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1. Exec Summary: Hivemind Networks worked in partnership with The (brand new) Head of Tech Support Services to build and execute a roadmap to in-house a helpdesk service that was being run by three different
external providers.
HiveMind and the NGN team together changing the service desk vision to one of ‘Colleague Care’. The helpdesk environment is no longer a ‘reactive’ environment but able to provide ‘pro-active’ service. NGN is so
delighted with the model they are considering copying it from IT to departments like HR, Facilities and beyond. The approach Hivemind took was purposefully designed to allow such leverage to occur.
Situation
Within IT services at Northern Gas Networks (NGN) there was a clear opportunity to improve service experiences and provide better value to the business. Two outsourced suppliers were providing three different IT
service desks to an organisation of less than 1,500 people, all with different service scope, processes, standards and results. The biggest weakness was that these services were designed around the service providers
rather than the colleagues they were meant to serve.
Task
A new Head of Technology Support Services was appointed and her immediate task was to create a vision and implementation road-map that would enable the in-sourcing of the three IT service desks and improve
service across the business.
Action
This was managed with a classic project management framework, the key difference being we worked collaboratively with NGN, often in workshops rather than in a silo.
The following key actions were undertaken:
● Coached and mentored the new Head of Technology Services to enable high-performance leadership in this new and critical role.
● Understand current issues and what colleagues’ require and value from IT services (i.e. the customer perspective). (Current state)
● Developed a service vision with a focus on colleague service experience.
● Identified the differing service needs of various types of colleagues (personas).
● Organisation design, development of job descriptions, selection of an effective recruitment agency, and planning and preparation for candidate assessment.
● Sourced an appropriate service management tool-set, in line with the service vision.
● Planned a new office layout to promote effective team working and high service standards.
● Prepared a kanban board and ‘backlog’ of implementation activity to be used for the efficient and effective management of implementation activity, whilst also keeping tabs on business-as-usual work.
Results
NGN believe they now have a game-changing vision, plan and key foundations in place for their future technology support. The focus is on supporting colleagues, providing both reactive solutions to their problems, but
also providing proactive advice and guidance to ensure NGN staff are able to exploit existing technology.
With a service tool and an organisation plan in place (TOPdesk), plus the first recruits to a new in-house service team, NGN are well on the way to delivering this exciting customer oriented vision for IT services. The
approach taken and foundations that have been put in place will also allow Colleague Care to scale beyond IT services, and could in the future deliver exemplary services to colleagues needing support with procurement,
HR, payroll, facilities and beyond.