The latest technologyTo optimize the Incident management process and to ensure that processing incidents is made even more efficient, the TOPdesk framework, Mango, has been implemented in TOPdesk, step by step. This new technology was first used to optimize the Supporting files module; now, Mango has also been used to rewrite Incident management. Consequently, a number of things have changed with regard to the way you use this module. For instance, you can now edit the Incident card directly, instead of having to click on the ‘Edit’ icon first.

Request and Action fieldsThe Request and Action fields in version 4.2 have been improved. Henceforth, you can now enter text in the uppermost section. TOPdesk will then display this text in the block underneath. In the bottom block you will be able to click on hyperlinks such as web addresses and links to other cards in TOPdesk, just like you are used

to. The date/time stamp will appear automatically in the updated Request and Action fields. The objective of this new arrangement of memo fields is to improve the speed and efficiency of dealing with new information, enabling operators to resolve incidents easily and in less time. This also gives you the option to email, for instance, only the last action to your clients.

StatusYou now have the option to link the status to processing actions in TOPdesk. This means that when you set the status to ‘Finished’, TOPdesk will close the incident automatically, while selecting the status ‘Waiting for client info’ will effectively put the incident on hold. Ultimately, registering incidents in TOPdesk will be made more efficient and detailed. What is more, the consistency of any reports you run will improve considerably.

Many TOPdesk clients consider Incident management to be the most vital process

for their organization – all the more important to ensure that the configuration

of this module is as efficient as possible. TOPdesk 4.2 offers you countless new

features to help you to handle incidents quicker and more securely as well as run

reports that are even more consistent. Below is a rundown of the benefits.

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TEXT: MIKE DE RUITER

Incident ManagementTOPdesk 4.2

Up close(Call Management)

The new Request and Action fields in TOPdesk 4.2

On holdOn some occasions, processing incidents within the time agreed is simply out of your service desk’s control. Perhaps one of your service desk employees is waiting to receive additional information from a client, for instance. Naturally, you would prefer these incidents not to be included as ‘breached’ in reports, because the cause is external. To fix this, TOPdesk 4.2 now includes an ‘On hold’ functionality for those clients who also use Contract Management and the SLM module. This feature offers you the option to pause the duration of an incident. As soon as you deactivate the ‘On hold’ function, the target date will be recalculated. This ensures that operators do not lose any resolution time when handling incidents, giving you a more realistic image of your service desk’s performance.

Priority and urgencyIn the past, a number of TOPdesk clients have requested Priority and Urgency fields to be included on the Incident card. TOPdesk Enterprise 4.2 now features both these fields. Consequently, because TOPdesk automatically fills in the priority of incidents, handling incidents becomes more manageable. TOPdesk includes a priority matrix, in which you can set up the appropriate priority based on the impact and urgency. The priority then determines the duration of an incident, meaning that your service desk employees will no longer need to determine the priority of incidents themselves.

But that’s not all...In TOPdesk 4.2, a number of functionalities have been updated to improve the Incident management process. To name just a few:

• Renewed Caller block• Authorization for closing incidents

(only available in TOPdesk Enterprise)

• Separate Operator group field (only available in TOPdesk Enterprise)

• Quicker registration of Time Taken• Improved method of working with

SLAs

For a complete list of all the new improvements and added features and functionalities in TOPdesk 4.2, please download the Release notes from the TOPdesk Extranet.

TOPDESK 4.2 UP CLOSE 15

Automatic prioritizing of incidents

Mike de Ruiter is a Consultant at TOPdesk. He collects information, feedback, and tips and tricks concerning the Incident management for the Consultancy department.

The latest version of TOPdesk, the 4.2, was recently released. This

version offers you a whole host of new and improved modules

and functionalities, including an updated version of the Long-

term Planning module, Visitor Registration for the Self Service

Desk, the CTI link and an enhanced version of the Search system.

But that’s not all. To give you an idea of all the options that this

latest version of TOPdesk has to offer, we have outlined below the

new functionalities of two particularly popular TOPdesk modules:

Incident Management and Reservations Management.

4.2

Reservations operator The reservations operator is the backbone of the reservation process and is responsible for reserving suitable locations and making sure that the reserved services on the to-do list are assigned to the correct service operator. TOPdesk Enterprise 4.2 allows you to set up a block time for each service before or after a reservation. Using block times can be useful when, for example, the arrangement of materials within a meeting room has to be changed before the meeting. This means that when you set up a block time of 30 minutes in the ‘Adjust arrangement’ service, no other person is able to reserve the meeting room during this time; the reservations operator then no longer has to take this into account.

From now on, it is possible to set up a default service operator for each service, which means that the reservations operator no longer has to find out who is responsible for the service. When a service is linked to an operator, the reserved service is automatically added to the to-do list of the correct service operator. You can set up the default service operator on the Service card.

You can also set up a default service for each facility (location or object), which means the default service is always suggested when reserving a facility. The service is then automatically linked to the facility, and the reservations operator no longer has to link the service manually. The Service card allows you to indicate for each linked location whether the service should be offered by default.

Completed Service card with block times

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TEXT: IRIS FEHSE

Our experience in consultancy has taught us that reservations employees can

often improve their efficiency in a few simple steps, which in turn boosts their

job satisfaction. Below we have summarized a number of tips to simplify the

reservations employee’s job. These tips have been split up according to the

roles in the reservations management process: the requester, the reservations

operator and the service operator.

Reservations Management

TOPdesk 4.2Up close

TOPDESK 4.2 UP CLOSE 17

Service operatorService operators are responsible for carrying out reserved services such as ‘Lunch’, ‘Projector set-up’ or ‘Coffee and tea’, which means that they are usually not sitting behind a desk. For this reason, TOPdesk has added an easy-to-print checklist that the service operator can use. When setting up the module, we advise you to configure the to-do overview so that all relevant information such as time, amount and location appears in the checklist. The completed tasks on the checklist can then be closed in one go at the end of the day. The ‘Checklist’ icon is located at the top right corner of the reserved services to-do list.

Requester The requester is the person who begins the process by making a reservation. For example, they can reserve a location and order the service ‘coffee and tea’.

You can set up the reservations process in such a way that you can save the requester and the reservations operators a lot of time by letting them plan their own reservation through the Self Service Desk. The requester is authorized to view the planner, make a reservation and now TOPdesk Enterprise 4.2 allows you to easily add

services. You can select one of the available services and indicate the amount and date. Requesters of services can also easily keep track of their own reservations in the Self Service Desk. If you decide to give requesters access to the Self Service Desk, it is important to inform the requester of the reservations procedure.

Training courses

User training can be a great way to get people involved in

using TOPdesk; the Reservations training course introduces

reservation employees to the Reservations module.

Self Service Desk

In the Self Service Desk you can add a link to the reservations

planner in the shortcuts list, which enables the requester to

plan a new reservation quickly and easily. You can set this up

in the operator’s section through Settings > System settings >

Menu settings Self Service Desk > Reservations. Add the new

link using the following URL: /tas/public/reservationpublic?

action=showpublicplanner. Please note: it is important that

you tick the option ‘Include in shortcuts’.

The Planner in the Reservations Management module

Iris Fehse is a TOPdesk Consultant. She mainly focuses on Facility Management and is specialized in the reservations process.

Planner shortcut

On the Navigation tab, you can easily add a shortcut to the

planner by clicking on the ‘Set up TOPdesk Navigator’ icon.

Click on ‘Add new shortcut’ on the Shortcut tab, select ‘For

all users’ and tick the ‘Open within TOPdesk’ box. Give the

shortcut a name and enter the following in the URL: /tas/

secure/orange/showsecureplanner.