October 2014, Issue 3, volume 16

More in this issue:

Share your services
Learn from your competitor
Isah makes it with TOPdesk and TFS
IN SAFE HANDS
Digital signatures at Windesheim University
Read more on page 16
Education and IT
Education and IT dont always mix. During my time as a
student, one of our younger professors was eager to use the
online bulletin board. Each week he would post assignments
and expect us to upload our completed work. It was a fasco.
The main reason being all the other teachers who wanted us
to print our assignments and leave them in their mailboxes.
In hindsight it was a real shame. After all, clever IT solutions
can be an asset to the educational system: not only by offering
learning material online or handing out tablets, but also by
improving the school administration.
This issue features a college that has managed to perfectly mix
education and IT. You can read how Windesheim University s
recurring processes are supported digitally, saving them a lot of
time and paperwork. And if were on the subject of paperwork,
you might have noticed we added a little something extra
to this edition: TOPdesk Publications. In this supplement you
can fnd articles published by our consultants in TOPdesk
Magazine, but also in external magazines. This varied selection
of articles grants insight into the trend we like to call Shared
Service Management. I hope this inspires you to share your
organizational processes. Before you know it, were back to old-
fashioned mailboxes.
Enjoy your read!
Milou Snaterse,
Editor-in-c hief
10
EDITORIAL
04 NEWS
06 ISAH MAKES IT WITH TOPDESK AND TFS
11 SLM IN TOPDESK 5.4
A straightforward way to set up your SLAs
14 LEARN FROM YOUR COMPETITOR
Cribbing in the battle for customer satisfaction
16 IN SAFE HANDS
Digital signatures at Windesheim University
19 COLUMN
Party
20 SHARE YOUR SERVICES
Shared Service Management in practice
22 NEW METHODS OF CUSTOMER CONTACT
Microsoft Lync and TOPdesk integration
28 WORKING SMARTER
Adjusting feld names in TOPdesk
32 TIPS + TRICKS
16
DO YOUR CUSTOMERS USE
WHATSAPP? WHY NOT
LET THEM REACH YOU
THROUGH THIS MEDIUM?
Gerben Hoogwerff Kroon
AskRoger!
Read more on page 22
20
CONTENTS October 14
ON THE COVER:
In safe hands Read the full
article about digital signatures at
Windesheim University on page 16.
@TOPdesk
RensBrederveld @TOPdesk
Everything works perfectly again!
I love the new knowledge base!
KeeleUni_IT And today we have
cake to celebrate #sysadminday.
Thank you @TOPdesk_UK
@StAITServices Our new pens at
the IT Service Desk for the start
of term. Drop by to collect one!
Thank you @TOPdesk_UK
TOPdesk University Tour
This October, TOPdesk is visiting universities
across the UK. We will be further exploring last
years theme: Shared Service Management.
However, we will also spend time on the topic
of Service Level Management. Whats more,
attendees can take part in a roundtable
discussion, or a consultation hour.
We are visiting the University of Greenwich
(8 October), Keele University (22 October) and
the University of Edinburgh (27 October). At
each location, TOPdesk also offers a unique
activity after the presentations and sessions.
Visit www.topdesk.co.uk/unitour to sign up
now, or learn more about the presentations,
locations and activities.
4
Stay up to date
TOPdesk visits FUSION
TOPdesk is attending the service
management conference FUSION for the
frst time. The conference takes place from
19 to 22 October in Washington, US. Visit the
TOPdesk stand at FUSION for a demonstration
of the latest version of our software.
FUSION is a collaboration between itSMF
USA and HDI. Together, they strive to provide
an overview of the service management
market. The conference has an exhibition area
and there will be various presentations and
workshops. Our business developers are also
present to learn more about the American
market.
Does your organization have a US offce and
are they visiting FUSION? Or do you know an
American professional who is looking for a
new challenge? Visit TOPdesk at stand 224.
TOPdesk Newsletter
@TOPdesk _UK
facebook.com/TOPdesk
linkedin.com/company/topdesk
community.topdesk.com
To stay up to date on the latest TOPdesk
news and service management
developments, follow us via the
following channels.
Successful TOPdesk seminar in So Paulo
On 17 July, TOPdesk hosted a Working
together in the SSC seminar in So Paulo,
Brazil. The day kicked off with breakfast,
followed by presentations, interactive
workshops and demonstrations that
all focused on the main theme: Shared
Service Centres. Both potential and current
customers were among the 36 visitors, giving
them the chance to learn from each other and
exchange experiences. This event added a
lot, especially the dynamics of the tool, group
dynamics and the simulation of the case was
very interesting, says one of the attendees.
It was also a good opportunity for TOPdesk
to showcase our vision and continuous
improvement to the Brazilian market. After
a successful frst edition, we look forward to
organizing a similar event next year.
NEWS
Calendar
Belgium
TOPdesk on Tour
Greenwich University
OCT
08
itSMF conference
Kinepolis Antwerp
OCT
16
UK
TOPdesk on Tour
Keele University
OCT
22
TOPdesk on Tour
University of Edinburgh
OCT
27
Denmark
Digitaliseringsmessen 2014
Odense
SEP
22
US
CAFM fair
Copenhagen
OCT
09
IT Service Management - Racing to the sky
Copenhagen
OCT
29
Service anno 2014
Copenhagen
NOV
18
OCT
30
NOV
19
FUSION
Washington
OCT
19
OCT
20
OCT
21
OCT
22
6 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
How do you make something that has never been
made before? Many organizations from small
production companies to large factories have
faced this challenge. Isah offers both the required
software and support by using TOPdesk and Team
Foundation Server.
