TOPdesk Magazine September 2016

September 2016, issue 3, volume 18
TOPdesk is the
cement between
the bricks of our
organization
Read the interview with education institute Zadkine on page 6
In this issue:
Thomas Rau about the end of possession A checklist for onboarding and offboarding your
employees The central role of communication in IT projects
EDITORIAL
Breaking the habit

People are creatures of habit. You might live in the same
village you grew up in. Perhaps even in the same house. Youve
got friends from college. And you knew you wanted to be a
vet when you were six years old. Okay, well, if youre reading
this its most likely that dream didnt come true. But the fact
remains that people dont like change. They enjoy the safety of
familiarity, and theres nothing wrong with that.
How smooth is your on and

offboarding process?
But when it comes to business, trying new things is sometimes

a necessary evil. You might have everything under control now,
but the world is changing, and so are peoples expectations
of their service providers. With customers wanting the same
Read more
on page16
independence they have at home, for instance, youll need to

adjust your services to meet their ever-changing needs. As
Darwin once said: Its not the strongest that survive, nor the
most intelligent, but the ones most adaptive to change.
In this magazine you can read more about dealing with
organizational changes. CEO Wolter Smit talks about services
in motion, about knowing your customers and meeting
their needs. Learn about the end of possession, get tips on
communicating better with customers about change, and how
you can improve the process of on and offboarding employees.
Enjoy your read!
Nicola van de Velde & Milou Snaterse
Cora Naus about communication in IT projects
10
CONTENTS September '16

IF YOURE A SERVICE ORGANIZATION, HOW
DO YOU ENSURE THE INFORMATION YOU
OFFER IS UP-TO-DATE AND COMPLETE?
Patrick Draaijer
Functional manager, Altrecht Foundation
Read more on page 22
Thomas Rau about the end of possession
04
NEWS
06
GAINING NEW INSIGHTS WITH TOPDESK
10

SUCCESSFUL CHANGE STARTS WITH

GOOD COMMUNICATION
15
COLUMN
16

ON AND OFFBOARDING EMPLOYEES:

GETTING TO A SMOOTH PROCESS
18
THE END OF POSSESSION
22
COLUMN
26

SERVICE EXCELLENCE: THE DIFFERENCE

PEOPLE MAKE
28

LINKING TOPDESK ENVIRONMENTS

WITH WORCADE
32
TIPS + TRICKS
Services in motion
Self-service is no walk in the park
ON THE COVER:
18
Ronald Zeelenberg, IT maintenance

team lead at Zadkine. In the article on
page 6, he talks about creating one
portal for all employees.
4 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER 2016
Stay up-to-date
To stay up-to-date with the latest
TOPdesk news and service
management developments,
follow us via these channels.
TOPdesk Newsletter
TOPdesk integrates with Nexthink IT

analytics
Nexthink, a supplier of end user IT analytics, has entered into a partnership with TOPdesk,
making it possible to integrate Nexthinks IT analytics with our tool. Offering end users
@TOPdesk @TOPdesk _UK
excellent services has always been important to TOPdesk. The collaboration with Nexthink lets
facebook.com/TOPdesk
us provide even more added value, help end users more quickly, and improve services, says Anne
linkedin.com/company/topdesk
community.topdesk.com
van Dam, Business Developer, about the partnership.

Thanks to the integration, all incidents that happen within an IT environment or workspace are
visible in TOPdesk in real-time. This grants first and second line support more insight into the
@TOPdesk
Todd Howard
Thanks to @TOPdesk_UK went
live with new company helpdesk
system. Improving internal
communication! @exploretutors
@Todd_How @exploretutors
That is fantastic news! Thanks
for sharing and looking forward
to more updates!
severity of a problem and where the problem is located. Moreover, the self-learning aspect of
Nexthink charts IT services offered to workplaces, both physical and virtual.
New TOPdesk version available for

on-premises customers
Weve launched a brand-new version of our software. This new version offers your end users
a new and improved service experience, and the operators section has a new design as well.
The Self-Service Portal in TOPdesk has been fully updated and now has a knowledge base,
service catalogue and portal to log and track requests all in one place. The clear, modern
interface makes it easy to use for supporting departments and end users.
Upgrade to the new TOPdesk version
Our SaaS customers have been working with the latest version for some time.
TOPdesk
EuroFM elects Renske van der
Heide as board member
TOPdesk_DE
Taking our intergallactic bus to
look for new TOPdesk employees!
If you are an on-premises customer you can now upgrade to this version.
Visit www.futureofservicemanagement.com for more information or contact your
account manager.
NEWS
Calendar
4
OCT
OCT
OCT
DE
TOPdesk has entered into a partnership with RES, an international company that specializes in
IT&Business
Stuttgart
OCT
TOPdesk partners up with RES

supply, automation and security of digital workstations. RES lets organizations automate the
entire process of end user requests, so that they can optimize the way they use TOPdesk.
We are very pleased with this new partnership with RES, says TOPdesk business developer
OCT
Anne van Dam. Our collaboration will help companies to be more efficient and save time and
IT Forum von IIR
money as well as improve end users experience of digital workstations. Were sure that this is
something our customers will appreciate.
NOV
The combination of RESs expertise in automation and self-service and TOPdesks easy to use
NOV
service management software leads to great opportunities, say Tripp Purvis, Vice President of
36. KVD Service Congress 2016

Munich
Strategic Alliances at RES. Together, we can help companies to quickly create a streamlined and
safe IT experience for their employees.
15
16
NOV
NOV
Strategietage IT DACH 2016
The Dolder Grand, Zrich
Sys admin day
22
23
NOV
NOV
Friday 29 July was System Administrator Appreciation Day. Just like in previous years, TOPdesk
Service Desk Forum

Hilton Mainz, Mainz
1
DEC
sent over 200 cakes to celebrate.

