EasyFix Insurance Company
Technical Support Assignment 1-Tools and Techniques Rhiannon Jones
October 2012
RHIANNONJONES_U12_A1_P1_P2_P3_M1_M2_D1.DOCX
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Contents
Contents ............................................................................................................ 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 2 Tools ............................................................................................................... 3 Techniques ..................................................................................................... 4 Importance of Fault Logs ................................................................................ 5 Impact of Organisational Policies .................................................................... 6 ORGANISATION GUIDELINES............................................................................... 6 CONSTRAINTS .................................................................................................. 8 Advantages & Disadvantages of Outsourcing ................................................. 9 Types of Faults .............................................................................................. 10 Recent Advance in Support System Technology ........................................... 11
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Introduction This booklet has been prepared for new IT technical support staff joining the company. This booklet explains the tools and techniques used for technical support, the booklet also discusses the importance of keeping faults, and it will explain the impact of organisational policies and procedures on the provision of technical support. The booklet will also give an explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing technical support, there will be a table included in this booklet that will show some of the types of faults that can occur with computers. Finally this booklet will review some of the recent advances in support system technology.
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Tools VNC Virtual networking computer is a graphical desktop sharing system that allows remote access to remotely control other computers to aid users to solve their computer issues if they are not hardware problems.
REMOTE DIAGNOSTIC CONNECTIONS Remote diagnostic is used to diagnose an issue with a computer from a distance weather that is in the same building or 300 miles up north information exchange is done either by wire or wireless. Using this will keep workload of local personnel to a minimum.
CONTROL PANEL The control panel is a folder which offers routes to files that can be used to manage the computer system. Allows you to add and remove programs onto and from the system, create user accounts and edit setting to the computers.
POST POST uses a sequence of beeps that will indicate whether it has found a fault and what the nature of the fault is. If the screen loads there will be information providing what device is not working correctly.
REGISTRY The registry stores the settings that you have set previously for example what programs you have installed on the system, the IP address that the system uses and the colour settings of your desktop. This is so that you don’t need to keep making the changes to suit your needs.
EVENT VIEWER The event viewer is used to predict and potentially identify the sources of the problems found on the system. Shown in the picture to the left which will show weather the program has successfully started. 3|Page
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MONITORING TOOLS The monitoring tool logs major events that happen on the system for example the boot up sequence, the start-up and closing of applications and any errors that are reported.
Techniques DIRECT QUESTIONING OF USERS Staff may be entitled to different levels of support and will be asked for their username to access that support. Once their support level has been established you will then ask questions to start the analysis of the problem. Asking direct questions will enable you to gain the information needed to carry out the job in hand below is some examples of some direct questions about the computer itself. QUESTION What is the make of your PC? What operating system is the PC running? What is your MAC address? What processor is the computer running on? Are you connected to the internet? Is your computer on a private network or shared?
ANSWER
FAULT LOGS & SOLUTIONS DATABASES Fault logs are used to record events that have occurred, and may include information about how the fault was fixed. Most good fault logs will contain this information. Recording faults can be done over time as we gain experience in solving problems. Most problems relate to faults in the hardware and software being used. A fault log should be used to record all pertinent data about the fault. For example who made the call, when, problem etc... This will give technicians the information needed to complete a job and provide pass details of jobs with this user. Solutions databases are created over the course of time many problems will be logged and solved and a database that records the different approaches used, and the most obvious and successful solutions, will save time and effort when receiving a job as this will save time giving the technicians to spend more time on jobs that are not simple to complete those that take time to research etc‌
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Importance of Fault Logs Fault logs are a burden when you have to fill them out but they are a helpful technique that can help you solve many complex problems. Fault logs are kept for many reasons the main reason that they are kept is to keep a record of all faults so that you will be able to look at them at a later date. Fault logs are kept because they are a good way of identifying reoccurring faults, if you have a fault that keeps occurring it is very easy to look at an old fault log to see what type of information is there so that it can help come up with solutions so that it can be fixed. When your software or hardware keeps breaking down fault logs will help you keep a record of them and in turn the problem will be getting fixed faster and faster each time you do it. Another reason that fault logs are kept is that the more and more faults that are recorded means that you will be able to get problems fixed faster and faster, this means that you will have more time to fix more problems so it gives your company better productivity. If you have a constant problem the fault logs will allow you to keep a record of them happening and this means that you may predict the problem before it happens again or make a request for that particular hardware or software to be replaced. One other really good reason that fault logs are kept is to log the performance of technicians, logging the performance of the technician's means that you will be able to compare them and see who is doing better than others. From the fault logs you will be able to see which technician is a weak link and if there is any weak links you can take the employee for a training course. From the fault logs you can also see that some people could be slacking off or taking it easy if this is the case then you can put disciplinary procedures in place so that they pick up the pace. Fault logs highlight common faults on recurring machines and from the fault logs you will be able to find out why it is happening and what you can do to fix the problem.
