White Papers

Papers with this icon are available to non-members. All other white papers are accessible only to HDI Members.

Featured White Paper of the Month

Managing ITIL Change

570 KB
Pete McGarahan, McGarahan and Associates
In recent facilitations with very large Fortune 500 companies who are in the beginnings of implementing ITIL, it is quickly apparent that their challenges are not in process design or tools. Adopting the IT Infrastructure Library framework to continuously improve the delivery of service management best practices seemed like a good idea based upon their current pain points. Pain points centered mostly around business impact – not impacting it enough on the contribution side (business value) and negatively impacting it too much on the technology side (reliability, availability of IT services). No one really wanted to admit that most of the problems resulting in change caused even more problems when implemented - IT self-inflicted wounds. As we continued to add the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to the SWOT table, their honest feedback reflected poorly on them. They were the problem – they were their own worst enemy. Silence – reflection – revelation!

Implementation Guidance Regarding ITIL® Version 3.0

295 KB
HDI SAB Task Force, HDI
A number of organizations have begun IT process improvement projects using the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL®) framework. A taskforce of the HDI® Strategic Advisory Board was created and has researched the implications of changes under development. This paper is intended to provide guidance to HDI members who are in the midst of, or are considering, IT process improvement project implementations based upon ITIL, and are asking questions about what these changes mean, and specifically how it impacts their current and future implementation plans.

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Increase software quality

121 KB
Lakshmi Easuwaran, NDS
Software Quality can be improved by • Efficient process compliance and effective project management • Defect identification through quantitative measurements like Product, Process metrics and taking preventive action • Adherence to quality standards, quality reviews and guidelines • Automation of repeated functions, simple modules, interfaces • Robust test processes and procedures • Applying the best practices • Clear definition on the scope of work and requirements • Building a data repository for logging problems encountered and seeking solutions • Usage of quality process tools like Pareto Chart • Performing Root Cause Analysis of the problems and sharing the resolutions I want to share my professional experience in using Pareto Chart, which is based on the 80-20 principle, in my projects. It advocates that 20% of the causes solve 80% of the problems. Some of the focus areas of Pareto Chart include Inadequate Self-Review, Lack of training, Inconsistent requirements and Non-adherence to standards, Inadequate Testing. Some of the key benefits derived by following this process are adherence to standards, better understanding of the requirements, exhaustive testing, better knowledge shared across the team.

Redefining Command and Control in Today's IT Reality

134 KB
Phil Verghis, The Verghis Group
The traditional 'Command and Control' service desk and IT asset management models that served corporate IT so well are now straining to keep up with the pace of 21st century business. The old models made sense in the past, when it was important to protect expensive IT resources and people with rare technology skills from having to deal with end users. The old models have become obsolete, but so far we haven’t found better models that afford us the same level of visibility and control. This white paper looks at the challenges and trends that are driving the need for change, and presents some of the actions that can be taken today to enable IT to move at the speed of the business in a complex, rapidly changing world.

Top 11 Ways to Increase Employee Loyalty

406 KB
Catherine Potts, Allegiance
The lifeblood of every business is its employees. Given this critical fact, you may assume that every business has a detailed plan and solid processes in place to ensure employees are engaged. Unfortunately, this is generally not the case. Many companieis continue to assume that if they build a good product or offer a good service, and if customers continue to buy those products or services, then employees should be happy.

Dispelling the Myths of End User Software Training

256 KB
Joseph Maresca, Brainstorm, Inc.
This white paper discusses the mportance of end user training in terms of increasing employee productivity, staying competitive, and cutting costs.

Web 2.0 – Principles and Best Practices

186 KB
binjal shah, Softweb Solutions
Web 2.0 – Everyone has heard this buzzword. So what is Web 2.0 and what does it mean to you? In this white paper, we will discuss various Web 2.0 trends and technologies, and we will explore how organizations are using these technologies to drive business results.

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7 Habits of Highly Effective Contact Centers and Help Desks

148 KB
eGain Communications, eGain Communications
More than a decade ago, Stephen Covey wrote about seven key habits that can help people elevate their personal and professional effectiveness in a groundbreaking book. These habits are equally relevant to contact centers and help desks, and can assist in dramatically boosting their effectiveness and efficiencies, while enhancing customer relationships and business growth. This white paper explains how the seven habits apply to contact centers and help desks, and provides thought leadership, best practices distilled from decades of experience, and new ideas to take your contact center and help desk performance to the next level. Learn and use these powerful secrets to get ahead of the competition!

51 Ways to Reduce Contact Center Costs

285 KB
Fred Shadding, SITEL
This document provides insightful strategies for contact center managers to leverage in their ongoing efforts to reduce costs while also enhancing the effectiveness and quality of support within their operations.

Mapping IT Service and Support - Learn: Govern: Improve

408 KB
Brian Johnson, Sandra Simpson, Ken Wendle, HDI Strategic Advisory Board
This white paper introduces a map that leads you through the metrics and processes employed in service and support and explains their relationship to one another. Using the map you can find out how to benchmark and improve upon key processes through the use of metrics, frameworks, education, and knowledge management.

Adapting Best Practices for IT Service Management

319 KB
Remedy ,
To better align business requirements with IT capabilities and deliver those capabilities at an appropriate cost, IT leaders are shifting from an IT technology focus to an IT service model approach. In this white paper, experts from Remedy, a BMC Software company, explore how leveraging best practices, such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), can help you quickly and efficiently implement the IT processes that support this service model, and how adapting those best practices to unique requirements can help extend your competitive advantage.

Benchmarking and Monitoring Performance of Inbound Support Centers

89 KB
Bill Sheehan, Renaissance Partners
Advanced technology is increasingly finding its way into the hands of all levels of corporate employees. Growth in computing power and software availability has allowed corporations to gain competitive advantage by implementing functions that were previously never possible.

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Mapping IT Service and Support - Learn: Govern: Improve

Legato Support Services Knowledge-Centered Support at Work

62 KB
Consortium for Service Innovation ,
Legato is a leading provider of information management software. Standing behind its information access, information availability, and information protection solutions for complex and heterogeneous storage environments, Legato is held in a special position of trust by its customers, who are, in effect, buying peace of mind. Technical complexity combined with this enterprise-critical aspect of Legato’s products puts a tremendous burden on the support organization.

Knowledge-Centered Support Operational Model

960 KB
Consortium for Service Innovation ,
Whether you support products for a corporate help desk, a product manufacturer, a channel or a third party provider, chances are you’re under the gun to better manage your resources and improve your service levels. Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) is a business methodology that was developed and put to the test by members of the Consortium for Service Innovation. The goal of KCS is to solve a problem once . . .and use the solution often! Adoption of KCS has improved operational efficiency, employee moral and customer satisfaction. This brief examines the need for a knowledge-centered strategy as well as the organizing principles of KCS and its benefits.

HP NonStop Customer Support Knowledge-Centered Supportsm (KCS) at Work

903 KB
Consortium of Service Innovation ,
The HP NonStop Customer Support organization is an essential part of the brand promise: they keep their customers’ missioncritical hardware and software systems running, nonstop, all around the world.

GETTING STARTED WITH KNOWLEDGE-CENTERED SUPPORT

2354 KB
Service Innovation ,
Adopting KCS represents a transition from a call-centric approach to a knowledge-centric approach for customer service organizations. Both the nature of this transition and the benefits realized are profound. Service organizations that have embraced the idea of an integrated approach across the five practices have demonstrated significant improvements in customer satisfaction, employee morale and operational efficiency.

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