System Administrator Appreciation Day takes place every year on the last Friday of July. This year
2
DEC
it was celebrated worldwide for the 17th time. Organizations rely more and more on their IT
department, so this day is the ideal moment to put your system administrator in the limelight.
itSMF Jahreskongress
Congress centrum Neue
Weimarhalle, Weimar
The celebration seems to be growing in popularity. TOPdesk hopes to further this trend by
spreading the word with our cakes.
20
OCT
BR
SEE
Espao Sinimbu, So Paulo - SP
18
OCT
HU
SEE
Kedd Barabs Villa, Budapest
27
OCT
TOPdesk on Tour
Etihad Stadium, Manchester
UK
GAINING NEW INSIGHTS

WITH TOPDESK
Zadkine, a Dutch institute for vocational education has worked with TOPdesk for years,
starting out with TOPdesk 3. This year, the school decided it was time to evaluate their
processes and add new services such as property management, facility management,
HR and general support. The goal: providing internal customers in education with a
single digital portal where they can go with all their questions, requests and calls.
Text: Acacia Kooij Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn
Zadkine is a regional educational centre
better coordinated and communication
that provides intermediate vocational
with local service points runs much more
training in all sorts of areas: from business
smoothly. Weve made a lot of progress
administration, mechanics and logistics,
thanks to TOPdesk, says Zeelenberg. Bringing
to healthcare, hospitality, tourism, fashion
departments together through processes is
and security. Zadkine has around seventeen
what I think TOPdesk does best.
thousand students who are taught at ten

main locations. Ronald Zeelenberg works
as a team leader in IT management and
The right flow
maintenance at Zadkine, focusing primarily
In addition to the new set-up, Zeelenberg
on the back end of IT services. His team
thinks a lot of progress can be made with a
consists, among others, of database, network
more process-based workflow. In order to
and service managers, all working from a
achieve this, Zadkine has started new ITIL
single location to provide input for local
training courses that align with the new
support staff.
set-up. Now weve started working with the

new TOPdesk version. Were certainly reaping
Improving to perfection
the benefits of having so much support for

process-based working methods from all
Weve always been satisfied with TOPdesk,
departments within the organization. The
says Ronald Zeelenberg. But we began to
results will become even better once weve
notice that not everything was organized
implemented the renewed ITIL certification.
the right way, so we wanted to improve that.
What were seeing now is that everybody
Our employees preferred to have a single
is getting into the right flow. We also find
portal for all their requests. This makes sense,
evidence of this improved workflow in how
because when youre teaching a class you
people use TOPdesk. TOPdesk is the cement
dont have time to figure out who to call
between the bricks of the organization,
when the computer doesnt work or a light
according to Zeelenberg. He continues: Now
is broken. We also wanted to create better
that TOPdesks structure is in place, we get
reports to show the quality of our services.
clear reports that provide the insights we
Another important improvement was the
need. For example, we can now have CAB
optimization of our service catalogue. With
meetings based on overviews.
the TOPdesk set-up we had back then, this

couldnt be fully supported, so we decided
that a new set-up was the best solution.
Progress
For about six months now Zadkine has been
Collaboration between
departments
able to gain more insight into how incidents

are related in different areas. Some examples
are property management, teaching locations
Several TOPdesk consultants came to work on
and regions. We wanted to create an
our new set-up. It was not only implemented
overview of this, which wasnt possible yet in
at IT, but also at other departments, such
the TOPdesk version we had. We also wanted
as Facilities and Property management
to differentiate between main buildings
and General support. Now, when there are
and branch locations, so that we could
relocations or renovations, things are much
create reports at a local level. The TOPdesk
TOPDESK MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER 2016 9
THE SYNERGY BETWEEN ALL

DEPARTMENTS IS VALUABLE
consultants have helped us achieve this. Now
The future
that we can zoom in on our local branches
In the future, we want to define exactly
more, we can see at a glance what each one
which services are provided by IT, Property
needs, which means we can use our resources
management, Support, HR and Marketing &
more effectively.
Communications. Were working hard to set

up a service catalogue and are exploring a
Delftware
number of methods. By dividing all products

and services into categories and subcategories
Delftware has been very helpful, because we
we can quickly get an overview of how each
have little in-house expertise on TOPdesk,
of them scores in terms of service delivery.
explains Zeelenberg. This meant that within
One of our current priorities is creating links.
our organization we didnt have the capacity
Our printers are already linked to TOPdesk, but
to improve processes by ourselves. Thanks
we want to achieve this for our workstations
to my supervisor it was decided that experts
as well. Wed like them to appear in TOPdesk
would be brought in to prevent process
automatically from our own SCCM. These
improvement from grinding to a halt. But
links are not just there to improve work
process improvement alone isnt enough. Its
processes, but also to ensure transparency.
just as important to get everybody on the
We want to show what happens on our
same page. Delftwares Danil Huijbens paid
systems and TOPdesk will be an essential
attention to both processes and the human
part of this project.
side of things, providing us with a solid