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Impact of Organisational Policies ORGANISATION GUIDELINES SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS EasyFix as a company use a corporate-level service level agreement within the company where an outside organisation will provide support to the departments within the building. Corporate-level SLA which will be covering all the generic service level management issues appropriate to every staff member throughout the organization. These issues are likely to be less volatile and so updates are less frequently required. The agreement only includes company owned equipment. So there is to be NO servicing or repairing to personal equipment. The agreement also includes response time to be a maximum of 2 days the failure of this would result in a warning. In line with the agreement a regular user such as a typist will have their computer fixed or replaced same day. Users that are critical to the day to day running of the company will have their computers fixed or replaced within 2 hour to prevent disturbance to the company.
CONFIDENTIALITY All personal data about customers and staff has to be kept secure, no data about anyone is to share with anyone unless it complies with the terms of the Data Protection Act. The staff details must be confidential at all times. Staff within the company has just as much right as you in having their detail kept confidential. Staff may sue the company if their personal details are made public to other staff members. The company will lose members of staff or they may go on strike this is a major disturbance to the running of the company. If this is not followed the company would lose many clients over this and potentially lose money though client’s suing us. Too much bad media will result in loss of potential clients which also have a result of money lost which could make the company go bust. You are expected to abide by those rules and regulations under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. For information on the Data Protection Act follow link http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents
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SENSITIVITY When fixing a computer you may come across sensitive information for example future plans for the expansion of the company. Sensitive information should only be stored if a need to do exists for example hard drive failure the information will need to be recovered and stored. Employees of EasyFix should not access or seek access sensitive information without prior authorization Revealing any highly sensitive information about the company including/ not limiting to plans for the future of the company may lead to the result in dismissal.
REPORTING FAULTS Reporting Faults Requests for help are emailed to help desk and standards paragraphs are used in replies to end user to say acknowledgment of the fault has taken place. Logging Faults The emails that come into the department for help will be prioritised and an approximant time for a response will be given in the reply email. These are the ways in which our staff at EasyFix will report faults and the way you as technicians will log the faults. This is the best practice for the company to deal with requests that come into the department quickly and efficiently.
PRIORITISING When prioritising the requests received in the department they will be prioritised to how critical it is to the day to day running of the company. If the fault logged is severe and could cause more damage to the company if not dealt with then that must be prioritised to get it fixed immediately. When was the request made all jobs must be done within 2 days so the department doesn’t get a bad name from other departments in the company. These are ways of prioritising jobs, however the best practice for the company is to how critical it is to the day to day running of the company this will enable us to keep all systems going to prevent major disturbance to the running of the company.
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CONSTRAINTS COST OF RESOURCES The cost of IT equipment is falling over time; however we are still making a large investment into IT equipment. The department responsible for buying the IT equipment will be careful to make the orders they will use the fault log to see if there is a trend in faults with a particular manufacture if there is a bad trend then they will avoid that manufacture. This is why we need to keep fault logs as up to date and accurate to help with the cost of resources.
USER EXPERTISE Users within the company may have more expertise in how a computer works or the programme they are using therefore would not need as much support therefore those who are not sure they will receive the support they need. As technician as part of a IT support team in EasyFix you need to be expert users of the software at our company uses and have a being an expert in maintaining hardware to insure the company runs smoothly.
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Advantages & Disadvantages of Outsourcing IT support has the possibility for it to be outsourced. Instead of having an in-house team looking after the IT equipment and maintenance needs, as an organisation we have chosen to place this service with another organisation, one that specialises in the field of support. The core capability of these companies lies in their technical expertise.
ADVANTAGES Swiftness and Expertise: Most of the times tasks are outsourced to vendors who specialize in their field. The outsourced vendors also have specific equipment and technical expertise, most of the times better than the ones at the outsourcing organization. Effectively the tasks can be completed faster and with better quality output Concentrating on core process rather than the supporting ones: Outsourcing the supporting processes gives the organization more time to strengthen their core business process.
