The never-ending battle to supply cutting-edge mobile technologies is causing businesses to neglect less-glamourous IT systems, with massive cost implications. Research from Juniper shows that in the mobile industry alone, failure to invest in and optimise back office billing systems cost the industry $58 billion in 2011 because of lost payments and costs associated with fixing payment errors.
Report co-author Windsor Holden explains why an obsession with the latest and greatest is causing IT departments to miss the point. “As the industry moves more aggressively into a 4G/LTE environment, telcos risk undermining any revenue actually earned from value-added services by continuing to not invest in appropriate business support systems.”
It’s a microcosm of an issue affecting all departments and businesses delivering IT services. It is easy to see why back-office systems are struggling in the current climate: they are not ‘sexy’. The technology world is under constant pressure to stay one step ahead of competitors by deploying new tech but, as this example illustrates, what is the point of developing the latest killer app or device with next generation functionality if you fail to successfully charge and make a profit with it?
Back-office software is just one example of the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ syndrome. Service desks, increasingly being asked to offer guidance rather than direct support for technology, should consider this issue as an opportunity to prove their value. Rather than waiting for and reacting to technology failures, service desks should be proactively studying how IT works within the business, and highlighting systems that are glaringly lacking or causing problems. It may seem beyond the remit of the service desk, but those delivering IT support are best placed to identify where technology problems and bottle necks occur because they deal with the fallout from failures.
At Richmond, we pride ourselves on delivering IT support technology and services that work in the real world (an ethos which inspired our ongoing campaign to demand value from service desk technology) and that to achieve this goal, service desks sometimes need to take a step back and consider the wider context of their role. We believe that service desks have massive potential to inform the business and suggest changes that can improve operational performance. These changes may be small or large, but as this example proves, small, persistent problems can add up to huge revenue losses and monstrous support costs. A service desk that can take partial credit for fixing these issues therefore cements its value to the business.
Take a look at our website to learn how we can help you solve your IT support challenges, and if you want to discuss how your service desk can contribute more to the business, please give us a call.
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Blogs are good in which we get lots of information and convert that information to knowledge.Online Help Desk
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