foundation to work with. He also took on the
job of incident and change manager until we
could find somebody within the organization
to fill the position. He ensured that proper
training procedures were set up. Zeelenberg
continues: The TOPdesk consultants and
Delftware have contributed significantly to
the recent improvements at Zadkine. And
we worked hard on the project as well. This
synergy has been very valuable.
SUCCESSFUL CHANGE
STARTS WITH GOOD
COMMUNICATION
The central role of communication
in IT projects
The implementation of a new tool is often a major change for employees. In many cases,
such changes arent properly communicated. As a consequence, employees may not be
able to use the new application correctly. Clear communication from the very start can
contribute significantly to successful changes.
Text: Milou Snaterse Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn
Cora Naus works as a project manager at DDC Agency, a TOPdesk
Inspiring positive attitudes
Solution Partner. Every day she encounters organizations that struggle
Introducing a new application in an organization is often part of a
with communication concerning both small and larger change
solution to a larger problem. The organization wants to achieve a
projects. More often than not, this communication is even forgotten
certain goal and the new application could be a useful tool for this.
entirely. The introduction of a new application is often a big change
With such big changes its important that all colleagues are on board.
for employees, says Naus. If communication is insufficient, the
You can achieve this by inspiring positive attitudes towards the change.
tool may not be used correctly, which could be problematic for the
Change projects are often faced with resistance. We try to counteract
organization. Many organizations try to make do with sending an
this and inspire positive attitudes towards projects by involving
email after implementation, but this rarely has the desired effect. Clear
colleagues directly in implementation and communication. If
communication before, during and after the change project helps the
everybody knows what youre doing and why youre doing it, you
process run smoothly.
create understanding and a willingness to cooperate, says Naus. Its

important to inform end users well at the start of a project, so that
Communication before, during and after
changes dont come as a surprise to them. Clear instructions on how

to use the new tool help end users get started. When the application
Communication should play a central role in every project, says
has been in use for some time, sharing success stories is a good way to
Naus. Even before the start of a change project, its essential
maintain positive attitudes.
to keep employees informed of the impending changes. During

implementation of new software its important that the people within
an organization contribute to choices that are made, such as those
concerning the software set-up. Feedback from end users is incredibly
valuable, as they are the ones who will eventually have to work with
the software. Communication remains an important part of the
change project even after implementation, according to Naus. Active
communication can persuade the end user to actually start using the
THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS HAPPY

END USERS
new software. An example of this is the e-learning environment that

we set up for one organization to help employees become experts at
using a new application.
Naus explains that communication within the project team shouldnt
Contented end users
be forgotten either. It is vital for the success of any change project that
The ultimate goal is a satisfied end user whose problem has been
everybody is on the same page. Easy to understand presentations
solved through an IT implementation. That goal is achieved by
can help clarify communication within a project. A communication
communicating with end users and involving them in the change
professional from inside or outside the organization can help create
project, says Naus. Clear communication will eventually reduce
visual and written material for this.
THE EFFORT YOU PUT INTO

COMMUNICATION MAKES OR
BREAKS A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
resistance, stress and delays throughout the operation. Imagine that

a company is moving to the cloud, but end users are completely in the
dark. Or a helpdesk where the phone keeps ringing because a change
has been implemented that hasnt been communicated properly. In
both cases, better communication could have prevented a lot of hassle.
In IT change projects, people tend to focus too much on the technical
aspects and not enough on the end users who will work with the tool,
even though they should be at the centre of the project. After all, the
effort you put into communication with end users could make or break
a successful project.
Want to start improving your communication?

DDC Agency helps organizations develop various methods
of communication tailored to the customers goals. Using a
communication plan, DDC compiles a range of tools that can be
implemented in collaboration with the customer. Among other
things, DDC develops websites, email campaigns and intranet as
well as e-learning environments.
Various organizations have already completed successful change
projects with DDCs help. If you would like to find out more about
Agency DDCs services or talk about what we can do for you, please
visit www.agencyddc.com.
14
TOPDESK MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE -- MARCH
SEPTEMBER
14
TOPDESK
20162016
ADVERTORIAL
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Planning & TimeSheet
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is important that people do not hesitate to work with the timesheet. It is a
complete and powerful solution, which can interface with other systems
like TOPdesk or other HR, ERP and financial systems.
To support the management, TimeTell offers a dashboard with a summary

of the most important information.
Furthermore, you can plan staff and projects. Staff planning can be used
to allocate people to a specific job and project. The TimeTell project
planning functionality helps you make Gantt charts in order to gain more
insight into the process structure and progress. Both planning and
realisation of spent hours can be registered in TimeTell, which makes it
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The solution is available both online and on-premise. This can be
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TimeTell.
Every organisation large or small, profit or non-profit can work with
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Like TOPdesk, the TimeTell software is developed in the Netherlands.
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If you would like to know more about our