ISAH MAKES IT
WITH TOPDESK
AND TFS
Text: Timme Hos
CUSTOMER IN FOCUS 7
Marco Vlijm (l) and Jos van Baal from Isah
Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn
8 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
Certain things are easily taken for granted: a
passport, a traffc sign indicating a roadblock,
or biscuit packaging. However, creating
these items is a complex and often high-
tech process. Customers are not always
aware of the companies behind this, says
Jos van Baal, manager at Isahs Product
Development department. He is responsible
for the software used by the manufacturing
industry, a term describing all organizations
that make items ranging from large dredgers
to small car parts. Everything that is made
and is not readily available in stock has to
be manufactured in a unique way. Its those
companies we supply with our software.
Software for the manufacturing
industry
Isah is a Dutch company that develops and
supports ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
solutions. They started almost thirty years ago
and have since opened branches in Germany,
Canada and North America, and work with
partners in South America and Switzerland.
Isah helps around 650 companies worldwide
to create their products.
Marco Vlijm, manager of the Quality
& Support department, explains that
manufacturing companies use Isah for a
range of tasks. It starts with processing
quotes at offce sales. The estimated
production price of the product is based on
the quote. Isah tells them which materials,
machines and fnishes they need to create
the fnal product.
Isah is also used in the production facilities
where the software is used to book hours
and register materials. What makes our
customers unique, says Vlijm, is that they
make things that havent been made before.
Its important to them to settle on a good
price. Isah is good for calculations, even in
complex production structures.
The entire production process can be
supported with Isahs smart integrations,
starting with the frst drawing. Production
companies often use a supplied drawing
after which a machine or product rolls out of
the factory, says Van Baal. And this product
requires maintenance. Isah can import 2-D
drawings and 3-D models and communicates
with the engineering software. This lets
companies make changes even during the
development of a machine.
Devoted thanks to TOPdesk
The dedicated support team at Isah has been
helping customers worldwide and ensuring
Isahs quality for over ffteen years. We used
to support our customers using a tool we built
ourselves, says Van Baal. In 2007 we started
looking for a new application to better meet
our needs, and we chose TOPdesk.
Isahs customer base has expanded
considerably over the years. However, this
didnt mean Isahs support department had
to grow as well. The quality and productivity
of our support has dramatically improved,
says Vlijm proudly. Our support staff are
not necessarily tech-savvy, but rather they
understand how our customers use the
software. They know how manufacturing
companies work.
Helping the customer is what matters
most, says Van Baal. This is why we dont
judge our support staff on the number of
Marco Vlijm (l) and Jos van Baal
CUSTOMER IN FOCUS 9
processed calls, but rather focus on whether
they helped the customer. In some cases this
requires a lot of time.
The customers needs
The Quality & Support department deals
with all types of customer requests and
questions: from project planners to
bookkeepers responsible for the monthly
accounts. Around 80 per cent of all calls
and they receive over 25 calls a day are
processed in less than ffteen minutes.
If Isah suspects that something in their
software needs improving, the support
employee sends the incident to Change
Management.
The customers Isah supports beneft
greatly from TOPdesks Self Service Desk.
Its how we present ourselves to our
customers, says Vlijm. We are happy with
TOPdesks adjustable icons, because now our
customers can easily indicate whether they
want to report a bug or whether they have
a request. If they have a feature request, all
they have to do is click the Aladdin icon.
When Isahs change manager is informed
of the bug or feature request, he creates a
change. Thanks to the link between TOPdesk
and Team Foundation Server (TFS), the
change manager can easily register the
change in the latter. TFS helps us with the
source codes version management and
with managing the changes, says Van Baal.
If a developer checks the backlog and sees
the bug is external, that developer has
direct access to all background information
in TOPdesk, including the customers
attachments.
Continuous improvement
Thanks to the link between TOPdesk and TFS,
Isah can continue to improve its software.
The Product Development department has
already noticed the results. We started
using Scrum and have updated all our
tools, says Van Baal. This includes the link
between TOPdesk and TFS. We also resolved
and automated any tasks we performed
manually, too late or not at all. Now our
support staff can immediately tell the
customer whether their bug is resolved in
our products latest version. This has made
the procedure a lot clearer for customers,
adds Vlijm.
The manufacturing industry is always
assured of the most up-to-date software to
support their company processes. And those
things we take for granted from biscuits
to dredgers will continue to roll out of
factories across the world.
OUR CUSTOMERS
MAKE THINGS THAT
HAVENT BEEN
MADE BEFORE
Marco Vlijm
Manager Quality & Support
10 TOPDESK
Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn
TOPDESK 5.4
TOPdesk 5.4 helps you invest in the very core of your services
with the updated Contract Management and SLM (Service
Level Management) module. And for operators on the move,
we have added more options to TOPdesk Mobile. Discover
how TOPdesk 5.4 can help you improve your services thanks
to the latest innovations for your IT department, Facilities
Management and eHRM.
Find out more on www.topdesk.com/topdesk54
Safeguard your services
TOPDESK 11
SLM IN TOPDESK 5.4:
A STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY
TO SET UP YOUR SLAs
The Contract Management and SLM module has been
completely revamped for TOPdesk 5.4. You can easily attune
the duration of your SLA services (Service Level Agreements)
to your customers. One of the modules new features is the
so-called Service Level Priority Matrix in which you can dene
the durations of your SLA service levels in detail.
Clarity in your services
You can use the Contract Management and
SLM module in your organization for two
purposes: on the one hand for registering SLA
contracts and the corresponding SLA services,
on the other hand for managing agreements
with suppliers. The latter means that you can
register the supplier contracts and services.
The former has signifcantly improved
with the 5.4 update: in the new Contract
Management and SLM module you can link
the correct durations to the correct services
in fewer steps.
