From the Pit to the Pinnacle:From the Pit to the Pinnacle:Transformation of Help Desk Services at Transformation of Help Desk Services at

Rutgers UniversityRutgers University

Copyrights; Frank Reda, Mary Ann Chianelli, John Fulton 2005. This work is the Copyrights; Frank Reda, Mary Ann Chianelli, John Fulton 2005. This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be

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Your sherpas for the day:

• Frank J. Reda Frank J. Reda Director, OITDirector, OIT• Mary Ann ChianelliMary Ann Chianelli Associate Director, Associate Director,

OITOIT• John Fulton John Fulton Team Leader, OITTeam Leader, OIT

We begin our ascent…

Your guide to the first 7,000 feet:Your guide to the first 7,000 feet:Frank J. RedaFrank J. Reda

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

• 3 locations, 7 campuses3 locations, 7 campuses• 50,552 students – 50,552 students –

– 38,590 FT 38,590 FT – 11,962 PT11,962 PT

• 14,972 beds14,972 beds• 8,800 faculty/staff8,800 faculty/staff• 29 degree granting units29 degree granting units

Help Desk Problems…

• A no confidence vote from the user A no confidence vote from the user communitycommunity

• Lack of use – extremely low usage Lack of use – extremely low usage statistics statistics

• Two phone lines – long wait timesTwo phone lines – long wait times• No problem tracking systemNo problem tracking system

• Poor interdivisional communicationsPoor interdivisional communications • Low morale among Help Desk staffLow morale among Help Desk staff

How did we get here?

• Consistent lack of resourcesConsistent lack of resources• Absence of management focusAbsence of management focus• Several reorganizations resulting in Several reorganizations resulting in

blurred vision blurred vision • Resistance to changeResistance to change• Slow to recognize changing user profile Slow to recognize changing user profile

and adaptand adapt

Survey Says….

• A new VP surveys the user communityA new VP surveys the user community• Results prompt immediate push to address Results prompt immediate push to address

the problemthe problem• Internal discussions begin to formulate Internal discussions begin to formulate

options/research best practicesoptions/research best practices• A plan surfaces that proposes a radical A plan surfaces that proposes a radical

change in structurechange in structure

The Plan Called For…• Unified Help Desk with consistent Unified Help Desk with consistent

practices across all campuses.practices across all campuses.• Student workers with full time staff Student workers with full time staff

supervisorssupervisors• A program for hiring and training student A program for hiring and training student

workers workers • An automated trouble ticket system An automated trouble ticket system • Improved communication processesImproved communication processes

And now we continue our climb…

Your guide to the next 7,000 feet:Your guide to the next 7,000 feet:Mary Ann ChianelliMary Ann Chianelli

Implementation

• New manager hired with experience in New manager hired with experience in student run help desksstudent run help desks

• Hiring/Training program establishedHiring/Training program established• New phone system purchasedNew phone system purchased• Open source ticket system in productionOpen source ticket system in production• Regularly scheduled meetings with key Regularly scheduled meetings with key

divisions – eventually develop SLAsdivisions – eventually develop SLAs

And then came….• Responsibility for ResNet, the residential Responsibility for ResNet, the residential

network:network:– 445 network devices– 72 buildings– 62 networks

• 14,972 beds14,972 beds• Immediate impact on the Help Desk Immediate impact on the Help Desk

operationoperation• Many factors in common…student Many factors in common…student

workers, same customer base/problemsworkers, same customer base/problems

The Ticket System

• The initial open source choice while The initial open source choice while providing improvement, fell shortproviding improvement, fell short

• A decision was made to rewrite it in-house A decision was made to rewrite it in-house using PHP/MySQL and customize using PHP/MySQL and customize functionalityfunctionality

• The result was called HDRT, which has The result was called HDRT, which has evolved into the open source version, evolved into the open source version, ruQueueruQueue

Core Features

• Track all user interactionsTrack all user interactions• Provides identification through LDAPProvides identification through LDAP• Assigns a unique ticket number for each Assigns a unique ticket number for each

contactcontact• Allows categorization of problems/issuesAllows categorization of problems/issues• Interactive monitoringInteractive monitoring

