Providers and Customers Where you stand depends on where you sit

1. Providers and CustomersWhere you stand depends on where you sit David J. Ernst--CIO California State University System EDUCAUSE Enterprise Technology Conference May 25, 2006 Chicago, Illinois

2. Outline • The Challenge • Service—What and Why • Who are Our Customers? • Roles and Generations • Service Performance Framework and Assessment • What Can We Do To Improve? • Overview and Summary

3. The IT Service Challenge

4. IT and Service or IT vs. Service? • We “got religion” on customer service in late ’80’s and early 90’s • Lots of lip service has been paid to how “IT is here to help” • Have we improved the way our customers view and regard us? • Have we improved the way we view and regard out customers?

5. Service— What and Why?

6. What is service ? • What do you think? • Service is……

7. What is service ? • Examples :Bank, local government, self-service • Within the organization • Up • Out • Down • Managing and meeting the customers expectations • Are expectations getting higher?

8. What is service ? “The activities needed to support customer interactions before, during, and after the purchase of products.“ McGraw-Hill Online Learning Center “A function of an organization that interacts with customers, e.g. respond to inquires or complaints. Can also describe the positive attitude of an organization towards its client base, and taking active steps (as opposed to always Reacting) to improve product or service delivery. “ Home-based Business Manual

9. Why does service matter ? • Why does it matter at your institution? • Why does it matter in your department? • Why does it matter to you?

10. Why does service matter ? • In higher education: • Competition • Shrinking government funding • Students paying higher fees and charges • Increasing focus on responsiveness, accountability and quality • Educational outcomes • On a personal basis: • Good service will help me “get ahead”

11. What inhibits an organization's ability to be service-oriented? • Complex organizational structure • Attitude – it’s not my job! • Attitude – the customer is ‘stupid’ • Lack of trained and empowered staff • Failure to understand customer needs • Difficult customers • Poor communication

12. Who Are Our Customers?

13. Who are our customers ? • Identify a key customer group? • What service(s) do you provide? • What are their expectations?

14. Who are our customers ? External: • Students –undergrad, grad, new students, highly IT literate and not • Faculty and academic staff – teaching, research • Management – Deans, Dept Chairs, Sr Exec • Other staff – admin, IT support in Faculties, customer facing Internal: • ITS or unit management • Other IT teams • Service Desk

15. Customers by Role Customers by Generation

16. Customers by Role • Faculty • Staff • Student • Alumni • General public • Boss • Peer • Subordinate

17. Getting to Know the Generations We Serve • Traditionalists: Born pre 1946 • Patriotic, loyal, fiscally conservative, faith in institutions • Baby Boomers: Born 1946—1964 • Idealistic, competitive, questions authority, desire to put own stamp on things, sandwiched, challenge institutions Based on presentation by Lynne Lancaster of Bridgeworks

18. Getting to Know the Generations We Serve • Generation X: Born 1965—1981 • Eclectic, resourceful, self-reliant, distrust institutions, highly adaptive to both change and technology • Millennials: Born 1982—2000 • Globally concerned, integrated, realistic, pragmatic, cyber-literate, media savvy, environmentally conscious Based on presentation by Lynne Lancaster of Bridgeworks

19. Service for Gen X and Millennials • Unforgiving about poor customer service • Expect service 7X24 • Prepared to negotiate service relationship • Quality is very important, but can’t ID it • Prefer on-line or phone business Based on Center for Generational Studies Robert Wendover presentation

20. Service for Gen X and Millennials • Know that if you don’t ask, you don’t get • Work the system to obtain needs/desires • Careful observers of policy vs. practice differences • Constant communication with others provides high consumer awareness Based on Center for Generational Studies Robert Wendover presentation

21. Service Criteria for X’ers and Millennials • Accessibility • Available 7X24? • Someone always answers the phone? • How long will I wait on hold? • Meets Technology Expectations • Menu driven? • Helpful links to products and services? • Can get answers without speaking to someone? Based on Center for Generational Studies Robert Wendover presentation

22. Service Criteria for X’ers and Millennials • Anticipates customer needs • Predicted what can go wrong and prepared solutions in advance? • Simple to use • How many steps does it take? • Is customer being fit into provider’s system or the other way around? Based on Center for Generational Studies Robert Wendover presentation

23. Service Criteria for X’ers and Millennials • Empathy • Are reps friendly? • Does customer feel “handled?” • Are instructions user friendly? • Does customer feel like provider understands needs and problems? Based on Center for Generational Studies Robert Wendover presentation

24. Delivers desired outcome Does the customer get what he/she wants? How hard does the customer have to work for good service? Is there a folllow up once the solution is offered? Based on Center for Generational Studies Robert Wendover presentation Service Criteria for X’ers and Millennials

