Support Services

The core strategies of the Support Services Division of ITD are directed to the improvement of each department’s current use and future implementation of technological tools. As a support group, this Division is invisible to the user community, so it’s effectiveness is best measured by the effectiveness of the operational departments that are served. As we reduce and smooth the steps they take to serve the public, we become successful.

Reduction of effort in hardware and software acquisition –

Formalizes the acquisition process by eliminating human intervention.

“Business-to-Business” web-based tools will allow authorized staff to access specific catalogs of approved hardware and software items for purchase or lease. The system will generate the appropriate documentation for accounting and purchasing records, and at the same time will place the order with the supplier. There will be an on-line data interchange with selected vendors, speeding the order placement process.

Information on order status will be available on-line so departmental staff will be able to track order shipments. Such orders will update the ITD Asset Inventory system from the time of order. Skeleton records will notify Support Staff of orders pending delivery and installation. As systems or software are installed, the partial records will be completed and will link the specific item to a specific person and/ or Cost Center.

Provide a centralized receiving point for City hardware and software acquisitions.

This strategy formalizes the acquisition process, eliminates human intervention and gives measured control to the departmental customer.

Obtaining the least cost for the best desktop technology –

Provides the City with flexibility in acquiring and disposing of the hardware it uses.

Desktop systems now have processing speeds and capabilities that rival the major central processors of 10 years ago, but their life span is also shortened to approximately 3 years. After that time, new hardware offerings have far outstripped the old, and repair part availability becomes a factor of concern.

Recognizing the speed of technological change and the increased cost of supporting a variety of machine models and software versions, the City took the step of standardizing its hardware and software platforms. That standardization requires the regular periodic replacement of hardware and software used in the City to provide consistent processing and sharing of data between departments. One third of the City’s desktop systems are replaced (Refreshed) each year, and the City’s desktop software and its control environment is updated when significant improvements are recognized.

The hardware was leased with the expectation of reduced per-unit costs and a leveling of budgeted expenses. A realistic cost for departmental computerization with desktop systems was reached, and costs for special handling were added into the base cost of each system.

· Core Strategies – Support Services

The Refresh decision, made over six years ago, has served the City well, but the time has come to re-evaluate our process. Some areas of cost reduction or shifting are being considered:

Current annual lease costs (aggregate of three lease cycles) would also serve to purchase one cycle of desktop PCs. After a conversion period of three years the City could still be refreshing systems, but would own the systems they were replacing.

Cathode ray tube monitors last twice as long as a desktop computer, and could be purchased and kept for four or five years. This will save finance and replacement costs.

Cathode ray tube monitors are also candidates for replacement with flat-panel LCD monitors. LCD monitors do not wear as visibly or generate the heat of our current monitors, and will most likely have a life in excess of five years. Their prices (also shrinking through competition) become very attractive when amortized over five years.

We have reached a level of PC power and speed which easily provides the operational capability needed by the City for most of its departmental uses. The most often-heard complaint regarding the Refresh, voiced by the City departments, is the discomfort of changing from the old system to the new. Perhaps moving to a four year refresh is now more of a possibility. Purchasing additional units may be enough insurance against the need for spare parts. Annually refreshing one quarter of the City’s systems could further reduce costs, or at least keep them level.

 

Reducing the administrative and operational costs of supporting employees –

Interfaces the tools we use daily to administer the processing of new employees more efficiently.

Support Services will streamline and track the new employee initialization process. As an individual enters City employment, an “Electronic Personnel Action Request” will be initiated. This form, originated by the work group, would enroll the new employee into the Payroll Personnel Tracking (PPT) system and into the proper cost center. After formalizing the payroll records, the PPT system would then link the new employee to their assigned PC hardware in the Asset Tracking System, and to the City Phone Book and phone equipment records in iTRAC. The e-mail system will be notified of the new employee’s name and a web address will also be issued. The Novell NDS system would place them into the proper network group and generate a message to their supervisor with pertinent passwords, addresses and logon information.

Core Strategies – Support Services

Initiate the development of a “front-end” administrative system. This application will provide each of the other systems the information they require. It would be developed in stages until all process applications are tied together. As these applications mature to the point of direct integration, they can be dropped out of the “front-end” system processes and eventually cause the “front-end” system to be replaced by complete integration.

Integrate the Action Request System and the Asset Tracking System. This direct integration will reduce data entry time by eliminating the need to jump from system to system, reduce redundant data entry, and improve the data integrity.

 

 

Reducing the time needed for a support solution –

Allows our support resources to be more effective.

 

Customer Support will move toward faster solutions with the use of online tools. We have tested Remote Control capabilities on customer PCs and have found that this can speed the delivery of service on the first phone call and some follow-up contacts. With the permission of the customer, our consultant can take control of the remote PC and show the method of obtaining the solution as it is explained to the customer. Physical observation reinforces the customer’s understanding of the problem and may reduce future service calls while delivering a value-added benefit to the user.

We expect to see future capabilities of the hardware and software being developed to provide some self-diagnosis of problems. We have seen some of this in printers, which continually test the status of print components. It is also likely to see similar developments in PCs and major desktop software products. Just as the network can announce problems with certain nodes, we may have the potential to poll our PCs in order to detect any potential problems that warrant our attention.

Remote access to PCs will also be effective in providing software and configuration upgrades. We currently send changes to our customer’s workstations via our network. These upgrades can be sent to select customers with specific versions of application software. This eliminates the need to individually visit several hundred machines in a short period of time when a software upgrade must be installed. We expect to expand this concept to include major configuration changes.

 

Core Strategies – Support Services

Expand conventional training ideas for successful City employment –

Allows our employees to keep up with advancing computer technology.

Traditional methods of user education cannot reach everyone, because not everyone is a traditional student. Our approach needs to include an expanded scope and encompass more departmental needs.

Course material should also allow a student to move at their own pace, while still maintaining an instructor / student relationship. Some web-based courseware provides access to a mentor for single student classes.

Departmental specific training is needed. This training must be developed with the department’s participation and may need a special medium for instruction, such as special course outlines or Computer Based Training (CBT) discs.

Create a well-defined Helpdesk website with topics that meet our customer’s needs, including:

  • E-mail questions

  • Questions about teleworking

  • Web Page development questions

  • Software questions

  • Creating an e-mail list server to be accessed from the web, allowing easy searches for help information.

Our Action Request System is a repository of customer problems. These problems can reflect training needs and our customers can be targeted with the necessary classes.

Create a training schedule that allows employees working all shifts convenient access to training courses.

Determine if multiple, controlled training locations are beneficial.

On-line training tools or manuals could offer some assistance to employees needing a quick refresher in a class they have taken.

Tips and tricks on how to better use some of our core desktop applications can be helpful but are hard to keep current. Subscription services may provide a library of helpful hints.

Quality user groups allow customers with similar interests and problems to help one another. Moderated by knowledgeable trainers, these can become case-study workshops.