There are two main things in a good IT company that delivers great services or products, or even both. Standard processes and continuity are the two main factors for success.
OK, let’s say you have some processes within the company. Does every employee acknowledge that process from to start? There are great doubts, aren’t they? To remove a miscommunication option, we have to formalize and standardize the processes.
1: Describe the Process as a Document
A great way to help standardize those processes is to document and describe what the said process is doing. Think about it this way: what’s a process really? Simply put, a process is a recipe. When following a recipe for a cake for example, you don’t do the steps backwards, you don’t guess what quantities of flour, sugar or butter are, and you certainly don’t change the ingredients, because if you do, you’ll probably get a pretty bad cake, or at the very least, not the cake you wanted. So describe your processes like you would write a recipe. With simple, concise steps, to be done in a specific order and leaving no room for improvisation. 4 – Take notes for every ticket resolved This is a vital thing to do, especially if you’re using a complete Helpdesk or Service Desk tool.
You can’t simply resolve a problem without explaining how you did it in IT nowadays. What if you’re not here next month and the same problem occurs, paralyzing the whole network in your business? It could have serious consequences for your business that could’ve been avoided with about 3 or 4 lines of resolution notes in your knowledge base. So try to make it a habit (or a part of your process standardization, see where I’m going with this?) in your business to document every known issue that has been solved. It will probably save you and your team a whole lot of trouble down the road.
2: Always keep improving
This may be the most important advice listed here. After all is said and done, with your brand new, well –described processes and a solid knowledge-base, you must make sure that everything is up to date. Could your processes be more efficient? Are your solutions in your knowledge base still valid? What are the new trends and technologies in the market that could help you do better? You must be able to answer those questions, because having the ability to adapt and improve is crucial for a business.
3: Think as a Customer
try to put yourself in the position or mindset of the end-user to help you understand what he may need, or what his issues are. This is sometimes not easy to do when you’re the person behind the tool your end-users are using, but it is a healthy exercise and one you should apply in our fifth advice above. Knowing what makes your end-users tick can help you identify where you need to improve.