Many companies tend to underestimate the importance of the Service Desk. In some cases, organizations fail to fully understand how the Service Desk can lower their bottom line when it comes to IT expense.

The ITIL definition of a Service Desk is:
“The Service Desk acts as the central point of contact between service providers and users on a day to day basis. It is also a focal point for reporting incidents and for service requests. It can also provide an interface, for other service management activities (such as change, problem, configuration, release and continuity management).”

While the description provided is accurate, I think it can be a bit complicated to follow and miss driving home some of the key business drivers. Your Service Desk is a group of dedicated individuals that are trained and able to resolve a variety of IT issues. While I agree that the Service Desk is the focal point of incidents, it is also the first point of contact between the organization and the Support Services.

One of the large focuses of any company is profitability, and it has been a challenge for many people to quantify the value of a well run Service Desk. They understand the need for IT Support, but they usually visualize support as someone physically coming to a desk and solving a problem; is that the smartest utilization of resources? While on the surface utilizing a Desk Side-only model might seem like a more productive idea, the truth can be explained with some basic math. Depending on the complexity of your environment, your average Service Desk Analyst can handle between 30 to 60 incidents a day. Of the 30 to 60 incidents per person handled by the desk, they will manage to resolve on average at least 60% of the incidents, and in many cases we see a 75 to 80 percent resolution on the desk. Your average Desk Side person normally handles 6 to 12 incidents a day depending on if they have to travel to different locations and the complexity of the issue faced. This would mean that if your organization had roughly 100 incidents generated in a day you could handle it with 3 Service Desk Analyst, but if you were to go with a Desk Side-only model you would need 10 people to handle the same volume.

The reality is that you require both a strong Service Desk and Desk Side presence to be both efficient and cost effective in handling issues. As I have demonstrated above, a strong Service Desk can resolve many issues without requiring additional intervention for support, but an even more productive model can be developed by combining both of these services together. The first thing you will notice is that Service Desk staffing levels would not  be reduce as they will continue to be the first point of contact receiving all incidents. We will keep the same 100 incidents from the last example, and say that the desk resolves 70% of these incidents leaving us with 30. In my last model I left out a few things that tend to occur with unresolved incidents by the desk. There are a number of issues that get resolved by the 2nd level teams, or might be Infrastructure environment related issues. I am going to be very conservative and say that 12% of the 30 remaining issues fit into that bucket. Without going into things such as Service Level Agreements and just dealing with the numbers, we would want to add 3 people to our Desk Side Support team. Both the Desk Side and Service Desk team would work closely together using fully integrated processes and tools. The Service Desk would be skilled at passing required information to the Desk Side so that they can arrive with the exact parts and tools required to resolve the issue.

If you build your Service Desk correctly you will wow the organization again and again. In many cases, the business fails to notice the benefit of the Service Desk until something goes wrong and they are not receiving the high level of service that they have come to expect.

Soroc is a firm believer in this integrated service model, displaying improved resolution rates, first visit effectiveness and end user satisfaction with its implementation.  Soroc is dedicated to delivering effective and efficient support service frameworks to drive down costs and increase employee productivity.

Crystal Nicholls
Director, Support Services

We had enough rain this spring to put a damper on the beginning of anyone’s BBQ season. I’ve been dreaming of  2” char streaks on a thick steak cooked medium-rare, or a hot Italian sausage on a well toasted sesame seed bun with all the fixings; ketchup, onions, mayo and pickles. As I dust off the BBQ, pop open the lid and go to light the grill, I think “I hope I remembered to fill the propane tank”. There is nothing worse than running out of gas in the middle of a BBQ, especially if there are guests over. Not to mention, half cooked food….
No surprise that the tank is empty; I knew I should have filled it up at the end of the season. To make matter worse, the person at the service center has mentioned that the tank has expired. How can a propane tank expire?
 
Don’t let this happened to your emergency power source.  Most facilities are backed up with an emergency generator. Monthly testing is very common and required by fire code if it supplies life safety equipment such as lighting or sprinkler pumps.  Not only do you need to ensure your diesel fuel tank is topped up, you should also have the tank flushed every five years. Do you know what will happen if your diesel engine runs out of fuel? It will look like my BBQ when the grill is full and things get out of control - lots of smoke and only black, charred bits of meat remain when the flames and smoke subsides.

Mark Yetman,
Director Managed Services

So you think you have what it takes to be a recruiter?.... But what type of recruiter do you want to be? To find out, you should ask yourself;

• Do you want to be an IT, Engineering, Finance or Administrative recruiter?
• Do you want to deal with Contract or Permanent placements?
• Do you want to work for a Corporation or an Agency?

These questions must have definite answers before you can get started.
Many people have tried, but you really have to determine if you have the patience and the drive to become an elite recruiter.

For years the expectation within the industry is that recruitment consultants must be highly skilled with a sales background, be able to manage clients and candidates and be an excellent negotiator.

That is what potential employers are looking for when interviewing to build their recruitment staff. A positive attitude, a personable demeanor and drive will give you a head start through the interview process. It’s been proven time and time again that the most successful recruiters come from non-technical backgrounds, and have very little HR experience; so if you think you fit the bill, why not apply for a recruitment position today! 

