporting clients on a daily basis. This concerns both the processes and the technology behind these services. TOPdesk Magazine is a TOPdesk publication Tel: +44 (0) 207 803 4200 Email: editorial@topdesk.com Chief Editor: Nienke Deuss Editors: Nienke Deuss, Timme Hos, Milou Snaterse Translators: Leah Clarke, Nicola van de Velde, Hazel Hollis Contributors: Renske van der Heide, Bart de Kort, Patrick Mackaaij, Lydje Snieders, Anneke Westerman Layout: Louise van der Laak Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn, Robin Kuijs, Mark Kuipers Copy editor: Nicola van de Velde A print run of 5,000 Quarterly magazine Languages: Dutch, English

Advanced settings
The Reservations information screen only displays reservations for which the display on information screen option has been ticked on one of the linked locations. By default, the add-on will assume that your TOPdesk application manager has made the first logical tick box available on the Location Cards first optional field tab. It is also possible to exclude particular reservations. To do this, the TOPdesk application manager must add an optional logical field to a tab containing optional fields on the Reservations Card. There is no interface for the advanced settings. You can set up the database field names directly on the TOPdesk server in the file bespokeresources\current_reservation_overview. settings. This file includes the following options: reservationinfo.location.freelogic=vrijelogisch1 reservationinfo.reservation.freelogic=

You can find the database field names in TOPdesk 5 under Help > Datadict. Go to Category and click on the name of the table. The relevant tables are called locatie and reservering respectively. The field name that TOPdesk uses is located in the Field name in current language column and the corresponding database field name in the Field column.

Matching your corporate identity

You can adjust the default layout of the Reservations information screen to exactly match your screen resolution or corporate identity. You can customize the colours, font and the positioning in great detail using the CSS file bespoke-work-web\[open|public|secure]\resinfoscherm\css\ resinfo.css on the TOPdesk server. Where open, public or secure appears, enter the data that corresponds with [realm] in the information screen URL. The CSS tutorial from w3schools. com is a good source of additional information about CSS: http://www.w3schools.com/css/. It is also possible to edit labels, such as the title of the Reservations information screen or the date format. To do this, open the language files in the bespoke-work-resources folder on the TOPdesk server. The date uses SimpleDateFormat: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/api/java/text/SimpleDateFormat.html

About TOPdesk add-ons

TOPdesk offers add-ons to Enterprise customers to help them better meet their customers needs. TOPdesk consultants usually oversee add-on installation, provide bespoke work information and take care of the initial set-up. For more information, contact your local TOPdesk representative.

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tips + tricks
URL on an extra tab
An employee calls the service desk with a printer problem. You could go to the printer to see what the problem is, but you can usually also find out online. Many printers have online internal status pages. You can include one of these pages in TOPdesk, on an extra tab of an Incident or Branch Card for example. You do this by creating a link to the desired URL on an extra tab. This could direct you to the status page or service page, which includes warranty details and supplier contact information. This ensures that all relevant printer information is available in TOPdesk. You can display the web page linked to an object (the printer in this case) on an additional tab as follows: 1. Open Settings Management, go to the Action Explorer and create an HTTP request. Under Name, enter the name of the tab. 2. On the Message tab, in the Server field, enter [Object_ ID]. TOPdesk retrieves the URL of the linked object. 3. Tick the Display URL on Extra Tab option. 4. Click on Save. Please note: step 2 will only work if the web page URL is identical to the printers network address. In this example we assume that the [Object_ID] is identical to the printers network address. 1. In TOPdesk, go to Settings > Module Settings > Call Management > General. 2. In the Processing block, tick the Status field determines completed and closed. > Two mandatory fields will appear. 3. Here you can determine which status should automatically mark the call as Completed or Closed when the call is reopened or closed via the Self Service Desk. > The Closed option on the Call Card can no longer be ticked. You can close the call by adjusting the processing status. 4. In Settings Management, open Searchlist Management for Call Management. 5. Under Status > Processing, check which statuses are linked to which processing statuses. If you wish to close a call when it is marked Solved, link the processing status Closed to this option. 6. Click on Save and refresh the System Settings. Please note: these steps can only be performed by an administrator. It is not possible to adjust the status in the Self Service Desk.

Dynamic status field

You wish to create a report about closed calls. However, it turns out that a large number of closed calls are actually still In Progress according to the Status field. The call has been closed, but the status has not been updated. You can use a dynamic status field to link the Status field value to the status of the Closed checkbox. When you set the Status field to Closed, TOPdesk automatically ticks this box. You can set this up as follows:

TOPdesk UK limited t +44 (0)20 7803 4200 e info@topdesk.co.uk w www.topdesk.co.uk TOPdesk Germany GmbH t +49 (0)631 624 00 0 e info@topdesk.de w www.topdesk.de

TOPdesk Belgium t +32 (0)3 292 32 90 e info@topdesk.be w www.topdesk.be TOPdesk Netherlands t +31 (0)15 270 09 00 e info@topdesk.nl w www.topdesk.nl

TOPdesk Danmark A/S t +45 7015 7500 e info@topdesk.dk w www.topdesk.dk TOPdesk France t + 33 (0) 811 11 59 84 e info.topdesk.fr w www.topdesk.fr

TOPdesk Hungary t +36 1 301 0190 e info@topdesk.hu w www.topdesk.hu

Copyright 2012 TOPdesk UK limited. Although this magazine has been produced with the utmost care and attention, the writers cannot be held responsible in any way for any damages that may occur due to errors and / or deficiencies in this publication.