Service desk transfer - An effortless and seamless transition

To ensure a perfectly smooth transition, ServiceJi performs regular business reviews during the initial stages. These reviews help track progress, identify and resolve any initial issues, and discuss any registered and resolved issues from the previous period. Key personnel, including a ServiceJi team leader, project manager, and additional personnel in the escalation matrix if needed, participate in these meetings. Once the transition period is underway, the business reviews also cover key metrics related to incident and service requests handled.

ServiceJi begins the onboarding process by conducting high-level meetings with the client to gain an overview of the existing or required service desk. These meetings focus on key elements such as:

• Existing support structure: Determine whether the support is currently handled in-house or by an external vendor, identify the number of support staff, and their skill sets, and identify key personnel and stakeholders. Determine whether ServiceJi will serve as an extension (co-source) to an existing team or provide a completely outsourced alternative.
• Existing SLAs and metrics: Understand the current service level agreements (SLAs) and how end-user satisfaction is measured. Identify the key metrics used for performance evaluation.
• End-users: Determine the type of end-users (technical/non-technical/mixed), their geographic locations, languages, and the approximate number of end-users.
• Coverage/timings: Establish the current and expected coverage and timings for support, including working hours, out-of-office hours, and holidays.
• Channels and support tools: Identify the communication channels and support tools and technologies currently in use (e.g., email, telephone support, website, ticketing systems, online chat, social media, Slack, etc.).
• Incidents and service requests: Understand the nature and types of incidents and service requests, as well as the typical volume and duration of each incident.
• Existing documentation and knowledge base: Determine whether there are existing playbooks, knowledge transfer (KT) documentation, SOPs and process flows, and a Tier 0 knowledge base.
• Key dates: Establish the expected dates for knowledge transfer, handover, transition, and the official start of ServiceJi’s support service.

ServiceJi will set up or integrate new support team members into the existing support channels. This includes configuring dedicated support direct-dial telephony, IVR, email channels, and ticketing systems. ServiceJi team members will receive the necessary access credentials for all portals, tools, and documentation required to fulfill their support responsibilities. Communication models between ServiceJi and the client will be established, and key personnel will be identified while formalizing escalation matrices.

Building upon the initial high-level knowledge transfer meetings, ServiceJi arranges more detailed sessions involving senior members of the current support team and/or the project manager, along with the ServiceJi team. These meetings delve deeper into the knowledge gained from previous discussions, ensuring a comprehensive transfer of detailed information.

This training is an integral part of the transition period, and a senior team member from the current support team will provide training to all members of the new team, including the team lead. To facilitate future reference, all training sessions can be recorded and cataloged. The remaining time during this stage will be dedicated to the handover processes described in the “Service Desk Handover” section below. Appendix B provides a typical knowledge transfer checklist.

Throughout the knowledge transfer period mentioned in Step 4, the new team collaborates with the existing support team for a period as a “silent partner.” After this time, the ServiceJi team takes over as an active partner, responsible for triaging and resolving incidents and service requests for the remaining period of transition. The existing support team remains on standby during this period, providing support to the new team and addressing any gaps in knowledge transfer.

Continuous monitoring of end-user satisfaction and other key metrics ensures that the service levels align with the established metrics mentioned in Step 2.

At this stage, the ServiceJi service desk team becomes fully independent, operating with at least the same level of efficiency as the previous support team. Ongoing monitoring of user satisfaction and other key metrics continues to ensure that the service levels are maintained according to the metrics established in Step 2.

ServiceJi maintains an ongoing service monitoring and optimization program. Regular ongoing reviews are conducted to track metrics and end-user satisfaction, and any recommendations for optimization are communicated to further enhance the service quality.

If you have any questions regarding the process of switching IT service desk providers to ServiceJi, please don’t hesitate to contact us.