For example: Your organization provides 15
SLA services, including Printer Maintenance,
with the SLA service levels Gold, Silver and
Bronze. This situation gives 45 possible
combinations for your SLA contracts: Printer
Maintenance Silver, for example. These
combinations needed to be registered
separately in the old SLM. This is a lot of
work when you have multiple service levels.
In Contract Management and SLM 5.4, every
SLA service level has its own TOPdesk card
that can be linked to several services. In this
example you work with only 18 different
TOPdesk cards instead of 45.
One service level, multiple
durations
The newly introduced Service Level Priority
Matrix lets you indicate per service level
which durations apply to which situations.
If one employees printer is broken, and he
or she only needs to print meeting minutes,
this obviously has a lower priority than
a situation where the company printer
everyone uses to print order forms breaks
down. You can address these differences
in impact and urgency in the service level
Priority Matrix. This ensures that your
services duration always matches the
situation at hand.
Before you can use the new Priority Matrix
you need to determine which impact and
urgency values your organization uses
when registering calls in Call Management.
Impact deals with the extent of the problem:
how many people are affected? Commonly
used impact values are: Organization,
Offce, Department and Employee.
Text: Luke van Velthoven
Urgency determines the importance of
the organizational division: Core activity,
Supporting Service and Non-Urgent Service
are logical choices.
Subsequently, you can choose the frst
and second line duration for each impact-
urgency combination. The printer used by
one person from our example is now linked
to the Employee-Non-Urgent Service, while
the broken down company printer belongs to
the Organization-Core Activity combination.
It is up to you how the SLA service levels
infuence the calls duration. In the module
settings you can choose two ways to fll in
the Priority Matrix on service level cards: by
linking priorities to standard durations, or by
creating completely independent durations
for the frst and second line.
Option 1: Priority Matrix with
standard priorities
If your organization has standard durations, it
is most effcient to use the pre-set priorities
for flling in the Priority Matrix. The frst and
second line durations belonging to a specifc
priority can be adjusted in the module
settings. It is a good idea to fll in these
values before you start registering service
levels in TOPdesk. This ensures that all your
cards have the same standard durations. The
information on the current SLM cards does
not automatically change when the module
settings are adjusted. After all, this could be
undesirable for current SLA contracts.
As you can see in image 1, you only need
to determine per service level (in this case
Gold) what the standard priority is, and
which priority applies to which impact-
urgency combination. The corresponding
durations are automatically flled in. By
making the priorities principal in your SLA
contracts, you can make sure that new
service level cards are easy to create and
that your operators can always estimate the
duration for each priority.
Option 2: Deviating from the
standard
It is of course possible that the priorities are
mostly useful for processing calls from your
own employees, but are not suitable for the
SLA contracts your organization has with
12 TOPDESK
Image 1: A service level with
(standard) priorities
TOPDESK 13
third parties. The set durations of priorities
are after all valid all throughout TOPdesk.
A customer can have his printer fxed in an
hour, while the highest priority within your
organization has a frst line duration of at
least four hours, for example. In this case,
you can choose to make the durations of
your service levels independent of existing
priorities, and even give them independent
frst and second line durations.
After all, these independent durations are
no longer tied to existing priorities, and you
can easily adjust the durations of your SLA
services per customer. Image 2 shows an
example of a service level card featuring
different arrangements. This option means
more registration work when creating
new cards. However, the extra effort is
rewarded with more specifc agreements.
Every customer will receive the support they
want.
Image 2: A service level with independent
durations
Switching to Contract
Management and SLM 5.4
If you are interested in about the
improved Contract Management and
SLM module in TOPdesk 5.4 but have
registered a lot of data in previous
version, there is no need to worry. The
TOPdesk Extranet provides an update
manual explaining how these changes
may affect your organization. If your
organization does not have Contract
Management and SLM yet, our
consultants are happy to help you with
the implementation of this module.
14 PROCESS AND PRACTICE
LEARN FROM YOUR
COMPETITOR
... is a TOPdesk consultant. He oversees and leads improvement
trajectories at organizations both large and small.
ROELAND VAN RIJSWIJK
Even though we have many customers, in services we
always refer to the customer. It is not always easy to
predict what they expect and it can be hard to meet
their diverse expectations. We can easily nd out how
other service providers deal with this issue. You are,
after all, a customer yourself.
Service employees and their customers: they dont always get along.
If you ask around at a random help desk you will hear positive and
negative stories about its customers. And thats a shame. Grateful
customers make working in the service industry fun. They are also
more understanding when there happens to be a problem. This
understanding results in an easier collaboration in the search for
a solution. That is how satisfed customers lead to satisfed service
providers.
Striving for customer satisfaction is all about meeting expectations.
And there are many. You have more than one customer and their
wishes vary per person and situation. High expectations make
things diffcult, unknown expectations even more so. That is why
it is important to understand your customers and manage their
expectations. Where do expectations come from and can you
infuence them?
Expectations and experience with your competitor
Expectations are not only formed by good knowledge and logical
reasoning: past experiences are equally important. Your customer does
not only have experience with your services, but with many others. And
with every new experience, they can adjust their expectations of you.
This gives us an important insight: you are competing for customer
satisfaction. All other service providers are your competitor. You could
see it as an unfair competition; your competitors are very different
companies and organizations, with different goals and budgets. All of
them create their own mix from the aspects that defne services: the
measure of personal approach, the speed, clear information, freedom
of choice, fexibility, and how they unburden their customers and offer
them independence. And your services are compared to that which
they do best.
