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User Support

User Support. Miroslav Milinovic Croatian Academic and Research Network - CARNet Zagreb, Croatia <miro@srce.hr>. 5th CEENet Workshop on Network Technology, Budapest, Hungary, August 1999. Content. Who are you? Who are your users? Current situation Goals and activities

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User Support

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  1. User Support Miroslav Milinovic Croatian Academic and Research Network - CARNet Zagreb, Croatia <miro@srce.hr> 5th CEENet Workshop on Network Technology, Budapest, Hungary, August 1999.

  2. Content • Who are you? Who are your users? • Current situation • Goals and activities • Helpdesk/hotline service • Training activities • Traditional training • Training trainers • Network based training • Complementary activities • What is wrong? • Strategy • Conclusion

  3. ... network

  4. END-USER INFORMATION PROVIDER END-USER INTERNET PROVIDER INTERNET END-USER Who are you?

  5. END-USER INFORMATION PROVIDER END-USER INTERNET PROVIDER INTERNET END-USER Who are your users?

  6. Current situation • rapid growth of the Internet • immense increase in the volume and the range of the available information • users require • basic training • constant knowledge improvement • competent and current information • expeditious helpdesk/hotline service

  7. Goals and activities • goals: • support user activities • promote effective use of network (services) • activities: • helpdesk/hotline service • training activities • other (complementary) activities

  8. Helpdesk/hotline service • single, competent contact point for users • institutions • end-users • can be reached by: • e-mail, phone, fax, post, personal contact • has proper connection with experts • provide on-line help tools (FAQ, advisories) • collect the data • publish information 

  9. Helpdesk/hotline service • provides correct and actual information • it is important to keep users informed about: • network operations • network events • new services, software, ... • it is good to have documentation archive

  10. Training activities • training for: • end-users • information providing stuff • network support stuff • trainers • enable constant and scaleable training for each type of user and knowledge level 

  11. Training activities • under constant development • two kinds: • traditional (courses) • network based • supported with complementary user support activities

  12. Traditional training • based on courses (lectures, workshops) • design a courses schema (structured, scaleable) • recommend schedule for basic, typical, full training • prepare companion WWW pages • train the trainers • ask the users for their opinion 

  13. Traditional training • courses should: • be focused on subject • be hands-on (workshops) • be short as possible • promote IS and the Internet as a knowledge resource • encourage users to self-education • have companion material (reference card) for each course

  14. Training trainers • important task • prepare trainers to: • prepare a course materials • slides, handouts, software • deliver courses • teaching (presentation) skills • make class comfortable • catch attention; interaction • handle technical things • preparations for course • problems

  15. Network based training • several topics: • WWW based training • CMC - Computer Mediated Communication • distance learning • no (spectacular) results, yet • pure tutorials are not efficient (boring ?) • special software • FirstClass, TopClass (http://www.wbtsystems.com), ... 

  16. Network based training • users would like: • just-in-time • just-enough • some problems: • on-line courses completely substitute “normal” courses • learner left alone • missing navigation • “media overkill”

  17. Complementary activities • use network services as much as possible • printed materials • absolute necessity for the absolute beginners • reference cards • user manuals • software packages • customized software for Internet access 

  18. Complementary activities • pilot projects • IT penetrates in some fields of interest or communities • improves the network skills in a traditionally closed or disinterested environment • dedicated events • organize or participate • chance to widespread the information and basic knowledge

  19. What is wrong? • long-lasting phone and “face to face” dialogue • fragmented support • unscaleable service • duplication of effort • ineffective support • lots of paper

  20. Strategy • provide as many user support services as possible on-line: • enable users to easily obtain current information • exploit e-mail, WWW, lists, news, … • think pro-active rather then re-active • prepare and educate users • concepts rather then quick fixes • involve responsible (experts) in support 

  21. Strategy • design scaleable service • good for novice and advanced user • plan your activities • training activities • user support for new services • maintain quality and currency of information • do not forget: • high user expectations • lots of novice users

  22. Conclusion • a wide range of activities is needed • remember: • competent helpdesk/hotline service • on-line help tools (FAQ, advisories) • training activities • printed materials for beginners • constant training for user support personnel • Make realistic plans!

  23. Questions ?

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