Siemens enjoys the power of service with Numara FootPrints

CASE STUDY Siemens enjoys the power of service with Numara FootPrints We really like FootPrints, For Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PT&D) and the biggest draw centrally managing IT support for nearly 1,000 employees across five geographically-dispersed divisions is a challenge was its web-based in itself. Add-in initiatives for installing a Citrix environment, architecture. We always rolling out Microsoft Office 2003, upgrading to Microsoft saw our help desk to Exchange 2003, and replacing its current ERP system be on the web so users with SAP, and it becomes clear that IT support needs to be extremely responsive and efficient. can go online from any location to fill out and David Inman, Manager of Information Technology, is submit their tickets. responsible for the IT help desk at Siemens PT&D. When he joined the company IT was using the Remedy IT Service Management Suite and had gone through one upgrade cycle. He explained that when employees have an IT problem such as a malfunctioning computer, or if they simply forgot a password, “After evaluating the IT infrastructure at Siemens, we they can submit their support requests via email, the web, or determined that Remedy was too expensive to maintain phone. in-house. And, we didn’t have the manpower required to manage and input changes - we are simply too busy. If they call in a request, agents have FootPrints open at all We were further constrained by limited budget for times. According to Inman, “Quick tickets make it so easy for consulting, support, and maintenance.” our agents. For example, password resets can be done by just clicking on a ticket and FootPrints automatically fills in the Siemens PT&D opted out of its Remedy maintenance required information. The agent only has to enter the customer contract and sought new support automation solutions. identifier such as an email address or an employee’s last During initial research Inman came across Numara name.” Software’s FootPrints. Extensive tests were run on the solution. “We loaded Email Support and Issue Management the solution, tested it on the back- and front-end (for the Within FootPrints agent) and entered sample tickets to replicate day-today IT When an employee submits anything via email it is immediately support issues.” FootPrints’ reporting capabilities were also assigned a “request” status within FootPrints. Requests are scrutinised. assigned to agents, and the user receives a confirmation email. Once the agent begins working on the ticket, it is designated The Choice “work-in-progress,”. If more information is required from the “We really like FootPrints, and the biggest draw was its user, the agent can enter information in the ticket and forward web-based architecture,” Inman said. “We always saw our it into a “customer-pending” queue. An email is sent back to help desk to be on the web so users can go online from any the employee stating, “This is the status of your ticket and to location to fill out and submit their tickets.” proceed we need additional information. Could you please reply to this email with this information.” Once the decision was made, Inman assembled a five-person team for a planning session to discuss what they liked about When returned to the help desk, the ticket moves to “customer- the old system and how to do more with the new FootPrints responded” status, and the agent knows the customer has system. From there, they developed all the menus, mapped responded. Once the problem is fixed, the ticket is considered data sources within the system, and finalised the layout. “closed” with information indicating the employee has agreed that the issue is resolved. When closed, FootPrints sends a After going live Siemens PT&D initially duplicated tickets in final email to the user. If the ticket was closed in error, the both Remedy and FootPrints. After a successful three-day user is instructed in the email message to please contact the period the entire support automation function was switched to technical support centre to either open another case, or have FootPrints. the case re-opened. The Solution Siemens PT&D uses FootPrints to provide IT support, including PC and network support to 1,000 employees across five divisions. When asked what type of employees FootPrints supports, Inman says, “It can be anybody from senior executives, to blue or white-collared employees.” Tel: 0800 195 2373 Email: info@numarasoftware.co.uk www.numarasoftware.co.uk Business Rule Automation “We have also set specific times that a ticket can stay in a A small selection of organisations that certain status,” Inman said. “If a ticket goes un-edited for seven days, then we receive a pop-up message alerting us of depend on Numara Software help desk the delay. That happens for up to four weeks. Then the ticket and service desk solutions turns red and triggers a screen-pop reminder that appears on agents’ computer screens. 3M A.C. Nielsen Hewlett-Packard Abbott Laboratories Hilton Hotels When I review the list, I know that a ticket has been open for Ameritech Honda-Netherlands too long.’ ‘Our goal is to set business rules for closing tickets. AT&T IBM For instance, if a ticket needs input by a customer who Bacardi Lloyd’s Bank hasn’t responded for more than three days, it sends another Cartier Loughborough College message to the user saying ‘please update this ticket’.” Charles Schwab Lucent Technologies Chase Manhattan Bank Mercedes-Benz Self-Service Online Chester City Council Mitsubishi Motors To further assist employees, Siemens PT&D has also set up Chrysler Motorola a self-service site through FootPrints. FootPrints eService Chubb Nabisco gives employees access to frequently asked IT questions and Cisco Systems NHS Tayside a growing knowledge base. Deloitte & Touche Nikon DHL Airways Pfizer Pharmaceuticals If this content does not provide the answers sought, the site Discovery Channel Pirelli directs employees to submit a trouble ticket or view their open Dr. Pepper PricewaterhouseCoopers and closed tickets. The company has even set up kiosks so E.I. Dupont Quaker Oats employees can use the web to submit a ticket. This is done EDS Reebok in case employees cannot connect at their desktop or if they FedEx Rolls-Royce do not have dedicated PC’s.