Photography: Menno van der Bijl
Cribbing in the battle for customer satisfaction
PROCESS AND PRACTICE 15
Learn from your competitors
It is good to be aware of your competition. It keeps your organization
alert to the quality you offer and possible improvements. And when
you are a customer yourself, you can notice the effect someone
elses service has on you. You can learn from your competitor. It is an
instance of healthy industrial espionage, so to speak. So, where do
we start?
Restaurants are a good example of a competitor in the service industry
from which we can learn a lot. When we visit a restaurant, we are
as sensitive to the server as we are to the food itself. We want to be
served attentively, but do not wish to be disturbed in our conversation.
We want a clear explanation of the menu and do not want to repeat
our order. This is why the tables in a restaurant are divided into
sections. Each table has one waiter who checks on you during the
evening. We receive timely updates if something takes a little longer
and the waiter knows when we need something. The waiters are well
informed and know the menu, the processes behind it, and the current
status of our order and our wishes. They are in direct contact with the
kitchen and are easily approachable. If this is not the case due to the
restaurant being extremely busy, we can understand. After all, we see
how busy it is.
Another example of a service competitor is a home furnishing store.
We visit because we dont want to trawl through an endless number
of stores to furnish our homes. And forget about hiring an interior
decorator. These furniture stores have long opening hours and large
stocks. The photos in the catalogue and the showroom displays
provide inspiration for our living room or bedroom. We can even
design our own kitchen on their website. The products are not pre-
assembled and can easily ft in the car. Transporting them yourself
saves money and time. The furniture is easy to assemble, and the store
employees are always available for questions. Customers can share
their designs on the website: our competitor lets its customers inspire
each other.
What can we learn?
Both the restaurant and the furniture store have very different
approaches, but they provide exactly the services we expect. The
former excels in a personal approach, accuracy and unburdening its
customers. This is cannot be done with large-scale services, but you
can go a long way with an accessible and knowledgeable service desk.
Particularly if the service desk has immediate insight into the status
of a call or request, communicates well with the back offce, and is
proactive in offering updates and compromises. Fixed and visible
contact persons are also an option. And if you want your customer to
show consideration during busy times, you must let them know that it
is busy this isnt always clear.
The furniture store on the other hand excels in fexibility and
offering the customer independence. Everything is clear and
understandable, so customers can easily arrange everything
themselves. You can also let your customer do this. Make sure that
you have a catalogue that clearly lists your products and services. Let
your customer easily place an order, reservation or request and pick up
products at their convenience.
A good copy is better than a bad original
We know what to expect in advance from both the restaurant and the
furniture store. We choose them for their type of service and we are
satisfed when they meet our expectations. Our expectations can also
be managed, though. Service providers love to show off their strong
points, but they also mention what they believe is less important. Pay
attention to the slogans of web shops, internet providers, insurance
companies and the government. They not only rouse your interest in
their services, they direct your attention to their strong points. It is
worth taking a closer look at this aspect of your competition.
Set out and start copying. Discover what you like or what bothers
you as a customer. And see how your own expectations are managed.
Consider which concept suits your services and what slogan you
should use. Healthy company espionage isnt a bad thing. A good copy
is better than a bad original.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
AT YOUR COMPETITION
IN SAFE HANDS
Text: Stefanie Klaassen
16 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
With around 20,000 students, thousands of other course participants
and 2200 employees, Windesheim University of applied sciences is
certainly not a small educational establishment. This University works
with the latest hardware and technology. After the holiday period, all
laptops with solid state drive (SSD) are neatly updated and ready to
be issued to employees. In fact, the entire organization has noticed
that the IT department is extremely well organized. The example
to purchase TOPdesk was followed and the organization started
introducing the use of digital signatures.
The IT department has recently completely digitized the process
around issue forms. You have to sign for the receipt of each item,
such as a laptop, keyboard, mouse or telephone, which is now made
easy with the graphics tablet. This not only saves paper, but also
time. TOPdesk generates automatically flled out forms and these can
be signed quickly with a tablet; it only took a simple link to arrange
everything. The department uses an innovative method to resolve
unnecessary waiting time and red tape, which in turn leads to fewer
repetitive actions for the IT service desk. The form process has been
set up in a way that the department directly anticipates follow-up
questions.
Form fow
Ron Versteeg, TOPdesks functional and application manager, explains:
When I started working here, rows of students were lined up at the
desk to change their password. This is inconvenient for the student
and a hopeless task for us. That is why we went searching for ways
to automatize this process. Now, you can change your password with
one push of the button. The students enter their student number
and receive a message with a token. They copy this token, paste it in
an entry feld on the indicated web page and can then change their
password. Verifcation takes place through Studielink and DigiD. It is
very safe and the process is completed within thirty seconds.
When their password is changed, the student is shown a screen
with all the manuals he needs from that point on. This service was
developed through experience, explains Versteeg. I asked myself
the questions: if I would receive this answer to my question, would I
have another question after that? Imagine: you let someone sign for a
laptop. You know that the next step requires a manual for Windesheim
PC users and one on wireless networks. Why shouldnt you add these
right away?
Towards digital signatures
What about issuing hardware? We have a web shop where you can
request hardware, explains Versteeg. My colleague Paul Evertse
wanted to develop forms that simplifed the distribution of hardware
at the desk. He created a PDF with special drop-down lists and a pre-
defned form that made the distribution a lot easier. We started using
this and he has incited me to create similar forms in TOPdesk. We
created a PDF in which the details in TOPdesk were copied to the form.
That was a lot of copy and paste work. When this was fnished, the
form needed to be saved on a server and then linked to a Person card.
The entire process was far from ideal.
Windesheims IT department is extremely
well organized. The department responds
quickly to all their colleagues requests, and
recurring processes are supported digitally
in the blink of an eye. Read on to discover
how the department manages its complex
form ow.
