Infographic: User Experience Will Shape The Future Of IT Service Desks
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
The explosion of BYOD (bring your own device) and the connected mobile workforce means that IT service desks are rapidly evolving to provide support beyond phone and email. An infographic from Randstad Technologies, “The Future of Service Desks: All About User Experience,” demonstrates that the future of IT service desks will require the adoption of mobile, virtual, and social features.
Research firm IDC predicts that worldwide growth in BYOD adoption will average 25 percent each year, ballooning from 175 million workers in 2014 to 328 million by 2017. This explosion of BYOD means new challenges for allocation of service desk resources, particularly when employees are completing most IT inquiries outside of the traditional service desk.
In order to accommodate this trend, help desks need to evolve in ways that will enhance the end-user experience. “Connected devices and social media are a mainstay of today’s mobile workforce and many end users seek IT service desk support while away from their desks,” Jeff Brandt, solutions director of technology support services at Randstad Technologies, explains in a press release. “Accessing service desk support through chat, virtual support and mobile applications is getting more prevalent. While traditional call-in lines will always be a staple for end users seeking support, service desks need to be prepared for this evolving workforce.”
As the infographic shows, the power of mobile and social technology is shaping how IT departments offer and deliver services now and in the future, particularly in terms of mobile applications, virtual assistance, social engagement, face-to-face in-store support, and traditional phone support.
As BYOD becomes the norm for IT functioning, help desks will have to respond accordingly. That means that IT departments will have to provide on-the-go support for their connected mobile device end-users that allows them to check status of tickets, search for solutions, receive maintenance or network alerts via text, or to log in new support requests.
Virtual support will also become more important, allowing users to access help via instant chat without physically making a trip to the service desk.
End-user support will also leverage social engagement, using Forums, Facebook, and Twitter to crowd source solutions. Social channels will also be leveraged for service alerts and taking in and answering support ticket requests.
Support desks also are experiencing an evolution in both face-to-face and phone support options. By raising the bar on in-person encounters, help desks can become more than just a drop-off/pick-up counter, but also can serve as a resource in-person support, training, tutorials, the purchase of PC and mobile accessories through IT vending machines and to test-drive new devices.
And the evolution does not mean the death of traditional phone support, either. Despite the changing environment, no IT department will eliminate the need for call-in lines and the ability to talk to a live technician. End users in need of immediate support will still leverage this kind of support.