Joe Caputi
IT Resourcing Manager

It has been a long winter, maybe a bit too long, but spring has arrived; the birds are singing and the days are getting longer. I just stepped onto the scale and it seems as though I was far less active this winter then I had originally thought. My waistband seems to be a little tight! That means it’s time for the annual spring diet.

Just like your waistline your Data Center seems to grow at a sometimes unnoticeable rate. Server sprawl, obsolete and abandoned equipment, new projects that incorporate state of the art technology all seem to slowly eat up your Data Center space inch by inch. To what effect do these projects disrupt your Data Center? Think floor weight.

I think the actual weight residing in your raised floor environment is an easily overseen aspect for a Data Center Manger when a new SAN or rack of servers is commissioned. It seems as though power and cooling capabilities, then space availability is the contention for growth in the minds of most Data Center Managers, but what about floor weight?

What a disaster if your floors’ static load is exceeded and your floor collapses… it does, and can happen.  A rack with 20-21 servers can easily tip the scale at 1500 pounds, which means all of that weight is sitting on four posts or casters. 

If your Data Center is a little older and has lived through several renovations, stop reading this and go look at your raised floor tiles. If you are using wood core or Type 1 steel encapsulated, then it’s time for an upgrade as you may become a bystander as your raised floor environment collapses. These structures are only rated at 1000 pounds per square foot (PSF).

You may be wondering what type of floor and tile will actually fit all of your business requirements and future growth needs. Well, that depends on what technology you plan to host. If you are not 100% sure then budget for a Type 3 (rated at 1500 PSF) floor for under your racks, and at a minimum, a Type 2 flooring (1250 PSF) in your entrance and isles. This will cover your basic needs and equipment in motion. Work with your vendors and ask the usual power and cooling questions as well as the following;

What is the weight of this technology?
What floor rating does it require?

There are tiles out there rated up to 3000 PSF; so don’t worry, the industry has you covered.

All that talk about weight distribution and support has me thinking, I better put my running shoes on and hit the pavement before the floor under my chair collapses!

Mark Yetman,
Director Managed Services

When looking at adopting the ITIL framework it is important to ensure that you have support across the organization, or else it will be difficult to influence change at any level. ITIL is a framework of best practices, not a policy, and organizations can make the decision as to what parts will be integrated into their processes and practices to improve the overall delivery of services.
 
Before embarking on this journey you should consider the following:

Why do we need to adopt ITIL?

• Are their reoccurring issues at a particular junction within our service delivery framework?
• Are new processes or disciplines being integrated into our service offerings?
• Are our IT and Business initiatives a result of proactive or reactive systems and services?

What constraints, if any, are there in adopting a best practices approach? 

• Are all of the key members of our organization informed and supporting the adoption of   these practices?
• Are all of our leaders working on the same level of communication, information, knowledge and skill related to ITSM?
• Are the appropriate ITSM tools and support process in place to initiate the appropriate workflows and automation?
• Will our organization be able and willing to comply with the new practices over a long period of time?

The approach to delivery is to use an established framework of best practices and understand what the outcomes and improvements will facilitate in order to add value to the services being provided.

Many organizations today have integrated some of the ITIL processes at a basic level of maturity, Incident Management as one example. Your adoption cycle should begin with a review of internal processes and procedures, looking for any inefficiencies, or areas of improvement. Make small changes suited to the outcomes and objectives to ensure quick wins, and don’t forget to celebrate your successes. Continue the cycle by looking for the next opportunity and repeat.

The ultimate goal of any adoption of a best practices approach should be focused on the customer and improving the overall delivery of service through proficient service management.

Crystal Nicholls
Director, Support Services

An interview is a two-way street. As the interviewee you need to research the company and be prepared for set questions that are industry and field related. The end of the interview is always the tricky part, especially after all of the pre-determined questions have been asked and the interviewer turns to you and says "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

Don’t panic and start fumbling for words or thoughts that may be detrimental to your chances of landing the position. Instead, you should always plan ahead and have some specific questions in mind that you would like to ask. Having nothing prepared sends the wrong message; you’re not fully committed to learning about the company, and more importantly, the specific opportunity you are interviewing for. There is no greater turn-off than a candidate who says;

 "No. I’m good, thanks for meeting with me."

Even though some of your questions will be answered during the interview process, you can always come up with additional follow up questions, or ask for clarification if the situation allows you to. You want to maximize your time with the interviewer and exchange as much information as possible. You need to prove to the interviewer that you are prepared and really want a solid chance to land this job.

Another key subject to steer clear of is questions relating to benefits and salary. This should only be discussed if the employer brings it up first. It’s probably not a good idea to ask how many weeks of vacation you will be offered during you first meeting with the employer.

Here are some good follow up questions to ask the employer at the end of an interview:

• Can you describe an ideal employee? 
• What kind of work can I expect to be doing in the first year of employment?
• What are some of the key skills and tools someone needs to possess or acquire to succeed in this position?
• How many decision-making opportunities will I have during my first assignment?
• Who will review my performance? How often will reviews occur?
• Could you describe your company's management style and the type of employee you feel would fit best within this structure?