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COLUMN
Wolter Smit, TOPdesk CEO
SERVICES IN
MOTION
In June I attended SEE 2016. The most important thing I took away
from this Service Excellence Experience was that the world of
service delivery is in motion. On the one hand service departments
are no longer doing everything themselves and have started
outsourcing their tasks instead. On the other hand its becoming
more and more important to put the customer first. So how do you
marry these two sides?
I recently had a discussion about this topic, which lead to a
nice metaphor. You used to be able to see the world of service
management, especially IT, as a kind of workshop for machines.
These were ordered, delivered, made ready for use and repaired
if needed similar to an automobile repair shop.
THE KNOWLEDGE TO DO
THINGS RIGHT AND MAINTAIN
THEM IS BECOMING THE
SUPPLIERS RESPONSIBILITY
Instead of a workshop, IT and facilities departments are turning into

stores. Stores where the shopkeeper makes sure he offers a good
selection of products, which perfectly meet customer demands.
A shopkeeper that also helps customers in their choice and use of
products. And negotiates competitive prices with suppliers as well,
ensuring that customers dont pay too much. He also makes sure
the products go together, and facilitates a good online store for
My father used to repair his own cars. Nowadays cars have so
people who already know what they want to buy and are especially
many electronic components, that you need specialist knowledge
interested in quick delivery.
and tools to fix them. This has happened to more products. The
knowledge required to do things right and maintain them is more
Its all about knowing customers well and understanding them.
and more the suppliers responsibility.
About finding suitable products and services from suppliers

that are sure to make the customer even happier. Because thats
What does this mean?
ultimately the best guarantee for returning customers.
Martijn Poll
works as account manager at TOPdesk.
He specializes in HR projects and implementations.
ON AND OFFBOARDING
EMPLOYEES: GETTING TO
A SMOOTH PROCESS
How can we make sure that new co-workers have everything they need to get started on
their first day? This question was addressed by HR, IT and Facility employees during
a round table discussion at SEE. Their conclusion: it should be a joint effort.
Is a new employee in your organization ready for
work right away?
managers indicated that they are often informed last-minute about
Does he have everything he needs for his job, such as a desk, entry pass
to get those employees started. The groups proposal: appoint one
and login account? In many organizations this is not the case. One of
person to be responsible for the process as a whole. It doesnt matter
the reasons for this is that HR, IT and facility departments tend to work
much who this person is. An HR staff member would make sense,
separately. That is why TOPdesk invited these departments managers
because they have to do much of the work anyway. Another option
and employees to SEE, where they tried to tackle the question: what
might be an IT employee, since they often already have access to
is the best way to set up the process of onboarding and offboarding
confidential information.
new employees, which means they have to put other work on hold
employees? The questions they dealt with, as well as the answers they
came up with, are outlined here.
Who is responsible for a smooth onboarding

process?
How to prevent the process from halting when

somebody is absent?
Pete usually handles CRM accounts, but he was off sick. This was one
of the many examples that were mentioned when we asked what goes
This question was followed by silence. Every department had taken
wrong when a new employee commences. The solution: make sure
up their part of the process, but nobody could see the big picture.
tasks are transferable. Establish which process needs to be followed
As it turned out, though, there was a need for this. IT and facility
upon commencement and communicate this to everyone involved.
MAKE SURE YOU STANDARDIZE

EIGHTY PER CENT, AND KEEP THE
REST FLEXIBLE
Checklist
1 person responsible
Make work transferable
Share information
Offer 1 portal
but this was not working in practice. There were simply too many
Which system should be used to manage supplies

or offer a self-service portal?
exceptions. What does work, according to one participant: standardize
It turned out that this doesnt really matter. Whether you keep track of
80 per cent of the process and keep the rest flexible.
assets in a CAFM, ITSM or HR system, the most important thing is that
In order to do this, some organizations were setting up job profiles,
you choose one source and ensure that other systems can access it. As
How to safeguard an employees privacy when

working with multiple departments in a single tool?
This is a much-heard concern. After all, an HR department handles
much more confidential information than an IT or facility department,
for example concerning employees performance and special leave.
Usually, this information may only be viewed by HR staff. However,
during our session it became clear that participants wanted to share
more information to aid the onboarding process, such as whether
a new employee is in possession of a drivers licence or will get a
smartphone. In most cases you can easily share this information
without putting privacy at risk.
for self-service portals: which system you choose is not that important,
as long as customers are offered a single portal where they find
answers to all their questions. They can be linked to the right systems
at the back-end.
THE END OF POSSESSION

Interview with Thomas Rau
No more lamps, just light. No more office chairs, just

sitting hours. Thomas Rau, architect and co-founder of
Turntoo, believes that the way organizations will handle
their assets in the future is changing gradually. People
are starting to think about paying to use assets rather
than to own them. This leads to smarter products, makes
organizations more flexible and its very cost-effective.
Text: Leo Kranenburg
Turntoo was founded in 2011 by Thomas Rau and Sabine Oberhuber. It aims to promote
knowledge and processes that facilitate the shift from consuming products to using services.
The business model is based on preserving resources. The earth is a self-contained system, says
Rau. This means that we need to be careful how we use resources. Todays economy, however,
is linear. We extract materials from resources, use them to make products, and consume those
products until we eventually dispose of them. This way of life simply isnt sustainable.
Bad business models