Off to a quick start with the latest technology
Employees can easily sign for the receipt of hardware
Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn
CUSTOMER IN FOCUS 17
18 CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn
When you issue a laptop, continues
Versteeg, you frst need to get it out of
storage, turn it on and let the user log on.
Starting up took a while when you frst
logged into the domain. During this waiting
time we could let someone fll out the form.
When the laptops were equipped with an
SSD, a direct login was available. We didnt
have time to fll out the form as this would
take extra time. We did distribute a lot of
laptops, so this process needed to go quicker.
We accidentally found out that TOPdesk, in
combination with a graphics tablet, allows
you to overcome the entire process with just
a few clicks. I discussed it with a consultant
and he asked me why I didnt use the RTF
creator to generate and sign forms.
In TOPdesk you can pull up an RTF through
a context menu for a change, for instance.
The RTF is then flled with the data from the
change and the operator can send it to the
printer, the tablet. He then signs the form
and locks it as a PDF. As long as you send it to
the correct printer, says Versteeg, this is a
safe and simple way to project a signature on
the bottom of a distribution form; the reason
why you needed to print the form. This
new way of working saves seven and a half
minutes on one side of the desk, but on the
other side you also have someone waiting.
The entire process now only takes a couple
of minutes, which is of course an enormous
result, says Versteeg.
Paperless processes
Versteeg: I have incorporated the creation
of forms in combination with the electronic
signature into our workfow. You can
combine the signing with a number of
activities; for us this is possible in every
department. The organization wants to start
working with more of this equipment, even
if it is only to save on paper. It is incredibly
environmentally friendly: you dont use any
paper. This is what paperless processing is
supposed to be. And it is extra safe: you need
a personal certifcate for each PC you log
in to. When you log in and want to use the
printer, you now need to create a certifcate.
It wont work any other way. I barely have any
administrative work anymore and everything
is in the forms. Its a matter of a good set-up.
Its that easy
We have been using the digital signatures
for three months now, says Versteeg. We
are saving time, it is more effcient and safer.
The formula is so easy that is also applicable
elsewhere: every company is different, but
their ITIL processes are probably the same. It
is actually quite easy: you need to know how
to make an RTF form and you need to have
a tablet. Thats it. You just have to be smart
and I can surely recommend it. When you
have the form ready to go you can send it to
the tablet and sign it. Its that easy.
WE ARE SAVING
TIME, IT IS MORE
EFFICIENT AND
SAFER
Ron Versteeg
Functional and application manager
Ron Versteeg, functional and application manager
COLUMN
I was so happy when my birthday fnally
arrived. Family and friends visited
throughout the day. I celebrated my most
special birthday on Curaao. I turned
twenty on that beautiful island. The
islanders there can party like no other,
the cocktails were shaken and everybody
busted out their best dance moves.
I have always celebrated special occasions.
My parents often dine out. Every week
they will fnd a new reason to visit a
restaurant. If they cant fnd a reason,
they will make one up.
People sometimes tell me that they prefer
to let their birthdays pass quietly. Shame!
Its a good reason to have a party each year.
You can enjoy the company of friends and
family and of course youre never too old
to receive presents. There are other special
occasions to celebrate too. Did you fnish a
course? Celebrate with a nice dinner. Have
you been together with your partner for
two years and four months? You should
drink to that! If you buy a new TV, invite
your friends and have a movie night.
A while ago I was at an organization
where the front offce went live with
TOPdesk. This was the frst phase in a long
implementation process. There was pie
to celebrate this milestone. Subsequently,
almost the entire organization was aware
that that department had taken the frst
step with TOPdesk. Cake, some drinks
or a dinner is lovely, but its not always
necessary. Sometimes its enough to take
a moment and give each other a well-
deserved pat on the back.
To give thought to something is the essence
of celebrating. We all have busy private
and working lives. It is a shame if you dont
take a moment to look back and refect on
achievements. Congratulate yourself and
others on achieved goals. So: pop the cork
and go out to dinner sometime. Realize
that your efforts werent for nothing. I will
be celebrating all my future birthdays, no
doubt about it.
PARTY
RON VAN HAASTEREN
My birthday was 17 June and I had a big
party to celebrate. I have always celebrated
my birthdays, as far as I can remember. As a
little kid the nerves began a week in advance,
and were so bad I couldnt even sleep.
is a TOPdesk consultant. He has a degree in Communication
Studies and uses this knowledge when performing his tasks for
various organizations.
20 PROCESS AND PRACTICE
Text: Milou Snaterse
Shared Service Management is extensive
collaboration between supporting
departments. This gradual process starts
with supporting departments that are
currently sharing nothing and start working
in one tool. The next step is a shared service
desk, and eventually shared processes. A joint
collaboration saves money but the customer
also experiences higher quality of services.
When you decide to work together, you may
face a number of challenges.
CHALLENGES OF THE TOOL
Screen information
With Shared Service Management, you work
towards a shared set-up. This makes it easy
to share information. However, when you
are working you only want to see your own
and your departments calls, not the entire
organizations calls. In this case you can use
the category flter to flter the drop-down
list. Adjust your Task Board so it only shows
your own calls. This way, you can directly view
relevant calls while other calls remain visible
in the background. When there is a need to
screen information from the database, for
example with private documents, you can
easily do this on the basis of operator or
categorization.
Find common ground
When you are working towards a shared
TOPdesk set-up, sharing drop-down lists and
felds can be challenging. It is important to
look for common ground. Work out where the
different departments can meet in the middle.
However, stay critical of the set-up. If there is
no common ground to be found regarding a
certain point, such as a calls duration, use a
prefx to indicate what time belongs to which
department. This is a temporary solution
to bridge the period between the different
processes in TOPdesk. In the end, a complete
shared set-up is the goal.
