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Quality Management for IT Support Services - a Case Study of an IT Helpdesk Service Quality Management for IT Support Services - A case study of an IT helpdesk service Master of Science Thesis in the Master Degree Programme, Quality and Operations Management JOHANNA IVARSSON Department of Technology Management and Economics Division of Quality Sciences CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Gothenburg, Sweden 2013 Report No. E2013:080 REPORT NO. E2013:080 QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR IT SUPPORT SERVICES A CASE STUDY OF AN IT HELPDESK SERVICE JOHANNA IVARSSON Department of Technology Management and Economics Chalmers University of Technology Göteborg, Sweden QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR IT SUPPORT SERVICES A CASE STUDY OF AN IT HELPDESK SERVICE JOHANNA IVARSSON © Ivarsson, J. 2013 Report no. E2013:080 Department of Technology Management and Economics Division of Quality Sciences Chalmers University of Technology SE-412 96 Göteborg Sweden Telephone: + 46 (0)31-772 1000 Printed by Chalmers Reproservice Göteborg, Sweden 2013 Abstract IT services are a necessary support for most business processes; therefore the quality of IT support services is a topic of high importance. The aim of this study was to analyse how an IT helpdesk service can be improved in order to align with the organisation’s expectations. The study was conducted as a case study of an IT helpdesk service during spring 2013. The data collection combined a quantitative analysis of event logs data for a two-year period, with a qualitative approach conducting observations and ten interviews. The result showed that the quality issues arose from two main areas; resolution time of requests and professionalism of IT staff. The quality issues are, according to both the quantitative and qualitative analysis, caused by high workload for one of the IT department’s teams and high expectations of the organisation. Furthermore, this study emphasises that alignment between IT department and organisation is an issue of both sides, as alignment concerns mutual understanding and communication. To solve the service quality issues this study recommends starting to work with measurability and continuous improvements, for example Lean Six Sigma. The IT department can strive to increase the interdepartmental communication, share work tasks, educate internally, document competences and clarify responsibilities to decrease the workload. Keywords: IT and Business Alignment, Quality Management, IT Service Management, IT Helpdesk Service, IT Support Services Acknowledgements This study was conducted as a Master’s Thesis at the program Industrial Engineering and Management at Chalmers University of Technology. “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius I will take the opportunity to thank persons that supported the project and kindly have shared their wisdom. First, I would like to thank my supervisor at Quality Sciences, Hendry Raharjo, for great advice, valuable support and good comments. Furthermore, I want to thank the case study company for their involvement, particularly the interviewees for giving their voices and thoughts to the study. The company supervisors have added new perspectives to the study, thank you Mikael Borgman, Jörgen Thornström and Svante Johansson. I want to thank the opponents Ludvig Bengtsson and Jonas Ericsson Knap for their thoughtful comments. Finally, I want to mention Sofie Warholm, Gabriella Ivarsson and Carl Persson since your advice, proof reading and encouragements have been very important during the semester. Table of Contents 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Purpose ........................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Research questions ...................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Delimitations ............................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Disposition ................................................................................................................... 2 1.6 Terms and terminologies ............................................................................................. 3 2 Literature review ................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Quality management and IT ........................................................................................ 4 2.2 IT support processes .................................................................................................... 5 2.2.1 An introduction to IT Service Management ......................................................... 5 2.2.2 IT Infrastructure Library ...................................................................................... 6 2.2.3 Critical success factors for implementing IT Service Management..................... 6 2.2.4 Service level management .................................................................................... 7 2.2.5 An IT helpdesk service in IT Service Management ............................................. 7 2.3 Customer focus in IT support services ........................................................................ 8 2.3.1 Understand user satisfaction ................................................................................. 9 2.3.2 Understand business requirements ....................................................................... 9 2.4 Alignment between IT services and the organisation’s expectations ........................ 10 2.4.1 Top management commitment to strategic IT alignment .................................. 10 2.4.2 Alignment between IT services and users’ expectations.................................... 11 2.5 Continuous improvements in IT Service Management ............................................. 11 2.5.1 Improving IT processes with Lean Six Sigma ................................................... 12 2.5.2 Combining Lean and IT Service Management .................................................. 12 2.5.3 Combining Six Sigma and IT Service Management .......................................... 13 2.5.4 Measurement in IT services ............................................................................... 14 3 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Research strategy ....................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Research design ......................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Data collection ........................................................................................................... 15 3.3.1 Literature review ................................................................................................ 16 3.3.2 Interviews ........................................................................................................... 16 3.3.3 Observations ....................................................................................................... 17 3.3.4 Value stream mapping ........................................................................................ 17 3.3.5 Internal documents ............................................................................................. 18 3.3.6 Event logs ........................................................................................................... 18 3.4 Trustworthiness ......................................................................................................... 18 3.5 Ethical issues ............................................................................................................. 19 4 Context description of the IT department ......................................................................... 20 4.1 The IT department’s organisational structure ............................................................ 20 4.2 The stakeholders of the IT helpdesk service ............................................................. 21 4.3 The IT helpdesk’s process ......................................................................................... 22 5 Results and analysis .......................................................................................................... 24 5.1 Pre-study .................................................................................................................... 24 5.2 Results and analysis of quantitative data analysis of event logs data ........................ 25 5.2.1 Distribution of request over time........................................................................ 25 5.2.2 Distribution of requests according to team ........................................................ 25 5.2.3 Distribution of resolution times .......................................................................... 27 5.2.4 Distribution of requests according to office and country ................................... 31 5.2.5 Missing data patterns .......................................................................................... 33 5.3 Results and analysis of qualitative interviews and
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