User Support
An essential part of an implementation and successful operation of the new system after go-live is the support provided to the users.
This level of support needs to be similar in fashion to the support provided by the software supplier to the education organisation itself, although it must also cover support for all hardware and networking facilities, business processes and software customisations and other local idiosyncrasies.
It is advisable to provide this support with a combination of internal functional and technical personnel and the supplier.
Advice Centre or Helpdesk
An Advice Centre/Helpdesk facility should be available throughout normal office working hours on each working day. Users should be able to contact the Advice Centre/Helpdesk by telephone or e-mail to report problems encountered whilst using the system. Users reporting the problem should always be asked to provide enough detail to enable the support staff to properly analyse the problem.
Support staff should respond by logging the issue raised in an Issues Log or Support Log, informing the user of the Issue number, instigating immediate investigation into the cause of the problem, and regularly reporting progress on resolving the issue to the user until eventually communicating the ultimate resolution to all users and closing the issue.
Where support comes directly from the system supplier these sorts of arrangements should already be in place. See the section on System Support under Managing Suppliers.
However where the system has a large number of users you may need an internal support desk as a first line of support and to weed out basic queries from genuine bugs. The JISC infoNet Project Controls Database provides a basic tool that could be adapted for use by helpdesk staff. In a large institution you should think about setting and monitoring service standards for the support function in order to build user confidence in the new system.