Use the same email template
All your customers have the same needs.
Whether they are being helped by IT, FM or
HR, after they have logged a call, they all
want to know When will my call be solved?
This is why you should use the same email
moments and structure in each department.
Use a note or optional feld on for example
an Operator Group card to automatically add
department-specifc signatures. You can refer
to that feld in the email, ensuring that the
correct signature is displayed.
CHALLENGES OF THE
MANAGEMENT
Divide functional and technical
management
It is advisable to divide the management
of TOPdesk into functional and technical
management. IT is usually in charge of
the technical management and deals
with updates and backups. The functional
management, which is focused on setting
up TOPdesk, can be sourced to several
departments. You can choose to also
assign functional management to the IT
department. Another option is to task
different departments with management
tasks. This is useful if a certain department
is the only one to use a module. A fnal
option is to give the functional management
SHARE YOUR
SERVICES
Your organization is probably already aware of Shared Service
Management. Perhaps the IT department already uses TOPdesk
and your FM and HR department are joining; maybe all supporting
departments are currently working with separate tools and they
want to work together in TOPdesk. Read on to nd out which
challenges you may face and nd out how to deal with them.
Shared Service Management in practice
to an independent department, such as
Information Management. Once TOPdesk
is used in multiple departments it becomes
an organization-wide application. It is then
logical that an independent department is
responsible for the management.
Appoint key users
Once you have decided who manages what, it
is also good to think about how you manage
TOPdesk. It is advisable to appoint key users
to help you. These key users know the process,
the methods and TOPdesk well and that is why
they can easily make the shift from What is
my colleague asking? to What can I do with
it in TOPdesk? They function as a vestibule for
the application manager, making sure that he
does not have to constantly answer practical
questions. Plan regular meetings between the
key users and the application manager so they
can tell each other what issues are important
and what changes need to be implemented
in the organization.
Record management and
set-up choices
Finally, documentation is an important point
of interest when it comes to managing
TOPdesk. Record set-up choices in an
implementation report; this makes it easier to
determine the impact when you divert from
the set-up. In a management agreement you
record who manages what. This does not have
to be a long document: it is only to make clear
what falls under whose responsibility.
CHALLENGES OF A SHARED
SERVICE DESK
Choose skilled or non-skilled
When taking the frst step towards a shared
service desk, one of your frst questions is: do
we want a skilled or non-skilled service desk?
You probably want your customers to be able
to fnd the service desk and keep returning
because of good experiences with the service
desk employees. In this case, select a skilled
service desk. In practice, this is easier said
than done. Service desk employees in many
organizations dont have multidisciplinary
knowledge and not much knowledge is shared.
An important frst step here is to document
knowledge. Formulate issue scripts and
standard answers, and set these up as Standard
Solutions. Dont forget to create an escalation
form in which you describe what should be
done with complex or urgent matters.
All departments represented
The ideal situation would be that every
department is represented in a shared service
desk. This makes sharing knowledge easier.
However, if a lot of knowledge is documented
and certain services are standardized, it is not
necessary to represent every department.
The service desk employees work with
recorded knowledge and an escalation plan is
at hand should things become complex. You
should still plan regular meetings with all
departments to keep everyone up-to-date on
new developments.
Single point of contact
One single contact point for all your
customers can go a long way in your pursuit
of higher customer satisfaction. Do you
also want to let your back offce directly
communicate with the caller, for example
when there is an additional question or when
they want to try a possible solution? Have
them communicate from the service desk.
This enables you to send a clear signal to
your customers: contact the service desk.
Using the Self Service Desk is a good
extension of the shared service desk. It is
useful to clearly set up the portal. Group
different calls with general names such as
Calls, Requests and Information and
FAQs. Your customer then does not have to
choose between IT, FM and HR, but he can
choose the category that is applicable.
Working towards shared services
Collaborating on services presents many
challenges. Are you planning on working in
one tool? Look for common ground. Try to
agree, even if you do not yet share the same
methods. Make clear agreements about
management: determine who manages
what. This provides an overview should any
questions arise. Finally: give the service desk a
clear role within the organization. Make sure
that they have enough knowledge to help
your customers and to make sure customers
keep returning because of good experiences
with your service desk employees.
PROCESS AND PRACTICE 21
Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn
Nienke Best, TOPdesk consultant, presented
during TOPdesk on Tour
Want to know more?
This article is based on the Shared Service
Management in practice presentation
from TOPdesk on Tour 2014. Would you
like to re-watch the presentation? Please
go to www.slideshare.net/topdesk
W
ith the introduction of hot
desking and working from home,
it has become increasingly
important to keep in contact with colleagues
using the proper means of communication.
This has led to a quick succession of
technological developments. A lot is possible
from a technical point of view, says Gerben
Hoogwerff Kroon from AskRoger!, an expert
in Unifed Communications. Using Unifed
Communications to provide every employee
with one platform for all communication
channels ensures that people can work from
home as they would in the offce. They can
ask their colleagues questions via audio,
email, chat or video, for example.
Service via every medium
The presence of various media and increasing
digitalization within service departments and
organizations offer many opportunities for
improved services. Unfortunately, this is not
yet the case in practice. Hoogwerff Kroon:
Everybody knows how annoying it is when
the customer service needs to fnd all kinds
of information, it feels very ineffcient. They
already know who is calling, right?
By integrating the Microsoft Lync application
with your other service tools, your service
desk can provide better and faster help.
Hoogwerff Kroon: To make good service
independent of the colleagues location,
we have integrated TOPdesk with Lync.
This is a frst step towards helping your
customers better and more quickly through
all channels.
