Loyola University Chicago

Purpose

This document is a guide for Loyola University Chicago members to better understand the support services provided by the Technology Support Center (TSC). Creating these policies and channeling requests for assistance through the TSC, will assist the Information Technology Services (ITS) department in providing enhanced service, developing appropriate software training needs, and assessing the suitable level of staff needed to handle the volume of requests.

The Technology Support Center receives client’s technology requests, logs and tracks those requests, and determines the best response necessary to fulfill the requests. One of the top priorities of the TSC is to ensure a consistent response to service requests, status reporting, and notification of changes related to the information technology environment at Loyola University Chicago.

The Technology Support Center acts as a central point of contact for all technical support, including hardware and software questions and consulting, installations, networking, network connection requests, and troubleshooting. Faculty and staff may submit requests online, by sending e-mail to helpdesk@luc.edu, or by calling 773-508-7190 (on campus, dial x87190).

Hours of Operation The TSC is available between the hours of 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM, Monday through Friday, except when the University is closed due to holidays, administrative closings, or inclement weather.

The Technology Support Center utilizes a HEAT Call Logging application to document requests received from clients. The deployment and utilization of this application assists in streamlining the many complex processes required to support our clients.

This is a web-based front-end application to the Heat Call Logging application engine. It provides the capability for any LUC client to request service through the TSC without having to call or email. An analyst will access, review, update, reassign if necessary, or close service tickets from their office or any other customer location via the web.

Clients, who request assistance directly into the application from their desktop, can check the status of an open request ticket as well as the end result by viewing the close description entered by the service technician.

• The Technology Support Center is expected to provide basic problem resolution according to the complexity of the problem, and their experience with the specific problem – the more calls the Technology Support Center can resolve on first contact, the better.

• Completing HEAT Call Logging ticket information as completely and as accurately as possible to capture all client contact and location information as well as the client’s request.

• Ensuring that Technology Support Center Analysts are adequately trained in the technologies and applications used to conduct university business, and clients designated as VIPs (i.e. President’s Office) are provided support ASAP. This is a shared responsibility with internal ITS Service Providers.

• Providing management reporting capabilities from the TSC to assist technicians in gathering and analyzing the necessary information to effectively manage requests assigned to their groups, respectively.

1) Priority 1

Emergency Level

Issue of the highest importance—mission-critical systems with a direct impact on the organization (Examples: widespread network outage, payroll system, sales system, telecom system, multiple users, etc.).

2) Priority 2

Urgent

Single user or group outage that is preventing the affected user(s) from working

(Examples: failed hard drive, broken monitor, continuous OS lockups, etc.).

3) Priority 3

Standard

Single user or group outage that can be permanently or temporarily solved with a workaround

(Examples: malfunctioning printer, PDA synchronization problem, PC sound problem, etc.).

4) Priority 4

Scheduled

Scheduled work

(Examples: new workstation installation, new equipment/software order, new hardware/software installation).

5) Priority 5

Request

Nonessential scheduled work (Examples: office moves, telephone moves, equipment loaners, scheduled events).

Every department within the division has some responsibility for request management. The Technology Support Center provides assistance with priority level 1 and occasionally priority level 2 support requests. While the TSC strives to resolve as many problems as possible, it may be necessary for departments’ within the division to assist the TSC in resolving problems concerning specific areas of technology (Information Security, Network Services, etc.).

Current information technology service providers that utilize the Technology Support Center Call Logging application to retrieve client requests are considered Internal Technology Service Providers:

Blackboard/Opinio/Statistical Computing – provides support for the Blackboard application, client requests for assistance with survey creation, and statistical analysis.

Desktop Services – provides support for PCs, hardware and software systems, and other related peripherals.

Digital Media Lab – provides the LUC community with access to multimedia equipment and software as well as a quiet area for audio recording.

Media Services – provide audio visual support for electronic classrooms as well as video conferencing services between campuses.

Network Services – provides support for the WAN and certain LANs throughout the campus.

LOCUS – provides LOCUS application support.

LUC Web Application – provides webmaster support for all LUC department web pages.

System Maintenance – provides server and email support, and other related peripherals.

Information Security – provides network security support for the entire LUC network.

Service Technicians are expected to utilize the HEAT Call Logging application appropriately and to ensure all requests are handled in a consistent, repeatable, and predictable manner. The following actions are a must if an ITS technician is to be successful fulfilling their professional responsibilities:

• Acknowledging a service request assigned by the Technology Support Center technician.

• Completing log and/or journal entries regarding the status of a ticket.

• A Technology Support Center technician should contact the second level technician via phone or IM , whenever possible, and stay on the line with both the technician and the client as a learning technique in an attempt to resolve a call on first contact.

• Completing the HEAT Call Logging ticket journal upon completion of the request to reflect a complete resolution – this provides a knowledge base of information that can be utilized by all service providers and Technology Support Center technicians.

• Providing the Technology Support Center with technical information and problem solving techniques, when requested. When the Technology Support Center continuously receives requests on certain issues, they may request that additional training, FAQs, information websites, and/or documentation be developed or updated to reflect the solutions to the types of calls being received.

• Assisting the Technology Support Center Manager to resolve escalated problems. The Technology Support Center Manager is responsible for assessing the criticality of a given situation or user and appropriately escalating any special situation to an internal service provider. The Technology Support Center Manager should exercise discretion in the escalation of any situation – but should expect that the appropriate technician will follow through with any escalated tickets. This will frequently involve upset customers, VIP customers, or critical infrastructure and application failures that may cause a high volume of request tickets.

• Forming emergency response teams to correct large/wide scale IT problems: Malicious attacks, worms, viruses, spyware, malware, etc.

• Notating any network configuration changes made in the service request for a particular call. Information concerning theses changes must be shared with all technicians and affected customers.

Information Technology Services Customer

The Information Technology Services Department provides service to the entire Loyola University Chicago campus. The following is a brief description of each customer. Culturally, it is important to understand the type of customers that exist in order to provide proper support.

• VIP/Executive Clients - Have been assigned to a technician and they have been identified accordingly in the Heat Call Logging Application.

The Information Technology customers are expected to understand and follow the service request process so that all Information Technology resources may be appropriately allocated and request resolutions can be reached expeditiously.

• Read and follow information FAQs, website information, and other support processes when available prior to calling the Technology Support Center or ITS technicians.

• Provide the Technology Support Center with all information requested so that the problem can be logged into the HEAT Call Logging system, triaged, and routed appropriately without repeated calls to the client to gather problem details.

This document will change over time as circumstances warrant and therefore it is a work in progress. The document was prepared by the Technology Support Center. Please contact the Manager, Katy Holiday, at kholida@luc.edu regarding any questions or comments you may have.