Rau indicates the printer on his conference table as an example of where the problem lies. In
the old days, technology was used primarily to create solutions. But these days we create almost
nothing but problems with it. This printer will probably break down within a year or two, even
though it could have been made to last much longer. The reason we dont do that is because
customers wouldnt need to come back to the store to buy a new printer. Revenue for many of
these products relies on them breaking down easily.
And there are more problems, according to Rau: Nowadays we also use products that last
longer than we feel is necessary. Nobody buys a new smartphone because the old one is broken.
By constantly introducing small improvements, we become more and more wasteful.
Make the manufacturer accountable

In response to these problems, Rau has developed a new economic model that revolves around
using rather than owning products. This would mean that in the future, organizations wont
purchase a printer, but simply buy a number of printed pages. The printer itself, along with all
its add-ons and maintenance, remains in the manufacturers possession. This makes it lucrative
for him to make things that can still be of value to him when they are returned. It also creates
an incentive to make products of lasting quality. If he doesnt, maintenance will be costly, eating
into his revenue.
we ended up working with an architect who
BUYING CONTRACTS INSTEAD OF PRODUCTS

REQUIRES A DIFFERENT SKILLSET
designs roller coasters. The best partner

is always somebody whose revenue lies in
getting you exactly what you need.
Keeping future plans tentative

Recently, Rau has noticed an increase in
support for his views. This is in part due to
the new media, who confront us with the
Besides, if manufacturers remain in possession
these assets, and whether you can do that
limits of the earths resources. This leaves
of their products, the cycle of innovation
depends on your core business. For example,
us two options: either we deny that theres
becomes longer and individual improvements
most of the engines in KLM airplanes arent
a problem, which is what mostly happens
become larger, Rau explains. If Apple were to
owned by the airline itself, but by Rolls Royce.
now, or we acknowledge where we are at this
launch an iPhone 7, a number of older models
Ongoing maintenance of the engines would
point. Fortunately the number of people doing
will be returned to them. In order to get a
interfere too much with KLMs core activities,
the latter is increasing.
sufficient number of phones back, they cant
so they cant carry this responsibility. Thats
launch a new model every year, but instead
why for over ten years, they havent bought
make sure that each new model has plenty
engines, but flying hours.
of improvements.
The end of possession
Different skills
Rau thinks its unlikely that organizations
For users, the shift from product to service
will lose control of their services if they work
means that they will no longer be the victim
with multiple suppliers. He does want to
of manufacturers bad business models, Rau
warn organizations that they need different
thinks. Theyll only pay for the service and no
skills to handle this. Buying contracts instead
longer bear the risks of how that service is
of products doesnt necessarily require
established. Organizations who buy services
different people, but of course it does require
also become more flexible, says Rau. If you
a particular skillset. You cant make that shift
want to buy something now, you purchase
in a matter of days, as product culture and
the service for an unknown period. How long
service culture are complete opposites.
will your purchase work? For how long will

you want to keep using it? If you pay for the
you actually need. You no longer mortgage an
Find out how potential partners

generate revenue
unknown future. This is hugely advantageous,
In order to select the right suppliers,
because you can constantly anticipate
organizations need to find out how potential
changing demands. Moreover, its very cost-
partners generate revenue. Rau explains that
Rau doesnt want to go into predictions for
effective, because you dont have to invest
organizations have been taking on the wrong
the future too much. I dont think anybody
your whole budget at the start.
companies for years. A steel construction
knows what the future holds, which means
was needed for a new building for Alliander,
we cant make decisions that have permanent
a Dutch utility company. Normally you might
consequences. We should only make tentative
go to a steel manufacturer for this, but thats
plans and choose solutions that are organized
In theory, organizations could choose to
a mistake. The steel manufacturers revenue
in such a way that when we are done with
exchange all their material assets for services.
comes from getting people to use as much
them, for example when we no longer need a
However, Rau says that having possessions
steel as possible, which is at odds with what
building, our resources arent depleted. That is
isnt inherently bad. But as an organization,
we needed. By finding out what parties gain
the only way we can remove stumbling blocks
you need to be able to carry responsibility for
revenue from light yet safe constructions,
for future progress.
service only, you can get much closer to what
Core business dependency
OUR CURRENT WAY OF LIVING SIMPLY

ISNT SUSTAINABLE
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COLUMN
SELF-SERVICE IS NO
WALK IN THE PARK
Self-service sounds quite easy, I hear a man next to me at an event
Another lesson weve learned is that introducing a new tool is only
say, but in practice I still call the service desk because my question
the first step. You need people to keep the information up to date.
isnt in the FAQ section or the answer is outdated. The person he is
You can make it more successful by involving your operators in every
speaking to couldnt agree more.
step from development to implementation and maintenance. Ask

