Service Desk Management
The Service Desk is the single point of contact between service providers and Users, on a day-to-day basis. It is also a focal point for reporting Incidents and making service requests. As such, the Service Desk has an obligation to keep Users informed of service events, actions and opportunities that are likely to impact their ability to pursue their day-to-day activities. For example, the Service Desk might act as the focal point for Change Requests from Users, issuing Change Schedules on behalf of Change Management, and keeping Users informed of progress on Changes. Change Management should therefore ensure that the Service Desk is kept constantly aware of Change activities.
The Service Desk is in the direct firing line of any impact on the SLAs and as such needs rapid information flows.
The Service Desk may be given delegation to implement Changes to circumvent Incidents within its sphere of authority. The scope of such Changes should be predefined and the Change Management function should be informed about all such Changes. Prior approval of Change Management is essential before Changes of specification of any CI are implemented.
Goals
The primary aim of the Service Desk is to restore the 'normal service' to the users as quickly as possible. In this context 'restoration of service' is meant in the widest possible sense. While this could involve fixing a technical fault, it could equally involve fulfilling a service request or answering a query - anything that is needed to allow the users to return to working satisfactorily. Specific responsibilities will include:
- Logging all relevant incident/service request details, allocating categorization and prioritization codes
- Providing first-line investigation and diagnosis
- Resolving those incidents/service requests they are able
- Escalating incidents/service requests that they cannot resolve within agreed timescales
- Keeping users informed of progress
- Closing all resolved incidents, requests and other calls
- Conducting customer/user satisfaction call-backs/surveys as agreed
- Communication with users - keeping them informed of incident progress, notifying them of impending changes or agreed outages, etc.
- Updating the CMS under the direction and approval of Configuration Management if so agreed.
More on Service Desk Management
Read more on Service Desk Management here:
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Other ITIL Processes
In order to have a good understanding of ITIL and the importance of configuration management, we first define what ITIL is: ITIL is literally a collection of documentation.
This documentation can help IT organizations implement the best practices. The documentation grows and grows as more successful techniques are documented and guidelines established for what can make others successful. The latest ITIL resources are published by the UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC).
Integrated service delivery refers to the need for Configuration Management, Change Management, Incident Management, Problem Management and Release Management processes that are linked together in a meaningful manner. For example, the process of releasing components to the live environment (the domain of Release Management) is also an issue for Configuration Management and Change Management whilst the Service Desk is primarily responsible for liaison between IT providers and the Users of services. This section highlights the links and the principal relationships between all the Service Management and other infrastructure management processes.
ITIL processes fall under Operational Layer or Tactical Layer, as follows:
| Operational Layer: | Configuration Management - Service Desk Management - Incident & Problem Management - Change Management - Release Management |
| Tactical Layer: | Service Level Management - Availability Management - Capacity Management - Continuity Management - Financial Management |