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Tough Times Are Failing To Hit Investment In Training Halfords Drives IT
A new survey carried out by the It is clear that the recession has budgets have not been hacked Service Improvements
Institute of Directors (IoD) reveals had an impact both on the type of back. Compared to the last Halfords, the car accessories
that, despite the recession, training businesses are prioritising, recession there is a feeling that, and leisure market retailer,
training has been maintained and how they are delivering it. in the words of one director, there has implemented Hornbill’s
or even increased in eight out of Many organisations are adapting is “a defi nite difference this time,” Supportworks service
10 organisations during the six creatively to balance their focus on said director general of the IoD, management software to
months to May 2009. And nearly skills against the requirement for Miles Templeman. support more than 10,000
nine out of 10 directors said that improved effi ciency. Almost half Chris Humphries, chief staff users and millions of retail
their business planned at least to are focusing more on ‘essential’ executive of the UK Commission customers. The IT service desk
maintain investment in training training – short courses designed for Employment and Skills, uses Supportworks to log all
during the next six months. to meet immediate business needs which is working with the IoD to calls from staff using its IT, point
Rather than slashing training – for example, customer service stimulate business commitment of sale till and telecoms systems
in an attempt to cut costs, the training – rather than ‘investment’ to training, added: “Training across all 467 stores. A second,
survey reveals the majority training addressing longer-term confers many benefi ts, including external-facing customer
of employers are more likely strategic aims, such as degrees and boosting staff morale, increasing service desk uses Supportworks
to cut other expenditure fi rst, professional qualifi cations. productivity and improving to manage all customer service
with the biggest casualties Directors also reported customer satisfaction. My calls on products and services.
being business hospitality, examples of organisations actively message to all employers is: “We wanted a single service
entertainment and events. seeking opportunities in the try to use this time to invest in platform that we knew could
Respondents identifi ed the recession, and taking advantage the skills of your people, to build support not just our IT service
principal benefi ts of investing in of reduced demand by using the your capacity and business plan desk, but also our customer
training as: improved staff morale time for training. so that the minute post-recession services team,” said Nik
(76%); improved productivity and/ “These results show the opportunities or ‘green shoots’ Thompson, IT service desk
or profi tability (74%); improved fundamental importance of appear, you are ready to make the manager at Halfords.
customer satisfaction (69%); and skills and training. Even under most of them.” Halfords uses the reports
improved staff retention (62%). considerable pressure, training built into Supportworks to
provide call data information to
Simulations Set To Help Healthcare IT manage and prioritise workload
A new IT service management responsibility that is often not and resources across the team.
simulation, Polestar Health, has fully appreciated by the clinician The data from the reports
been created specifi cally for the and wider community,” said has enabled the team to act
healthcare sector-leading global Mark Sutherland, CEO at G2G3. proactively on issues and trends
providers of immersive business “Pressure to perform combined it has identifi ed and reduce calls
and technology simulations, G2G3. with the dramatic consequences as a result.
As the healthcare sector IT issues can create, leads to a Gerry Sweeney, CEO of
becomes increasingly dependent need for improved effectiveness Hornbill Systems, commented:
upon IT, its technology providers around people, process and “For large retailers like
fi nd themselves under signifi cant technology. The Polestar Health Halfords it is vital that business
pressure to meet aggressive simulation does this by creating operations run effi ciently –
targets, contribute to improved a springboard to success around (ITIL) best practices. The simulation failure of IT systems can have
patient care, and address market ITSM and ITIL best practices, leads participants to build their a huge impact on customer
and regulatory issues, often with whilst creating universal knowledge of ITIL and service service delivery, both in store
reduced fi nancial and human realisation around the complex management, then collaborate and and post sales. Supportworks
resources. In addition, despite interrelationships between IT and apply these learning outcomes to provides a single technology
technology now being the critical quality patient care.” implement practical improvements platform that can be used
enabler of quality patient care for Polestar Health uses a powerful that resolve the challenges being across the business functions
clinicians, there remains a lack high-technology healthcare encountered, and ultimately drive to manage and deliver service
of understanding around the scenario to bring these challenges improved clinical and clinician support. It is a management
importance of IT to the patient care to life, while demonstrating how productivity. tool that enables both the IT
value chain. centralised IT functions can It will also be available in a and customer service team
“Today’s IT organisations improve quality and effi ciency special NHS edition, to directly to effectively capture, log and
within the healthcare sector through the implementation of address the challenges being faced respond to queries effi ciently.”
are shouldering signifi cant ITSM and IT Infrastructure Library by the UK health service.
august.september | 2009 SupportWorld
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