Core Features (continued)

• Accountability (overdue / supervisor email)Accountability (overdue / supervisor email)• Scheduling of service visitsScheduling of service visits• Automatic user satisfaction surveysAutomatic user satisfaction surveys• Real-time query capability, reporting and Real-time query capability, reporting and

chartingcharting

Evolution

• Two initial developers, one clientTwo initial developers, one client• Increased complexity with ResNetIncreased complexity with ResNet• Additional developers within programming Additional developers within programming

group addedgroup added• Increase in number of internal, OIT Increase in number of internal, OIT

divisions utilizing systemdivisions utilizing system• P/T programmer hired by client to work P/T programmer hired by client to work

with groupwith group

Features of Rutgers Implementation

• Tied to RU LDAPTied to RU LDAP• API tie-in to other applicationsAPI tie-in to other applications

– ResNet Registration System– ruCompliant– User responses via email incorporated into

tickets

• Customizable survey capabilityCustomizable survey capability• Appointment scheduling with payroll tie-inAppointment scheduling with payroll tie-in• Can be used as a “knowledge base”Can be used as a “knowledge base”

Success->Interest->Open Source

• People were taking note of the successPeople were taking note of the success

• External departments expressed interestExternal departments expressed interest

• Multiple requests for additional Multiple requests for additional functionalityfunctionality

• Going open source would provide growth Going open source would provide growth solutions and a resource for the larger solutions and a resource for the larger higher ed communityhigher ed community

Check your oxygen masks…

Taking us to 21,000 feet:Taking us to 21,000 feet:

John FultonJohn Fulton

ruQueue Demo

John FultonJohn Fulton

ruQueue Flowchart

Demo: Creating Tickets

• LDAP Lookup of userLDAP Lookup of user• View Past Tickets of userView Past Tickets of user• Create Ticket for userCreate Ticket for user• Categorize Problem in QueueCategorize Problem in Queue• Ticket Creation Email Sent to userTicket Creation Email Sent to user• Resolve TicketResolve Ticket• Resolution Email Sent to userResolution Email Sent to user

Resolution Email

Survey

Survey Feedback View

Trends In Data

Activity by Queue

And now…

On to the pinnacle:On to the pinnacle:

Frank J. RedaFrank J. Reda

The Proof is in the Pudding…

• Help Desk statsHelp Desk stats• Survey feedbackSurvey feedback• ResNet schedulingResNet scheduling• Open source offers Open source offers

– greater flexibility– easier customization

• Ability to tie in other service/support systemsAbility to tie in other service/support systems– ruCompliant– ResNetReg

• Management oversight of volume / quality Management oversight of volume / quality datadata

• Interest in implementations at other Interest in implementations at other institutionsinstitutions

What we Learned• Well managed student run operations can be successful Well managed student run operations can be successful

and provide quality customer service - and provide quality customer service - If:If:– You dedicate the necessary management resources– You enable the staff with the right tools

• The importance of problem tracking and communication to The importance of problem tracking and communication to customer satisfaction levelscustomer satisfaction levels– Very little falls through the cracks – No more “Dear Mr. President” letters

• Working collaboratively with similar service groups is Working collaboratively with similar service groups is efficient and cost effectiveefficient and cost effective

• Open source applications developed in-house provide the Open source applications developed in-house provide the flexibility to be immediately responsive to needs flexibility to be immediately responsive to needs

Get your red-hot CD!

• The ruQueue demo CD contains:The ruQueue demo CD contains:– A self contained version of ruQueue for

demo / evaluation of the system.• Place in any CD drive and reboot from the

CD.• Will not affect anything on the computer’s

hard drive

• Full source code available at: Full source code available at: http://ruQueue.rutgers.eduhttp://ruQueue.rutgers.edu

Contact Information

• Frank RedaFrank Reda– reda@rutgers.edu

• Mary Ann ChianelliMary Ann Chianelli– mac@rutgers.edu

• John FultonJohn Fulton– jfulton@rutgers.edu

• ruQueueruQueue– http://ruQueue.rutgers.edu

Questions?