Reduced Operational and Recruitment costs: Outsourcing eludes the need to hire individuals in-house; hence recruitment and operational costs can be minimized to a great extent. This is one of the prime advantages of offshore outsourcing. If our staffs encounter a very efficient support they will be pleased that the support is available efficiently. Access to world-class IT skills, experience and resources Removing non-core business Minimizing sizeable capital expenditure on IT infrastructure
DISADVANTAGES Risk of exposing confidential data: When an organization outsources it’s it support services and the third-party abuses its role then the company has risk of exposing confidential company information to a third-party. Hidden costs: Although outsourcing most of the times is cost-effective at times the hidden costs involved in signing a contract while signing a contract across international boundaries may pose a serious threat. Outsourcing IT support would be loss of jobs if they are no longer required it other departments.
Lack of customer focus: An outsourced vendor may be catering to the expertise-needs of multiple organizations at a time. In such situations vendors may lack complete focus on your organization’s tasks.
A loss of control over a crucial business service A lack of flexibility in the services received Damage to staff morale/culture clashes (between the service provider and customer) The distraction of having to manage the relationship with the service provider 9|Page
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Types of Faults The table below shows some of the categories, faults that can occur in those categories and provides some solutions to the faults. Categories
Loss of Internet Service
Faults Connectivity is Lost Wireless won’t work Interference with strength of signal
Slow to reach saved files Slow boot of computer Poor Performance
Slow at opening applications Slow running of computer
Virus
Error Messages
Random pop-ups Not allowing to enter files on hard drive Computer configurations have changed without my knowledge Access Denied Message File Not Found Message Out of Memory Message Computer Not Reading CD Blank Monitor
Hardware
Software
No sound from Speakers Wrong symbols typed on keyboard Software is difficult to use Program won’t uninstall Program won’t run error message program not installed correctly
Solutions Check cables and router are connected and within appropriate distance. Reset home network Physical obstructions. Move your modem or wireless home networking router to another location Defragmentation of hard drive. Dying internal hardware components. Replace CPU, RAM etc… Limit background programs to only the most essential applications, and remove software that you never use. Install anti-virus software and run it at all times. Install anti-virus software and ad-Aware Corrupted hard drive. Disk clean-up Install AVG Anti-spyware Reset privileges if the user is allowed to access file. Check if you have correctly written the name of the file you are looking for. Closes so programs or install more memory. Reinstall optical drive Check power cable is connected to monitor, check the brightness and contrast of the monitor. Check you have plug in to the correct plug called AUDIO OUT. Change keyboard language. Acquire training from IT Technicians Re-install or repair the program then restart computer then try to uninstall. Uninstall program and reinstall program.
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Recent Advance in Support System Technology INCREASING RELIANCE ON REMOTE SUPPORT Remote support is used by technicians from their office it uses software to remotely monitor, troubleshoot problems on your system, servers and networks. This will improve customer satisfaction as the wont have to pay a call out fee and their computers can be fixing the problem by themselves with the support of the remote technician with the support of the remote support the advantage is that the client can focus more on their business rather than the computer problems. A disadvantage is that if the problem is with a piece of hardware the remote support will not be able to help unless they are at the location. HP provides Remote Support Software that is also already embedded into their PC’s.
DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS THAT HELPS CONSUMERS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT PURCHASES BASED ON FAULT TRENDS Using statistical analysis on a product helps consumers make a decision to buy the product or not using the results of pervious users of that one product. So if a lot of people are getting the same fault right across the product then the company that makes them will look at the analysis and make changes to the product and consumers will look at the analysis and make a decision to buy that product knowing there is a fault with them or not to buy because there is a fault with them and not waste money on the product which would make the consumer happy.
IMPROVED AND SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR REGULAR CUSTOMERS To give regular customers training in the product that a company sales for example a DVD player from PC world they will train and show the customer how it works before they buy so the customer will feel confident that they will know how to set it up when they get home. This makes the customer happy with the service they have received as the will know how to use the product. The disadvantages would be that all products are set up differently and used differently so they would have to have knowledge about every product that they wish to buy which will overload the customer making frustrated with the staff and products that’s why it needs to be specific.
DEVELOPED ONLINE FORUM/FAQS FOR USERS Using online forums and FAQ’s for users of its products provide questions and answers to some of the common faults or ‘How To’ when it comes to it product this will improve customer satisfaction because they can just look up on the forum or FAQ’s page to find out they will no long have to call the company or go into the shop for advice saving time and money an example of a company that uses these is O2 which give a variety of FAQ’s on mobile phones.
OVERSEAS CALL CENTRES (GEOSOURCING) If an organisation can find the expertise needed in a location where labour is cheaper, irrespective of distance, this is called geosourcing. An example of this is when telecommunication links allow call centres to be located in India. Where customer support staff is employed in other countries there can be difficulties in understanding accents. Training is given to overseas call centre staff to get to grips with the language and cultural differences.
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