The current integration offers a number
of improvements for services provided via
phone or chat. This way, you wont have to
look up a customers information when they
call. You can see their information, including
current calls, in an overview. Hoogwerff
Kroon says, The customer doesnt have to
wait until their information is found, and
because you can refer to the other calls they
experience your involvement. Regardless of
whether you processed his previous calls
or not.
The TOPdesk-Lync integration not only
helps you to provide better customer service,
it also makes it easier to log new calls. A new
call can now be logged directly from the chat
conversation or the pop-up that appears
during telephone calls. You can open the
Caller card from the pop-up. From there you
can directly log a new call with the contact
details already flled in, explains Hoogwerff
Kroon. In chat conversations you can copy
the conversation to the call with one click.
Let your customer determine
the medium
Lync enables you to use more media besides
telephone and chat, but these are currently
not used to their full potential. Most people
still think its strange to use video chat,
says Hoogwerff Kroon. But I think that
this is slowly changing: the more we need
to keep in touch with people all over the
world, the more important it is to see each
other. Sometimes an email is suffcient, but
if a question is more complex, the customer
22 PROCESS AND PRACTICE
Gerben Hoogwerff Kroon, AskRoger!
YOUR CUSTOMER
USES WHATSAPP?
WHY NOT LET
THEM REACH YOU
THROUGH THIS
MEDIUM?
Gerben Hoogwerff Kroon
AskRoger!
wants to be able to switch to a more
interactive medium. Body language, facial
expressions these are the things youll
miss when you are calling or chatting. In
the end, the customer will take the lead; if
they have a question, they determine which
medium to use to reach you. Hoogwerff
Kroon: If you use a specifc chat client and
your customer is at home, they dont want
to install this application to contact you.
The roles have been reversed: your customer
uses WhatsApp? Why cant they reach you
through this medium? Ultimately, your
customer is going to determine the medium
you use to provide service.
Present!
Indicating your availability, or your presence,
is an important aspect of providing services
through a variety of media. When service
providers and customers indicate their status
in a tool like Lync, it is even easier to provide
and receive good service. A customer can
directly see whether a specifc service desk
employee is available for a question, and vice
versa: if you are processing a call you can
check whether the customer is present and
available. According to Hoogwerff Kroon,
The positive aspect of Lync is that it is not
limited to the organizations borders: you
can decide to extend your communication
network to suppliers or partner
organizations, for instance. When you need
a new printer, for example, you do not have
to call to see whether your contact person at
the supplier is available. This creates shorter
communication lines, enabling you to process
calls more quickly.
Service through Skype
Developments in media and technology have
created a lot of possibilities to bring your
services to a higher level. The TOPdesk-Lync
integration is the frst step towards providing
your customers quicker and better service
on the phone or through chat. It is essential
that communication channels suit your
organizations applications, and Hoogwerff
Kroon predicts that the developments in this
area have only just begun. In the future, I
expect service provider websites will include
a block containing contact options, including
the persons currently available. When a
customer clicks the preferred contact option,
an automatic connection is made with his
own communication software. Does the
customer click the video chat? A new window
opens in his own chat client, such as Skype.
We are going to use more programs both
professionally and privately. You can tell more
and more people are starting to ask service
providers questions on Twitter.
Text: Nienke Deuss
PROCESS AND PRACTICE 23
Your colleague working from home has the same
questions and problems as your colleagues at the ofce.
And he expects the same service, too. You can use a
unied communications tool to support your employees
on location but that is not enough. Provide services the
way the customer wants using the medium of his choice.
NEW METHODS OF
CUSTOMER CONTACT
More information on the
TOPdesk-Lync integration?
Are you curious about the possibilities
of the TOPdesk-Lync integration? Please
contact your local TOPdesk branch.
ADJUSTING
FIELD NAMES
IN TOPDESK
is an information distribution coordinator. He is specialized
in technical issues and optimizing processes.
PATRICK MACKAAIJ
Your organization has its own language, methods and names
for (parts of) processes. It is logical that you want to see your
organizations language and terminology in the software
that you use. TOPdesk therefore lets you adjust certain terms
to your work processes. The settings discussed in this article
are according to TOPdesk 5.4.
24 WORKING SMARTER
Photography: Robin Kuijs
Adjusting browser language settings
People digest information the quickest in their own language and not
everyone speaks English. That is why TOPdesks interface currently
supports ten different languages. Operators can set up an interface
language in TOPdesk. TOPdesk automatically detects which language
needs to be used. Depending on the web browsers settings, the
interface automatically changes to Dutch (nl), English (en), German
(de), Danish (da), Spanish (es), French (fr), Hungarian (hu), Italian (it),
Portuguese (pt-br) or Swedish (sv-se). You can change the language
settings of your web browsers following these steps:
1. Go to the language settings of your browser:
Internet Explorer: Extra > Internet options > Languages
Firefox: Options > Content tab > Choose button in the
Languages block
Chrome: Settings > Show advanced settings > Language
and input settings
2. Move the language you want to use in TOPdesk to the top of the list.
Refresh the card to apply the language settings of your web browser.
Setting up language preferences in Internet Explorer
TOPdesks application manager can limit TOPdesks offer of languages in
Functional Settings > Region and Language > Application Languages.
Adjustable names in TOPdesk
You can adjust a number of terms in the TOPdesk Settings. The terms
Incident and Confguration Management are adjustable; facilities
organizations often choose Call and Asset Management respectively. The
terms location and person are also adjustable to enable organizations
that support external customers to change them to customer and
contact person. Facilities departments often rename location to
building. The location name can be changed to space or room.
Names can be adjusted in the Module Settings > Adjustable Names.
