Sunrise Software’s Weblog

One of the areas I’m most excited about at the moment is seeing service desk principles developed for IT support helping other areas of the business. We’re currently working the Apex Computers, which provides IT infrastructure to some of the UK’s most successful businesses, to enable them to use IT support as a revenue generator and value-add for their customers, ranging from HMV to Debenhams.
 
I read in the FT’s Digital Business supplement last week that the efficient help desk is something of a pipe dream for most organisations, with support staff living up to the IT Crowd parody of answering all queries with ‘turn if off and back on again.’
 
One of the key suggestions in the article for solving this was to outsource the service desk. However, in my opinion this strategy is one doomed from the start.

Regardless of the size of organisation, outsourcing your IT support desk is like expecting your car to work after you’ve taken the engine out. The initial total cost of ownership might seem lower, but CIOs should be taking a longer-term view, and keeping this business-critical function in-house.
 
Some years ago the IT helpdesk function provided basic support to users that could be outsourced more easily. However, the modern IT support desk does so much more – managing workflow and even creating revenue for the business. While there’s a place for outsourcing admin processes, there’s no place for moving such a complex, vital part of the business elsewhere.
 
We’ve all witnessed the effect on productivity when IT fails. As applications become more complex and users become more reliant on them, it’s a short-sighted CIO who believes outsourcing support is a viable option.