This article was originally published in the April 1, 2021 IT Weekly.
The most recent work to enhance IT service management with TeamDynamix has focused on improving the experience for both IT and campus users using an iterative approach. In this first phase of the project, the project team is focusing on creating a working product that will allow for greater customization in phase 2 through ongoing testing and refining.
For campus users, that means they will be able to submit help requests on a new public-facing web page using custom forms for the most common requests and a catch-all “easy button” form for any other request. Customers will still be able to contact the service desk through email, phone, chat, and walk-in. Once the web page is live, usability testing will drive the addition of the service catalog and additional custom forms.
For IT users, updated ticket categories and workflows are the focus to create a strong working product that can be refined after launch. In the first phase, categories will be reorganized or renamed to more accurately reflect the new service catalog that was still in development during the Footprints 12 implementation. New categories will be created to represent new service offerings, and incorrect categories or those with little use will be retired. Some TeamDynamix requirements have also spurred conversations around business process improvement, such as the ticket auto-assignment process and ticket workflow.
Because TeamDynamix allows much greater flexibility to make changes even after implementation, phase 2 will focus on more in-depth user testing and business process refinement. For example, drop-down menu options can be changed at any time, and existing tickets can be re-associated with the new options to facilitate reporting. When new names or categories are introduced, those changes can also be applied retroactively to previous tickets.
The timelines for these phases and the remaining modules are all represented on a new Gantt chart available on the project website.
While modules are listed individually, users will interact with TeamDynamix through two main platforms after launch. Campus users will use TDClient to submit and track tickets or view the service catalog and knowledge base articles. Technicians will use TDNext to manage tickets and assets, update knowledge base articles, submit change requests or track problems.