Process Overview
Our processes are documented in great detail, in an 80 page document.
A full diagram of incident and request fulfilment (the two main 'user facing' processes from the best practice library) can be found here
Detailed documentation on each of the processes can be found here.
The overall goal is to enable CERN groups to provide the best possible service to their customers and users. To achieve this goal all departments can rely on a customer-oriented support framework capable of enabling delivery of high-quality services regardless of the type of customer requests and organizational structures. The support framework itself is based on, and supported by unified, documented and well-implemented Service Management processes. These processes allow (continuous improving) effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery whilst maintaining service quality.
At the introduction of the Service Management framework in February 2011 our scope covered the Incident Management and Request Fulfilment processes; shortly followed by Knowledge Management.
In 2012 we rolled out a first verion of Change Management; early 2013 we added Complaint Management. Problem Management is currently being rolled out, and other processes are on our plans for the future.
As a result of the unification and optimization of processes the following benefits were realized:
- Increased effectiveness and efficiency
- Identified and avoided redundancies
- Increased user & customer satisfaction
- Increased transparency and standardization in service provision
- Potential for growth & scalability
All processes were developed using a workshop-type approach to ensure stakeholder involvement from the very beginning. During several workshops which were hosted by an experienced consultant consistent and unified processes were designed and documented in a standardized manner.
This approach was chosen to ensure a positive attitude towards the new processes and at the same ensure established particularities can be retained as far as possible.
The Incident Management process was designed to fulfill the overall goal of fastest possible handling of all Incidents reported by users and customers. Another central objective of the chosen Incident Management process design is to ensure a unified, standardized and repeatable handling of all issues regardless of specific customer and user requirements and structures.
Incident Management is complemented by a dedicated Request Fulfillment process to ensure the consistent and standardized handling of all non-Incident type of requests. From a user point of view Request Fulfillment provides a single central interface and channel through which Service Requests can be submitted. From an organizational point of view Request Fulfillment serves to consolidate, unify and combine existing request channels and link them with existing evaluation, approval, implementation and review tools in place as far as possible.
Both processes are accompanied by respective quality assurance measures which enable processes to be adapted to changing conditions and requirements. To that respect particular emphasis was placed on the continuous tracking of open/unresolved requests to ensure both the resolution and fulfillment of all requests as well as the continuous feedback of information to the requesters.
The process documentation also contains tool descriptions and requirements as well as descriptions of roles required for implementation and operation.