The visible felds in the so-called Caller block (upper left on each
process card, see image 2) can be adjusted in Functional Settings >
Adjustable Names. Here, you can indicate which employee details
(personal and fnancial) or space you want to show. The names of
the drop-down lists department and budget holder are adjustable.
The drop-down list department can be adjusted in Module Settings
> Supporting Files > Adjustable Names. The drop-down list budget
holder appears on multiple cards and can therefore adjusted in
Functional Settings > Adjustable Names.
WORKING SMARTER 25
You can set up visibile elds in the Caller block
Custom elements with custom names
Within TOPdesk you have the option to add elements like free objects, extra drop-down lists
and optional felds to your environment. Because you add these elements yourself, you can also
name them. TOPdesk needs to be restarted to apply the settings of the adjustable names.
Free objects: you can add free objects to the Confguration Management module. In TOPdesk
Professional you can add three free objects and fve in TOPdesk Enterprise. The name of a free
object can be adjusted in Module Settings > Confguration Management > Adjustable Names.
Extra search lists: you can add two extra search lists to both the Person and the Location cards.
The names of these extra felds can be determined in the Module Settings. Extra 1 (person) is
located in Supporting Files, Extra 1 (location) in Property Management. By adding these felds
to the Caller card, they will appear on each process card. You can also report on them.
Optional felds: you can add two tabs with optional felds to every TOPdesk card which you
can name yourself. You can also add a tab with a grid, the so-called Optional overview, to the
Object, Location, Space, Person or Operator cards. These overviews can for example be used to
administrate the meter readings. The name of the felds in the overview is not multilingual. The
names of the optional felds and optional overviews are managed through TOPdesks Settings
management.
Next time I will tell you how almost all terms that are shown in TOPdesk can be changed.
26 WORKING SMARTER
Editorial
Download this issue and more at
www.scribd.com/TOPdesk
The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects
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
Editor-in-chief: Milou Snaterse
Editors: Timme Hos, Stefanie Klaassen,
Milou Snaterse
Translators: Laura van Rosenberg, Leah
Clarke, Nicola van de Velde
Contributors: Ron van Haasteren, Fiona
IJkema, Roeland van Rijswijk, Patrick
Mackaaij, Luke van Velthoven
Layout: Louise van der Laak
Photography: Menno van der Bijl, Aad
Hoogendoorn, Robin Kuijs
Copy editor: Nicola van de Velde
A print run of 7,500
Quarterly magazine
Languages: Dutch, English
Shared Service Management
The natural way for all your departments to work together
Let your services fourish with Shared Service Management. TOPdesks
service management software features modules that are designed
specifcally for supporting departments such as IT, FM and HR. In fact,
it is the only tool that perfectly integrates these processes.
Creating a cohesive work environment has never been easier.
Want to fnd out how TOPdesk can also support your departments?
Call us at (0)20 7803 04200 or visit topdesk.co.uk.
Service Management Simplified
28 KLANT IN BEELD
TOPdesk UK limited
+44 (0)20 7803 4200
info@topdesk.co.uk
www.topdesk.co.uk
TOPdesk Nederland BV
+31 (0)15 270 09 00
info@topdesk.nl
www.topdesk.nl
TOPdesk Deutschland GmbH
+49 (0)631 624 00 0
info@topdesk.de
www.topdesk.de
TOPdesk Belgium bvba
+32 (0)3 292 32 90
info@topdesk.be
www.topdesk.be
TOPdesk Magyarorszg Kft. (Hungary)
+36 1 301 0190
info@topdesk.hu
www.topdesk.hu
TOPdesk Danmark A/S
+45 7015 7500
info@topdesk.dk
www.topdesk.dk
TOPdesk Brasil
+55 11 3040 2817
info@topdesk.com.br
www.topdesk.com.br
tips +tricks
Keeping out-of-offce replies out of TOPdesk
During some periods of the year, such as the holiday periods,
a number of your contact persons will be out of the offce.
When they are, emails that you send from a TOPdesk call to
the caller are often answered with out-of-offce replies.
If you use the automatic mail import, these out-of-offce
replies can be an unnecessary addition to calls, or even
generate new calls. This happens when the subject line of the
out-of-offce reply does not contain the call number.
How do you avoid this? Depending on your situation, there
are one or more solutions:
1. Run the mail import from a sub folder instead of the inbox.
Replies from the caller, including the out-of-offce reply, will
end up in the inbox and are only imported after the email
is dragged to the sub folder.
2. Create a rule on the mail server that makes sure emails
with out-of-offce or automatic reply as subject are
placed in a different folder than the import folder.
3. Adjust the mail server so an address can only send one out-
of-offce reply.
4. Turn off the automatic confrmation from newly created
calls during holiday periods. Please note: this affects all
callers.
Improving work with major calls
Registration and group specifc calls can be done quickly with
major calls. Major calls often concern calls that affect a large
number of users, for example a disturbance.
How can you see which major calls are still open? How do
you quickly link a new call to a major call without having to
fll in all the data again? There are two options:
1. The Caller card
You can view all current major incidents on the Major calls
tab of the Caller card. The columns in the overview can be
set up the way you prefer. If you choose the right columns for
your organization, you can instantly see which disturbance
this concerns. When a customer phones about a disturbance,
and you have entered name to the Caller card, you can use
the
1
and
2
icons to directly create a frst or second line
incident. The caller data will be copied and the call is flled
with the correct information from the major call.
2. The Current Major Calls widget (TOPdesk 5.4 and higher!).
This new widget can be added to your Home via de Add
widget

button. This widget shows you directly whether
there are current major calls. The separate calls can be
expanded to view more information, and the

buttons
let you create a new call based on the major call.