them for their opinion and feedback and show that you actually use
I, however, dont agree. But I do recognize the problem at first hand.
it. By giving them a chance to interpret their role, you increase their
We recently implemented and set up a self-service portal. With
commitment to the goal and ensure higher quality information.
this portal we want to give our end users easy access to relevant
information and make them more self-sufficient. The first few
Weve set up and designed the self-service portal with a group of
months we noticed that keeping the information up to date was a
enthusiastic key users. Even after the implementation, the group
challenge. How do you, as a service organization, make sure that the
has weekly meetings to discuss questions about the portal and
information you offer is up to date and complete? Weve learned
current business. The people who keep the information up to date
some valuable lessons these first months, and Id like to share some
can record the information from a call in just in three clicks.
of them with you.
Layout and form are not as important here as content and speed.
Every contribution is checked by the service desk coordinator before
its published. This way we can keep a good balance between pace
and quality.
SELF-SUFFICIENCY DOESNT
ALWAYS LEAD TO SHORTER
DURATIONS
Theres no doubt that designing, building, implementing and

maintaining a self-service portal takes a lot of time and energy.
However, I can assure you that the return on investment is high
and immediate. The end users will become more independent,
which means that the supporting departments will have to do
less repetitive work. Self-service will increase your value as
service provider and helps to create more challenging work for
your employees.
First of all: manage expectations. Contrary to what many think,

a high level of independence does not always result in shorter
durations. The opposite is true. We did experience that answering
less repetitive and relatively easy questions and calls leaves more
Patrick Draaijer is a TOPdesk process
room for more complex questions and calls. This effect works
and functional manager for Altrecht
horizontally through the first and second line. Make sure the people
Foundation, a health institution.
involved know this before you set up a self-service portal.
Annemarie Wolfrat
is consultant at TOPdesk.
Rob Haaring
is HR manager at TOPdesk.
SERVICE EXCELLENCE:
THE DIFFERENCE
PEOPLE MAKE
As an organization, you want both your internal and external customers to be satisfied
with your products and services. But its even better to go one step further and get an
edge on other organizations by exceeding your customers expectations. With service
excellence, you can make that difference. But how does that work?
Facility management: the driving

force behind service excellence
to go to work, but like a friendly environment
get their sense of achievement and pride
where people feel at home. Its no secret
from the fact that the customer doesnt really
On average we spend eight to nine hours
that we achieve much more when we feel
notice all the things they do for him. This may
a day in our work environment. For many
good. With service excellence, the facility
sound contradictory, but this is exactly where
people this means they spend more time at
professional directly impacts the productivity
the opportunities for service excellence lie.
work than at home. Theres a reason why we
and success of the organization as a whole.
After all, it also immediately affects us when
sometimes use the word community for our
A clean workspace, good coffee, plenty of
basic facilities are even better than expected.
workplaces. So why not put as much thought
fresh air. We take these things for granted
This contributes directly to the customers
into the office space as into your home?
when theyre there, but we are immediately
quality of life. The facility professional focuses
This is exactly where a facility department
affected when quality is subpar. Thats why
intensively on contributing to the customers
makes all the difference. Your office shouldnt
professionals in the facility field work hard
quality of life and as such to the quality of the
feel like an empty shell where people happen
every day to achieve excellent service. They
organization. A win-win situation.
A CLEAN WORKSPACE, GOOD

COFFEE AND FRESH AIR - THINGS
WE EASILY TAKE FOR GRANTED
Contributing to quality. Now more than
In recent years, facility organizations tend
and service through the same lens regarding
ever, that is every service professionals focal
to transform into regulating organizations.
implementation as well as coordination.
point. For facility professionals, however, this
Moreover, people are often worried that
Building something great together, thats
has been the case for decades. In this respect,
outsourcing will lead to a decline in service
what makes us all happy.
he or she serves as an example to co-workers
quality. Usually, though, this isnt as much
in other service departments. However, its
of a problem as people expect. Because just
essential that he does get the appreciation
like your own employees, your outsourced
he deserves. As human beings we all want
suppliers employees also strive for perfection.
Human resources: how we can

learn from the past
to be appreciated. Theres a risk that the
They too get a sense of achievement and pride
There is an abundance of blogs and articles
customer doesnt give such appreciation,
from their work. After all, you can contribute
that help HR professionals to become the
precisely because he takes his pleasant work
in more ways than by being directly involved
kind of people that are taken seriously by
environment for granted. Herein lies an
in implementation. The important thing is
management teams. There are also texts that
important job for the facility manager
that you and your supplier look at people
discuss whether HR will exist at all in the
or coordinator.
THE REAL ADDED VALUE OF AN HR

DEPARTMENT IS DELIVERING EXCELLENT
HR SERVICES
employee will come up with plans to improve

