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CUSTOMER SUPPORT

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SERVICE DESK SUPPORT

DISA uses industry best practices as a systemic approach to managing the client relationship, whereby ownership and accountability in the organization are keys to successful partner care and a measurement of service support. This has proven to be a simplified, predictable, professional, high-quality service interface for post-deployment support for partner/DISA agreed upon services outlined in the service level agreement (SLA). The approach addresses services which include, but are not limited to, a support environment through an integrated common set of tools, processes, workflows, and human resource management based on proven best practices.

The Service Desk is partner-focused, with a trained support staff ready to address a partner's request. As soon as the staff responds to a call, they “own” the incident or problem and are responsible for obtaining information from the partner in an organized and professional manner. This process includes incident and problem management with continual follow up until the issue or question is resolved to the partner's satisfaction.

Key objectives include:

  • Ensure that DISA provides consistent, knowledgeable interactions with partners
  • Integrate partner focus into everyday operations
  • Provide high-quality, predictable, and professional partner interfaces
  • Partner with and support a specific partner, with responsibility and accountability to that partner
  • Shorten the response timeline for the resolution of partner incidents
  • Ensure a consistent point of contact for the diverse concerns of each partner

The Service Desk manager has oversight responsibility for development, continuous improvement, and uniform implementation of Service Desk support standards and processes.

Service Desk managers and operations staff are responsible for accomplishing all assigned activities, tasks, and functions in accordance with all work instructions.

The management and operations staff is also responsible for notifying the Service Desk manager if any information is incorrect or needs improvement.

The Service Desk managers are responsible for assigning accountability for each contact received. Service Desk representatives receive contacts through multiple media such as phone, message queue, and email. For those calls that are not resolved upon first contact, the assigned Service Desk manager is responsible for pursuing resolution in accordance with applicable SLA and operating procedures.

Follow-up notification to the partner is the responsibility of the Service Desk manager, in accordance with the established SLA. When an incident occurs, it is the responsibility of the applicable Service Desk to resolve the incident.

Our partner support provides efficient interfaces between traditional partner service providers, technical support elements, operations, and external support organizations (such as vendors). These interfaces are supported via common standards, integrated common tool suites, and common enterprise procedures as well as the removal of traditional barriers, both physical and procedural. Our successful Service Desk relies on the knowledge elements that pertain to the partner's post-deployment support.

These services are defined as follows:

  • Mid-Level Expertise
  • Senior-Level Expertise
  • Technical Support
  • External Support

The Service Desk utilizes the following processes and sub-processes:

  • Communicate with partners
    • Respond to initial contacts
    • Conduct ongoing communication
    • Complete communication
  • Assign Accountability
  • Find Solutions
  • Resolve Trouble Management Actions Requests
  • Provide Tracking

Receiving System-Generated Information

System-generated information consists of system messages or alerts that are internally generated by indirect contacts. A message/alert notifies the Service Desk of a system event or condition that may provide information affecting one or more open incidents. These events may be manually monitored, or they may have automated interfaces that generate a notification or even initiate a ticket in the tracking system.

Examples may include:

  • If significant, the system messages or alerts initiate a notification
  • The message/alert has the characteristics of either a first contact or a follow-on contact
  • Dependent on the initial root cause analysis, the appropriate action will be taken

Overview

DISA is dedicated to monitoring the success of support delivery on all promised service levels and ensuring partner satisfaction. DISA wants partners to know that someone understands the business impact of their issues, empathizes with their situations, and will “stay with them” until the issue is resolved.

DISA is in a constant state of improvement with leading edge operational philosophy, technical procedures and tools for maintaining partner relationships. The Service Desk supports a strong, partner-focused environment and highly responsive post-deployment support services. Common standards, procedures, and centralized enterprise tools for all operating locations ensure partners receive the same predictable high-quality services regardless of processing location. Success in meeting these responsibilities must be addressed from both the internal operations perspective and the external partner perspective.


Ticket Priorities

  • Five: Indicates maintenance or a scheduled action.
  • Four: Results in user/operator inconvenience or annoyance, but does not affect a required operational or mission essential capability; results in inconvenience or annoyance for development or support personnel, but does not prevent the accomplishment of those responsibilities.
  • Three: Adversely affects the accomplishment of an operational or mission essential capability, but a work-around solution is known; adversely affects technical, cost, or schedule risks to the project or to life cycle support of the system, but a work-around solution is known.
  • Two: Adversely affects the accomplishment of an operational or mission essential capability and no work-around solution is known; adversely affects technical, cost, or schedule risks to the project or life-cycle support of the system and no work-around solution is known. Based on DISA Policy criteria of action type and length of outage, this action request could be reportable to the Global NetOps Center (GNC).
  • One: Prevents the accomplishment of an operational or mission-essential capability; jeopardizes safety, security, or other requirement designated critical. Based on DISA Policy criteria of Action Type and length of outage, this action request could be reportable to the GNC.

  • LEVELS OF SUPPORT
  • SERVICE DESK SKILLSET
  • PERFORMANCE STANDARDS