What you need to remember is that looking for a job is like shopping for a new car. You want to make sure that the job suits your lifestyle just as your vehicle of choice should. Remember that you are looking for a vehicle that suits all of your needs and requirements, not the one that first catches your eye. Sure, you’ll look great driving the little red Porsche with the top down on a hot summer day, but where are you going to put the baby seat?

Joe Caputi
IT Resourcing Manager

So I am at home on a cold winter night, I’ve got the popcorn popping, the fireplace on, and a big comfy couch to settle into while watching my favorite TV show. I turn the TV on and turn to the channel my show is usually on and… Nothing.
 
I am greeted with a black screen. I begin to panic; is it my TV, cable box, or a network issue? As I start to search for the source of the problem I begin to think, “What if I had another TV and cable box?”  Do I need N+1 entertainment units, no wait 2N, or is it 2(N+1)?  Sounds a little silly, but in reality redundancy in your Datacenter actually means something - availability!

I am positive that very few people realize the importance of having redundancy in their Datacenter’s HVAC, electrical service and UPS units. When it is time to perform maintenance? Even worse, what if there is an outage in your Datacenter and the business is unaware that part of your systems is down, planned or not, how do you resolve the issue?

So, how do you know what level of redundancy your business will require? First, you will need to ask yourself how long that service can be unavailable or off line for. If you say it cannot be offline or down, then you need a completely redundant system that will allow part of the system to be down with no impact to business as usual.
 
Another issue that needs to be dealt with is Datacenter sprawl. I see it all the time; initially the facility has redundancy but over time the redundancy is lost due to overcrowding and unplanned growth within the space. This is the worst kind of gotcha as you can no longer service your Datacenter and a total outage is necessary in order to perform these annual tasks. If you feel you don’t have the required redundancy, or you are worried about outages and unscheduled downtime, I am sure Soroc can help you plan, institute and optimize a solution that best servers your company needs.
 
Now that we’ve resolved that issue and I’ve got my system up and running, I can get back to my show.

Mark Yetman
Director Managed Services

Do you ever ask yourself; “Should I start seeing other people…….?”

Well it’s time to take the test!!

How do you know if your recruiter is looking out for your best interests? That’s one of the biggest concerns I hear from job seekers. Well it’s time to measure your recruiter’s service and make sure you are dealing with the right people.

Tally up the scores for your responses and use the chart below to see how your recruiter measures up to the rest of the industry.

Has your recruiter ever:

• Met with you, or invited you to the company’s office: (10 points)
• Presented 3 or more new job opportunities to you per month: (15 points)
• Presented you with opportunities that fit your skills set and compensation? (10 points)
• Given you a follow up call or update within 5 days of submitting your resume: (10 points)
• Set up 3 or more face to face interviews with different clients: (15 points)
• Given you a follow up call within 3 days of an interview: (10 points)
• Presented 1 or more job offers a month (contract or perm): (25 points)
• Met your salary expectations: (20 points)
• Placed you multiple successful positions, all from the same recruiter: (15 points)
• Placed you in a long term role that you are happy with: (25 points)

125 or more: You found a keeper!  But we can do better; send me your resume immediately.
100 to 124: You’re on the right track. Prepare to be taken off the market.
50 to 99: It’s time to start seeing other people (recruiters).
0 to 49: No love! You've come to the right place to find your recruitment match!

For more information on what your options are when it comes to finding your perfect recruitment match visit the IT Resourcing section of the Soroc website.  You never know, it could be love at first placement!

Joe Caputi
IT Resourcing Manager

It seems like yesterday I moved into my new house - 3 bedrooms, 2 and ½ half baths and a finished basement with tons of entertaining space. Come Thanksgiving dinner I had a few guests over and seemed to have run out of space.  I started thinking to myself…  Is it time to move? Do I need a bigger house? When did I grow out of this one, or have I created a false sense of fullness in my house with dated furniture and poorly organized spaces?  I’m sure if I got rid of some of the furniture I no longer need, and maximized my entertaining space I would have plenty of room for all of my guests.

This “running out of space” does not just happen when guests arrive for turkey dinner; most Data Centers appear to have the same deficiency.  If you are not looking at your floor space every 3-5 years and ensuring you are adapting to your business needs you too will have clutter and wasted space.  You could potentially make a decision to move or relocate, but that may end up costing millions!

What steps should you take?  Simple, evaluate your HVAC systems, power distributions systems and current rack utilization. Meet with your Data Center stake holders and ensure you understand their 5 year plan and assess your space accordingly;

Do you need more cooling?

Is your current cooling efficient?

Do you need more power?

Can this be added without downtime?

Is your UPS at capacity and does it make sense to upgrade or replace?

 Are your racks reaching capacity and do they still meet the needs of the equipment inside them?

As you ask these questions you may find that you don’t need to move at all. You just need to do a little remodeling to give your Data Center a fresh look and to find that additional space you never even realized you had.

Now that’s done, who wants to buy my old sectional sofa?  If you find any change in the cushions you can keep it!

Mark Yetman

Director Managed Services