service to the organization. Its not that eHRM
and HR Analytics arent useful,
but they should only serve as a tool and not
be an end in and of themselves. The real value
of an HR department is providing excellent
HR service.
Service? That sounds like an old story weve all
The old HR lessons have taught us that
future and in what form. These are all fresh
heard before. What are your HR departments
the tools arent what makes an organization
topics that are often far more popular than
plans for the near future? Will they proudly
successful, its the people. Countless studies
old HR lessons. Of course we can learn from
implement an eHRM system or will they
have shown that happy and involved
these new insights, but they often forget to
use HR Analytics to glean more information
employees contribute greatly to the success
mention the area where an HR department
from available (big) data in order to convince
of the organization. Why is it then that HR
can really make a difference: service.
management of their value? Very likely no HR
professionals (the very people who should
know and promote this) so easily forget this
where everybody can find them. In facility
that he requires. Make sure that everybody
when making their own plans the future?
departments this principle is already
who interacts with HR returns to his own
Lets pick up the old HR lesson with renewed
known as a service catalogue , which can be
work feeling good and ready to excel. After
interest. Lets make our organizations truly
translated for HR as a staff manual with a
all, this is how HR can truly be of value to
successful by providing excellent HR service so
positive and proactive approach. This way you
your organization.
that people can perform optimally.
create clear expectations that you know you
So what is that excellent service that
can realize. When your catalogue containing
makes an organization successful? The first
your basic services is all set, you have time to
important step is to take stock of the services
exceed those expectations. You may want to
you provide. Look beyond the regulations
surprise employees by giving personal advice
and procedures from the staff manual that
in addition to answering their question about
you have to enforce and consider what you
a regulation, or provide your manager with an
can do to help your organization. Then you
additional report that shows a different point
publish these services through a medium
of view than the standard reports
Patrick Mackaaij
is a marketeer at team Worcade.
LINKING TOPDESK
ENVIRONMENTS
WITH WORCADE
If you work together with internal and external parties that use TOPdesk as well, you
dont want to do the same work twice. With Worcade you can link TOPdesk environments.
This helps you prevent delays and copying data manually.
What is Worcade?
all new TOPdesk versions. You can activate
make adjustments to TOPdesk independently,
Worcade is a collaboration platform for
Worcade with a click on the button via
without this affecting the other party.
service professionals that lets customers
TOPdesks Functional settings. Once Worcade
and suppliers communicate more easily,
is activated, you can start a conversation
them of a new Worcade conversation. This
fun and efficiently.
with another party on the Worcade tab from
email contains a link to the conversation in
each call.
Worcade. Responses from the other party are
Thanks to the seamless integration

between TOPdesk and Worcade, you can
start a conversation with the other party in
The other party receives an email to inform
directly logged on the Worcade tab.

If the other party activates Worcade
a single click. It doesnt even matter whether
How does Worcade work?
in TOPdesk as well, they can link the
this person uses TOPdesk or not. Responses
Worcade uses data previously entered in
conversation to the new TOPdesk call. The
from both parties are directly logged on
the call, such as a short description or the
other party then sees the conversation, like
the Worcade tab on the incident card. As a
suppliers name. It only takes a single click to
you, on the Worcade tab on a call.
result, the entire conversation is stored in one
easily share additional details from the call in
location, helping you stay in control.
TOPdesk, for instance: request, action, object,

location and attachments.
Worcade works out-of-the-box, meaning
Linking Worcade conversations

automatically
Activating Worcade
you dont have to coordinate TOPdesks
If you receive Worcade conversations from
Conversations from TOPdesk via Worcade
set-up or your processes with other parties.
your customer by email, you can choose to
are available as a standard functionality in
All parties can work as they already did and
have TOPdesk automatically create a new call.
Send
You can use the TOPdesk mail import for this.
You can choose to edit the Status field on
The mail import normally updates cards
the call card, allowing you to automatically
Sending email notifications

from TOPdesk
based on the TOPdesk card number in the
remove the completed or closed status
Worcade notifies participants of changes
emails subject line. Special Worcade email
from adjusted calls. You can supplement the
to conversations by default. The email
messages are added to TOPdesk when
Status drop-down list with Changed via
messages Worcade sends contain a link to
creating a new call, which is directly linked
Worcade, for instance.
the Worcade website.
to the Worcade conversation. Customers
Moreover, TOPdesk changes the date and
TOPdesks mail import lets you notify
and suppliers no longer have to coordinate
time of the relevant call card. You can use the
operators from your own TOPdesk
communication themselves.
Event Management module to respond to all
environment. This way you can decide when
these changed fields.
to send notifications. Moreover, you decide
TOPdesks mail import adds the subject line,

addressees and text to the Action field by
the messages content. You can choose to
default. You can choose to omit these details
provide more information from the call or
to improve readability.
add a link to the call in TOPdesk.
If you want to report on the number of calls

received via Worcade, you can supplement the
Entry field with the value Worcade.
Adjusting calls in TOPdesk

TOPdesk administrators can choose to link
an operator card to the mail import, making
it clear in TOPdesk which cards have been
created or adjusted by the mail import.
Operators can see in their to-do list which
cards were adjusted by someone else. These
cards are shown in italics.
CC
Editorial
Download this issue and more atwww.scribd.com/TOPdesk
Start using Worcade today
The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects that are topical in

the world of professional service desks in IT, facilities and
You can start a conversation with your supplier from TOPdesk
other service providing organizations. TOPdesk Magazine
in a single click. It doesnt matter whether they use TOPdesk
is intended for managers, service desk employees, facilities
or not. Activate Worcade in TOPdesks Functional settings and
organizations and electronic city councils anyone who
start a conversation on the Worcade tab.
is involved with supporting clients on a daily basis. This

concerns both the processes and the technology behind
A step-by-step instruction for setting up the mail import,
these services.
drop-down lists and events and actions in TOPdesk is available

at worca.de/1e9db.
TOPdesk Magazine is a TOPdesk publication,

+44 (0) 207 803 4200, editorial@topdesk.com
Do you have any questions about the possibilities of Worcade?

