The aim of the research, conducted with IT helpdesk staff and managers, was to discover the top three operational issues in the marketplace.
- The greatest issue faced by the IT helpdesk was the use of IT
asset management, polling 52% overall - by far the primary issue.
The need for asset management is tactical in support of the
services being delivered by the helpdesk, and strategic with
regards to procurement planning and cost management.
- Core ITIL disciplines; change management (33%), incident and
problem management (28%) and service level management (27%) scored
highly as secondary issues
- Product requirements for the helpdesk, that previously had been
high on the agenda, management reporting and network and systems
management have lessened in their priority
Gerry Sweeney, Managing Director of Hornbill Systems expands on this research; "These top level findings provide a real and very logical perspective on how UK helpdesk managers are viewing the technology and processes they are using - and the requirements of the organisations they support. It is hardly surprising that IT asset management is top of the research. Currently high on the business agenda is cost containment and optimised asset utilisation, so the need for control of this area will be a constant pressure point for support managers. From an ITIL perspective, there is a strong correlation between the value derived from effectively deploying disciplines across an organisation (such as incident, problem and change management), and good IT asset management. Without structured asset information being available within those disciplines, the time to resolve incidents, problems and expedite change, increases."
Hornbill applauds VCM, the show's organisers, for the work they have done to significantly increase the quality of attendees. "Running exhibitions against today's economic climate can be a risk. Exhibitors look for real return on investment to justify the expense. HITSS is the industry's flagship event for the majority of exhibitors so VCM had to deliver. Hornbill received a balanced cross-section of decision makers and influencers and the proof is in the tenders we now have in process," concluded Sweeney.