25. Service Performance— A Framework and Some Assessment

26. The Balanced Scorecard Developed by Kaplan and Norton (Harvard Business School) Four measures of success: • Financial • Internal Business Processes • Learning and Growth (employee) • Clients

27. I.T.Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Service Level Management “The goal for SLM is to maintain and improve IT service quality through a constant cycle of agreeing, monitoring and reporting on IT service achievements and instigation of actions to eradicate poor service – in line with business or cost justification.” United Kingdom’s Office of Government Commerce

28. ITIL and Service Level Management • Service Catalogue • Service Level Agreements for each service • Key performance indicators • Ongoing review (and negotiation) to improve • IT effort is aimed at those areas the business think is most important !

29. What Are We Using Today? • Are you using any kind of formal service framework and, if so, what? • Have you employed Balanced Scorecard? • What about service level agreements? • Surveys and focus group techniques

30. Recent Survey In CSU Hits Home • Survey done last year • Campuses asked to rate service of Chancellors Office system wide IT services • Part of Business and Finance performance measurement/quality improvement • Satisfied/Very satisfied = + • Dissatisfied/Very dissatisfied = - • Remaining % = neutral/don’t know

31. How satisfied are you with: • Provision, maintenance, upgrade of campus IT infrastructure? • 76% = + • 12% = - • Support of academic technologies and project supporting learning process? • 48% = + • 19% = -

32. How satisfied are you with: • Stewardship and effective management of central resources for campus benefit? • 59% = + • 12% = - • Development of appropriate IT policies and procedures? • 59% = + • 13% = -

33. How satisfied are you with: • Assistance with developing IT security practices, policies and procedures? • 56% = + • 18% = - • Support and assistance for campus ERP development, maintenance and ops? • 52% = + • 21% = -

34. What Can We Do To Improve?

35. What Are We Doing to Improve Service Today? • Training • Setting customer expectations • Performance measurement • Balanced scorecard • Customer satisfaction surveys • What else?

36. Communication—Help Desk Software Does it Right • Ticket opened—client notified • Statement of prob—client notified • Wrong problem—provider notified • Progress made—client notified • Ticket closed—client notified • Problem not solved—provider notified Courtesy Clarke Sanford, CSU Bakersfield

37. Minimize Handoffs • Clients hate being shuffled around • Don’t hand client off unless absolutely necessary • If must hand off, make sure new provider is fully briefed • Follow up with provider and then client CourtesyClarke Sanford, CSU Bakersfield

38. Own the Customer’s Problem • Good service is essentially a one on one proposition—you and the customer • Make the customer believe their problem is now your problem • Make customer follow up a way of life Courtesy Clarke Sanford, CSU Bakersfield

39. Track Problems • On going tracking is a must using software if available • Essential to letting customer know status of problem fix and who’s working on it • Stay on top of problems that are taking a long time to resolve Courtesy Clarke Sanford, CSU Bakersfield

40. On Going Assessment • Make on going assessment a part of your service culture • Not a tool for staff discipline, but for service improvement • A good candidate for use of balanced scorecard process Courtesy Clarke Sanford, CSU Bakersfield

41. Don’t Make Fun of Clients • Avoid telling the horror stories about “problem clients” • Discourage this among staff and set the right example • Joking about certain clients undercuts a service culture and provides an excuse to justify poor service Courtesy Clarke Sanford, CSU Bakersfield

42. Communications Planning • Key messages defined • External and internal information needs assessed • Short and long term needs identified • Assign responsibilities for communications (and approval) • Added into project plan and schedule

43. The big picture Imbedding a service culture: • Use recognized frameworks e.g., Balanced Scorecard, Service Level Agreements with KPIs (ITIL) • Use software tools that enable tracking, escalation and reporting against targets • Communications planning • Consultation

44. Overview and Summary

45. Summary • If you expect your staff to deliver quality service, you must lead the way. • You must walk the walk and talk the talk • Reward good service and good communication • Implement good systems and processes • Support frontline staff

46. Key issues to take away • Appreciate the needs of different groups of customers – do a client analysis • Plan the communications • Imbed customer service in a framework and build on it – don't let it stagnate • Lead by example !

47. What Were the Biggest IT Service Criticisms of the ’80’s and ’90’s? • IT is too secretive • Too technology focused—Propeller heads reign • Black box mentality • IT knows what’s good for the client Are we still looking through the wrong end of the telescope?

48. What are the Biggest Criticisms of IT Service Today? • Most IT departments talk the “customer service” talk but still optimize on the provider’s point-of-view • Other thoughts? • What about our vendors?

49. Where you stand depends.. on where you sit.QUESTIONS?