Contact us via hello@worcade.com.
Editors-in-chief and copy editors: Milou Snaterse, Nicola van

de Velde
Translators: Laura van Rosenberg, Nicola van de Velde
Contributors: Rob Haaring, Fiona IJkema, Patrick Mackaaij,
Martijn Poll, Wolter Smit, Annemarie Wolfrat
Layout: Denise van Rijst
Illustration: Frank van Klink, Martin de Rooij
Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn, Menno van der Bijl
A print run of 10,000

Quarterly magazine
Languages: Dutch, English
Copyright 2016 TOPdesk. Although this publication 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.
Official TOPDesk partners: 3Fifty, AskRoger!, Bomgar,
Should your supplier use a different

service management application, we
are more than happy to discuss the
possibilities with you.
DDC, Delta-N, Gartner, IBIS Software, Mavim, Nexthink,

OGD, Okta, Partners in Technology, RES Software,
Servitect, Scope4mation, Snow Software, Testersuite,
The Backbone, TimeTell, Tools4ever, Victa
SUPPORT YOUR
EMPLOYEES IN
USING YOUR
SELFSERVICEDESK
To get the most out of this software, it is important to motivate
and help your employees. Use the professional and effective
communication of Agency DDC.
Through professional communication, Agency DDC (TOPdesk
official solution partner) will increase the number of successful
ServiceDesk users.
Visit www.agencyddc.com/changecommunication/ssd
to learn more about DDC services. Or contact one of our
communication advisors at +31(0) 88 012 02 50.
PA R T N E R
I N
E F F E C T I V E
C O M M U N I C AT I O N .
W W W. AG E N C Y D D C . C O M
tips + tricks
Setting up variable sender for email actions
Setting up email address:
The emails sent from the service desk to customers are set up
1. Click the user icon in the top right corner of the
in the TOPdesk Action Explorer. As sender of these emails you
Operators Section.
can choose to use a standard address (support@yourcompany.
2. Click My Settings
com, for example), but you can also choose to use a variable
3. In the Availability block the user enters his or her email
sender. The variable sender is dependent on the operator who
address in the Email address field.
sends the email and makes the email more personal.

The customers response will also be sent to this email
Setting up variable sender:
address. There are multiple reasons why this is often not
1. Open the Action Explorer.
the best option. With the following format the operator
2. Open the email action.
can send a personal email and receive the response on
3. In the From field click the Insert field/list icon.
a general address:
4. In the tree structure search for [system] > Current

operator > Email.
First name Last name <support@yourcompany.com>
> This results in the selected field

[System.Email_current_user].
When the email address is not entered in the user settings,
5. Click Insert.
TOPdesk will use the standard email address. The standard

email address is set up under: Settings > Functional Settings >
The [System.Email_current_user] insertion field refers to the

email address in the user settings of the logged in user.
www.topdesk.com
General > Default email of sender.

TOPdesk Magazine September 2016

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TOPdesk Magazine September 2016

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September 2016, issue 3, volume 18

Breaking the habit

How smooth is your on and

But when it comes to business, trying new things is sometimes

independence they have at home, for instance, youll need to

Cora Naus about communication in IT projects

CONTENTS September '16

Read more on page 22

Thomas Rau about the end of possession

GAINING NEW INSIGHTS WITH TOPDESK

SUCCESSFUL CHANGE STARTS WITH

ON AND OFFBOARDING EMPLOYEES:

THE END OF POSSESSION

SERVICE EXCELLENCE: THE DIFFERENCE

LINKING TOPDESK ENVIRONMENTS

Self-service is no walk in the park

Ronald Zeelenberg, IT maintenance

4 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER 2016

TOPdesk integrates with Nexthink IT

@TOPdesk @TOPdesk _UK

van Dam, Business Developer, about the partnership.

New TOPdesk version available for

TOPdesk partners up with RES

IT Forum von IIR

36. KVD Service Congress 2016

Sys admin day

Service Desk Forum

sent over 200 cakes to celebrate.

6 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER 2016

GAINING NEW INSIGHTS

8 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER 2016

Zadkine is a regional educational centre

better coordinated and communication

that provides intermediate vocational

with local service points runs much more

training in all sorts of areas: from business

smoothly. Weve made a lot of progress

administration, mechanics and logistics,

thanks to TOPdesk, says Zeelenberg. Bringing

to healthcare, hospitality, tourism, fashion

departments together through processes is

and security. Zadkine has around seventeen

what I think TOPdesk does best.

thousand students who are taught at ten

The right flow

maintenance at Zadkine, focusing primarily

In addition to the new set-up, Zeelenberg

on the back end of IT services. His team

thinks a lot of progress can be made with a

consists, among others, of database, network

more process-based workflow. In order to

and service managers, all working from a

achieve this, Zadkine has started new ITIL

single location to provide input for local

training courses that align with the new

set-up. Now weve started working with the

the benefits of having so much support for

Weve always been satisfied with TOPdesk,

departments within the organization. The

says Ronald Zeelenberg. But we began to

results will become even better once weve

notice that not everything was organized

implemented the renewed ITIL certification.

the right way, so we wanted to improve that.